The Elite Four: Drake
Congratulations, Trainer! You've navigated the treacherous waters of the Elite Four and now stand before Drake, the fourth and final member of this formidable quartet. Drake is a master of Dragon-type Pokémon, a type renowned for its raw power, high stats, and resistance to many common offensive types. Defeating him is the final hurdle before facing the Pokémon Champion, Steven Stone (or Wallace, depending on your game version).
Drake's battle takes place in a chamber adorned with ancient ruins and a large, imposing dragon statue. He is a stoic and powerful trainer, embodying the strength and majesty of his Dragon-type companions. Prepare for a challenging fight that will test your team's resilience and strategic prowess.
Drake's Pokémon Team Overview
Drake's team consists of five potent Dragon-type Pokémon. While all share the Dragon typing, several have secondary typings that introduce unique resistances and weaknesses you must account for. Understanding each Pokémon's move set and typing is crucial for victory.
| Pokémon | Level | Type(s) | Key Moves | Ability | Strategy Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelgon | 52 | Dragon | Protect, Dragon Claw, Rock Slide, Double-Edge | Rock Head | Pure Dragon-type. Protect can be annoying. Rock Slide hits Flying-types. Double-Edge is powerful but causes recoil. |
| Flygon | 53 | Ground / Dragon | Sandstorm, Dragon Breath, Earthquake, Crunch | Levitate | Crucial secondary typing! Immune to Ground moves. Earthquake is devastating. Sandstorm can chip away at your team. Dragon Breath can paralyze. |
| Altaria | 54 | Dragon / Flying | Dragon Breath, Aerial Ace, Take Down, Dragon Dance | Natural Cure | Crucial secondary typing! Dragon Dance boosts Attack and Speed. Aerial Ace never misses. Natural Cure removes status upon switching out. |
| Flygon | 55 | Ground / Dragon | Flamethrower, Dragon Claw, Earthquake, Giga Drain | Levitate | Another Flygon, but with a different moveset. Flamethrower covers Ice-types. Giga Drain can recover HP. Still immune to Ground. |
| Salamence | 55 | Dragon / Flying | Dragon Claw, Fly, Flamethrower, Crunch | Intimidate | Drake's ace. Intimidate lowers your Pokémon's Attack upon entry. Fly can stall turns. Flamethrower for Ice-types. Extremely fast and powerful. |
Recommended Pokémon and Strategies
The key to defeating Drake lies in exploiting the Dragon-type's primary weakness: Ice-type moves. Ice-type attacks deal 4x super-effective damage to Dragon/Flying types (Altaria, Salamence) and 2x super-effective damage to pure Dragon (Shelgon) and Dragon/Ground (Flygon) types. A strong Ice-type Pokémon is not just recommended, it's almost essential.
Primary Weaknesses to Exploit:
- Ice: Super effective against ALL of Drake's Pokémon.
- Dragon: Super effective against ALL of Drake's Pokémon, but be wary of reciprocal super-effective damage.
Secondary Weaknesses to Consider:
- Water/Grass: Super effective against Flygon (Ground/Dragon).
- Electric/Rock: Super effective against Altaria and Salamence (Dragon/Flying).
Recommended Pokémon for Your Team:
-
Ice-type Specialist (Highly Recommended):
- Walrein (Water/Ice): Evolves from Sealeo. Excellent HP and Special Defense. Can learn powerful Ice Beam/Blizzard and Surf. Its Water typing resists Flamethrower from Flygon and Salamence.
- Lapras (Water/Ice): If you managed to trade one in or got it through other means. Similar to Walrein, great bulk and offensive presence.
- Jynx (Ice/Psychic): Fast Special Attacker. Ice Beam is potent. Frail defensively.
- Glalie (Ice): Evolves from Snorunt. Pure Ice-type, good Attack and Special Attack.
-
Water-type (for Flygon):
- Swampert (Water/Ground): Your starter, if chosen. Resists Rock Slide from Shelgon and can hit Flygon with Surf/Waterfall. Be careful of Altaria/Salamence's Flying moves.
- Milotic (Water): Excellent Special Defense and HP. Can take hits and retaliate with Surf.
-
Electric-type (for Altaria/Salamence):
- Manectric (Electric): Fast Special Attacker with Thunderbolt. Can outspeed and one-shot Altaria or Salamence if they're weakened.
- Magneton (Electric/Steel): Good Special Attack and Defense. Thunderbolt is strong.
-
Rock-type (for Altaria/Salamence):
- Aggron (Steel/Rock): High Defense. Rock Slide/Stone Edge can hit Altaria/Salamence hard. Be wary of Flamethrower.
- Golem (Rock/Ground): Sturdy, but slow. Earthquake for Flygon, Rock Blast/Stone Edge for Flying-types.
-
Dragon-type (Use with Caution):
- If you have your own Dragon-type (e.g., a trained Bagon/Shelgon/Salamence from Meteor Falls, or a traded Dragonite/Kingdra), they can deal super-effective damage. However, they will also take super-effective damage from Drake's Dragon moves. Only use if you have a significant level advantage or a strong defensive strategy.
General Battle Strategy and Tips:
- Lead with your Ice-type: Start the battle with your strongest Ice-type Pokémon. This allows you to immediately pressure Shelgon and potentially one-shot it.
- Beware of Flygon's Ground Typing: When Flygon comes out, switch to a Water or Grass-type if your Ice-type is vulnerable to Earthquake (e.g., Glalie). Remember Flygon is immune to Ground moves due to Levitate, so don't use your own Earthquake against it!
- Counter Altaria's Dragon Dance: If Altaria uses Dragon Dance, it will become much faster and hit harder. Try to take it out quickly with an Ice, Electric, or Rock-type move before it can set up too many boosts.
- Manage Salamence's Intimidate: When Salamence enters, your Pokémon's Attack stat will be lowered. If you rely on physical attackers, consider switching to a special attacker or using a stat-boosting move like Swords Dance or Bulk Up to negate the Intimidate effect.
-
use Status Conditions:
- Paralysis: Can slow down Drake's fast Pokémon like Salamence and Flygon, giving you a chance to outspeed them.
- Sleep: Puts an opponent out of commission for a few turns, allowing you to set up or heal.
- Freeze: A rare but devastating status that completely incapacitates the opponent.
- Healing Items are Crucial: Stock up on Hyper Potions, Full Restores, and Revives. Drake's Pokémon hit hard, and you'll likely need to heal or revive your key attackers.
- Level Advantage: Aim for your Pokémon to be at least Level 55-60. While strategy is paramount, a few extra levels can make a significant difference in survivability and damage output.
- Consider Choice Scarf/Band: If you have access to these items (though rare in Emerald before the Battle Frontier), they can turn the tide by boosting a key stat. A Choice Scarf on an Ice-type could ensure you outspeed and one-shot Salamence.
Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them:
- Underestimating Secondary Typings: Forgetting that Flygon is Ground/Dragon means your Electric-type attacks will be ineffective, and your own Ground attacks will miss. Forgetting Altaria and Salamence are Flying/Dragon means your Ground attacks will miss, and Electric/Rock attacks are super-effective. Always double-check typings!
- Lack of Ice-type Coverage: Going into this battle without a strong Ice-type move is a recipe for disaster. Dragon-types resist Fire, Water, Grass, and Electric (unless secondary typing changes it), making Ice the most reliable offensive option.
- Ignoring Stat Changes: Allowing Altaria to set up multiple Dragon Dances or ignoring Salamence's Intimidate can lead to your team being swept. Address these threats immediately.
- Running Out of PP: Powerful moves often have limited PP. Ensure your key Pokémon have enough PP for their main offensive moves, or carry Ethers/Elixirs if necessary.
By carefully planning your team, exploiting weaknesses, and managing your items, you can overcome Drake's powerful Dragon-type team. Once he is defeated, you will proceed to the final challenge: the Pokémon Champion!
