The Elite Four (or Four Emperors in Japanese) is a team of four Pokémon trainers in the Pokémon merchandise of video games, television series, comic books etc. They possess powerful Pokémon and great fighting prowess. They are a little like Gym leaders in that each focuses on one kind of Pokémon, but they do not reside in a Pokémon Gym. Rather, they are the challenge of the Pokémon League.

In the games, a Pokémon trainer who has defeated eight Gym Leaders and thus has eight Gym badges in his or her possession is eligible to enter the Pokémon League. There he will have to defeat the four trainers comprising the Elite Four one after the other, with only a small break between battles to switch the order of Pokémon in his team or use items. If at any point the trainer is defeated, he or she is required to start the challenge all over again.

If the player defeats the Elite Four, who are generally considered the four greatest trainers in the world, he or she then has to face the reigning champion of the Pokémon League, the last trainer to have beaten the Elite Four. Upon overcoming this final hurdle, the trainer is crowned Champion and registered along with his Pokémon at the Hall of Fame.

The composition of the Elite Four has varied form game to game. In Pokémon Green, Pokémon Red, Pokémon Blue, Pokémon Yellow, Pokémon Fire Red and Pokémon Leaf Green, which take place in the region of Kanto, the Elite Four is comprised by Lorelei (Kanna), expert of Ice Pokémon, Bruno (Shiba), Fighting Pokémon trainer extraordinaire, Agatha (Kikuko), the oldest Elite Four member ever, a Ghost Pokémon specialist, and longtime acquaintance of Professor Oak (Yukinari Ōkido) and Lance (Wataru), the Dragon Pokémon master and brother of Gym Leader Claire of Blackthorn City. The Pokémon League champion is the game's rival, Professor Oak's grandson (default name Blue).

• This group is the strongest, with Pokémon in the Lv. 50-60+ range. After the machine on Island 1 in Fire Red and Leaf Green is fixed, however, the Pokémon levels have increased to the 65-70 range.

In Pokémon Gold, Pokémon Silver and Pokémon Crystal the action is in the region of Johto, but the Pokémon League is still situated in Indigo Plateau. The members of the Elite Four, however, have changed a lot: first is Will (Istuki), a Psychic Pokémon trainer from distant lands. Second comes Koga (Kyō) the Poison Pokémon Ninja master, who in the previous games used to be Fuchsia City's Gym Leader (apparently, he was promoted). The third trainer is still Bruno, and the fourth is Karen (Karin), who uses primarily the newly-discovered Dark Pokémon. The Pokémon League champion is none other than former Elite Four leader, Lance.

• Lorelei and Agatha were removed for unknown reasons. It is believed by fans that Lorelei left and Agatha died. Some people disapprove of the fact that the Elite Four is weaker in Gold and Silver than in Red, Blue, Green, and Yellow, and has Pokémon in the early Lv. 40 range.

In Pokémon Ruby and Pokémon Sapphire, the Pokémon League is found in Evergrande City in the region of Hoenn. The Elite Four has a brand new composition: Sidney, another Dark Pokémon expert, Phoebe, who battles with Ghost Pokémon, Glacia, an Ice Pokémon trainer, and finally Drake, who uses Dragon Pokémon. The final trainer is Steven Stone¹, user of Steel Pokémon. In these games the player also learns that the grandfather of Flannery, Lavaridge City 's Gym Leader, used to be one of the Elite Four.

¹Although Steven's family name is Stone, someone in game says he is unrelated to Mr. Stone, President of Devon Corp. It does seem Steven and Mr. Stone are unrelated, since Mr. Stone, who is probably sixty-five or more, seems quite old to be Steven's father. Steven appears to be pretty young, probably less than thirty.

• In Emerald, it is much the same, but the teams are altered slightly, and Steven is replaced by Wallace, leader of Sootopolis's gym (he was in turn replaced by Ardan, a water trainer who is still quite mysterious).
• The Elite Four has restored its strength, and the Pokémon are now in the Lv. 50-55 range.