I. Introduction
I distinctly remember an NPC in the original Pokémon Red and Blue versions telling me that a Pokémon used by a trainer is stronger than one caught in the wild. I never really knew what they were talking about until Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, when the concept of EVs was first introduced to me. EVs, or rather, Effort Values, determine how much stats increase by when a Pokémon levels up. This is just one of the influences. There are several others, such as base stats and IVs, or Individual Values, but we’ll get to those later.
For now, let’s concentrate on EVs, and what they can do for you. By utilizing Effort Value trainings (EV training), you can potentially increase a Pokémon’s specific stat by at least 64 points (more after Natures and IVs are taken into account) - invaluable for competitive battling, and useful for casual play in the Battle Maison. The downsides? It’s a lot to take in - at least initially. Thankfully, you have an EV training veteran on your side to teach you how to take the next step in your competitive battling journey!
A Pokémon can gain a total of 510 Effort Values, but a single stat can only acquire 255 (252 as of X/Y). You’ll find that if you concentrate your EVs into two or three specific stats rather than all over the place (like the usual in-game team’s tend to be, due to the nature of leveling and battling random Pokémon), your Pokémon will be much more viable in the competitive scene.
In order to increase a stat by 1 point, you need to acquire 4 EVs in that particular stat. This means that if I want my Froakie’s Speed to increase by 1 point, I need to go out and collect 4 Speed EVs from various wild or trainer-raised Pokémon.
However, due to the uneven number of 255 being the EV cap for one particular stat, you want to choose the closest interval of 4 for your EV training needs. In X/Y, this problem was fixed, and the new cap is 252, meaning that you can safely invest in any one particular stat without taking away from the rest of your EV reservoir.
252 / 4 = 64 total points
Take a moment to imagine how many more Pokémon the fully trained Greninja will be able to outspeed with those 64 Speed points. These stats are gained as your Pokémon levels up, and by the time it reaches level 100, it will have gained all 64 points. That being said, due to this gradual increase, your Pokémon will still be superior to those who haven't been EV trained, regardless of what level it is.
II. The Basics
Whenever your Pokémon defeats another Pokémon in battle, you are assigned a set number of base effort values that can range anywhere from 1-3 EVs in one or more stats, depending on what species the Pokémon defeated is. For example, some Pokémon provide 2 EVs in one stat, or maybe even 3 EVs, but these tend to be higher-leveled, evolved Pokémon that can’t be found in the wild. The base EV values max is 3 EVs in three different stats. For a comprehensive list of which Pokémon provide which base EVs, visit Serebii.net’s Pokédex while we are building our own!
Let’s say I want to train my Froakie’s speed stat. After all, Speed is one of Greninja’s most valuable traits, so why not? I run into the grass and lo! A wild Fletchling appears. My Froakie beats it and gains experience from the fight, but it also gains something else from the encounter - an invisible value that isn’t portrayed in the stats screen. Froakie gets 1 Speed EV from the encounter toward the potential 252 cap.
ii. How are they distributed?
Unlike Experience Points, the way that EVs are distributed amongst the party isn’t dependant on how many Pokémon participate in battle. All Pokémon that gain experience from the battle get the same amount of EVs. So, if I switch from Froakie to my own Fletchling in the above scenario, both of my Pokémon would gain 1 Speed EV. By taking advantage of this tactic and the Exp. Share key item, you can train entire teams of Pokémon relatively quickly.
However, it should be noted that not all Pokémon should be trained the same way, and you want to invest EVs according to your Pokémon’s strengths, or compensate for its weaknesses, depending on your playing style. For example, there’s no reason to invest in Delphox’s Attack stat because its Special Attack stat is naturally much, much higher, and it will always hit harder on the special spectrum than the physical spectrum.
III. Advanced Techniques
Before you start thinking about EV training, it might be a good idea to consider how much time it will take if you are only getting 1 EV per Pokémon defeated. Now, add up the time it will take to defeat 252 of them. Assuming one battle takes roughly 30 seconds, and that you encounter the same Pokémon consecutively the entire time you are training, that would take…
30 seconds/battle x 252 Pokémon = 7560 seconds
7560 / 60 = 126 minutes
That’s more than two hours for one stat. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather not spend that kind of time pinging Pokémon for 1 EV a pop. Thankfully, there are several ways to increase the amount of EVs obtained from a battle.
The Macho Brace
Any Pokémon holding the Macho Brace will have the EVs obtained during a battle doubled, but this only goes for the Pokémon holding it. The Pokémon gaining experience will all receive the normal amount of EVs from the defeated Pokémon, but only the one holding the Macho Brace will get the boost.
Power Items
Similarly, the Power items listed below only apply for the Pokémon holding it. Unlike the Macho Brace, these items don’t double the overall EV gain, but add 4 EVs into one particular stat, depending on what item you are holding.
Power Weight: HP
Power Bracer: Attack
Power Belt: Defense
Power Lens: Special Attack
Power Band: Special Defense
Power Anklet: Speed
So, for example, if my Froakie is holding the Power Anklet, and I defeat a Fletchling, it will receive a total of 5 Speed EVs from the battle - 1 from the Fletchling, and 4 from the Power Anklet. If it were holding the Power Lens instead of the Power Anklet, it would receive 1 Speed EV and 4 Special Attack EVs.
These items can be obtained at the Battle Maison for 16 BP a pop. Using these items can really cut down on the time it takes to properly EV train your Pokémon, so be sure to take advantage of them!
ii. Vitamins
Don’t want to sit around for two hours murdering Fletchlings or Vanillite? Try using some vitamins on your Pokémon. If you ever wondered what Protein or Carbos were talking about when the item description states that it increases the Attack stat of your Pokémon, they specifically add EVs to one particular stat.
HP Up: HP
Protein: Attack
Iron: Defense
Calcium: Special Attack
Zinc: Special Defense
Carbos: Speed
However, there is a catch to taking this shortcut. For one, the price is pretty steep - ¥9800. That’s a lot - especially when you consider that you only get 10 EVs out of one of them. There are ways you can lower the cost, such as with O-Powers, but if you really don’t want to spend so much time EV training, this is the price you pay. You can also purchase these at the Battle Maison shop for 1 BP per item, but you'd rather spend the BP buying better items, such as the Power items or the competitively-geared items that cost a boatload of points.
Additionally, you may only use ten of a stat-boosting item on a Pokémon, which means you may only use these items for 100 of your total EVs. Even further than that, you may only use the stat-boosting items for the first 100 EVs gained on the target Pokémon.
There are also other items, like the Muscle Wing and Genius Wing, but they only add 1 EV to a particular stat, in addition to raising the happiness level of the target Pokémon. These items can also only be used for the first 100 EVs gained, and do not function any differently than vitamins in that regard. In this sense, it’s far less efficient to use the wings, but they cost less individually, making them ideal for more complex EV spreads.
iii. Pokérus
Perhaps you’ve heard of this affliction before, or your Pokémon have contracted it without you knowing what it is. Pokérus is a status infliction-type disease that causes Pokémon to grow faster naturally. Or, at least, that’s what the games say - in terms of game mechanics, Pokérus doubles the EVs gained by a Pokémon through battle. This stacks with other methods of EV training via battling, such as the Macho Brace and the Power items. It does not, however, double the EVs gained by the use of vitamins or other unnatural EV training methods (i.e. Super Training).
You can tell if your Pokémon has been afflicted by the disease if it has a little purple symbol on the status menu, right near where a status affliction would be (if it has one). Unfortunately, though, Pokérus doesn’t last forever, and once your Pokémon is cured of the condition, it can never get it again (as shown by a pink smiley symbol on the status screen). It can, however, spread to others in your party as time goes on, so it might be worth letting some of your Pokémon contract the disease and then stashing them in the PC for later use.
For example, Froakie gets afflicted with Pokérus and is holding the Power Anklet. I encounter a Fletchling. How it would break down is like this:
(1 Speed EV [Fletchling] + 4 Speed EVs [Power Anklet]) x 2 (Pokérus) = 10 EVs per battle
Using this method, you can dramatically increase your EV yield per battle and significantly lower the amount of time it takes to train your Pokémon.
iv. Super Training
X/Y brought about another huge change to the EV training scene in the form of Super Training. Unlike normal battling, this allows you to target specific stats to increase via specialized minigames. This is ideal for training lower-leveled Pokémon that cannot battle on their own quite yet, and is particularly useful if you are a bit short on cash for vitamins and such. The EV yields of the minigames are as follows:
Level 1
Level 1 minigames are the easiest to complete, and provide the lowest EV yield at 4 EVs per completed round.
Hone Sp. Atk with Magnemite!: Special Attack
Raise Your HP with Wailmer!: HP
Boost Attack with Axew!: Attack
Build Up Sp. Def with Tentacool!: Special Defense
Speed Up with the Noibat Regiment!: Speed
Strengthen Defense with Geodude!: Defense
Level 2
The games get a bit more challenging in Level 2, and also provide 8 EVs per completed regiment. Additionally, they will have a twist to them that makes completing them more difficult, such as the balloon-bot attacking back or putting up barriers to protect itself.
Home In on Magneton!: Special Attack
Hit Relicanth’s Weak Points!: HP
Let Loose to Get Fraxure!: Attack
Watch Out for Tentacruel’s Bitbots!: Special Defense
Hammer Aerodactyl with High-Speed Shots!: Speed
Break Down Graveler’s Barrier!: Defense
Level 3
Here’s where it starts to get really challenging. The Level 3 minigames are far more challenging (and some are annoying, like the Noivern balloonbot), and they provide a whopping 12 EVs per completed regiment.
Shake Off That Uncanny Magnezone!: Special Attack
Shoot Back! Get the Giant Wailord!: HP
Catch ‘Em! Haxorus’s Furious Attacks!: Attack
Kick Out! Get the Dragalge Corps!: Special Defense
Catch It! Noivern’s Wild Wind!: Speed
Break It! Golem’s Defensive Line!: Defense
Utilizing Super Training can be an effective tool if you don’t feel like battling a ton of wild Pokémon, but it should be noted that due to the Pokémon not gaining experience, you won’t be able to stack these bonuses with Pokérus or Power items, and it might take more time in the long run. On the other end of things, though, you don’t have to spend a ton of Battle Points buying all of the Power items if you don’t have all of them.
v. Core Training
You might have noticed the little punching bag apparatus on the Super Training screen - well, this is yet another ingenious addition that lets you get around battling to EV train your Pokémon. You also might have noticed that, after completing a Super Training regimen, you are rewarded with a punching bag item. Well, those can be used to provide EVs for your Pokémon, or take them away. Here’s a list of the ones you need to know:Small bags, denoted with an “S” (i.e. Sp. Def Bag S), provide 1 EV in their respective stat. The Medium “M” bags provide 4 EVs, and Large “L” bags provide 12 EVs.
There is also the Double-Up Bag, which will provide your Pokémon with double the points from its next Super Training regiment, as well as the Reset Bag, which completely resets the EVs on one particular Pokémon. These are far more rare than the average training bag, and you should save these for when you really need them. You can only hold a maximum of 12 bags at any one time.
Checking Your Effort Values
If you are wondering how to check the amount of EVs you’ve invested into your Pokémon, you’ll need to use an online calculator, but you need tons of other information in order to get an accurate reading. You’re better off simply keeping track of what you’ve beaten and what EVs they provide if you want a specific number.
However, there is the meter on the lower screen, next to the core training apparatus, which can give you a rough idea of how many EVs have been distributed to each of your Pokémon’s stats. In Pokémon X/Y, the head of the Pokémon Fan Club in Laverre City will check the EVs on a Pokémon for you. Rather than tell you what you’ve invested in, he will tell you whether you have maxed out the EVs on your Pokémon. If so, he’ll award the Pokémon with a ribbon for its efforts (hehe, get it?).
vi. EV Berries
Let’s say you messed up somewhere along the line and accidentally gave Froakie some Attack EVs when you only wanted to invest in Special Attack and Speed. Well, you aren’t completely out of luck. There are certain berries that can be used to take EVs off of a Pokémon so they can be put into another stat. These berries remove ten EVs from the respective stat. In Generation IV, one berry would instantly take the EVs of the stat to 100, and then you would only need ten more berries to completely reset the EVs on that stat. However, as of Generation V, this is no longer the case, and you would now need 26 berries total to erase all EVs on one stat, provided you invested fully in that stat. The berries and the stat EVs they decrease are as follows:Pomeg Berry: HP
Kelpsy Berry: Attack
Qualot Berry: Defense
Hondew Berry: Special Attack
Grepa Berry: Special Defense
Tamato Berry: Speed
IV. EV Training Hot Spots
One of my favorite ways (and what some may call the quickest way) to EV train my Pokémon is through a combination of Power items, Pokérus, and horde encounters. Hordes generally all contain the same Pokémon, and by using Sweet Scent in a grassy patch, you are guaranteed to run into a horde. These are generally the fastest way to EV train, as you encounter five Pokémon at once. Let’s do the math with a Wingull horde on Route 8 in X/Y:A horde (5) of Wingull (1 Speed EV) appeared!
1 Speed EV + 4 Speed EVs (Power Anklet) = 5 Speed EVs per Wingull
5 x 5 = 25 Speed EVs
25 x 2 (Pokérus) = 50(!) Speed EVs per horde encounter
Why waste time Super Training if you have the means to EV train with hordes? It takes far less time. You could be fully EV trained from scratch with six horde battles, maximum. Below is a list of my favorite places to EV train with hordes:
HP
Whismur (1 HP EV)
Connecting Cave (common)
Attack
Weepinbell (2 Attack EVs)
Route 19 (common)
In the event that it’s raining on Route 19, you won’t be able to use Sweet Scent or Honey. Instead, use…
Cubchoo (1 Attack EV)
Frost Cavern
Defense
Nosepass (1 Defense EV)
Route 10 (common)
Special Attack
Vanillite (1 Special Attack EV)
Frost Cavern (common)
Special Defense
Hoppip (1 Special Defense EV)
Route 7 (common)
Speed
Wingull (1 Speed EV)
Route 8 (common)
In case it’s raining on Route 8, and you aren’t able to use Sweet Scent or Honey, use…
Zubat (1 Speed EV)
Connecting Cave (common)
V. Conclusion
Well, that about sums it up! If you made it all the way to the end, congratulations, and thanks for reading! Hopefully I’ve explained things thoroughly enough for you to get the idea of how EVs work. This will drastically cut down on the amount of time it takes you to train competitive-worthy Pokémon. If you have any questions at all regarding EVs or how they work, feel free to ask in the SplashAttack Forums. One of us will surely be able to help you.
- J.
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