EV Training

Taadaaa! I hereby present you the EV Training lesson! I have always wanted to write this because I fear that in future I might forget it.. In fact I always forgot bit by bit if I stopped playing Pokemon for 3 months+.. So this is a message to my future self.. However I believe that a lot of you don't get how to do this even if you have checked the net..

What is EV Training?
EV stands for Effort Value.. Just like its name stated, it needs effort.. The purpose of this is to maximize your Poke's stat.. These EVs have limit, so EV training is used to make full use of them.. For example, if you are using Haxorus.. You will need high Atk and Spd.. So, let's say you keep battling Pokes randomly, you will probably produce just an average Haxorus.. Yes, IF you battle RANDOMLY.. That's to say it's nearly impossible for you to EV train during Story Mode.. Those Pokes you use to pass through Story Mode, even any wild Pokes/trainers in Post Game, are probably fully invested with random EVs to the point it's more or less permanently incurable..

Unlike "rubbish" training to get a Poke lvl 100, you will need to battle the probably-same Pokes for about 20~25 times MINIMUM or 252 times MAXIMUM just for one max stat without any vitamins used.. If you ask me whether you should try to EV train then I will say... Depends! If you don't have Pokerus currently, give up.. If you have it already, then go for it.. Cause you will totally be having different point of view in Pokemon.. AS IF THIS GAME IS FOR CHILDREN ONLY!

When to EV Train?
If you are still in "Story Mode", don't bother.. The earliest to start EV training is in post-game.. But it's really unnecessary too, cause all you need is out-lvl every opponent you are going to face.. So when? Probably when you are aiming for Battle Subway/tournament-like or competitive battles (means battle with another player) because here, lvls are fixed.. Plus, I would HIGHLY suggest you have these before you start..

• Pokerus (Get it from GTS, keep offering Pokes for Pokes till you can get one)
• Power Items

If you already have all that and a Poke you are ready to EV train, check the nature before you begin.. Seriously, nature is as important as EVs.. There's no point for you to EV train a Modest (Atk down, Sp.Atk up) Anew in the first place..

Pokerus & Power Items
Before I continue, you need to know their jobs.. You can actually get Pokerus in game, but it's rarer than meeting a shiny Poke, or so I heard.. It doesn't give you any hint in appearance like shinies in battle.. So you can't tell that the Poke is Pokerus or not.. You will get Pokerus if you battled with it, running is out of question.. However, you can't tell if it's infected or not till you talk to Nurse Joy.. She will tell you your Poke is infected by a virus.. Basically, it's all about luck getting one.. The purpose of this virus is twice the EVs you get each battle..

There's another sign that tells you if your Pokes are infected.. If you look at its stat page, under its name it will have Pokerus sign (with purple coloured box) or a small smiley.. Pokerus will only lasts 48hrs, after that it turned into a smiley.. It still give that Pokerus-ed pokes x2 EVs, but it can't spread anymore.. You can freeze Pokerus by putting it in PC..So if you have the Pokerus one, quickly spread it to other Pokes.. To spread it easily, have the Pokerus poke in the middle (3rd/4th) of the team.. Then use your 1st Poke (of course not the one you are EV-ing) keep beating random wild Pokes.. Eventually all the 6 Pokes in your party will have it..  Keep repeating this for at least 2~3  times and store some Pokerus poke you seldom use in PC..Since it's pretty easy to spread, GTS has became one of the best source for you to get one.. Of course, it's random as well..

I think Pokerus is far more important than Power items.. I would say it's a MUST to have in fact.. Reason? I did say you are going to mass battle the wild pokes right? What if you get Pokerus in the middle of EV training a non-Pokerus poke? The whole process will be messed up.. That's why you might not want to start EV train without Pokerus..

There's total 6 power items, each of them helps you in their respective stat.. Power items have 2 purposes.. One of it is to pass down the IV of the parent to the child, ignore this purpose for now.. The second is to add 4 EVs after each battle REGARDLESS of the opposing Poke you against.. Let's say you attach Power Anklet (for Spd) on your Magnemite and it defeated a Golduck (for Sp.Atk).. The Magnemite will gets 4 Spd EVs and 2 Sp.Atk EVs..

I noticed BW2 is kind enough to give the players Power Items, not all though..

For B2:
Power Anklet: In Route 4, there's a girl in the first house from the top/Join Avenue who is willing to trade a Cottonee for Petilil.. The TRADED Petilil will hold Power Anklet ..
Power Lens: Route 13, it's located in the west-most and it's pretty much hidden.. Inside the house, there will be someone who will give you Power Lens.
Power Band: You should get it during the story inside the Plasma's ship..

For W2:
Power Weight: In Route 4, there's a boy with cap in the second house from left who is willing to trade a Petilil for Cottonee.. The traded Cottonee will hold Power Weight..
Power Band: Route 13, it's located in the west-most and it's pretty much hidden.. Inside the house, there will be someone who will give you Power Lens.
Power Belt: You should get it during the story inside the Plasma's ship..

The rest you will have to get it from PWT/Battle Subway.. Since you haven't EV trained, you are going to face trouble at first.. Still you need to get enough BP to buy all.. You will need one each.. Get the important ones first: Spd, Atk and Sp.Atk.. Second get HP.. Lastly Def and Sp.Def..

How to EV Train?
Here's the basic rules you need to know..

• Every Pokes can only store 510 EVs.. Any additional EVs won't have any effect..
• One stat can only have 255 EVs..
• 4 Evs makes +1 stat

From these, if you are analytical, you should know that..

1. Since 255 is not divisible by 4, it's the best to have only 252 Evs the most in a stat..
2. So, you can have 2 stats maxed with Evs.. (Total Evs: 504)
3. With the another 4 Evs, we can make another +1 stat on the 3rd stat.. That's to say the 2 Evs left is useless..

With this, we conclude that a Poke can have 2 max stat and +1 stat for the 3rd one.. Well, I believe some of you think that "Might as well we ditch the 3rd one to make our job easier.. This way, we don't need to keep calculator by our side.. " TRUE! Go ahead, IF you are not a hardcore battler, because that +1 stat isn't going to help anything in-game..

And this is really basic and most-probable type of EV Train.. When you enter the pro's lvl, you will be calculative enough to invest a specific amount of EVs just "enough" to do this and that.. Like 252 Atk EVs, 120 Def EVs, 136 Sp.Def EVs etc.. Don't ask me how to get this, but it's MOSTLY apply for tanker Pokes where they need both Def and Sp.Def..

Okay now on the real "How".. First Pokerus the Poke you are going to EV-train.. Then equip your Poke with Power item depending on which stat you are boosting.. I shall assume the Poke you are going to EV-train is weak/low lvl now.. Put that Poke as the 1st Poke.. The first thing you do when you encounter a wild poke for EVs, switch it to your "boss" Poke which can kill the wild poke within 2 turns.. Please don't think this as an EV train for your boss poke cause you will make things messy.. You will only get EVs if you DEFEATED the Poke.. Running/Catching doesn't count..

Always invest both the 252 EVs first.. Then check with Bianca through Xtransceiver who will tell you whether your Poke is filled with 510 EVs or no.. If she says yes, you either did the wrong thing OR you accidentally invested both stats 255 EVs.. If not, you are PROBABLY on the right track.. Do the 4 EVs one, since it's small amount, don't use any Power items.. Then check with Bianca again, she should says it still has to work hard.. Then jsut randomly get EXACTLY 2 EVs from wild poke and ask again.. If she says it has 510 EVs, then you are correct all the way.. If not.. Means you calculate something "less"..

How to Calculate EV?
Learn how to calculate EVs given by each battle! SIMPLE, if you have nothing but Poke here.. You need 252 Evs in one stat right? If you battle a Poke that gives you 1 Evs, then you will need to defeat 252 of them.. If you battle a Poke that gives you 2 EVs,then you will need to defeat 126 of them.. That's why I highly suggest you to have the stuff above before starting EV training.. So let's say we are going to EV train a Chandelure (a Sp.Atker) that has Pokerus or/and Power Lens attached to it.. It defeated a Golduck in battle..

Total Sp.Atk EV gained after this battle with Pokerus ONLY
= [2 (Golduck's Given EVs)] x 2 (Pokerus' effect)
= 2 x 2 = 4 Sp.Atk EVs -------------------------- Total Golduck needed: 63

Total Sp.Atk EV gained after this battle with Power Lens ONLY
= 2 (Golduck's Given EVs) + 4 (Power Lens)
= 6 Sp.Atk EVs -------------------------- Total Golduck needed: 42

Total Sp.Atk EV gained after this battle with Pokerus and Power Lens
= [2 (Golduck's Given EVs) + 4 (Power Lens)] x 2 (Pokerus' effect)
= 6 x 2 = 12 Sp.Atk Evs -------------------------- Total Golduck needed: 21

Since you need 252 Sp.Atk EVs, you will have to defeat EXACTLY 21 Golduck with both Pokerus and Power item, no more no less.. So how to record? Two ways.. If your 2nd Poke is able to OTK the wild Poke, then record it by its PP used.. If not, a safer way is to do a tally chart.. You know? The one cut means one thing?

Just in case you still haven't notice, there's NO WAY you can tell a poke how many EVs are invested on which stat.. You can only call Bianca with Xtransceiver to check if your Poke has 510 EVs or not.. Means if you miscalculate, it's going to be one hell of work.. If you accidentally invest more, then you might want to move to the "lazy" way investing 255 EVs on both stats.. If you invest less (which you roughly know).. Then you will probably have to invest EXACTLY 252 EVs and 4 EVs on the other stats then come back for this mistake again.. You can just invest the miscalculate EVs to max till Bianca says you have fully invested 510 EVs.. If you invest less (which you don't even notice till last minute) it's pretty the worst situation.. It's pretty hopeless.. You might want to use EV reducing berries on whichever stat you think it's a mistake..

Where to EV train?
Here's my list for BW2:

• Atk: Victory Road's first cave where you enter from Route 23.. Here, we have Banette and Golurk which gives you 2Atk EVs with 100% meeting rate..
  
• Sp.Atk: Celestia Tower, all Pokes here give 1 Sp.Atk EV except Golbat.. Flee if encountered it..
  
• Def: No idea yet.
  
• Sp.Def: Route 18/P2 Lab.. By surfing you will be able to encounter Frillish at 100% meeting rate.. But beware of ripping water.. Each Frillish will gives 1 Sp.Def EV..
  
• Spd: The lake in Asperia City.. Each Basculin gives 2 Spd EVs
  
• HP: Iccirus City, surfing here will get you Stunfisk who gives 2 HP EVs.. You will also be able to meet Palpitoad and Stunfisk in the shallow water.. However it's not 100% meeting rate, so be aware of what poke you encounter..
  

As you can see, this list is superb incomplete cause I don't plan to EV train in my JP game.. If you have any suggestion, feel free to leave a comment.. :)

But here's an idea how to find a good hotspot.. Make sure that Pokes will appear as often as possible.. It's also fine if there's other Poke that gives same and exact EVs as that one..  If possible, get low lvl wild pokes which enables you to OTK them.. Also, it would be the best if the Pokes that give 2 EVs.. 1 EV needs more calculating and more battles.. Avoid those who gives 3 EVs cause they are too rare..

Other Stuff that Affects EV
Vitamins: Ever wonder what's the use of Protein, Carbon and stuff? They gives 10 EVs depending on the stat they are in charged.. Though their effect will only stacks up to 100 of that particular stat.. After that they won't be able to take anymore.. Just my opinion, no need for vitamins.. The vitamins are expensive, and they have limit..

Wings: Just like vitamins.. They only gives 1 EV each and there's no limit for this.. They are useful as a correction for your calculation during EV training..You can save before use, then check with Bianca..This way you can tell if your calculation has been right or not..

EV-Reducing Berries: Each of these berries reduce 10 EVs from a specific stat.. It's the only thing that can save you when you make an error in EV training.. You can get these berries from Berry Shop in Join Avenue, or a girl who's selling 5x (random) berries each day for 200dollars in Route 5..

Macho Brace: Twice the EVs like Pokerus.. Again, in my opinion.. Power items are far better than this..

Exp.Share: The shared poke gains EVs equal to the opposing poke given.. Don't bother to use this for EV training..

The End of Lesson
So this is the end of it.. The moment you used up all 510 EVs, you can randomly battle Pokes without any worries.. Well, I hope you do understand what's in here.. Feel free to drop any quests on the comment box.. :)