Official 5th Gen. EV/IV (Training) Thread

[pwnswitchclik]

I'm trying to get myself into this EV training business because I believe that will get me far in Battle Subway or in the PWT. I want to put in my soon-to-be Alakazam (an RNG'd UT infant modest Abra at the moment) into this process, from what I hear Alakazam is one of the best SP. Attackers of all pokemon, so other than it's Sp. Attack, what is the other stat it's EVs should I max out and to where should I invest the leftover 4 EVs?

Also, is Gengar a great Sp. Attacker?

[Arlo]

I'm trying to get myself into this EV training business because I believe that will get me far in Battle Subway or in the PWT. I want to put in my soon-to-be Alakazam (an RNG'd UT infant modest Abra at the moment) into this process, from what I hear Alakazam is one of the best SP. Attackers of all pokemon, so other than it's Sp. Attack, what is the other stat it's EVs should I max out and to where should I invest the leftover 4 EVs?

You're best off putting the other EVs into speed, as Zam never will have good defenses, so it's just a waste of the EVs. For Zam, and for anything that's not getting a full 252 in hit points, I generally put the extra 4 there, just because an extra point of HP might make a difference some time.

Also, is Gengar a great Sp. Attacker?

Absolutely. Build it just like Zam - Modest or Timid with 252 in special attack and speed.

[cantavanda]

I'm now training a chandelure but EV training never works in black, it did in Diamond...

[Agonist]

Yes it does. I assume you're talking about how you don't see large increases in its stats when it levels up? That's because EVs are applied directly after battle now.

[cantavanda]

Really? You mean after a battle the points go up? That explains a lot...

[Agonist]

Yes, that is what I mean.

[cantavanda]

Omg, it is right, the stats of my pokémon changed in the middle of EV training just! O__O
Thank you so much mister!

[Arlo]

Yes it does. I assume you're talking about how you don't see large increases in its stats when it levels up? That's because EVs are applied directly after battle now.

That was a nice change in this gen, but it caught me off guard and took me a while to figure it out. I first noticed something was up when I was EV training... I don't remember what... with 252 Atk, on Route 1. It was somewhere in the mid-levels, so it made it all the way through 252 attack EVs without leveling up, so I expected a big boost at the next level up and, as has been my habit, went out of my way to get another level up just so that the new EVs would be applied, and then didn't get that big boost and didn't know what to make of that. I didn't figure it out until I was training something else that had slightly skewed defenses, and it only took a few EVs in one of them to even them, and I had a few to burn, so I went ahead and did it. At the next level up, I noticed that the current numbers were already even, and I had a moment when I thought, "Damn - I'm SURE those weren't even before," and then it came to me and I started watching and figured it out. Means I don't have to do that extra level-up just to get the EVs to apply, which is one of those little improvements that I appreciate.

[pwnswitchclik]

Guys, there's something going on that I can't lay my finger on:

    Spoiler:- EV Def:

Show Spoiler

 

 

Wasn't a pokemon supposed to have only two maxed stats (252 each) and a stat with leftover four? Can anyone explain the Defense EV's?

[Agonist]

510 is the total cap for EVs, but only 508 can be used for increasing stats.

[pwnswitchclik]

510 is the total cap for EVs, but only 508 can be used for increasing stats.

Well that bummed me, because I didn't fed him any EV feathers and the only pokemon I had him face was a litwick.

[Agonist]

It really doesn't matter, those extra two EVs are irrelevant.

[TRIFORCEJAY88]

Hey guys im new to this ev training I researched a bit but not very sure if im doing this right! I have collected the wings and tried ev training a hitmonlee with vitamins and wings I just randomly seen someone say to use vitamins and wings!? any advice? also im wanting to train a Haxorus in attack and speed!

[Arlo]

Hey guys im new to this ev training I researched a bit but not very sure if im doing this right! I have collected the wings and tried ev training a hitmonlee with vitamins and wings I just randomly seen someone say to use vitamins and wings!? any advice? also im wanting to train a Haxorus in attack and speed!

Here's my sincere and well-meaning advice - follow this link and read everything. Come back when you have a better understanding of how it works and can ask more specific questions. We'll be more than happy to help you out with specific things, but first you need to understand the basic principles, and they've already been written out.

[TRIFORCEJAY88]

Thank you Arlo I get it a little better now. Forgive me if this is a dumb question but I believe if I lets say i raise a haxorus in attack and speed I could use 10 protein 10 carbos. Also possibly 152 of both muscle and swift wings I believe it would max out the attack and speed!?.One more question please if you don't mind? Would it be best to to hatch a axew with Adamant and a characyeristic to increase speed but when hatched then proceed to give it the ev supplements to max out its ev's, then lvl it up with random battles. or is it more effective to evolve into haxorus then use ev's then lvl?

[Arlo]

Thank you Arlo I get it a little better now. Forgive me if this is a dumb question but I believe if I lets say i raise a haxorus in attack and speed I could use 10 protein 10 carbos. Also possibly 152 of both muscle and swift wings I believe it would max out the attack and speed!?

Yes it would, though finding 152 of each of those wings is probably more hassle than it's worth. It's easier to take your Haxorus after giving it 10 proteins (which'll give it 100 Attack EVs) and go fight some things that give out Attack EVs. Route 1 is the easiest place, since it's just Lillipups and Patrats, and they both give out 1 Attack EV each, so all you have to do is fight and faint 152 of them, and you've got the same EVs without having to slog up and down the Bridge hunting for feathers. PLUS - when you get EVs from battles, you can use items to speed the process up. The Macho Brace doubles whatever EVs you gain, so each Lillipup or Patrat will give you 2 instead of just 1, and the Power Bracer (buy it in the Battle Subway for 16bp) adds 4 Attack points to whatever you get, so you get 5 total from each Lillipup or Patrat. So put the Macho Brace on your Haxorus and you only need to faint 76 of them, or put the Power Bracer on it and you only need to faint 30 (plus 1 more with the Macho Brace on, to equal 152) You can do the same with Speed. Instead of gathering all those wings, just Surf alongside Route 1 and fight Basculin. Each one of them gives out 2 Speed EVs, so you only need to faint 76 of them. Or 38 of them if you put the Macho Brace on Haxorus, since that'll double it to 4 EVs each. Or you can get the Power Anklet from the Battle Subway (another 16bp), which gives out 4 Speed EVs per battle, regardless of what you fight.

A good FAQ for EV training, and a list of good spots to train for specific things, is here

One more question please if you don't mind? Would it be best to to hatch a axew with Adamant and a characyeristic to increase speed but when hatched then proceed to give it the ev supplements to max out its ev's, then lvl it up with random battles. or is it more effective to evolve into haxorus then use ev's then lvl?

Well - first - the characteristic doesn't enhance anything - it's just an indicator of the existing IVs. The only thing that enhances anything is the nature - like Adamant, which adds 10% to Attack and subtracts 10% from Special Attack. The characteristic is just whichever stat is highest, and it varies according to exactly what it is. There are only five of them per stat, so they repeat, so for instance, if you get a Haxorus that says "Alert to sounds," that means that its other stats are lower than its speed, but its speed could be 31 or 26 or 21 or 16 or 11 or even 6 or 1. It sort of implies that that number is high, since all the rest are lower, but it doesn't necessarily mean it is. There's some more detail about it in the FAQ I linked.

Regarding when to do EV training, it doesn't really matter from a technical standpoint - the points add in the right way no matter when you gain them - but practically it's best to do it as soon as possible, just because pokemon gain EVs after every battle they participate in, and if you're not careful, they'll end up with EVs you don't want them to have. Have a Haxorus fight a Lilligant, for instance, and it'll gain Special Attack EVs, and then you're stuck with Special Attack EVs you don't want or need. So it's just easier to do all the EV training first, then go work on leveling up after the EVs are maxed and it doesn't matter what you fight.

[TRIFORCEJAY88]

Thank you so much Arlo! I will get to my ev training a studys right away and train up the haxorus attack and speed! Ill message you again in the future if i need your help again! And again THANK YOU! (^_^)

[ludiloco]

I don't get it.

My Archepos has jolly nature and a decent base speed, why is it getting outsped in the PWT/Battle Subway by pokemon with less base speed?

I tried to raise its speed in the join avenue, but it's said that it's already strong.

Do I have to train another one since the begining or is there a way to fix its speed?

[Thowra]

Is there a way to find out the EVs of your pokemon? I wanted to give my latias 180 evs in sp def, and I gave her the power item while fighting frillish to speed up her training. But what I didn't realise was that pokerus doubled ALL gained evs, and not just evs from a wild pokemon, so essentially my latias got 10 evs rather than the 8 evs I predicted everytime she killed a frillish. I realised this too late, and now I'm not sure what EVs she has. Sp def isn't maximised though as Bianca only commented on my latias' defense. I'd hate to have to erase everything to start all over again...

I don't get it.

My Archepos has jolly nature and a decent base speed, why is it getting outsped in the PWT/Battle Subway by pokemon with less base speed?

I tried to raise its speed in the join avenue, but it's said that it's already strong.

Do I have to train another one since the begining or is there a way to fix its speed?

Those pokemon outspeeding you are holding choice scarves, I believe.

[Agonist]

Is there a way to find out the EVs of your pokemon? I wanted to give my latias 180 evs in sp def, and I gave her the power item while fighting frillish to speed up her training. But what I didn't realise was that pokerus doubled ALL gained evs, and not just evs from a wild pokemon, so essentially my latias got 10 evs rather than the 8 evs I predicted everytime she killed a frillish. I realised this too late, and now I'm not sure what EVs she has. Sp def isn't maximised though as Bianca only commented on my latias' defense. I'd hate to have to erase everything to start all over again...

You could use Pokecheck to figure out the EVs. Alternately, if you know the exact IVs of your Latias, you can calculate the EVs.

[bleuumbreon]

hey there.....i've been ev trainin my blissey in hp
i know it's already got 252-hp 252-sp def 4-sp atk
and right now it's at lvl 34......so now that i'm done accumalating evs can i put it away into the day care?and still end up with the expected result......!!

[ludiloco]

Those pokemon outspeeding you are holding choice scarves, I believe.

Not really. My Archeops always gets outsped by Lance dragons even when they have less base speed than him and only his Haxorus uses choice scarf, why the others outsped him too?

[pwnswitchclik]

For EV training purposes, what are Shiftry's, Exeggutor's and Salamence's best "assets"? And Nature-wise, what suits them?

Like, I know Alakazam's main one is Sp.Attack, or an Aggron's is (or could be, not sure) Defense, and someone sometime ago said Gyarados has an awful Sp.Attack, but great physical Attacker nonetheless.

[Thowra]

You could use Pokecheck to figure out the EVs. Alternately, if you know the exact IVs of your Latias, you can calculate the EVs.

Oh lol I just ended up erasing her sp attack, maxing sp defense, then reducing the sp. def to the desired EVs XD

Also, just a question, less to do with actually training but an IV question - I know that wurmple evolves into either silcoon or cascoon depending on its IVs, and that nature is also determined by IVs...Does that mean if I make one of the parents hold an everstone for a specific nature, and the other parent to hold a power item for a specific IV, I can force the baby wurmple to later evolve into either beautifly or dustox? I'm only asking because I want to MM a shiny dustox and beautifly, and I simply don't want double-ups of one or the other, the entire process takes too long anyway.

[Agonist]

Oh lol I just ended up erasing her sp attack, maxing sp defense, then reducing the sp. def to the desired EVs XD

Also, just a question, less to do with actually training but an IV question - I know that wurmple evolves into either silcoon or cascoon depending on its IVs, and that nature is also determined by IVs...Does that mean if I make one of the parents hold an everstone for a specific nature, and the other parent to hold a power item for a specific IV, I can force the baby wurmple to later evolve into either beautifly or dustox? I'm only asking because I want to MM a shiny dustox and beautifly, and I simply don't want double-ups of one or the other, the entire process takes too long anyway.

IVs have absolutely nothing to do with Cascoon/Silcoon (nature doesn't have anything to do with IVs either, at least in Gen 5), it's all dependent on the PID. Simply put, without RNG abuse, it'll be entirely random.