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Okay, I'll try to make this VERY simple.
When you catch a Pokemon or hatch one from an Egg, it has 0 EVs.
Your Pokemon has 6 Stats - HP, Attack, Defense, Sp.Atk, Sp.Def, and Speed.
Each stat can have a maximum of 255 EVs.
However, your Pokemon can only have a maximum of 510 EVs total. This means you can't max out every stat so you have to choose which stats to put EVs in.
But remember that 4 EVs = 1 stat point. If you divide 510 by 4, you won't get a whole number. If you divide 255 by 4, you won't get a whole number either.
So what do we do?
We find the next highest number that is divisible by 4. In this case, it's 508 for max EVs total and 252 for max EVs in a stat.
In order to make it gain EVs, there are only 2 ways:
1. Beat a Pokemon
2. Use a Vitamin (HP UP, Protein, Iron, Carbos, Calcium, Zinc)
Each Vitamin you feed your Pokemon gives it 10 EVs in a certain stat.
1 HP Up = 10 HP EVs
1 Protein = 10 Atk EVs
1 Iron = 10 Def EVs
1 Calcium = 10 SAtk EVs
1 Zinc = 10 SDef EVs
1 Carbos = 10 Speed EVs
But you can't feed your Pokemon more than 10 of each Vitamin. That means Vitamins will only give you 100 EVs max in each stat.
In order to gain more EVs, you need to beat some Pokemon. Every single Pokemon gives you a certain amount of EVs in a certain stat when you beat it.
To find out which Pokemon give which EVs in which stat, you need to look up that Pokemon on an online Pokedex like Serebii or Bulbapedia.
For instance, beating 1 Magikarp = 1 Spd EV. Beating 1 Gyarados = 2 Atk EVs.
Got all that, so far? Good.
So let me give you an example of how to EV train:
"I have an Aerodactyl. Smogon tells me to give it 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd "
Okay, write Aerodactyl's name down on a piece of paper or a text document on your computer.
First, you feed it 10 Proteins. That will give you 100 Atk EVs. Write that down.
Then feed it 10 Carbos. That will give you 100 Spd EVs. Write that down too.
Don't feed it HP UP because 1 HP Up = 10 HP EVs, but you only need 4 so that's more than you need.
Then go out and beat some Pokemon that give you Atk, Spd, and HP EVs.
So you look up some Pokemon and find that 1 Machop = 1 Atk EV, 1 Machoke = 2 Atk EVs, and 1 Machamp = 3 Atk EVs.
You need 252 Atk EVs but you already gave Aerodactyl 100 Atk EVs from Proteins. 252-100 = 152
So you must beat 152 Machops to get 152 Atk EVs.
Or you can beat 76 Machokes to get the same amount, because 76x2 = 152.
Or you can beat 50 Machamps and 1 Machoke to also get 152.
It's basic multiplication. You know how to multiply, don't you?
Do the same for Spd EVs using a Pokemon that gives you Spd EVs. And for the HP EVs, you only need to beat 4 Pokemon that give you HP EVs.
Now you may be thinking: That's a lot of work and it will take so long!
Don't worry, there are ways to make this go faster. But first, I need to know that you understand all this.
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