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Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version - Finding Individual Values and EV Training

→ Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version - Finding Individual Values and EV Training

Tags: pokemon-black-and-white

This page is informative and discusses how you can use the information in the "Stats" section of the "Various Notes" page.

Finding Individual Values

Individual values (IVs) show how strong a Pokémon’s stats are compared to other Pokémon of the same species. Each IV can go up to 31, and a strong Pokémon should have 31 as its highest IV.

You can find a Pokémon’s individual values most accurately with Pokémon that were just caught or hatched. You’ll find it harder to find a Pokémon’s IVs if its base stats (EVs) were already raised from battling, since in that case, both its IVs and its base stats (EVs) will be unknown.

To start, open the Pokémon’s summary screen. If the Trainer Memo doesn’t say "Often dozes off", "Likes to thrash about", "Capable of taking hits", "Alert to sounds", "Mischievous", or "Somewhat vain", you’ll know for sure that the Pokémon’s highest IV isn’t 31, the maximum, and you can easily eliminate that Pokémon from consideration.

If your Pokémon wasn’t caught or hatched right away, use the following Berries to reduce its base stats (EVs):

  • Pomeg Berry - Reduces HP base stat (EV)
  • Kelpsy Berry - Reduces Attack base stat (EV)
  • Qualot Berry - Reduces Defense base stat (EV)
  • Tamato Berry - Reduces Speed base stat (EV)
  • Hondew Berry - Reduces Special Attack base stat (EV)
  • Grepa Berry - Reduces Special Defense base stat (EV)

Keep using each Berry on the Pokémon until it "won’t have any effect" or the corresponding stat won’t fall. In this way, the Pokémon will have base stats (EVs) of 0 and you can find its IVs more easily.

After you finish the main story, go to the blue-haired man in the Gear Station in Nimbasa City to get some insight on the IVs of a Pokémon. A strong Pokémon is one whose stats "can’t be better", and whose overall stat potential is "relatively superior" or "outstanding." If he mentions more than one stat, then the Pokémon’s highest IV is in all those stats.

In addition, there are several effective ways to find a Pokémon’s IVs accurately. For these steps, make sure the Pokémon was just caught or just hatched.

  • Method 1:
    1. Save the game.
    2. Use enough Rare Candy on the Pokémon until it reaches at least level 10. As the Pokémon gains levels, write down the stats for each level reached (to make finding the IVs more accurate).
    3. Restart the game without saving.
  • Method 2 (works best for Pokémon hatched from Eggs):
    1. Have the Pokémon hold Exp. Share and put a high-level Pokémon as the first in the party.
    2. Find an Audino at level 20 or higher. To do so, go to Route 7. Have a Repel ready.
    3. Save the game.
    4. Use Repel, and go in and out of the area of grass until one patch shakes. Step on that shaking grass; most of the time it will be from an Audino.
    5. Defeat the Audino in battle. After you defeat it, the lower-level Pokémon will likely reach level 10 or higher. Even though its HP base stat (EV) will also rise by 2, you can ignore them for the stat calculation, unless the Pokémon should be trained in HP. As the Pokémon gains levels, write down the stats for each level reached (to make finding the IVs more accurate).
    6. If you don’t want the Pokémon’s HP base stat (EV) raised, restart the game without saving.
  • Method 3:
    1. Enter the Battle Institute (just west of the Nimbasa City Pokémon Center) or the Battle Subway (also in Nimbasa City).
    2. For the Institute, you should save the game, since the game will move on to the next Trainer even if you choose to forfeit.
    3. Enter the Pokémon in a Single Battle. Both places will adjust all Pokémon, even lower-level ones, to level 50.
    4. When the battle begins, open the Pokémon screen, choose the Pokémon to be checked, choose Summary, and write down the Pokémon’s stats.
    5. Choose Run to end the battle. Now you know what stats the Pokémon will have at level 50.
    Remember, though, that not all Pokémon are eligible to enter the Subway or the Institute (see eligible Pokémon).
  • Method 4 may work for you if you can’t enter a Pokémon in the Battle Institute or the Battle Subway:
    1. Have two Nintendo DS systems each with Pokémon Black or White version ready.
    2. Turn on the C-Gear in one of the DS systems, then tap IR, then tap BATTLE, then BATTLES FOR TWO, then SINGLE BATTLE.
    3. Follow the directions to set up the battle.
    4. When the battle begins, open the Pokémon screen, choose the Pokémon to be checked, choose Summary, and write down the Pokémon’s stats.
    5. Choose Run to end the battle. Now you know what stats the Pokémon will have at level 50.
  • Method 5: As a last resort, use the Pokécheck site. That site’s main page has instructions for using Pokécheck.

Once the Pokémon’s stats are known, go to the Stat Calculator and enter the Pokémon’s species, nature, level, stats, and base stats (EVs). Click "Calculate" and note the IVs calculated.

Base Stats (EVs)

Base stats (EVs) are another value that determines Pokémon stats. Unlike IVs, a Pokémon’s base stats (EVs) are not generated randomly, but rather they are raised by defeating other Pokémon.

A single Pokémon’s base stats (EVs) can’t be greater than 510 total, and each base stat (EV) can’t be greater than 255. (In practice, though, the limit is 508 total and 252 per base stat (EV).) Because of this, you must first decide how you want to raise your Pokémon’s base stats (EVs).

Which Base Stats (EVs) to Raise?

Which base stats (EVs) to raise will depend on that Pokémon’s strategy: Will it be used for offense or defense? If attacking first is more important, more base stat points (EVs) should be given to the offensive stats (Attack, Special Attack, and Speed). If absorbing opposing attacks is more important, more base stat points (EVs) should be given to the defensive stats (Defense, HP, and Special Defense). Here are some guidelines for making the most of the 508 base stat points (EVs) available.

General

For a level 100 Pokémon, every 4 base stat points (EVs) in a particular stat increase that stat by 1 (because of the stat formula). For this reason, a Pokémon should have base stats (EVs) divisible by 4, such as 64, 128, 192, or 252. Each base stat (EV) should not be greater than 252.

Offense

A Pokémon whose goal is to attack the target first and attack it hard is commonly known as a "sweeper". A sweeper usually has either physical moves or special moves, but rarely both (in which case they’re called "mixed sweepers"). Pokémon that naturally have a high Attack, Special Attack, and Speed make better sweepers than others.

A Pokémon with just special moves won’t benefit from having its Attack base stat (EV) raised, and a Pokémon with just physical moves won’t benefit from having its Special Attack base stat (EV) raised.

  • For a physical sweeper, with just physical moves, use 252 base stat points (EVs) in Speed and up to 252 base stat points (EVs) in Attack.
  • For a special sweeper, with just special moves, use 252 base stat points (EVs) in Speed and up to 252 base stat points (EVs) in Special Attack.
  • For a mixed sweeper, with both physical and special moves, use 252 base stat points (EVs) in Speed and up to 252 base stat points (EVs) in Attack and Special Attack, divided to give more base stat points (EVs) to the stat whose race value is lower. (Race values are what most people call "base stats.")

Of course, if the goal is not to hit hard and fast, then you can spend much fewer base stat points (EVs) on offensive stats, especially if your goal is to cause poison, burn, or other ongoing effects on the opposing team rather than to damage the target directly.

Defense

A Pokémon focused on absorbing opposing attacks is commonly known as a "tank" or "wall." Because the Pokémon may face both physical and special attacks, you should make sure it can resist both kinds of attacks equally well. You can use this rule:

  • With the base stat points (EVs) not spent on offensive stats, divide the remaining base stat points (EVs) among Defense, HP, and Special Defense so that the most are given to the stat with the lowest Race Value and the fewest are given to the stat with the highest Race Value.

    Example: Wobbuffet’s race values are 190 for HP and 58 each for Defense and Special Defense. Since the Defense and Special Defense are much lower than HP, you should put much more base stat points (EVs) into those stats to compensate. With 508 base stat points (EVs) to spend, you can choose to put 12 base stat points (EVs) into HP, and 248 base stat points (EVs) each into Defense and Special Defense.

To find a more precise recommendation for defensive stats, use the Stat Calculator, enter the Pokémon’s species and nature, click Calculate, and look at the section named "EV Training Recommendations".

How to Raise Base Stats (EVs)

Generally, you raise a Pokémon’s base stats (EVs) by defeating Pokémon in battle. Since different Pokémon species raise a Pokémon’s base stats (EVs) differently when defeated, you should choose your battles wisely to raise your Pokémon’s base stats (EVs) the way you want. This is frequently known as "EV training." See "Places to Train", below.

Even lower-level Pokémon, such as those just hatched from Eggs, can benefit from defeating high-level Pokémon. Just let the lower-level Pokémon hold an Exp. Share and let the other Pokémon battle. With Exp. Share, even if the Pokémon doesn’t enter battle, its base stats (EVs) will be raised the same way from defeated Pokémon as it would if it had defeated them itself.

A Pokémon of any level, even level 100, will earn base stat points (EVs) in battle.

Some items popularly known as "power items" add 4 base stat points (EVs) of the appropriate stat whenever a Pokémon that holds them earns base stat points (EVs) (of any kind) in battle. For example, a Pokémon with Power Bracer that got 2 base stat points (EVs) in Attack, Defense, or any other stat would also get 4 additional base stat points (EVs) in Attack. These items can be purchased in the Battle Subway’s exchange corner for 16 Battle Points (BP) each.

  • Power Weight - Adds 4 to the HP base stat (EV)
  • Power Bracer - Adds 4 to the Attack base stat (EV)
  • Power Belt - Adds 4 to the Defense base stat (EV)
  • Power Anklet - Adds 4 to the Speed base stat (EV)
  • Power Lens - Adds 4 to the Special Attack base stat (EV)
  • Power Band - Adds 4 to the Special Defense base stat (EV)

Finally, some items can raise a Pokémon’s base stats (EVs). However, they can raise the base stat (EV) only up to 100, and won’t have any effect if the base stat (EV) is 100 or greater.

  • HP Up - Adds 10 to the HP base stat (EV)
  • Protein - Adds 10 to the Attack base stat (EV)
  • Iron - Adds 10 to the Defense base stat (EV)
  • Carbos - Adds 10 to the Speed base stat (EV)
  • Calcium - Adds 10 to the Special Attack base stat (EV)
  • Zinc - Adds 10 to the Special Defense base stat (EV)

Places to Train

Here are suggested places to train Pokémon efficiently. (They’re sometimes known as "EV training hot spots.") Defeating the Pokémon given below at the given places will raise a Pokémon’s base stat (EV) for the given stat by 1 or 2.

  • HP: Stunfisk (+2, Icirrus City/Route 8/Moor of Icirrus, water)
  • Attack: Patrat/Lillipup (+1, Route 1)
  • Defense: Roggenrola (+1, Wellspring Cave)
  • Speed: Basculin (+2, Lostlorn Forest/Striaton City/Wellspring Cave/Route 1/Route 3, water)
  • Special Attack: Elgyem/Litwick (+1, Celestial Tower)
  • Special Defense: Frillish (+1, Driftveil City, Route 4/17/18, water)