How to defeat BB Elite Four and Champion Kieran in Indigo Disk in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

The BB Elite Four and Champion Kieran are some of the toughest challenges Pokemon Scarlet and Violet players adventuring through The Indigo Disk DLC will face at Blueberry Academy. While the Elite Four consists of new characters, Champion Kieran has returned from The Teal Mask DLC with a vengeance. Compared to Paldea's gauntlet of trainers, this group is clearly a step up, and players battling them must be prepared.

Although every member of the BB Elite Four in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet: The Indigo Disk still sticks to a theme, their use of certain creatures and type combinations ensure players won't be able to breeze through them, at least not as easily as their Paldean counterparts.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet trainers hoping to take down the BB Elite Four and win their rematch with Kieran should know what lies ahead.

Lineups and counters for the BB Elite Four and Kieran in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet: The Indigo Disk

Crispin

Team lineup

Talonflame (Lv. 77)
Heat Rotom (Lv. 77)
Exeggutor (Lv. 78)
Magmortar (Lv. 78)
Camerupt (Lv. 78)
Blaziken (Lv. 79)

Aside from Exeggutor, trainers can reliably take on Crispin using Water-, Rock-, and Ground-type moves/Pokemon. Water-types also have to be wary of Heat Rotom, as it's a partial Electric-type and has access to the move Thunderbolt. All things considered, trainers should use a blend of Water- or Ground-types while keeping a Bug-type to deal with Exeggutor on standby.

Given the double format of the BB Elite Four battles in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet: The Indigo Disk, beginning with a Water-type and a Ground-type should allow players to decimate most of Crispin's team until Exeggutor appears. From there, a solid Bug-type should be able to take advantage of its double weakness to that type.

Recommended counters: Swampert, Whiscash, Gastrodon, Araquanid, any Water-type starters, Palafin, Walking Wake, Iron Bundle, Volcarona, Slither Wing

Amarys

Team Lineup

Alolan Dugtrio (Lv. 78)
Skarmory (Lv. 78)
Empoleon (Lv. 79)
Reuniclus (Lv. 79)
Scizor (Lv. 79)
Metagross (Lv. 80)

Steel-type Elite Four opponents tend to be pretty straightforward, but Amarys has a few tricks in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet: The Indigo Disk. The reserved member of the BB Elite Four utilizes Reuniclus in her lineup, which is a mono Psychic-type. Moreover, opponents like Skarmory, Empoleon, and Alolan Dugtrio can cause trouble if players don't pick their Steel-type counters carefully.

If trainers begin with a Ground- and Fire-type in their Double Battle duo, they should be able to hand most of Amarys' team. However, they will have to look to Bug-, Dark-, or Ghost-type moves/Pokemon to counter Reuniclus. Fighting-types can also be useful outside of countering Skarmory/Metagross.

Like her counterparts, Amarys will eventually use Terastallization to try and get the upper hand, but Pokemon Scarlet and Violet players won't have to worry about changing their counters since each BB Elite Four member Terastallizes into their team theme.

Recommended counters: Camerupt, Groudon, Garchomp, Golurk, Ursaluna, Great Tusk, Iron Treads, Excadrill, Paldean Tauros (Male), Blaziken, Hariyama, Lucario, Conkeldurr, Iron Hands, Koraidon

Lacey

Team Lineup

Granbull (Lv. 78)
Whimsicott (Lv. 78)
Primarina (Lv. 79)
Galarian Slowbro (Lv. 79)
Alcremie (Lv. 79)
Excadrill (Lv. 80)

Lacey is the Fairy-type member of the BB Elite Four in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet: The Indigo Disk, and her team should be a pretty standard case of countering for super effective damage. However, she does have access to Galarian Slowbro, which is a Poison/Psychic-type to help protect her Fairy-types from opposing Poison-types.

Lacey also possesses Excadrill for the same reason, but Pokemon Scarlet and Violet trainers may not need to worry about countering it much since she seems keen on Terastallizing it into a Fairy-type. This makes it weak to the same Poison/Steel-type moves that can handle most of Lacey's team except for Galarian Slowbro, who is weak to Dark-, Ghost-, and Ground-types.

Recommended Counters: Muk, Gengar, Toxtricity, Overqwil, Revavroom, Clodsire, Okidogi, Munkidori, Fezandipiti, Magneton, Registeel, Metagross, Copperajah, Corviknight, Kingambit, Gholdengo

Drayton

Team Lineup

Flygon (Lv. 78)
Dragonite (Lv. 78)
Sceptile (Lv. 79)
Haxorus (Lv. 79)
Kingdra (Lv. 79)
Archaludon (Lv. 80)

The Dragon-type ace of the BB Elite Four, Drayton's team may not be as intimidating as it seems. In fact, except for Kingdra and Archaludon, a majority of his team can be handily dealt with by a capable Ice-type Pokemon. If players bring along a solid Ground- or Fighting-type and at least one Fairy-type, they should be in good shape to bring down Drayton's 'mons effectively.

Although it's true that Dragon-type Pokemon and moves against Drayton's team can inflict super effective damage, using Dragon-types against their kind is a double-edged sword that results in heavy damage for both fighters. Dragon-type moves will get the job done, but it's best if Pokemon Scarlet and Violet trainers use non-Dragon-type creatures to utilize them to avoid a type mismatch.

Recommended Counters: Alolan Ninetales, Mamoswine, Crabominable, Iron Bundle, Baxcalibur, Chien-Pao, Gardevoir, Grimmsnarl, Tinkaton, Iron Valiant, Paldean Tauros, Lucario, Annihilape, Great Tusk, Iron Hands, Koraidon, Okidogi, Alolan Sandslash, Rhyperior, Ursaluna, Ting-Lu

Champion Kieran

Kieran hasn't forgotten the events of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet: The Teal Mask (Image via Game Freak)

Team Lineup

Politoed (Lv. 80) (Water Tera Type)
Dragonite (Lv. 80) (Normal Tera Type)
Grimmsnarl (Lv. 81) (Fairy Tera Type)
Porygon-Z (Lv. 81) (Normal Tera Type)
Incineroar (Lv. 81) (Fire Tera Type)
Hydrapple (Lv. 82) (Fighting Tera Type)

Kieran may have a new look, but he hasn't forgotten the alleged "betrayal" that Pokemon Scarlet and Violet players inflicted on him in The Teal Mask DLC. He's come prepared to beat trainers this time and won't stick to a central theme like the BB Elite Four in The Indigo Disk. Players must account not only for Kieran's team but also for its varied Tera Types.

The good news is that two of his most dangerous picks — Dragonite and Hydrapple — are highly susceptible to Ice-types without Terastallizing. Moreover, bringing along a Fighting-type should be enough for Porygon and Incineroar while also having the ability to deal with Terastallized Dragonite to a degree.

Kieran's battle can be one of the more difficult in all of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet (Image via Game Freak)

That leaves the likes of Politoed and Grimmsnarl, who can be dealt with via an Electric-type and a Fairy-type, respectively, even if they Terastallize. If Pokemon Scarlet and Violet players can combine the outlined types via dual-type creatures, Kieran's formidable team is much easier to manage across the board.

With only six 'mons available to them, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet fans will have to pick their team members carefully to hard counter Kieran's team. However, as long as their options are high-level and account for the type matchups in both standard and Terastallized matchups, players can take his Champion mantle in the Blueberry League.

Recommended Counters: Iron Hands, Lanturn, Sandy Shocks, Iron Thorns, Miraidon, Alolan Ninetales, Lapras, Mamoswine, Iron Bundle, Baxcalibur, Galarian Weezing, Toxapex, Sneasler, Clodsire, Okidogi, Fezandipiti, Glimmora, Iron Valiant

Kieran may not have as uniform Pokemon on his team compared to the BB Elite Four, but those who break down into countering each member of his lineup should still have success in the end.

You may also check out our other Pokemon Scarlet and Violet coverage:

Best starters for Scarlet and Violet || All active Mystery Gift codes || Indigo Disk Pokedex