Emerald Q about EVs

[Dark Dragonite]

Ok, Let's get some facts out of the way...
1)I've never paid attention to EVs before, and I understand what they are, just not how to get them, when my pokes level up, I see +1,+2,+3 in a lot of categories, maybe one 0
2)I've never had much of a strategy in the older games, just level up, max out with vitamins, and smash all in my way, although I will admit it was funny watching my Lv.9 Sableye and Lv.14 Ralts take out Brawley...

I have mostly Hardy and Rash natures, I guess if I want help getting stats, I will have to post natures and stats for them later, after my bro's karate class, but my current 6:

Marshtomp
Gulpin(in the battle Tent, Swalot trashed everyone in my way)
Lombre
Tailow
Ralts
Shroomish

I know, I have a horrible team right now, just who I caught first, and leveled up to fight the gym leaders, I fight in almost every wild battle, and have beaten all battles up to Slateport, but highest Lv. is 17...*sigh*

So, like I said, my question was, how do I figure out EVs?

[Number1ChanseyFan]

[color=magenta]The EV training in the Ruby/Sapphire/Colosseum/FireRed/LeafGreen games is a lot different from the stat experience that was used in the old R/B/Y/G/S/C games. Back in the older days, every Pokémon had personal max stats that were decided by their DVs, (Deter Values) and a Pokémon's stats would keep increasing until they reached their personal maximum for each stat, which happened when the Pokémon got a certain amount of stat experience points. Pokémon had to get around 65,535 stat experience points to reach their personal maximum for each stat. Each stat had its own individual stat experience, and the stat experience that you gained was equal to the base stats of the Pokémon that you defeated.

In the new games, Pokémon have IVs and EVs (IVs=Individual Values, they are basically like the DVs in the old games, they determine a Pokémon's personal max stats. In the new games, the IVs can be anywhere from 0-31. Each stat has its own IV. If a Pokémon has an IV of 31 in a stat, it can reach its species max for that stat, with proper EV training. The lower the IV, the lower the Pokémon's personal max will be for that stat. If a Pokémon has an IV of 0 in a stat, then its personal max for that stat will be 31 points lower then the max for its species.)

Pokémon can only have a total of 510 EVs, (Effort Values) and no more then 255 EVs in any one individual stat. (4 EVs in a stat will give the Pokémon 1 extra point in that stat at Level 100. For that reason, although you can put 255 EVs in a stat, it is a waste to put more than 252 in a stat.) You get EVs by defeating Pokémon, (beating Marill will get you HP EVs, defeating Spinda will get you Special Attack DVs, Geodude will get you Defense EVs, etc) and by using vitamins. Protein, Iron, Carbos, Calcium, Zinc, and HP Up will give your Pokémon 10 EVs in the respective stat, but vitamins can not be used to give EVs to a stat after a Pokémon has 100 EVs in that particular stat. Also, if your Pokémon gets PokéRus, it will earn double EVs, and if you give a Pokémon the Macho Brace to hold, it will earn double EVs. Giving a Macho Brace to a Pokémon with PokéRus will give it 4x the usual DVs. For every 4 EVs that a Pokémon has in a stat, it will have one more more point in that stat. So, EV training is important. Because of the 510 total EV limit, you have to be careful, because you can't fully EV train every stat, and it doesn't help out much to spread out EVs over every stat. It is usually best to pick and choose 2-3 stats that are most important depending on the individual Pokémon, and put all of your EVs into those stats. EV training is definitely important in competitive battling and at the EMerald Battle Frontier, but you can get away with taking EV training less seriously if you are just going to be playing in-game.

It is very difficult to get good IVs in the Advanced Generation games. Without using any kind of cheating device, the odds of getting a Pokémon in the wild with IVs of 31 in all 6 stats is 1 in 1,073,741,824!! To get good IVs, you can just breed Pokémon with good IVs with each other, and hopefully you will get some babies with good IVs. It is next to impossible to get IVs of 31 in every stat though. When a Pokémon is at Level 100, its stats will be determined by its IVs and its EVs. (Effort Values) For every 4 EVs, a Pokémon will gain an extra point in a stat at Level 100. IVs will determine a Pokémon's personal max for each stat. If a Pokémon has an IV of 0, with 252 EVs in that stat, its personal max for that stat will be 31 under the species max for that stat. If a Pokémon has an IV of 31, then with 252 EVs, it will be able to reach its species max for that stat. EVs can contribute 63 points to a stat when a Pokémon reaches Level 100. So, even if you get a Pokémon with an IV of 31 in a certain stat, if you don't put any EVs into that stat, when that Pokémon reaches Level 100, it's stat total will be 63 points less then the maximum for its species. Good personalities are important to have, especially since it is so hard to get great IVs.


A Pokémon's nature will effect it's stats. In Emerald, it will also effect it's personality (what moves it will use) in one of the Battle Tents, and the Battle Palace at the Battle Frontier. Some natures don't effect Pokémon stats at all, but most will increase one Pokémon's max stat by 10%, while decreasing another max stat by 10%. For example, a Pokémon with a Modest Nature will have a Special Attack stat that is 10% higher than it normally would, while it will in return have an Attack stat that is 10% lower than it normally would. Here is a chart listing the effects of the different natures.

Adamant: Attack(+), Special Attack(-)
Bashful: No Effect.
Bold: Defense(+), Attack(-)
Brave: Attack(+), Speed(-)
Calm: Special Defense(+), Attack (-)
Careful: Special Defense(+), Special Attack (-)
Docile: No Effect.
Gentle: Special Defense(+), Defense (-)
Hardy: No Effect.
Hasty: Speed(+), Defense(-)
Impish: Defense(+), Special Attack(-)
Jolly: Speed(+), Special Attack(-)
Lax: Defense(+), Special Defense(-)
Lonely: Attack(+), Defense(-)
Mild: Special Attack(+), Defense(-)
Modest: Special Attack(+), Attack(-)
Naive: Speed(+), Special Defense(-)
Naughty: Attack(+), Special Defense(-)
Quiet: Special Attack(+), Speed(-)
Quirky: No Effect.
Rash: Special Attack(+), Special Defense(-)
Relaxed: Defense(+), Speed(-)
Sassy: Special Defense(+), Speed(-)
Serious: No Effect.
Timid: Speed(+), Attack(-)

Now, here is a list of different natures, and how Pokémon will respond to them when battling... at the one Battle Tent, and at the Battle Frontier's Battle Palace.

++ Means that the Pokémon loves using that type of move.
+ Means that the Pokémon likes using that type of move.
= Means that the Pokémon doesn't really like or dislike using that type of move.
X Means that the Pokémon dislikes using that type of move.
XX Means that the Pokémon hates using that type of move.

Attack moves are moves that do direct damage.

Defense moves are moves that help the user increase their stats or recover HP or status conditions.

Support moves are moves that lower the opponents stats or inflict status problems.

Also, when a Pokémon's HP gets low, its battle style will often change. (That is when you get the message saying that the Pokémon is "getting into position" or is "eager for more," etc...) When you get the message that your Pokémon "seems incapable of using it's power" then that means that your Pokémon doesn't feel comfortable with using any of its moves. Try to make sure that your Pokémon have moves that they will be comfortable using. Also, make sure that you remember how these battles work, because the Battle Palace in the Battle Frontier also uses this battle format, and it will be a LOT tougher than the Battle Tent!!

~Adamant Nature~
Attack: =
Defense: =
Support: =
Change: Favors Attacking moves.

~Bashful Nature~
Attack: =
Defense: ++
Support: XX
Change: No Change.

~Bold Nature~
Attack: =
Defense: X
Support: ++
Change: Favors Defensive Moves.

~Brave Nature~
Attack: ++
Defense: XX
Support: XX
Change: Favors Defensive Moves.

~Calm Nature~
Attack: +
Defense: ++
Support: XX
Change: Favors Defensive Moves even more.

~Careful Nature~
Attack: +
Defense: ++
Support: XX
Change: Favors Supportive Moves.

~Docile Nature~
Attack: ++
Defense: X
Support: X
Change: No Change.

~Gentle Nature~
Attack: X
Defense: ++
Support: XX
Change: Favors Attacking Moves.

~Hardy Nature~
Attack: ++
Defense: XX
Support: = Change:
No Change.

~Hasty Nature~
Attack: ++
Defense: =
Support: XX
Change: Favors Attacking Moves even more.

~Impish Nature~
Attack: ++
Defense: XX
Support: =
Change: Favors Defensive Moves.

~Jolly Nature~
Attack: =
Defense: XX
Support: ++
Change: Favors Defensive Moves.

~Lax Nature~
Attack: =
Defense: XX
Support: ++
Change: Favors Supportive Moves even more.

~Lonely Nature~
Attack: X
Defense: =
Support: ++
Change: Favors Attacking Moves.

~Mild Nature~
Attack: +
Defense: ++
Support: X
Change: Favors Supportive Moves.

~Modest Nature~
Attack: =
Defense: +
Support: X
Change: Favors Defensive Moves.

~Naive Nature~
Attack: ++
Defense: X
Support: X
Change: No Change.

~Naughty Nature~
Attack: X
Defense: ++
Support: XX
Change: Favors Attacking Moves.

~Quiet Nature~
Attack: ++
Defense: X
Support: X
Change: No Change.

~Quirky Nature~
Attack: ++
Defense: X
Support: X
Change: No Change.

~Rash Nature~
Attack: =
Defense: X
Support: ++
Change: Favors Supportive Moves.

~Relaxed Nature~
Attack: =
Defense: XX
Support: ++
Change: Favors Attacking Moves.

~Sassy Nature~
Attack: ++
Defense: XX
Support: XX
Change: Favors Supportive Moves

~Serious Nature~
Attack: =
Defense: XX
Support: ++
Change: No Change.

~Timid Nature~
Attack: ++
Defense: XX
Support: =
Change: Favors Supportive Moves.

So, there is the complete list. The most important thing is that you have a Pokémon that has a personality that matches its moves. There is nothing worse then having a Pokémon that refuses to do anything because it doesn't like it's moves.

[Poryhedron]

Since you've already fought in lots of battles without paying any attention to your EVs, and since you probably haven't determined your IVs either, I don't think there is any way to work out what your EVs are now. Fortunately, you're playing Emerald Version, so there's a solution to this problem. There are six Berries, each tied to a stat, that lower EVs. You could use these Berries to reduce your EVs to zero, then go out and build them up again, this time taking note of what enemies each team member faces.

[Dark Dragonite]

Wow, thanks for all the info

So, if I noticed how much they gain now, or posted their stats I couldn't figure anything out?

[mr_pikachu]

Not really, no. You could approximate how many EVs your Pokemon gain now, but you wouldn't be able to know how many EVs were already there without resetting each stat with the berries.

And by the way, that was one heck of a complete explanation, Christen!