The Pokémon games have long been known for their competitive nature. Players the world over strive to build the strongest team to counter any type matchup. One of the key aspects of developing a powerful party is Effort Values or EVs. These invisible data points have a huge bearing on the growth of your Pokémon, and there’s a very simple method for focusing them in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.
What Are EVs?
EVs are essentially the background numbers that determine how your Pokémons’ stats grow as they level up. Traditionally, Effort Values are earned during battle, with each Pokémon awarding specific EVs dependent on their own base stats. To put it more simply, fast Pokémon tend to award Speed EVs while strong ones award Attack EVs.
Related: Can you complete the Pokémon Scarlet and Violet pokédex without trading or using Pokémon Home?
Four EVs in a particular stat grant one point to that stat overall, and each stat maxes out at 255 EVs. A single Pokémon can have 510 total EVs, so EV training usually means focusing on two particular stats. Most Pokémon already have high base values in two stats, so the savvy EV trainer will focus on boosting these stats.
How To Train EVs In Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
EV training Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet is very similar to how it’s been in past games, but the game itself doesn’t make it obvious right from the start. The trick is to have your Pokémon hold special bands that boost EV growth in a particular stat every time they battle. Delibird Presents sells each of them in its General Goods section for 10,000 in cash or League Points.
Each item boosts a particular stat:
- Power Weight: Boosts HP
- Power Bracer: Boosts Attack
- Power Belt: Boosts Defense
- Power Lens: Boosts Special Attack
- Power Band: Boosts Special Defense
- Power Anklet: Boosts Speed
While holding any of these items, the Pokémon in question will only earn EVs for the selected stat, maximizing their growth. This works even if that Pokémon isn’t in battle, as your whole party earns experience for each victory. Bear in mind, Pokémon don’t earn any Effort Values from auto-battles, so you will need to actually enter into traditional matches for this to work. These EV training items also cut a Pokémon’s Speed while they’re being held, so keep that in mind when going into tougher battles.
How To Check On EV Status
There’s also an easy way to see your Pokémon’s EVs, check if a certain stat has been maxed out, and even know when your Pokémon has earned all the EVs it can. While in the summary menu, tab over to the screen with their moves and stats and press the L shoulder button to switch to the graph view. This graph shows the distribution of EVs for that Pokemon.
A stat has its maximum number of EVs if there are little sparkles next to it. At most, you can max out two stats, but you’ll have to start EV training before ever entering that Pokémon into a battle. If your Pokémon has earned all the EVs they possibly can, the graph view will be blue instead of yellow. Once this happens, the Power items won’t have any more use with that Pokémon.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are available now exclusively for the Nintendo Switch. For more on the games, check out how to build the best team to take down Scarlet and Violet’s gym leaders.
