There have been many changes introduced in Pokemon Sword and Shield. New features, new Pokemon, reworked mechanics, and rebalanced abilities can be found in Nintendo's latest Pokemon generation. However, one thing that hasn't changed in Pokemon Sword and Shield is EV training.
For those not familiar, we'll go over what EV training is in a bit. Then, we will be giving everyone a quick rundown on how EV training works, along with new ways to increase EVs in Pokemon Sword and Shield.
What is EV Training?
EV stands for "effort value." These are the extra stat points your Pokemon get from battles and other experiences they have outside combat. EV Training refers to the systematic approach in giving your Pokemon the desired stat points they need for competitive play.
Every Pokemon can only get a maximum of 510 points shared across all stats, but only a maximum of 255 in one stat. Your Pokemon get extra stat point for every 4 EV they have for that stat, so having 255 EV towards Attack, for example, gives your Pokemon an additional 63 Attack Points. As a rule of thumb, you want your Pokemon to have 252 EVs on two stats, and then put the remaining 6 EVs to a third stat. However, some competitive builds mix this up. Just remember that the ratio is 4 EVs = 1 extra stat.
There are different ways to receive EV in Pokemon, many of which are unavoidable. Thankfully, there have been changes in Pokemon Sword and Shield that make it easier to track and modify your EV.
How Do You Check Your Pokemon's EV in Pokemon Sword and Shield?
Checking your Pokemon's EV has changed across games. Since EV is a hidden stat modifier, previous titles required you to talk to a particular NPC, who will then assess your Pokemon's EV stats. In those games, that NPC will also give your Pokemon an Effort Ribbon for having maxed out EV stats.
Thankfully, checking your EV is much easier in Pokemon Sword and Shield. You simply have to open your menu and select your Pokemon. On the screen where you can see the Pokemon's stat hexagon, press X. It will then display a visual representation of your Pokemon's EV points.
What is the Most Common Ways to Raise EV?
Battling other Pokemon in the wild is the most common and unintentional way to give your Pokemon EV. The Pokemon will yield an EV point to its primary stat attribute when defeated. You'll have to memorize these primary stats, or just have a go-to Pokemon if you want to raise your EV on a particular stat. Defeating a wild Wingull, for example, will give your Pokemon EV stat for the Speed stat. You just have to remember that all Pokemons who receive EXP in a battle will also receive an EV point, so remove your Pokemon from your party if you don't want them gaining EV.
Changing EV Using Items
You could also use items to give your Pokemon additional EV points. Vitamins give your Pokemon 10 EV points each. Here's a list of Vitamins and their corresponding stats:
HP Up: HP
Protein: Attack
Calcium: Sp. Attack
Iron: Defense
Zinc: Sp. Defense
Carbos: Speed
Wings, on the other hand, raise your Pokemon's EV value by 1 point each. These wings are:
Health Wing: HP
Muscle Wing: Attack
Genius Wing: Sp. Attack
Resist Wing: Defense
Clever Wing: Sp. Defense
Swift Wing: Speed
Some berries could lower your EV for a stat by 10 points, in case you want to make space for other stats. These berries are:
Pomeg Berry: HP
Kelpsy Berry: Attack
Hondew Berry: Sp. Attack
Qualot Berry: Defense
Grepa Berry: Sp. Defense
Tamato Berry: Speed
Don't worry about cooking these berries into curry: ingesting those don't seem to affect your Pokemon's EV stats.
Power Items increase your Pokemon's EV stat by eight every time they gain experience, including when they go on Poke Jobs. These are:
Power Weight: HP
Power Bracer: Attack
Power Lens: Sp. Attack
Power Belt: Defense
Power Band: Sp. Defense
Power Anklet: Speed
Finally, you can have your Pokemon hold a Macho Brace, which will double all EV gains your Pokemon will have.
Pokerus and Poke Jobs
Pokerus is a rare, contagious virus that doubles all EV gains your Pokemon gets, AFTER applying Power Item boosts and Macho Brace boosts. Having Pokerus will help fully train your Pokemon quickly, but you'll have to acquire a Pokemon with Pokerus first, either through trade, or via the wild. Getting wild Pokemon with Pokerus is extremely rare, so finding one through trade would be much easier. Pokerus will pass to other Pokemon in your party if the affected Pokemon is there and will also spread Pokerus to their neighboring Pokemon in the PC Box.
Finally, there are Poke Jobs specifically for raising EV. The client is Hammerlocke University, and the Poke Job will state upfront which stat will be raised when you send a Pokemon to the job. The amount of EV the Pokemon will receive from the Poke Job depends on the duration of the job:
A little while: 4 EVs
Very short: 8 EVs
Short: 12 EVs
Long: 16 EVs
Very Long: 32 EVs
Half Day: 48 EVs
Whole Day: 96 EVs
These are all the ways to increase your Pokemon's EV values through EV training in Pokemon Sword and Shield. We hope that this guide helps you become a true Pokemon master. Get grinding and go have some competitive battles!
