Hmm. Little Help?

[Guitarist Sean]

I understand how to EV train, but IV training is a bit confusing to me. Anyone want to explain it to me simply?

 

[Alter Ego]

I understand how to EV train, but IV training is a bit confusing to me. Anyone want to explain it to me simply?

There's no such thing as IV training. IVs are refined through breeding and it's a long and tiresome process. Basically, whenever two pokemon breed the baby gets two of its IVs (Chosen at random) from each parent and two are random, so what you'll want to do is find pokemon that have good (Maximum to near maximum) IVs in the stats you want, the female of which is the species you want, and then keep breeding until you get a baby that has inherited the IVs you want (Ideally four perfect to near perfect stats). The problem is that determining IVs alone is a right pain in the behind. There are several calculating programs available (I think there was a link in one of the recent threads around here, take a look around) but IVs can't be properly determined until the pokemon reaches a high level so you'll either have to grow them there without having them KO anything (I.e. With Rare Candies or Daycare) or keep careful track of all EVs they gain while leveling. So yeah, I hope that answered your question.

 

[Hippo]

IVs are hidden values that affect your pokemon's levels. An IV of 0 is the worst. At level 100 with an IV of 0, your pokemon will have 31 less points in that stat with the IV of zero. With an IV of 31, your poke loses no points and has the maximum possible (with no EVs, you'd train with EVs to get it higher, but you know that =P)
Therefore, 31 is clearly the ideal.

Every poke has one IV in each of the stats, but you can never see it. You can do nothing to change a pokemon's IVs, they're set. BUT you can breed a new pokemon to have IVs to suit your needs.
When you breed, 3 IVs are passed down from the parents, then the other 3 are made up randomly.
The game first selects a random IV from the parents. Then it selects any random IV that is not HP. Then it selects a random IV that is not HP or Def. (I dunno why it does it, but it was proven on Smogon through the incredible work of a couple people...)
Then the other IVs are made up.

Thats generally the overview of them, there are some good topic in the breeding forum if you want to learn how to breed for them. And don't worry too much about the Hp/Def thing.