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I present to you the basic guide of EV's and terminology. You will get no unnecessary nonsense in this guide, this guide will explain how things work and how to do them in a way that even a newbie can understand, after all, not everybody cares for the RNG madness that makes this stuff work; this is basic guide after all. I am hoping that a mod will sticky this here in the strategy forum as it is more particular to team building than to game mechanics.
Chapter 1 - What is an EV and how does it work?
The top question of all new competitive battlers; what is an EV? EV stands for Effort Value. An EV is a hidden value that relates to a Pokemon's stat point. A Pokemon begins with no EV's and gains some everytime it is involved in defeating a Pokemon in battle. A Pokemon can have a grand total of 510 EV's, and can have up to 255 in any given stat. The most important thing to understand here however is that every 4 EV's in a stat will eventually equal 1 stat point. What EV(s) are obtained from a battle is determined by what Pokemon is defeated. For example, a Zubat gives 1 Speed EV, while a Geodude will give 1 Defense EV. Some evolved Pokemon give more EV's, e.g. Gyarados gives 2 Attack EV's. For full lists of Pokemon for each stat, check the links below:
Chapter 2 - How do I decide what EV's to give my Pokemon and how do I go about doing it
Deciding what EV's to give a Pokemon all comes down to deciding what you want your Pokemon to do. Should you need help at seeing what stats will result from a certain EV spread, I recommend the following calculator:
The main thing to remember when EV'ing a Pokemon is that every 4 EV's equal 1 stat point, and so all of your EV values should be divisable by 4. So let's say you want to build a defensive set, a set of 252HP/128D/124Sp.D works fine but a spread of 252HP/126D/126Sp.D is bad because 126 is not divisible by 4 and thus you will lose a stat point. For beginners, it may be good to stick with basic spreads. 252A/252Speed/6HP is good for attackers, and 252HP + 252 in one of the defenses is god for building a defensive Pokemon for a particular type of attack be it physical or special. More on this later.
Note that I list 252 EV's and not 255 EV's (the max for a stat) because 252 is divisible by 4 whereas 255 is not.
Now to EV a Pokemon you need to have the number one tool; concentration. Because EV's are hidden values you must count up/write down the EV's you are obtaining as you go along. To obtain an EV you simply have to defeat a Pokemon in battle. Note that a Pokemon only has to participate in the battle to obtain the EV's; it doesn't actually have to beat the enemy itself. So let us say you have a Pikachu and you want to train it with 252Attack/252Speed/4HP. Here is a good method:
Step 1. - Defeat 126 Gyarados. Gyarados give 2 Attack EV's, so 2 x 126 = 252.
Step 2. - Defeat 252 Zubat. Zubat give 1 Speed EV, so 1 x 252 = 252.
Step 3. - Defeat 4 Shellos. Shellos give 1 HP EV, so 1 x 4 = 4.
Note that you do not have to use the Pokemon listed above or do this in a certain order, this is just an example of one way it can be done. You will notice above that this is a really long process. However, there are certain factors that can speed it up.
Chapter 3 - Speeding up the process
Vitamins are the first major benefactor for EV training. Vitamins are Protien, Iron, Calcium, Zinc, Carbos, and HP Up. Each one gives a Pokemon 10 EV's in the respective stat, so 1 Protien gives 10 Attack EV's. Vitamins can be used on a Pokemon up until the Pokemon has 100+ EV's in the given stat, so once a Pokemon has 100+ Attack EV's, Protien will no longer have an effect on it. So if we apply Vitamins to the above process, let's see how it turns out:
Step 1. - Feed Pikachu 10 Protien. Protien gives 10 Attack EV's, so 10 x 10 = 100.
Step 2. - Feed Pikachu 10 Carbos. Carbos gives 10 Speed EV's, so 10 x 10 = 100.
Step 3. - Defeat 76 Gyarados. Gyarados gives 2 Attack EV's, so 2 x 76 = 152, then add the above 100 = 252.
Step 4. - Defeat 152 Zubat. Zubat gives 1 Attack EV, so 1 x 152 = 152, then add the above 100 = 252.
Step 5. - Defeat 4 Shellos. Shellos give 1 HP EV, so 1 x 4 = 4.
As you can see, the process has been sped up considerably. However, it doesn't stop there.
Power items are the next most important thing in speeding up EV training. The power items are the Power Bracer, Power Belt, Power Band, Power Anklet, Power Weight, and Power Lens. Each one adds 4 EV's to the amount of EV's you obtain when you beat a Pokemon and each one corresponds to a stat. So the Power Bracer will add 4 Attack EV's every time you defeat a Pokemon. So now that we have obtained these items, let's use them in the above pattern once again.
Step 1. - Feed Pikachu 10 Protien. Protien gives 10 Attack EV's, so 10 x 10 = 100.
Step 2. - Feed Pikachu 10 Carbos. Carbos gives 10 Speed EV's, so 10 x 10 = 100.
Step 3. - Attach the Power Bracer to Pikachu.
Step 4. - Defeat 25 Gyarados. Gyarados gives 2 Attack EV's, so (2 + 4 from the Bracer) x 25 = 150.
Step 5. - Remove the Bracer from Pikachu and defeat 1 Gyarados. Then 150 + 2 + 100 from Protien = 252.
Step 6. - Attach the Power Anklet to Pikachu.
Step 6. - Defeat 30 Zubat. Zubat gives 1 Attack EV, so (1 + 4 from the Anklet) x 30 = 150.
Step 7. - Remove the Anklet from Pikachu and defeat 2 Zubat. Then 150 + 2 + 100 from Carbos = 252.
Step 8. - Defeat 4 Shellos. Shellos give 1 HP EV, so 1 x 4 = 4.
So the pattern becomes clearer that you fight less Pokemon every time. There is one final factor that adds to this and it is the disease known as Pokerus, or PKRS for short. PKRS doubles the EV's obtained in battle by a Pokemon. To spread it, have the Pokemon you want to infect in the second slot of your team and the already infected carrier in the first slot. Then just walk around and fight with the carrier until the disease is passed. So one last time, let's apply the final factor to our situation:
Step 1. - Feed Pikachu 10 Protien. Protien gives 10 Attack EV's, so 10 x 10 = 100.
Step 2. - Feed Pikachu 10 Carbos. Carbos gives 10 Speed EV's, so 10 x 10 = 100.
Step 3. - Infect Pikachu with PKRS.
Step 4. - Attach the Power Bracer to Pikachu.
Step 5. - Defeat 12 Gyarados. Gyarados gives 2 Attack EV's, so ((2 + 4) x 2) x 12 = 144.
Step 6. - Remove the Bracer from Pikachu and defeat 2 Gyarados. Then 144 + 8 + 100 from Protien = 252.
Step 7. - Attach the Power Anklet to Pikachu.
Step 8. - Defeat 15 Zubat. Zubat gives 1 Speed EV, so ((1 + 4) x 2) x 15 = 150.
Step 9. - Remove the Anklet from Pikachu and defeat 1 Zubat. Then 150 + 2 + 100 from Carbos = 252.
Step 10. - Defeat 2 Shellos. Shellos give 1 HP EV, so (1 x 2) x 2 = 4.
Chapter 4 - Checking if you did it right
So now that you have EV'd your Pokemon you may be anxious as to whether you have done it correctly or not. Well, lucky for you there is an easy way to check. However first you need to have max EV's. Now you may be thinking, wait, I thought when I am finished I will have max EV's. This is not neccesarily true. When you finish you have 252 + 252 + 4 = 508. However the max is 510. We only train to 508 because the final 2 EV's are worthless and do not benefit your Pokemon in any way. So because of this, you may pick them up from any Pokemon you like. Once you have the ful 510, go to Sunnyshore City and go to the Seal Marker. Just inside the door to the left is a brown haired lady. Put your Pokemon to the top of the party and if you have done it right and it has full EV's she will give it a ribbon.
Chapter 5 - Terminology
So now the final section of the guide is to familarize people with the terminology of battle, to be more precise, the different types of Pokemon builds. Understanding what works and what doesn't work is a crucial part to success and to do that you need to know what you are up against/using.
Sweeper - a sweeper is an offensive Pokemon that wins through by hitting hard and fast. And such, they have high attack and high speed. They usually carry speed or attack boosting items, and sometimes their attacks can boost their attacks and speed also. Example:
Alakazam - Timid @ Life Orb
252Sp.A/252Speed/4HP
Psychic
Shadow Ball
Shock Wave
Focus Blast
Wall - a wall is an all defensive Pokemon that is exteremly hard to take down and usually can't deal much direct damage. They often rely on spreading status and stalling to win, as well as moves with set damage, and they often can heal. They usually are pretty slow ad can sometimes raise their defenses. Example:
Registeel - Careful @ Lum Berry
252HP/252Sp.D/4D
Thunder Wave
Seismic Toss
Rest
Iron Defense
Tank - tanks are Pokemon that are sturdy and tough, though not as defensive as walls, but in return can deal huge damage. They often can heal and also boost their attacking power. They don't usually rely on speed but sometimes can be quick enough or boost it. Example:
Altaria - Impish @ Leftovers
252Sp.D/212HP/44A
Dragon Dance
Roost
Dragon Claw
Earthquake
Lead - a lead is the Pokemon that begins the battle and can provide a way to set up opportunities for other Pokemon. They are often fast to make sure they get thier job done and usually carry a Focus Sash for insurance. They do things such as set up entry hazards, block opposing leads, and provide a set-up for another Pokemon. They can be either offensive or defensive. Some leads are refered to as suicide leads as they do their job and then either stay in to die or kill themself and opponent with Explosion. Example:
Aerodactyl - Jolly @ Focus Sash
252A/252Speed/4HP
Taunt
Stealth Rock
Rock Slide
Earthquake
Anti-Lead - an anti-lead is a Pokemon that opens up the battle with the intention to block opponent's leads. They often use moves such as Taunt to stop set-up, priority moves for fast kills, or Explosion to just wipe out the lead. Example:
Electrode - Timid @ Focus Sash
252HP/252Speed/4Sp.A
Thunderbolt
Taunt
Light Screen
Explosion
Spinner - any Pokemon with Rapid Spin. No example necessary.
Chapter 6 - Nah, nah, nah, nah...
So that is all there is too it. Like I said at the start, this is a basic guide and the basics have indeed be covered. I hope this guide is helpful and I hope that the mods will sticky this here for all the newbies to use and see 'cause really, this is for you guys!
Chapter 1 - What is an EV and how does it work?
The top question of all new competitive battlers; what is an EV? EV stands for Effort Value. An EV is a hidden value that relates to a Pokemon's stat point. A Pokemon begins with no EV's and gains some everytime it is involved in defeating a Pokemon in battle. A Pokemon can have a grand total of 510 EV's, and can have up to 255 in any given stat. The most important thing to understand here however is that every 4 EV's in a stat will eventually equal 1 stat point. What EV(s) are obtained from a battle is determined by what Pokemon is defeated. For example, a Zubat gives 1 Speed EV, while a Geodude will give 1 Defense EV. Some evolved Pokemon give more EV's, e.g. Gyarados gives 2 Attack EV's. For full lists of Pokemon for each stat, check the links below:
http://www.serebii.net/pokedex-dp/hp.shtml
http://www.serebii.net/pokedex-dp/attack.shtml
http://www.serebii.net/pokedex-dp/defense.shtml
http://www.serebii.net/pokedex-dp/sattack.shtml
http://www.serebii.net/pokedex-dp/sdefense.shtml
http://www.serebii.net/pokedex-dp/speed.shtml
http://www.serebii.net/pokedex-dp/attack.shtml
http://www.serebii.net/pokedex-dp/defense.shtml
http://www.serebii.net/pokedex-dp/sattack.shtml
http://www.serebii.net/pokedex-dp/sdefense.shtml
http://www.serebii.net/pokedex-dp/speed.shtml
Chapter 2 - How do I decide what EV's to give my Pokemon and how do I go about doing it
Deciding what EV's to give a Pokemon all comes down to deciding what you want your Pokemon to do. Should you need help at seeing what stats will result from a certain EV spread, I recommend the following calculator:
The main thing to remember when EV'ing a Pokemon is that every 4 EV's equal 1 stat point, and so all of your EV values should be divisable by 4. So let's say you want to build a defensive set, a set of 252HP/128D/124Sp.D works fine but a spread of 252HP/126D/126Sp.D is bad because 126 is not divisible by 4 and thus you will lose a stat point. For beginners, it may be good to stick with basic spreads. 252A/252Speed/6HP is good for attackers, and 252HP + 252 in one of the defenses is god for building a defensive Pokemon for a particular type of attack be it physical or special. More on this later.
Note that I list 252 EV's and not 255 EV's (the max for a stat) because 252 is divisible by 4 whereas 255 is not.
Now to EV a Pokemon you need to have the number one tool; concentration. Because EV's are hidden values you must count up/write down the EV's you are obtaining as you go along. To obtain an EV you simply have to defeat a Pokemon in battle. Note that a Pokemon only has to participate in the battle to obtain the EV's; it doesn't actually have to beat the enemy itself. So let us say you have a Pikachu and you want to train it with 252Attack/252Speed/4HP. Here is a good method:
Step 1. - Defeat 126 Gyarados. Gyarados give 2 Attack EV's, so 2 x 126 = 252.
Step 2. - Defeat 252 Zubat. Zubat give 1 Speed EV, so 1 x 252 = 252.
Step 3. - Defeat 4 Shellos. Shellos give 1 HP EV, so 1 x 4 = 4.
Note that you do not have to use the Pokemon listed above or do this in a certain order, this is just an example of one way it can be done. You will notice above that this is a really long process. However, there are certain factors that can speed it up.
Chapter 3 - Speeding up the process
Vitamins are the first major benefactor for EV training. Vitamins are Protien, Iron, Calcium, Zinc, Carbos, and HP Up. Each one gives a Pokemon 10 EV's in the respective stat, so 1 Protien gives 10 Attack EV's. Vitamins can be used on a Pokemon up until the Pokemon has 100+ EV's in the given stat, so once a Pokemon has 100+ Attack EV's, Protien will no longer have an effect on it. So if we apply Vitamins to the above process, let's see how it turns out:
Step 1. - Feed Pikachu 10 Protien. Protien gives 10 Attack EV's, so 10 x 10 = 100.
Step 2. - Feed Pikachu 10 Carbos. Carbos gives 10 Speed EV's, so 10 x 10 = 100.
Step 3. - Defeat 76 Gyarados. Gyarados gives 2 Attack EV's, so 2 x 76 = 152, then add the above 100 = 252.
Step 4. - Defeat 152 Zubat. Zubat gives 1 Attack EV, so 1 x 152 = 152, then add the above 100 = 252.
Step 5. - Defeat 4 Shellos. Shellos give 1 HP EV, so 1 x 4 = 4.
As you can see, the process has been sped up considerably. However, it doesn't stop there.
Power items are the next most important thing in speeding up EV training. The power items are the Power Bracer, Power Belt, Power Band, Power Anklet, Power Weight, and Power Lens. Each one adds 4 EV's to the amount of EV's you obtain when you beat a Pokemon and each one corresponds to a stat. So the Power Bracer will add 4 Attack EV's every time you defeat a Pokemon. So now that we have obtained these items, let's use them in the above pattern once again.
Step 1. - Feed Pikachu 10 Protien. Protien gives 10 Attack EV's, so 10 x 10 = 100.
Step 2. - Feed Pikachu 10 Carbos. Carbos gives 10 Speed EV's, so 10 x 10 = 100.
Step 3. - Attach the Power Bracer to Pikachu.
Step 4. - Defeat 25 Gyarados. Gyarados gives 2 Attack EV's, so (2 + 4 from the Bracer) x 25 = 150.
Step 5. - Remove the Bracer from Pikachu and defeat 1 Gyarados. Then 150 + 2 + 100 from Protien = 252.
Step 6. - Attach the Power Anklet to Pikachu.
Step 6. - Defeat 30 Zubat. Zubat gives 1 Attack EV, so (1 + 4 from the Anklet) x 30 = 150.
Step 7. - Remove the Anklet from Pikachu and defeat 2 Zubat. Then 150 + 2 + 100 from Carbos = 252.
Step 8. - Defeat 4 Shellos. Shellos give 1 HP EV, so 1 x 4 = 4.
So the pattern becomes clearer that you fight less Pokemon every time. There is one final factor that adds to this and it is the disease known as Pokerus, or PKRS for short. PKRS doubles the EV's obtained in battle by a Pokemon. To spread it, have the Pokemon you want to infect in the second slot of your team and the already infected carrier in the first slot. Then just walk around and fight with the carrier until the disease is passed. So one last time, let's apply the final factor to our situation:
Step 1. - Feed Pikachu 10 Protien. Protien gives 10 Attack EV's, so 10 x 10 = 100.
Step 2. - Feed Pikachu 10 Carbos. Carbos gives 10 Speed EV's, so 10 x 10 = 100.
Step 3. - Infect Pikachu with PKRS.
Step 4. - Attach the Power Bracer to Pikachu.
Step 5. - Defeat 12 Gyarados. Gyarados gives 2 Attack EV's, so ((2 + 4) x 2) x 12 = 144.
Step 6. - Remove the Bracer from Pikachu and defeat 2 Gyarados. Then 144 + 8 + 100 from Protien = 252.
Step 7. - Attach the Power Anklet to Pikachu.
Step 8. - Defeat 15 Zubat. Zubat gives 1 Speed EV, so ((1 + 4) x 2) x 15 = 150.
Step 9. - Remove the Anklet from Pikachu and defeat 1 Zubat. Then 150 + 2 + 100 from Carbos = 252.
Step 10. - Defeat 2 Shellos. Shellos give 1 HP EV, so (1 x 2) x 2 = 4.
Chapter 4 - Checking if you did it right
So now that you have EV'd your Pokemon you may be anxious as to whether you have done it correctly or not. Well, lucky for you there is an easy way to check. However first you need to have max EV's. Now you may be thinking, wait, I thought when I am finished I will have max EV's. This is not neccesarily true. When you finish you have 252 + 252 + 4 = 508. However the max is 510. We only train to 508 because the final 2 EV's are worthless and do not benefit your Pokemon in any way. So because of this, you may pick them up from any Pokemon you like. Once you have the ful 510, go to Sunnyshore City and go to the Seal Marker. Just inside the door to the left is a brown haired lady. Put your Pokemon to the top of the party and if you have done it right and it has full EV's she will give it a ribbon.
Chapter 5 - Terminology
So now the final section of the guide is to familarize people with the terminology of battle, to be more precise, the different types of Pokemon builds. Understanding what works and what doesn't work is a crucial part to success and to do that you need to know what you are up against/using.
Sweeper - a sweeper is an offensive Pokemon that wins through by hitting hard and fast. And such, they have high attack and high speed. They usually carry speed or attack boosting items, and sometimes their attacks can boost their attacks and speed also. Example:
Alakazam - Timid @ Life Orb
252Sp.A/252Speed/4HP
Psychic
Shadow Ball
Shock Wave
Focus Blast
Wall - a wall is an all defensive Pokemon that is exteremly hard to take down and usually can't deal much direct damage. They often rely on spreading status and stalling to win, as well as moves with set damage, and they often can heal. They usually are pretty slow ad can sometimes raise their defenses. Example:
Registeel - Careful @ Lum Berry
252HP/252Sp.D/4D
Thunder Wave
Seismic Toss
Rest
Iron Defense
Tank - tanks are Pokemon that are sturdy and tough, though not as defensive as walls, but in return can deal huge damage. They often can heal and also boost their attacking power. They don't usually rely on speed but sometimes can be quick enough or boost it. Example:
Altaria - Impish @ Leftovers
252Sp.D/212HP/44A
Dragon Dance
Roost
Dragon Claw
Earthquake
Lead - a lead is the Pokemon that begins the battle and can provide a way to set up opportunities for other Pokemon. They are often fast to make sure they get thier job done and usually carry a Focus Sash for insurance. They do things such as set up entry hazards, block opposing leads, and provide a set-up for another Pokemon. They can be either offensive or defensive. Some leads are refered to as suicide leads as they do their job and then either stay in to die or kill themself and opponent with Explosion. Example:
Aerodactyl - Jolly @ Focus Sash
252A/252Speed/4HP
Taunt
Stealth Rock
Rock Slide
Earthquake
Anti-Lead - an anti-lead is a Pokemon that opens up the battle with the intention to block opponent's leads. They often use moves such as Taunt to stop set-up, priority moves for fast kills, or Explosion to just wipe out the lead. Example:
Electrode - Timid @ Focus Sash
252HP/252Speed/4Sp.A
Thunderbolt
Taunt
Light Screen
Explosion
Spinner - any Pokemon with Rapid Spin. No example necessary.
Chapter 6 - Nah, nah, nah, nah...
So that is all there is too it. Like I said at the start, this is a basic guide and the basics have indeed be covered. I hope this guide is helpful and I hope that the mods will sticky this here for all the newbies to use and see 'cause really, this is for you guys!
Last edited by Greene1516 on Sun Jan 17, 2010 4:34 pm; edited 1 time in total
