Effort values

Base points (Japanese: base points), commonly referred to by fans as effort values (Japanese: effort values) and abbreviated as EVs, are values that contribute to an individual Pokémon's stats in the core and side series Pokémon games. They are primarily obtained by defeating Pokémon in battle, based on the Pokémon that was defeated. From to , EVs were also officially referred to as base stats in English (distinct from what fans refer to as base stats, which are instead the stat-affecting values intrinsic to the Pokémon's species).
In the Generation and games, due to the effort value system being entirely different to later games, they are commonly referred to by fans as stat experience in the context of these games.
Due to effort values, trained Pokémon are usually stronger than wild Pokémon, even those of the same level.
Effort values only appear in the core series and side series Pokémon games; they are not present in the spin-off Pokémon games, such as the .
==Stat experience==
In Generations and , effort points given are equal to the base stats of the defeated Pokémon species.
The in Generation I contains two EV bytes for each of the five stats (HP, Attack, Defense, Speed and Special), starting at zero when caught and with a maximum EV of 65535 for each stat. When a Pokémon is defeated, its base stats are converted to effort points and then added to the EVs. For example, defeating a grants 100 effort points to each EV. (Defeating 656 , therefore, will give a Pokémon maximum EVs in each stat.) When multiple of the player's Pokémon defeat one opponent, the points are divided among those Pokémon.
EVs are factored into the Pokémon's stats when it levels up. Additionally, EVs are calculated into stats when a Pokémon is taken from Bill's PC; this is called the box trick. A Pokémon which reaches level 100 can continue to acquire EVs up to the maximum of 65535 in each stat, and use the box trick to have those EVs factored in.
Vitamins add 2560 to one stat's EV, but cannot raise a stat above 25600.
At level 100, the formula for determining the stat difference between a Pokémon trained in that stat and an untrained Pokémon is \tfrac{\sqrt{StatEXP}}{4}, with the square root rounding upwards unless that would take it above 255, and the whole calculation rounding downwards.
EVs behave the same in Generation II as they did in Generation I. Both Special Attack and Special Defense share the EV for Special to maintain compatibility. The amount of Special EVs received is equal to the defeated Pokémon's Special Attack base stat. The box trick can still be used.
Generation II introduced the Pokérus, a rare virus which doubles the effort points gained in battle.
==Modern system==
Since Generation III, effort points have been completely separate values from base stats. Defeated Pokémon give out 1, 2 or 3 effort points to a particular stat, depending on species (see list of Pokémon by effort value yield). However, in battles that do not give any experience (such as in the or if the Pokémon is level 100), Pokémon will not gain any effort points. At level 100, a Pokémon's stats will be one stat point higher in a specific stat for every four effort points gained in that stat.
Pokémon are limited to 510 effort points in total. Since Generation III, because stats are calculated by dividing effort by 4 and disregarding the remainder, 252 effort points are required to maximize a stat. As a result, the maximum amount of additional stat points that can be acquired by EV-training for a given stat is 63 when the Pokémon is level 100, in comparison to an otherwise identical Pokémon that is uninvested in EVs (and ignoring natures).
Vitamins add 10 effort points. Prior to Generation VIII, they could not raise a stat above 100 EVs. Vitamins cannot raise the total effort points above 510. These Vitamins can be found for 9,800 in department stores or in Laverre City in Generation VI, and for 10,000 at Mount Hokulani in Generation VII. The list of Vitamins include:
Stat 	Vitamin	Vitamin
HP 	 	HP Up
Attack 	 	Protein
Defense 	 	Iron
Special Attack 	 	Calcium
Special Defense	 	Zinc
Speed 	 	Carbos
If a Pokémon holds an Exp. Share, it will receive effort points even if the battling Pokémon has maxed out its effort points. If the Pokémon with the Exp. Share has Pokérus, the amount of effort points received is doubled.
The Macho Brace doubles the effort points gained in battle. In combination with the Pokérus, a Pokémon can gain four times the normal effort points. However, the effects of the item do not transfer to a Pokémon holding an Exp. Share.
===Generation III===
From Generations III to , Pokémon are limited to a total of 255 effort points per stat, and 510 effort points in total. As stated before, EVs contribute to a stat by dividing by 4 and rounding down, so the usable maximums are 252 effort points per stat, and 508 effort points in total. This makes the ideal spread of EVs 252/252/4 between three different stats, as opposed to 255/255 between two different stats. 
In Generations III and , Pokémon recalculate their stats upon leveling up, except for , whose stats are recalculated after every battle instead. Stats are also recalculated immediately if a Vitamin or stat-reducing Berry (see below) is used on the Pokémon, or when the Pokémon is placed into a PC box due to the Box Trick.
Starting in , certain Berries that were previously only used to make Pokéblocks can decrease certain effort values by 10 effort points, while increasing the friendship of the Pokémon they were used on. The game will tell the player if the Pokémon's friendship cannot increase or if the stat does not decrease. These Berries are:
Stat 	Berry	Berry
HP 	 	Pomeg Berry
Attack 	 	Kelpsy Berry
Defense 	 	Qualot Berry
Special Attack 	 	Hondew Berry
Special Defense	 	Grepa Berry
Speed 	 	Tamato Berry
In , Shadow Pokémon do not earn effort values from battling until they have been purified, although vitamins can still be used on them.
===Generation IV===
Most of the Generation IV EV system remains unchanged from Generation III. However, EV-reducing Berries will reduce Effort Points to 100 if the current Effort Points for the stat were above 110.
A new series of items exist which give an additional four effort points per Pokémon defeated. Each applies the bonus to a different stat, in addition to the normal effort points gained. The bonus effort points are also doubled by the Pokérus. The effects of these items do not transfer over to a Pokémon holding an Exp. Share.
Stat 	Item	Item
HP 	 	Power Weight
Attack 	 	Power Bracer
Defense 	 	Power Belt
Special Attack 	 	Power Lens
Special Defense	 	Power Band
Speed 	 	Power Anklet
If a Pokémon has alternate forms that change its stats (e.g. ), any effort points acquired will be applied to its stats when the form is changed, allowing the player to boost their Pokémon's stats without having to level it up.  Additionally, all Pokémon have stats recalculated to include EVs when placed into the box, also allowing to boost stats without requiring a level up, also known as the Box Trick.
===Generation V===
In Generation V, most of the EV system remains unchanged from Generation and .
EV-reducing Berries no longer reduce Effort Points to 100 if the points were above 110; instead, it always deducts 10 EVs.
Pokémon can now gain effort values from battling even at Level 100, and stats are recalculated at the end of every battle instead of only after leveling up, much like Deoxys in the Generation III games. When a Pokémon is defeated, EVs do not get added until after all experience points have been added (if the Pokémon levels up more than once, the second level it gains will have new EVs calculated into it). If a Pokémon levels up in the middle of a battle, its stats will update assuming there are EVs to add from a previously defeated opponent, but EVs from the opponent that caused it to level up will not be added until after the experience points have been completely added. This entire mechanic was overhauled in ; EVs are now added before Experience, so if the victorious Pokémon gains enough Experience to level up, its new stats when displayed in battle include the new EVs.
A new kind of item called Feathers (known as Wings at the time) are introduced, which are similar to Vitamins, but only give 1 effort point when consumed. Unlike Vitamins, however, Feathers are not subject to the 100 EV limit and can be consumed until the maximum value of 255 for one stat (or a combined 510 for all stats) is reached. There are 7 types of Feathers in total, but only 6 Feathers contribute to a specific stat: the Pretty Feather does nothing at all. Feathers can be collected from the shadows at the Driftveil Drawbridge or Marvelous Bridge and are given as prizes for clearing higher level floors in the Black Tower and White Treehollow.
Stat 	Item	Item
HP 	 	Health Feather
Attack 	 	Muscle Feather
Defense 	 	Resist Feather
Special Attack 	 	Genius Feather
Special Defense	 	Clever Feather
Speed 	 	Swift Feather
In Pokémon Black 2 and White 2, Join Avenue's Beauty Salon, Dojo and Café can alter a Pokémon's EVs for a determined price.
===Generation VI===
All items and mechanics for effort values remain the same in Generation VI as they were in Generation V, except individual stats now max out at 252 EVs instead of 255; if a Pokémon is transferred forward into a Generation VI game while it has 253 or more effort values in a stat, they will be reduced to 252. This provides no functional difference from previous generations as far as calculating that stat, since stats are calculated by integer division of the effort values by 4, so having 252 EVs has the same effect on a stat as having 255. However, by not allowing EVs to be accumulated beyond the last meaningful benchmark, it's possible to earn them in a different stat instead, perhaps gaining one more effective stat point there.
Generation VI also introduced a new feature called Super Training, which allows the player to increase effort points for each stat individually, or remove all effort points from a Pokémon entirely. Super Training Regimens feature minigame activities where the Pokémon attacks various balloons with footballs/soccer balls, which award effort points for the stat of the player's choosing as well as awarding a Training Bag. Training Bags also typically increase effort points, though some of them have other effects—such as the Double-Up Bag, which doubles the number of effort points awarded after a Regimen, or the Reset Bag, which reduces all effort points on a single Pokémon to zero.
In Pokémon X and Y, EV-altering juices can be made or bought at the Juice Shoppe in Lumiose City. If the player mixes two Berries of the same color, they will produce an EV Juice that raises a stat corresponding to the Berries' color by an amount depending on the Berries used; pre-made EV Juices can also be purchased from the Juice Shoppe, with the available juices varying each day. If the player mixes a and Maranga Berry, they can produce the Perilous Soup, which reduces all effort points on a single Pokémon to zero.
Super Training exposes base stats to the player for the first time. Using a Reset Bag will numerically display the effort points a Pokémon just had, which can be reverted by restarting without saving. Additionally, high-level Pokémon can determine their individual values mathematically by inspecting the values of their stats after a Reset Bag is used.
 a wild Pokémon will now give EVs for that Pokémon as if it were defeated.
===Generation VII===
All mechanics for effort values remain the same in Generation VII as they were in Generation VI.
Pressing the Y button on the Summary screen of a Pokémon will now show an orange graph similar to that of Super Training, depicting how much EVs a Pokémon has accumulated so far. A maxed out stat will have sparkles around its name. When a Pokémon has 510 EVs in total, the graph will turn cyan.
The Macho Brace is unavailable in ; however, the six Power Items introduced in Generation IV now yield an additional eight instead of four effort points per Pokémon defeated.
Although Super Training is no longer available, Pokémon Sun and Moon introduced Poké Pelago, which allows for passive EV-training of Pokémon currently stored in the PC. On , these Pokémon can be let out to play on one of three structures on the isle, with up to six Pokémon allowed per group. Each round lasts for thirty minutes, with a maximum of 99 per session allowed. The player can end play sessions early, and will keep all progress from hitherto completed rounds. Pokémon in play sessions cannot be accessed from the PC, but their Summaries can be checked while on Isle Evelup. During play sessions, special, purpose-made juices are given to the Pokémon, allowing for increases in effort points per stat. The effectiveness of these juices is determined by Isle Evelup's level.
{| class="sortable" border="1" width="100%" style="background:#FFF; border:1px solid #; border-collapse:collapse"	
Level	EVs per Session
1 	1
2 	2
3 	4
Since the maximum EVs a Pokémon can get in any one stat is 252, it would take 63 sessions at Level 3 to max out one stat, for a total time of 31 hours and 30 minutes. This time can be cut in half by placing Poké Beans in the crate on the island.
Pokémon Sun and Moon also introduced SOS Battles. Most wild Pokémon can call an ally for help, turning a regular wild battle into an SOS Battle. All wild Pokémon summoned this way have their EV yields doubled upon being defeated. Thus, if a Pokémon holding a Power Weight and infected with Pokérus defeats a Caterpie, which gives 1 HP EV, it will earn 18 HP EVs; however, a Caterpie that is called as an ally will instead yield 36 HP EVs. In this way, only 7 ally Caterpie must be defeated to max out HP.
Similar to Pokémon Black 2 and White 2, Festival Plaza's Bouncy Houses and Food Stalls can alter a Pokémon's EVs for a predetermined price.
===Generation VIII===
In and , pressing X on a Pokémon's summary screen will display a graph of its effort values similar to Generation VII.
Seminars from Hammerlocke University raises their EVs by 4 per hour; these Poké Jobs are always available (once unlocked) and can be used repeatedly.
Max Raid Battles, due to not providing any experience, do not provide any EVs to Pokémon that participate in the battle.
In the Isle of Armor, an NPC on one of the islands in the Workout Sea named Lady Clear will offer to completely reset the EVs of any Pokémon for 10 pieces of Armorite Ore.
In , EVs can be gained from battles as usual. However, they cannot be viewed within Legends: Arceus, and have no effect on the stats of the Pokémon. If transferred via HOME to a different game, the EVs gained in Legends: Arceus will be retained, and they will properly affect their stats.
If a Pokémon is transferred into Legends: Arceus from that was infected with Pokérus in a different game, it will still receive extra EVs.
===Generation IX===
In , pressing L on a Pokémon’s moves and stats screen will display a graph of its effort values similar to Generation VII and VIII.
==Measuring EVs==
Prior to Generation VI, there is no way to directly view effort values; from Generation VI onward, the games include a that indicates a Pokémon's effort values without giving specific numbers. Shigeru Ohmori has stated that the reason EVs and s are hidden is because he prefers to think of as "real, living creatures".Pokemon's Junichi Masuda: 'We weren’t explicitly targeting children' (Wired UK)
Vitamins, , and wings all change a Pokémon's EVs until a limit is reached. In Generation I and II, using a vitamin on a Pokémon that had reached maximum EVs in the respective category, a textbox would appear stating that the item would "have no effect". They raise a stat by 10 EVs until it reaches 100, lower a stat by 10 EVs until it reaches 0, and raise a stat by 1 EV until it reaches 252 (255 prior to Generation VI), respectively. The amount of items that a Pokémon can consume is proportional to the number of EVs it has in its respective stat. A player can save the game, use one of these items until the EV reaches its limit, record the number of items used, and soft reset the game. For example, a Pokémon that can eat two Pomeg Berries before its HP stops decreasing has between 11 and 20 EVs in HP.
Added in Generation III, if a Pokémon has the maximum 510 effort points, it can receive an from a non-playable character (NPC). This Ribbon will remain on the Pokémon even if its EVs are lowered such that it does not have 510 effort points.
*In , alongside , an NPC in the will give the player's Pokémon an Effort Ribbon.
*In , alongside an NPC in the Sunyshore Market will give the player's Pokémon an Effort Ribbon.
*In , an NPC in Blackthorn City will give the player's Pokémon an Effort Ribbon.
*In , an NPC in the Laverre City Pokémon Fan Club will give the player's Pokémon an Effort Ribbon.
*In , alongside , an NPC in the Battle Royal Dome will give the player's Pokémon an Effort Ribbon.
*In , an NPC in Hammerlocke will give the player's Pokémon an Effort Ribbon.
*In , an NPC in the park in south Levincia will give the player's Pokémon an Effort Ribbon.
In , there is an NPC in a house in Opelucid City who will tell the if the Pokémon at the front of their party has attained 510 total effort values.
In , Bianca, when called on the Xtransceiver after the player has defeated the , will tell the player whether a certain Pokémon in the party has attained 510 total effort values. She will also notify the player if a Pokémon has reached 252 effort values in any stat.
In and , Super Training can be used to numerically determine the effort points of a Pokémon. Additionally, a Pokémon will be marked as a Fully Trained Pokémon if it has 510 effort values.
In , , , , pressing the Y button, the X button, or the L button on a Pokémon's Summary screen will show an orange graph depicting the EVs it has accumulated so far; stats that have reached 252 effort values will sparkle. When the Pokémon has reached the maximum amount of 510 EVs, the graph will turn cyan.
==Fully Trained Pokémon==
A Fully Trained Pokémon is a Pokémon that has reached 510 EVs overall, the maximum a Pokémon can achieve. In Generations III, IV, and VI onwards, there is an NPC that will give an to Fully Trained Pokémon; in Generation V, an NPC in Opelucid City will comment that the Pokémon has put in a lot of effort if it is a Fully Trained Pokémon.
In and , Fully Trained Pokémon can access Secret Super-Training Regimens. Once a Pokémon has reached Fully Trained status, it will not lose it even if its EVs are removed, such as with a Reset Bag or .
In Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, Pathless Plain becomes accessible if the player has at least three Fully Trained Pokémon in their team.
==In other languages==
==References==
==Related articles==
* List of Pokémon by effort value yield
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