Do you care about EVs and IVs when playing Pokémon?

[Sweet Serenity]

Recently, after battling a friend of mine about 6+ times on Pokémon Sword, I basically destroyed him each time quite easily. At the end of our battles, I asked him if he EV trained his Pokémon and bred for good IVs. He said that he didn't, which explained a lot. EVs and IVs are extremely important.

When I play Pokémon, I make sure to EV train my Pokémon in some form or fashion. Forced Exp. Share made it difficult and frustrating to properly EV train, but it's still manageable if you still stick your plan the best you're able. That way, it only takes a few EV-reducing berries to make things right at the end of your playthrough.

Nonetheless, I save myself the trouble when EV training by simply breeding the Pokémon I want to use in a previous game, EV train them with vitamins, and transfer them the new game. Thus, this often leaves me to EV train just my starter Pokémon. It becomes much easier to EV train it properly when every other Pokémon already has max EVs. Anyways, I've been EV training ever since I learned about it a while back. I don't recall any of the early games mentioning EVs in-game, but I did realize that evolving Tyrogue to what you wanted required certain EV spreads. Ever since then, I realized that Pokémon could be stronger than others based on how you trained them, started EV training them, and never looked back. As for IVs, I always tried to get the best IVs as I possibly could by breeding to ensure that my Pokémon were stronger than every NPCs or opponent when playing competitively. What about you? Do you take the time to EV train and breed for good IVs, or does this stuff not matter to you?

If not, would you ever consider it?

 

[Devalue]

For playthroughs
IVs: No, other than curiosity, generally. Sometimes catches 3-4 and picks the best one (factoring in ability and current stats).

EVs: Depends on the game, but generally no. Could probably beat several gyms in the time it would take to fully EV train. May not even have several of them by the next gym, depending on the challenge. Also probably overlevels that way too.

• Generation 1-5: Hard no, beyond the handful of vitamins you find. Bought a few vitamins before too. Only has so much cash, though. Will not farm that.
• X/Y: Maybe one vital Pokemon. Likes fiddling with the Juice Shoppe. Grew tired of Super Training after doing that for...30+ Pokemon. Supplemented that with vitamins too.
• Sun/Moon: No. Requires 45 Pokemon to unlock Isle Evelup. Gains at 4 EVs per hour with beans. Speeds up, but only after catching more Pokemon.
• Sword/Shield: To some degree, yes. Sends them on PokeJobs. Collects 8 EVs per hour with Macho Braces. (Thanks, Cram-o-matic.) Bothers with berries only on the major Pokemon. Prioritizes leveling PokeJobs to keep unused Pokemon relevant.

Approaches EV training sort of like stat and level grinding in Fire Emblem: Three Houses. Gains a decent amount of stats by qualifying for tons of classes, doing tea parties, and engaging in every little skirmish map. Becomes super-powerful. But...
- Verdant Wind (second playthrough): 81 hours, 18 minutes
- Silver Snow (fourth playthrough, plus some DLC): 27 hours, 4 minutes

Literally one-third of the time, almost on the nose. (Credits some of that time-save to skipping old cutscenes and dialogue, also.) Was interesting to see just how powerful you could make someone. Succeeded without it, however.

One sidenote: Bred and EV-trained a full team for one Y playthrough. Was the first time sending Pokemon over to a different game since...Red to Gold. Never did that again. Bred Pokemon for new challenge runs with high IV Dittos multiple times, also. Set the Destiny Knot and Everstone at individual odds per Pokemon (~25% each).

Postgame
Yes to both, starting around Black/White. (Probably never knew about it before then.) Cared less about perfection then, though. Became more stringent over time.

 

[Nah]

It's never been necessary to EV train or breed good IV Pokemon in order to complete the main story and stuff, so I don't usually bother for regular playthroughs except if I plan to do the game's battle facility and/or online battles. And in that case the EV training/IV breeding is done later and not earlier in the game.

 

[Sweet Serenity]

It's never been necessary to EV train or breed good IV Pokemon in order to complete the main story and stuff, so I don't usually bother for regular playthroughs except if I plan to do the game's battle facility and/or online battles. And in that case the EV training/IV breeding is done later and not earlier in the game.

This is off-topic, but one thing that I like about your username is that it basically answers the question of the thread you're replying to. lol

 

[RadEmpoleon]

IVs and EVs only matter for competitive battling for me. Even then, I'm mostly concerned with EVs because they're much easier to max out than IVs. As long as it's an ideal nature and maxed out EVs, I don't really care about IVs that much. Of course the higher the better, but I'm not the best with breeding for max IVs.

 

[Corveone]

I try doing my best to treat the AI as if they were human players, even if that's not something completely achievable. That's one of my basics when playing Pokémon games, making battles feel as fair and sporting as possible, because even if a computer won't complain if I use the many one-sided advantages I have access to, it still doesn't feel right to me to use them.

So, like other aspects, it depends on the game I'm playing. If the game "bosses" have full EV trained mons, I will EV Train as well, but if they don't I won't either, since one of my basic rules is not overlevelling, and deliberately perfecting your Pokémon stats against trainers that can't/don't do that is very similar to overlevelling.

It's the same logic that many players apply to other aspects, such as item usage, Affection bonusses, battle style settings, level caps, use of legendaries, etc.

I might EV train for an in-game playthrough if I'm doing a specific challenge that requires it, for example beating a game using weak Pokémon or a smaller team, or something that would require more optimal stats.

 

[PageEmp]

EVs maybe sometimes, but almost never IVs because I just can't see them in a regual main story playthrough without hacking. Maybe sometimes in ROM hacks that actually display it.

 

[colours]

IVs: no. definitely not during normal playthroughs. post-game yeah, when i'm focusing on building a competitive team
EVs: same as above. not during normal playthroughs, but they're something i usually focus on during post-game team building whenever i challenge (insert post-game battle facility here).

 

[ReKoil]

Heck no.
Neither is necessary to complete a Pokemon game, and I'm not into competitive.

 

[Sweet Serenity]

IVs: no. definitely not during normal playthroughs. post-game yeah, when i'm focusing on building a competitive team
EVs: same as above. not during normal playthroughs, but they're something i usually focus on during post-game team building whenever i challenge (insert post-game battle facility here).

Ah, so you're into competitive. That's awesome! Also, I love your avatar. It's so cute!

 

[Ninetales]

Honestly, not really. I do prefer to pick a favourable nature for my Pokémon and I occasionally will EV train somewhat, but that's about it. IV breeding/EV training are not activities that I wish to devote a lot of time to in general. I do not play competitive Pokémon, it's just not my thing, so there's no real incentive for me to do so. Pokémon games for me are just about enjoying the storyline and having fun, and I'm much more inclined to bake poffins for contests than I am to breed for IVs.

It I were to engage in competitive battling, I'd do so on Showdown to save myself the hassle.

 

[Zeostar]

I don't care about EVs or IV's at all for story mode.

I might glance at nature during story, but it's usually out of curiosity.

 

[Sheep]

In the story mode, nope! The games are easy enough to beat without worrying over this, especially when it can be fixed fairly easily later. I'll IV breed and EV train for post game since it gives me more to do later but not during the main story. Hooray for breeding, bottle caps, mints etc lol, they make fixing mons much less stressful unlike back in the day where you'd pretty much need to catch/breed another.

 

[Palamon]

I really honestly don't care. I've EV trained before, but it's just...honestly? A chore before it was made much easier in the later generations. I don't really think in the end it matters. I'm not competitive, so evs and ivs just don't matter. Like, it's too much math, honestly or some of it.

 

[_confused_piplup_]

Well, kinda. Generally no, but in SW/Sh was different because of raids and with some of them you could get nice IVs. About EVs, not at all. The point is that when I play a new Pokémon game I like making my team with calm. So, I don't have a particular strategy in mind, which means EVs are not that important. Obviously, if I have items to upgrade the Evs, I use them before the League, when I have collected most of them and once my team is complete.
Other than that, it's obvious that if I am making a competitive Pokémon (and in Swo/Shi is easy) I care about EVs and IVs.
Natures are a different thing lol. Especially when I am replaying the game, I try to get a nice nature. The fact is that sometimes, especially when you see some competitive, you see how much the potential of a Pokemon can change. Caring about IVs and EVs, especially in older games, is really hard, but natures can be changed, so I kinda care about them in every game lol.

 

[Duck]

I might if I'm doing something like, idk, a Nuzlocke or something particularly complex but in general I don't really care that much. More often than not, it doesn't really matter.

 

[Mimicking Mimikyu]

Nah. That stuff takes the fun out of it for me.

 

[ShadowLugia111]

I don't really care about that stuff until the post game. I mean... what else am I gonna do post game. xP

 

[dewitlykefire]

Yes, when EVs and IVs came out it I thought that it made competitiveness a lot better. It honestly made me hunt and grind a lot of hours.

 

[forg]

I've never cared for EVs and IVs, which is why I would always be demolished by my more competitive younger sister during our fights haha. However, during college I befriended a classmate who was very immersed in the competitive aspect of Pokémon. During our downtime, since we lived in the same floor of the university dorm, I would hang out with him at the floor's common room/kitchen and watch as he slaved away at his game and laptop. Lost touch with him once I dropped out of college however.