1394 replies to this topic

[Lemon]

What's EV training?

A stupid stupid thing that only die-hard Pokemon trainers consider. It's like trying to figure out how to optimize a game where optimizing isn't the point.

[ElLibertador]

It's not stupid... if you want to battle efficiently then you should do it, if you want to have fun and just use Pokemon you like than ignore them. You can beat the game without them.

[Mitchfork]

A stupid stupid thing that only die-hard Pokemon trainers consider. It's like trying to figure out how to optimize a game where optimizing isn't the point.

Pshaw, says you! :O I'll agree that it's entirely pointless if you just want to enjoy the game and play through, since types are pretty much the way you win or lose there, and it's way more trouble than it's worth if you try to do it while playing through the story. But I really like having a max-attack Lucario.

[Linkus]

The only other option of tactics that I know of is that you use Bite, which is a Dark-based attack that randomly causes the opponent Pokemon to flinch(which counts as a move). Now, the only possible Pokemon for that time that I do know that has that move at that time (other than trading) would be Croconaw, but I also think that it can also be taught through a TM you can buy at the Goldenrod Pokemart.

EDIT: Also, EZ, I really would suggest a Houndoom. It actually can learn three different elemental attacks - Take my lv16 Houndoom's move for instance:

GROWL
LEER
EMBER
SMOG

It shouldn't be long until he learns a Dark-based attack, like Bite.

[Golden Chocobo]

It's not stupid... if you want to battle efficiently then you should do it, if you want to have fun and just use Pokemon you like than ignore them. You can beat the game without them.

I can battle efficiently without EV training.

[AgentLym]

I can battle efficiently without EV training.

Heh, good luck defeating me! jk
But, really, EV training really (in my opinion) makes the game much more replayable. The first play through, I don't EV train anythin'; but after I get to the Battle Frontier, EV training is virtually necessary to get the gold badge for any of the four stadiums (excluding Factory). Sure, you can have strong pokemon without EV training, but you'll have beastly pokemons with it. (example: Lugia with ~200 special attack, or Lugia with 300+ special attack; you tell me?)

It does take time and effort, but after the story is completed in any pokemon game, what makes you want to keep on playing? The battling! (or contests, but eh) And fighting computers can only go so far... competitive battling is much more satisfying when you win (and very heart breaking when you lose, as you've essentially lost tens of hours you spent training your pokemon, unless you can find some way to recycle them... which is a good thing, kinda. ^^' Bitter sweet.)

... but that's not the reason I replied. I replied because...

Johto beckons!! (in 4 hours, though probably more like 15 for those who aren't going to Gamestop at midnight)

[Eurysilas]

Woah....stats are affected by which SPECIES of pokemon you battle? Props for the uniqueness, but that must've been hell for the designers.

[AgentLym]

It's really not all that complicated. Basically, EVs are hidden counters for each stat that, when the pokemon gains a level, gives bonus points in the stat for every four EVs there are in the stat. So, if you're Cyndaquil leveled up with 6 EVs in attack, it'd gain 1 bonus attack stat point (4 goes into 6 one time), and the remaining 2 EVs will be carried over to the next level.

EVs are gained by fighting pokemon who "specialize" in a certain stat; take Crobat, for example. Every time you fight (and defeat) a Crobat, each pokemon used in the fight will gain 3 Speed EVs (Crobat is programmed to give 3 speed EVs when defeated; however, different species give different EVs. For example, Porygon-Zs give 3 EVs in Special Attack when defeated; Zubats give 1 EV in speed when defeated.). If you fought 4 Crobats and leveled up, you'd have 12 EVs in speed, giving the pokemon that leveled up and extra 3 points in Speed.

EVs are limited, though (to 255 EVs per stat, 510 in all), in case any of you guys decide to go on some kinda EV-training binge or something.

Edited by AgentLym, 13 March 2010 - 09:49 PM.

[Lemon]

I think they were originally invented just to make it so pokemon who leveled up through fights were stronger than those who were just leveled up via Rare Candy.

To actually go through and train with them just seems silly and borderline obsessive.

[Golden Chocobo]

So I just went to the closest GameStop to get it... and it was closed. So I went to Toys R Us. And it was closed. Then I went to Best Buy... Which was closed.

GRAWR!! I guess I'll have to wait until tomorrow

[Mitchfork]

I think they were originally invented just to make it so pokemon who leveled up through fights were stronger than those who were just leveled up via Rare Candy.

To actually go through and train with them just seems silly and borderline obsessive.

It only takes about an hour to fully EV train a Pokemon, although it can be quicker or longer depending on the stats needed. Then you can just level normally. There's a big misconception that EV training is a long and tedious process- before I started doing it, I thought so too- but with the Vs. Seeker and Macho Brace, it's a snap. The real work comes from trying to set up advantageous IV's and natures, and even I'm not that competitive.

My roommate made a midnight Wal-Mart run and got his, but I'm waiting until tomorrow to buy it. Cannot wait for this...

[Golden Chocobo]

I thought about Walmart after I was on my way back to my dorm, and decided not to waste anymore gas >_>

It's about a 20-ish minute drive from campus to anywhere worth while, so I was upset. Wah. But yeah... I'll get up early and get it

[Lemon]

I'm just going to wait until tomorrow around noon. Let's hope Targets got some spares in stock. Will pretty much re-create everything I did in the last copy, was only about 3 hours of playing time.

Edited by Lemon, 14 March 2010 - 02:18 AM.

[Christian]

I'm going to be at Gamestop today at 9am to get this game and i'm going to be playing it the entire day.

[AgentLym]

I'll get it after church 'round 12, I hope! I'll see you guys in a week or two!

But, yeah, EV training isn't that hard; there're in-game items that help out with it. I use the "Power" items instead of the Macho Brace, 'cause the Macho Brace doubles every EV earned, and that creates a problem if you battle a trainer who sends out a pokemon you don't want to fight. Also, the Power items (like, Power Weight, Power Lens, Power Anklet, etc) give you 4 EVs in a certain stat (like, the Weight gives you 4 HP EVs, the Lens: 4 Special Attack EVs, etc), which is better than the Macho Brace (which doubles the EVs you earn in battle, so the max you can get is 6, since the highest amount of EVs given by a defeated pokemon is 3; with the Power items, you can have a max of 7). But, you could also get your Pokemon infected with Pokerus, a virus that doubles the EVs that your pokemon earn; so that's 14 Speed EVs for each Crobat you defeat. Divide 255 by 14... that's 18 Crobats needed to be fully EV trained in speed. Not a lot. (besides the fact that Crobats are hard to find... Zubats, on the other hand, though they give only 1 EV in speed, are very common, and in most places, you can find the occasional Golbat, which gives 2 EVs in speed) So, with the Power Anklet on (which gives 4 Speed EVs), you'd only need to battle 26 Zubats to fully EV train in speed (1 Speed EV + 4 Anklet EVs, times 2 from Pokerus, all under 255), or 21 Golbats. (and, note: with just the Macho Brace and Pokerus, it would take 64 Zubats to fully speed train, but it also doubles every EV you gain, regardless of stat)

And believe me, it doesn't take very long to find ~25 Zubats in almost any of the caves at the beginning of the game. (also, it might be worth mentioning that EVs are not dependent on your level, the opponents level, weather effects, or anything; they are always the same. Also, pokemon holding the Experience Share gain the same EVs from battle as the pokemon who did the battling would've gained without a Macho Brace or Pokerus (so, no multipliers for the EXP Share pokemon, but it helps if you're trying to train two pokemon in speed or something) . )

Go HERE for more information (on EVs, IVs, whatever! Also, check THIS PLACE out for more advanced stuff about battling strategies and stuff. )