Does Auto Battling Improve EVs in Pokémon Games?
The short, definitive answer is no. Auto-battling, a convenient feature in recent Pokémon games that allows your Pokémon to engage in battles without direct player input, does not grant any Effort Values (EVs) to your Pokémon. This means if you are looking to strategically boost your Pokémon’s stats, auto-battling is not the method you want to rely on. To gain EVs, you have to manually battle and either faint or catch wild Pokémon. This article will explore the nuances of EV training, how it differs from auto-battling, and answer some common questions that Pokémon trainers often have.
Understanding Effort Values (EVs)
Before diving further, let’s clarify what Effort Values (EVs) actually are. In Pokémon games, every Pokémon has six base stats: HP (Hit Points), Attack, Defense, Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed. While base stats are inherent to a Pokémon species, EVs are like additional stat points that you gain by battling and defeating specific Pokémon. Think of EVs as a way to customize and fine-tune your Pokémon beyond their base abilities, making them stronger in areas you choose.
Each Pokémon you defeat gives a certain amount of EVs, typically 1-3 per stat, based on its species. For example, a Zigzagoon might grant 1 Speed EV, while a Gastrodon gives 2 HP EVs. There’s a maximum of 510 EVs a Pokémon can have in total, with a maximum of 252 EVs that can be invested into a single stat. For instance, you could max out your Attack and Speed stats while still having 4 EVs left to invest in HP.
Why Auto-Battling Doesn’t Grant EVs
The purpose of auto-battling is to streamline the grind of battling against weaker wild Pokémon. While it does allow your Pokémon to gain experience points (EXP), it completely bypasses the EV gain mechanic. This design choice forces players who want to min-max their Pokémon to engage more directly with the game’s combat system, which can be seen as a strategy to prevent players from just setting and forgetting their training. This is also likely a way to balance the convenience of auto-battling.
Manual battles are the only method to gain EVs. This means that each time you encounter a wild Pokémon, you have to manually select your move and engage the battle, choosing whether to knock it out, weaken it enough for a catch, or even just switch out. Only by engaging in this manner will your Pokémon begin to accumulate EVs and get stronger in the right areas.
The Importance of EV Training
EV training is not just for hardcore competitive players. It’s beneficial for anyone wanting to make their Pokémon as strong as possible. By carefully selecting the Pokémon you battle and the items you use, you can greatly influence your Pokémon’s stats. A well-EV-trained Pokémon will perform significantly better than one without EV training, even if both Pokémon are the same species and level.
For instance, an EV-trained sweeper Pokémon will be faster and hit harder than its non-EV-trained counterpart. A tank Pokémon with trained HP and Defense stats will be able to take many more hits than its regular counterpart.
Speeding Up EV Training
While auto-battling is not an option for EV training, there are other efficient methods to consider:
Power Items
Using Power Items like the Power Anklet, Power Bracer, Power Lens, etc., dramatically speeds up the process. These items can be purchased at Delibird Presents shops and provide 8 extra EVs of a certain stat per battle. For example, the Power Anklet provides 8 Speed EVs, the Power Bracer gives 8 attack EVs, and so on, no matter what Pokémon you knock out. This means you can be earning 9-11 EVs per battle if the Pokémon also provides 1-3 EVs of the same stat.
Selecting Specific Pokémon
Targeting Pokémon that give high EV yields for a specific stat you are training is critical. For instance, Cyclizar gives 2 base Speed EVs, and with a Power Anklet, it will give 10 EVs per battle. If you’re looking for HP EVs, Pokemon like Chansey, Marill, or Wooper are the way to go. This, combined with power items, can quickly get your Pokémon to the desired EV total.
Vitamins
Vitamins are consumable items, such as Protein, Iron, Calcium, etc., that each provide 10 EVs to the Pokemon. You can use 10 vitamins to add 100 EVs to a stat but they cannot be used if there are already 100+ EVs in a specific stat. This gives you a nice early boost as well as the option to top off if you need to fine tune.
Keeping track
Remember to keep track of your progress using an EV tracking app, a notebook, or a calculator. Since the maximum value for each stat is 252, it’s easy to accidentally over train without some kind of tracking.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are 15 frequently asked questions about EVs to further clarify and expand your knowledge:
1. Do all Pokemon in the party get EVs when battling manually?
Yes, all Pokémon that participate in the battle will receive the same EVs. This means that if you switch out a Pokémon mid-battle, the new Pokémon will also gain the EVs the defeated Pokémon provides. You can use a team of 6 to train 6 at once.
2. Do Raid Battles grant EVs?
No, Raid Battles do not grant EVs, however, they can provide experience candy and other useful items.
3. Can level 100 Pokémon gain EVs?
Yes, level 100 Pokémon can still gain EVs. Once the EVs are earned, they are immediately applied when the Pokémon is deposited and withdrawn from the Pokémon storage system, meaning even level 100 Pokémon will get stat boosts from the EVs they’ve accumulated.
4. How many EVs does a Pokémon need to max a stat?
A Pokémon can have a maximum of 252 EVs in a single stat. It takes 4 EVs to result in a single point added to the specific stat, at level 100.
5. What’s the maximum number of EVs a Pokémon can have?
The total number of EVs a Pokémon can have is 510, across all 6 stats.
6. Can you use Vitamins to max out a Pokémon’s EVs?
Yes, Vitamins can be used to get 100 EVs for a given stat. After 100 EVs are added through Vitamins, you’ll need to manually train using battles.
7. What are the best items for EV training?
Power Items are the most efficient way to speed up EV training, as they provide extra EVs per fight, regardless of the Pokemon being defeated.
8. How do I know which Pokémon give which EVs?
Various online resources, websites, and Pokémon community groups have comprehensive lists of which Pokémon provide which EVs.
9. Is it more important to level up or EV train first?
It doesn’t matter what level you start EV training at. A Pokemon will only receive stat boosts when it levels up based on its current level and EVs. This means that EVs will have the same effect at level 1 as they do at level 100.
10. Do EVs and IVs work together?
Yes, EVs and IVs (Individual Values) work together. IVs are determined at the Pokemon’s birth or encounter and are a set value, whilst EVs can be manually adjusted to the trainer’s preference. Both affect the Pokémon’s final stats.
11. Can I reduce my Pokémon’s EVs?
Yes, you can reduce your Pokémon’s EVs using specific berries found throughout the game world. Each berry will remove 10 EVs from a specific stat.
12. Why are EVs important?
EVs are essential for maximizing a Pokémon’s potential, especially for competitive battling or even just beating the toughest bosses in the game.
13. How do Power Items work?
Power Items add 8 EVs to the specified stat every battle, no matter what Pokémon you are fighting.
14. Can I max out all EVs on a Pokémon?
No, you cannot max out all EVs. The total cap for all EVs is 510, and the maximum EVs in a single stat is 252.
15. Is EV training necessary?
EV training is not necessary to complete the main story of the game, but it is crucial for competitive battling and if you want to build a very powerful Pokémon.
Conclusion
While the auto-battle feature in recent Pokémon games is a nice quality-of-life upgrade, it doesn’t contribute to your Pokémon’s EV training. For those wishing to customize and fine-tune their Pokémon’s abilities, manually battling and using the proper equipment and strategies are still a must. By understanding how EVs work, and carefully choosing the Pokémon you defeat, you can create a team ready for any challenge.