Odds are if you're reading this section, you're either new to the competitive battling that is our thread or new to some concept that a member has just used. We here at the GNPL care about the satisfaction of our regulars, so we're here to walk you through every step. :3
EVs
Q: What are EVs/What is EV training?
A: EVs stand for Effort Values, a number that can only be calculated by hand based on what Pokemon you defeat. EVs are beneficial for stat gain; for every 4 EVs you gain in a particular stat, your stat will go up one point. Why would you want to count these numbers, you ask? Well, there are 510 EVs in total a Pokemon can carry. Each individual stat is capable of holding 255 EVs, which translates to 64 stat points in any stat of your choice. Believe us, 64 points makes a HUGE difference in a match. Which EVs you gain in which states depend on which pokemon you defeat. For example, defeating a Bidoof would gain you 1 EV point in HP, while a Shinx would give you 1 EV point in Attack.
"This is too slow, I actually have to beat 255 Pokemon?!"
The answer is no.
There are a few shortcuts you can use to make your training faster.- PokeRus
What may seem like a deadly infection is actually greatly beneficial to EV training; PokeRus is an EV doubling disease. What are the odds? xP Any Pokemon you fight while you have the virus give you double the EVs than a Pokemon without it.
Example: My Gyrados is EV training in Attack and I defeat a Shinx while I have Pokerus. I gain 2 EVs instead of 1.
"How do I know if my Pokemon has it?"
When you look below your Pokemon's name in the Summary tab, you will see either a purple square that says PKRS or a face that resembles a "
". The purple means it is able to spread it to other Pokemon, while the means it cannot. Both mean you still receive double EVs, however."How do I spread it?"
Just put the purple square one next to the other Pokemon you want it to spread to in your party.
1 2
3 4
5 6
Those spots represent your party Pokemon, so for optimal infection, you'd want to start spreading by putting it in 3 or 4, seeing as how you would be infecting 3 at a time instead of 2.
- Vitamins
Those seemingly random Calciums and Carbos you find are actually EV boosting vitamins, and they each give you 10 EVs in the stat that's specified. Although it seems like you can use 26 of each to hit your limit in one stat, the game only lets you go up to 100 EVs/10 vitamins before they've had enough. Still saves you the trouble of the first 100, so not too shabby.
HP Up = HP
Protein = Attack
Iron = Defense
Calcium = Sp. Attack
Zinc = Sp. Defense
Carbos = Speed
All of these can be obtained at the Battle Tower for 1 BP each.
- Held Items
Some items in battle will greatly assist you depending on which stat you're looking to train. The Power Items add 4 EVs to any Pokemon you defeat, meaning the average Gastly will now give you 5 EV points if you're holding a Power Lens! The same corresponds to any Pokemon, as long as you are holding the correct item.
Power Weight = HP
Power Bracer = Attack
Power Belt = Defense
Power Lens = Sp. Attack
Power Band = Sp. Defense
Power Anklet = Speed
All of these may be gained at the Battle Tower for 16 BP.
Then there's the Macho Brace, which doubles any EVs you receive in battle. As tempting as this sounds, there is an optimal way to EV train in nearly no time at all which does not use the Macho Brace. If you'd still like to obtain this item, you can get it in a house in Pastoria City with a bug maniac. He will ask you to show him all 3 forms of Burmy in your party in exchange for it.
Express Method:
I'll use the example of a Gengar that I need to train, so we'd start by:
- Catching/hatching a Gastly (If you want a specific nature, catch multiples until you get one OR breed a female Gengar of the preferred nature with an Everstone with a Ditto/Pokemon in its corresponding Egg Group. Natures will be explained in the next section.)
- Go buy vitamins corresponding to the stat you want to train first. We're training in Sp. Atk, so let's go stock up on Calcium at the Battle Tower. Just 10, though.
- Start leveling it up by fighting other Gastlys
OR
- Go find someone on this thread who has a PokeRus infected Pokemon and spread it to Gastly first. You can also kill 2 birds with one stone by asking them for a Power Lens (for Sp. Atk) with the PokeRus Pokemon for Gastly to hold. If not, you can go get one at the battle Tower first before leveling it up.
So if you're not using ANYTHING to defeat Gastlys (no vitamins, PokeRus or held items), you need to go beat 255 other Gastlys (yikes!).
If you're using PokeRus or Macho Brace, cut it in half and you have 128 to defeat.
If you're using vitamins, take 100 away from 255 and you now have 155 left.
If you're using Power Lens, 4 from the lens plus 1 from the Gastly = 5 EVs. Divide it into 255 and you now have only 51 to defeat!
But! If you have PokeRus, vitamins, and the held item you're looking for, then things get really speedy here.
Gastly gives 1 EV in Sp. Attack. We need to reach 255. Use 10 Calciums, and boom: 155.
Now add 4 to it with a Power Lens, and double it with Pokerus. That gives you only 15 to defeat. Saved you a lot of time, huh?
Locations To Train
(credit goes to Alexcalibur of Gamefaqs.com)
HP
Where: Route 201
Who: Bidoof (1)
Comments: Very easy for low level pokemon, and Bidoofs are very easy to find.
With the pokeradar you hardly ever see anything else. Plus, killing Bidoofs is
fun.
Where: Valley Windworks
Who: Shellos (1) Bidoof (1)
Comments: Just average, nothing special about it, but it works.
Where: Route 222
Who: Gastrodon (2)
Comments: It gets the job done, but the pokemon are a bit higher level. This
can be good or bad, depending on your pokemon and what you want.
Where: Surfing on Route 212
Who: Wooper (1) Quagsire (2)
Comments: You have to surf, but I'm pretty sure they are all that appear.
Attack
Where: Route 202
Who: Shinx (1)
Comments: Not really a great place, I recommend it only be used because it is
the first place available. And the shinx dont really come along that often
without the pokeradar.
Where: Route 212
Who: Kricketune (2) Bibarel (2)
Comments: It works too, much better than shinx.
Where: Route 208
Who: Bibarel (2) Machop (1)
Comments: I think this route has less variety in pokemon than the one above,
making a bit better. I could be wrong though.
Where: Acuity Lakefront
Who: Snover (1) Machoke (2)
Comments: This is one of my favorite places to train physical sweepers. The
only other pokemon around here all give speed EVs. Namely Sneasel, Meditite,
and Medicham. Handy. See the speed section for exact details.
Where: Lake Valor
Who: Seaking (2) Gyarados (2)
Comments: Higher level wild pokemon, and you need to beat the elite four to get
the super rod to catch these guys with. Otherwise fine.
Defense
Where: Oreburgh Gate, Left of Oreburgh City
Who: Geodude (1)
Comments: I think this is the first place in the game you can get defense EV?s.
Could be wrong.
Where: Oreburgh Mine
Who: Geodude (1) Onix (1)
Comments: I think it is a bit better than the above one, and mere seconds away,
so why not use it. Still, there are better places.
Where: Ruin Maniacs Cave
Who: Hippopotas (1) Geodude (1)
Comments: Works Fine, I don't think there's anything to run away from...
Where: Iron Island Mines
Who: Graveler (2) Onix (1) Steelix (2)
Comments: This one is pretty good, I like it, and you almost always run into
Graveler.
Where: Snowpoint Temple
Who: Graveler (2) Onix (1) Steelix (2)
Comments: I think you need a floor other then the first for these to appear.
You need to run from Sneasel and Golbat, or you can train speed too, though I
don't know why you would need defense AND speed, but, whatever. At least these
guys are higher level.
Sp. Attack
Where: Route 204
Who: Budew (1)
Comments: Pretty much the worst option here. But I think it is the first place
possible.
Where: The old Chateau in Eterna Forest
Who: Ghastly (1) Haunter (2) Gengar (3)
Comments: Pretty much the best option here. They are the only pokemon that
appear here. Haunter and Gengar only appear if a GBA pokemon game is in your
DS, and I think you have to be in the room with the eyes.
Where: Lost Tower on Route 209
Who: Ghastly (1)
Comments: Up here because the only other pokemon that is here is Zubat, which
gives 1 speed, making this an ideal special sweeper training ground.
Where: Route 229
Who: Roselia (1) Gloom (2)
Comments: This is late in the game, and I think you might need the national dex,
limiting this ones usefulness. But good for higher level pokemon.
Where: Resort Areas pond
Who: Golduck (2)
Comments: Wait... this could be the best option here... I am fairly certain
Golduck is the only pokemon that appears in this pond. I guess it depends on
how often you can find Haunters and Gengars.
Sp. Defense
Where: Route 223
Who: Tentacruel (2) Mantyke (1)
Comments: I cant even think of an earlier place... this place is good though.
***Tentacools are the easiest ones, so just find a route that has them and you're set.***
Speed
Where: Route 201
Who: Starly (1)
Comments: Yeah, it is slow, but it is the first place in the game. They appear
often though and even more so with the pokeradar.
Where: Caves With Zubats and Golbats
Who: Zubat (1) Golbat (2)
Comments: There are tons of caves, and almost all of them have these pokemon.
So instead of picking one, I just wrote this.
Where: Victory Road Ponds
Who: Golbat (2)
Comments: I think only Golbats appear.
Where: Trophy Garden of Pokemon Mansion
Who: Pikachu (2) Pichu (1) Staravia (2)
Comments: I like this one, it is pretty easy. And remember that everyday a new
pokemon is put in the garden, which could add more to this list.
Where: Lost Tower South of Solaceon town.
Who: Zubat (1) Murkrow (1)
Comments: Why list this again when there are better options? Gastly also
appears here, which give 1 Special Attack point, making this a good place to
train Special sweepers.
Where: Surfing on Route 228
Who: Poliwhirl (2) Poliwag (1)
Comments: I think only they appear. Supposedly it's sandstorming here.
Where: Acuity Lakefront
Who: Sneasel (1) Meditite (1) Medicham (2)
Comments: A good place to train physical sweepers, because the only other
pokemon her give attack. Check that section for those details.
Where: Route 225
Who: Spearow (1) Fearow (2) Rattata (1) Raticate (2)
Comments: There are a lot of them. And higher level.
Misc. Questions:
Q: If I use EXP share, will the one holding EXP Share get the EVs too?
A: Yes, it'll get the exact same EVs. This is assuming you're not using items, seeing as how item bonuses and Pokerus don't carry over to the EXP Share holder. The only increase you can use is to give the EXP Share holder PokeRus. That way, you're getting at least double.
Q: I killed like 80 ____, but my ___ stat only went up a little!
A: The stats collect on the way up to level 100, not the instant you level up. They increase by a small amount per level, but it's hardly noticeable at first. The only way to get them all at once is to EV train a level 99 Pokemon from scratch. A level 100 will not get its stats unless you deposit it in a box then withdraw it (assuming you've re-EVed it).
Q: Rare Candies. Bad?
A: Only if you have no EVs. Rare Candies bump a level up with no experience, so if you've gotten the EVs, you're safe. Let's say that my Gastly above got all his EVs he wanted in Sp. Atk and Speed and he's still at a pretty low level. I can use Rare Candies to boost him up without any worry at all.
IVs:
What makes every Pokemon unique is their IVs, another number that can't be obtained through normal means. Each Pokemon has a set number from 0 to 31 setting how good its stats will grow. The higher the number, the closer a Pokemon reaches to its max EV'd potential. It has a number in each stat, so keep this in mind when you're EV training.
Ex: I have a Tyranitar with a 28 in Attack and a 4 in Sp. Atk. Tyranitars are known for using physical, not special moves. So having a 4 in Sp. Atk isn't going to ruin any plans we have for training it.
Natures:
If you'll look at your 2nd tab on your Pokemon, it has a trait to it that affects how high its stats go. Depending on the nature, one stat's max potential will go up 10% while lowering another 10%.
Ex: I have an Adamant Garchomp. Adamant raises Attack and lowers Sp. Atk, so my Garchomp will have a higher Attack stat than a neutral nature.
Attack Stat
Lonely
+ Attack, - Defense
Adamant
+ Attack, - Sp. Atk
Naughty
+ Attack, - Sp. Def
Brave
+ Attack, - Speed
Defense Stat
Bold
+ Defense, - Attack
Impish
+ Defense, - Sp. Atk
Lax
+ Defense, - Sp. Defense
Relaxed
+ Defense, - Speed
Sp. Atk Stat
Modest
+ Sp. Atk, - Attack
Mild
+ Sp. Atk, - Defense
Rash
+ Sp. Atk, - Sp. Defense
Quiet
+ Sp. Atk, - Speed
Sp. Def Stat
Calm
+ Sp. Def, - Attack
Gentle
+ Sp. Def, - Def
Careful
+ Sp. Def, - Sp.Atk
Sassy
+ Sp. Def, - Speed
Speed Stat
Timid
+ Speed, - Attack
Hasty
+ Speed, - Defense
Jolly
+ Speed, - Sp. Atk
Naive
+ Speed, - Sp. Def
Hardy, Docile, Bashful, Quirky, and Serious have neutral natures and have no increase or decrease in any stat.
