Title: EV Training Pokémon in Gen 8
Introduction
In this article, I will discuss Effort Value (EV) training, a mechanic that was introduced in the first Generation 3 games approximately 17 years ago.
I will go over the general basics of how and where to efficiently EV train, including calculations and concrete examples, before I then move on to explain the different methods in more depth and how to make corrections in case something goes wrong. By the end of this article, you should be able to make use of EV training in order to unlock the full potential of your Pokémon during your journey across the Galar region. Everything I will mention over the course of this article can be done in both versions of the games, and no Nintendo Switch Online membership is required.
Basics
A Pokémon can earn a maximum of 510 EVs, 508 of which actually matter, and maximally 252 EVs can be invested into a single stat. At level 100, a Pokémon will have one extra stat point for every 4 EVs that were invested into the stat. EVs are traditionally earned when gaining Exp. Points (EXP) by defeating Pokémon in battles. This does not only apply to Pokémon that you have defeated during random encounters in the wild, but also to Pokémon that you defeated during Trainer battles (excluding local or online battles against real players, since they do not give EXP!).
However, do not panic if the Pokémon you want to EV train has already reached the maximum level of 100 and is hence no longer able to level up further.
A Pokémon's level definitely mattered in the Generation 3 and Generation 4 games back in the day, as said Pokémon still had to level up in order to benefit from the earned EVs, which excluded Pokémon at level 100; however, this was changed ever since the Generation 5 games. Pokémon can nowadays enjoy the effects of EV training immediately after earning EXP, without having to level up first.
Below you can find a list of useful EV training hotspots in the Galar region:
Ultimately, the table above sums up the most convenient places for EV training with only Pokémon that can be found in both versions of the games, all while keeping the weather dependence at a strict minimum. However, you can use a neat exploit that I am going to explain in further detail subsequently that allows you to skip one day at a time until you get the desired weather. However, if the Pokémon you want to EV train is already infected with the Pokérus, a useful mechanic that I will later explain, I advise you to put it into a PC Box, in order to prevent it from becoming cured while skipping one or more days!
However, before we move on, I wanted to share a couple of generally helpful tips and tricks that I can recommend from years of personal experience:
Pokérus
Before I talk about the various items that make EV training a lot more efficient, let me introduce you to an incredibly helpful mechanic that has existed since the original Generation 2 games: the Pokérus. This virus can be transmitted to the Pokémon at the front of your party if it happens to defeat a wild Pokémon that carries it. Alternatively, the virus can also spread either by capturing the wild Pokémon or by running from it. There is unfortunately no way of telling whether or not a wild Pokémon carries the virus when battling it, but you will be able to tell that your Pokémon has caught it by checking for a pink smiley face and the "POKÉRUS" tag to the left of the Galar region mark on its summary screen. Additionally, the kind nurse at the Pokémon Center will also bring it to your attention when you try to heal one or more infected Pokémon for the first time. She will say: "Oh... It looks like your Pokémon may be infected with the Pokérus. Little is known about the Pokérus, except that it is a microscopic life-form that attaches itself to Pokémon. While infected, Pokémon are said to grow exceptionally well.".
Now, you might be wondering: What does "grow exceptionally well" mean?
The answer is quite simple: This virus has the same effect as the Macho Brace, an item that I will talk about later, meaning that, while a Pokémon is infected with the virus, it will gain twice as many EVs as it normally would.
This means, for example, that while it would normally take 252 defeated Pokémon to max out a stat without the Pokérus (1 EV * 252 = 252 EVs), it would now only take 126 Pokémon to max out a stat with the Pokérus ((1 EV * 2) * 126 = 252 EVs).
However, before we go move on, I wanted to share a couple more helpful tips and tricks regarding the Pokérus:
Items
Held Items
In this section, I am going to talk about held items that can be given to a Pokémon in order to help it gain EVs even faster: the Power Items.
The Power Items, their effects, and their in-game locations are as follows:
Here are a few helpful calculations to further explain how the gained EVs are accumulated both with and without the Pokérus:
Not every EV spread is as straightforward as 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe or 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe.
Formats such as VGC require, for example, far more complex and calculated spreads that I am going to illustrate next:
Let us, for instance, take the Careful VGC2020 Incineroar spread: 236 HP / 116 Def / 156 SpD.
Vitamins
In this section, I am going to talk about one of two kinds of items that can be applied directly to your Pokémon in order to help it gain EVs quickly: the Vitamins.
Below you can find a list of all of the available Vitamins, their respective effects, and where to obtain them:
What makes this method so fast and efficient is the fact that, ever since the Generation 8 games, these items have become usable in bulk.
While you were only able to invest a maximum of 100 EVs by clicking one Vitamin at a time in previous generations, you can freely select 26 vitamins to max out a stat in one click (26 * 10 EVs = 260 EVs), even though the maximum caps at 252.
Wings
As we have seen, the item method is undeniably faster than the aforementioned one that requires you to defeat Pokémon.
However, while the Vitamins method is especially recommendable when it comes to simple EV spreads, I am going to use this section to introduce you to another EV-raising item that can help you obtain more complex EV spreads as well: the Wings.
Below you can find a list of all of the available Wings, their respective effects, and where to obtain them:
While the Wings are also "spammable", you can only find a limited amount of them on a daily basis.
This is why I suggest combining them with Vitamins in order to obtain complex EV spreads.
Let us go back to the example of the Careful VGC2020 Incineroar spread from the Power Items paragraph: 236 HP / 116 Def / 156 SpD.
Standard Seminars
Now, despite the fact that EV training has become a lot faster and more convenient over the years, doing it manually still requires you to pay attention in order to keep track of what you are doing. However, I am going to use the following paragraphs to introduce another EV training method that, much like the Isle Evelup in Generation 7's Poké Pelago, automatically EV trains your Pokémon for you: the Poké Jobs.
You can access the Poké Jobs by talking to the Rotom PC that can be found in every single Pokémon Center across the Galar region.
While the regular Poké Jobs are cycled through on a daily basis, the EV training seminars offered by the Hammerlocke University are always available.
Below you can find a list of all of the available seminars and how many EVs can be earned:
You can register up to 10 Pokémon at once per seminar, and then you get to pick a time frame during which they will complete the seminar.
Here is a list of the time frames and their conversion to real time:
Normally a Pokémon will gain 4 EVs for every completed hour, but you can increase the amount of gained EVs with the Pokérus and held items.
Below you can find a list showing you the EV gains in real time for every possible scenario:
Exploited Seminars
Sometimes having to wait 8, 12, or even 24 hours for seminars to finish can feel like an eternity. In the following paragraph I am going to show step-by-step how you can easily skip the waiting time by exploiting an in-game glitch. While there are alternative methods to pull this off, I decided to specifically focus on this variant, since it does not require a Nintendo Switch Online membership, and I would not want to exclude any of our readers. However, keep in mind that Game Freak can patch this exploit in the future, meaning that while it worked at the time I wrote this guide, it might unfortunately not work by the time you are reading this. So, let us not waste any time and make good use of it as long as we can!
Let us get started:
Last but not least, I am going to show you how you can easily remove EVs again with the help of a certain type of berries.
This is useful if you made a mistake while EV training a new Pokémon or if you want to change the EV spread of one of your already fully EV trained Pokémon. Ever since the Generation 8 games, these berries have become usable in bulk, much like the aforementioned Vitamins and Wings. They can be found on Berry trees in the Galar region and obtained as rewards after successful Max Raid Battles. However, these berries, much like the Vitamins and Wings mentioned above, are not affected by the Pokérus!
Below you can find a list with all of the available berries, their effects, and where to get them:
Conclusion
This about sums up everything you need to know about EV training in Generation 8. In hindsight, when it comes to the fastest EV training method in Generation 8, then it definitely has to be the exploit method, closely followed by the method involving the Vitamins. Not only can they be purchased at incredibly low prices, but they are also "spammable" now. In this sense, Generation 8 has a huge advantage compared to the previous generations, and you should definitely not let this opportunity slide. Feel free to be creative and combine different EV training methods, especially when it comes to very specific EV spreads that require precision over speed. Now you know the various ways to efficiently unlock your Pokémon's full potential. So, what are you waiting for? Go out there and be the best trainer you can be!
Introduction
In this article, I will discuss Effort Value (EV) training, a mechanic that was introduced in the first Generation 3 games approximately 17 years ago.
I will go over the general basics of how and where to efficiently EV train, including calculations and concrete examples, before I then move on to explain the different methods in more depth and how to make corrections in case something goes wrong. By the end of this article, you should be able to make use of EV training in order to unlock the full potential of your Pokémon during your journey across the Galar region. Everything I will mention over the course of this article can be done in both versions of the games, and no Nintendo Switch Online membership is required.
Basics
A Pokémon can earn a maximum of 510 EVs, 508 of which actually matter, and maximally 252 EVs can be invested into a single stat. At level 100, a Pokémon will have one extra stat point for every 4 EVs that were invested into the stat. EVs are traditionally earned when gaining Exp. Points (EXP) by defeating Pokémon in battles. This does not only apply to Pokémon that you have defeated during random encounters in the wild, but also to Pokémon that you defeated during Trainer battles (excluding local or online battles against real players, since they do not give EXP!).
However, do not panic if the Pokémon you want to EV train has already reached the maximum level of 100 and is hence no longer able to level up further.
A Pokémon's level definitely mattered in the Generation 3 and Generation 4 games back in the day, as said Pokémon still had to level up in order to benefit from the earned EVs, which excluded Pokémon at level 100; however, this was changed ever since the Generation 5 games. Pokémon can nowadays enjoy the effects of EV training immediately after earning EXP, without having to level up first.
Below you can find a list of useful EV training hotspots in the Galar region:
| Stat: | Pokémon: | EVs Earned: | Locations: | Encounter Rate: | Odds of Encountering a Pokémon Giving the Desired EVs in This Hotspot: | Weather: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HP | Skwovet Caterpie Hoothoot | 1 1 1 | Route 1 (Overworld) Route 1 (Random Encounter) Route 1 (Random Encounter) Route 1 (Random Encounter) | 50% 40% 15% 5% | 60% (Random Encounter) 50% (Overworld) | All weather All weather All weather |
| Attack | Chewtle | 1 | Route 2 - Lakeside (Fishing) | 40% | 40% | All weather |
| Defense | Rolycoly | 1 | Route 3 (Overworld, close to the first Galar Mine) | 99% | 99% | All weather |
| Special Attack | Gastly Oddish | 1 1 | Watchtower Ruins (Overworld) Watchtower Ruins (Overworld) Watchtower Ruins (Overworld) Dappled Grove (Overworld) Dappled Grove (Overworld) | 60% 60% 50% 60% 60% | 60% (Sandstorm) 60% (Fog) 50% (Thunderstorm) 60% (Normal Weather) 60% (Overcast) | Sandstorm Fog Thunderstorm Normal Weather Overcast |
| Special Defense | Gossifleur Blipbug | 1 1 | Route 2 - Lakeside (Random Encounter) Route 2 - Lakeside (Overworld) Route 2 - Lakeside (Random Encounter) | 35% 30% 10% | 45% (Random Encounter) 30% (Overworld) | All weather |
| Speed | Magikarp Arrokuda Barraskewda | 1 1 2 | Route 2 - Main Area (Fishing) Route 2 - Lake (Surfing) Route 2 - Lake (Surfing) | 80% 70% 28% | 98% (Surfing) 80% (Fishing) | All weather |
Ultimately, the table above sums up the most convenient places for EV training with only Pokémon that can be found in both versions of the games, all while keeping the weather dependence at a strict minimum. However, you can use a neat exploit that I am going to explain in further detail subsequently that allows you to skip one day at a time until you get the desired weather. However, if the Pokémon you want to EV train is already infected with the Pokérus, a useful mechanic that I will later explain, I advise you to put it into a PC Box, in order to prevent it from becoming cured while skipping one or more days!
However, before we move on, I wanted to share a couple of generally helpful tips and tricks that I can recommend from years of personal experience:
- Unfortunately, the games do not show you the exact EVs that you have invested into a Pokémon. For this reason, I highly recommend physically keeping track of every time you defeat a Pokémon either through a notepad app or with a pen and a paper.
- If your Pokémon's move has a lot of Power Points (PP), then you can check the amount of used PP in order to keep track of the number of defeated Pokémon.
- Because the Exp. Share distributes the earned EXP among the Pokémon in your party, this means they also all earn the same amount of EVs. EV training multiple Pokémon at once is hence possible.
- You can check if your Pokémon has earned all 252 available EVs in a stat by opening the summary screen and pressing the X button in the stats tab. A yellow graph indicates that not all of the EVs have been invested yet, whereas a blue graph indicates that all 510 EVs have been invested. If there are sparkles floating around the stat, then this means that you have successfully maxed out the EVs in this stat.
- Alternatively, you can also check if your Pokémon has earned all 510 available EVs by showing your Pokémon to the lady in the house to the right of Hammerlocke's central Pokémon Center. She will award the Effort Ribbon to every Pokémon with maxed out EVs.
Pokérus
Before I talk about the various items that make EV training a lot more efficient, let me introduce you to an incredibly helpful mechanic that has existed since the original Generation 2 games: the Pokérus. This virus can be transmitted to the Pokémon at the front of your party if it happens to defeat a wild Pokémon that carries it. Alternatively, the virus can also spread either by capturing the wild Pokémon or by running from it. There is unfortunately no way of telling whether or not a wild Pokémon carries the virus when battling it, but you will be able to tell that your Pokémon has caught it by checking for a pink smiley face and the "POKÉRUS" tag to the left of the Galar region mark on its summary screen. Additionally, the kind nurse at the Pokémon Center will also bring it to your attention when you try to heal one or more infected Pokémon for the first time. She will say: "Oh... It looks like your Pokémon may be infected with the Pokérus. Little is known about the Pokérus, except that it is a microscopic life-form that attaches itself to Pokémon. While infected, Pokémon are said to grow exceptionally well.".
Now, you might be wondering: What does "grow exceptionally well" mean?
The answer is quite simple: This virus has the same effect as the Macho Brace, an item that I will talk about later, meaning that, while a Pokémon is infected with the virus, it will gain twice as many EVs as it normally would.
This means, for example, that while it would normally take 252 defeated Pokémon to max out a stat without the Pokérus (1 EV * 252 = 252 EVs), it would now only take 126 Pokémon to max out a stat with the Pokérus ((1 EV * 2) * 126 = 252 EVs).
However, before we go move on, I wanted to share a couple more helpful tips and tricks regarding the Pokérus:
- The Pokérus is incredibly rare (the odds are approximately 5 times lower than encountering a full odds shiny Pokémon, or a 3 in 65,536 chance!). However, do not let the rarity of the virus discourage you. Many communities, such as ours, for example, share the virus among their members so that everyone can benefit from it. Sharing and doing a good deed can also be contagious after all, and we gladly help out players that ask in our Wi-Fi sub-forum and on our related Wi-Fi Discord server.
- The Pokérus can come in 4 different strains, meaning that it can stay active on a Pokémon for either 1, 2, 3, or even 4 days before it gets cured. Unfortunately, there is no way of telling which one of the 4 strains you got, except by letting the clock tick over midnight. I also recommend always keeping a couple of infected Pokémon in a PC Box as a sort of backup. You will know when a Pokémon is cured when the aforementioned "POKÉRUS" tag disappears and the crossed out pink smiley face becomes a regular pink smiley face. The virus will be cured once the clock of your console reaches midnight.
- You can spread the Pokérus to other Pokémon the same way you originally got it: through wild encounters. First, you put both the already infected Pokémon and the one that you want to infect in your party, and then you run into wild encounters before running from them until the virus has successfully spread. It can sometimes take a few attempts.
- You can prevent the Pokérus from being cured by storing the infected Pokémon in the PC. There, the virus will stay active indefinitely. I emphasize again that I highly recommend keeping a couple of infected Pokémon around somewhere in a PC Box as a sort of backup.
- While a cured Pokémon is no longer able to spread the virus further, it will still be able to benefit from a doubled EVs gain in the future if you decide to re-EV train it.
- However, while the Pokérus can be used in combination with the Power Items, which I will explain in further detail in the Held Items section, it has no effect when used in combination with Vitamins and Wings, other items that I am going to explain in further detail in the "Spammable" Items section below.
Items
Held Items
In this section, I am going to talk about held items that can be given to a Pokémon in order to help it gain EVs even faster: the Power Items.
The Power Items, their effects, and their in-game locations are as follows:
| Power Item: | Increased Stat: | EVs Earned: | Location: |
|---|---|---|---|
| Macho Brace | Any | Number of EVs given by a defeated Pokémon x2 | The Macho Brace can be purchased in exchange for 10 Battle Points (BP) from the League Staff lady in Hammerlocke's central Pokémon Center. |
| Power Weight | HP | Number of EVs given by a defeated Pokémon + 8 | The Power Weight can be purchased in exchange for 10 Battle Points (BP) from the League Staff lady in Hammerlocke's central Pokémon Center. |
| Power Bracer | Attack | Number of EVs given by a defeated Pokémon + 8 | The Power Bracer can be purchased in exchange for 10 Battle Points (BP) from the League Staff lady in Hammerlocke's central Pokémon Center. |
| Power Belt | Defense | Number of EVs given by a defeated Pokémon + 8 | The Power Belt can be purchased in exchange for 10 Battle Points (BP) from the League Staff lady in Hammerlocke's central Pokémon Center. |
| Power Lens | Special Attack | Number of EVs given by a defeated Pokémon + 8 | The Power Lens can be purchased in exchange for 10 Battle Points (BP) from the League Staff lady in Hammerlocke's central Pokémon Center. |
| Power Band | Special Defense | Number of EVs given by a defeated Pokémon + 8 | The Power Band can be purchased in exchange for 10 Battle Points (BP) from the League Staff lady in Hammerlocke's central Pokémon Center. |
| Power Anklet | Speed | Number of EVs given by a defeated Pokémon + 8 | The Power Anklet can be purchased in exchange for 10 Battle Points (BP) from the League Staff lady in Hammerlocke's central Pokémon Center. |
Here are a few helpful calculations to further explain how the gained EVs are accumulated both with and without the Pokérus:
- A Pokémon without the Pokérus holding the Macho Brace will earn 2 EVs each time it defeats a Pokémon giving 1 EV: (1 EV * 2 = 2 EVs).
It will hence take you 252 EVs / 2 = 126 defeated Pokémon to max out a stat. - A Pokémon with the Pokérus holding the Macho Brace will earn 4 EVs each time it defeats a Pokémon giving 1 EV: ((1 EV * 2) * 2 = 4 EVs).
It will hence take you 252 EVs / 4 = 63 defeated Pokémon to max out a stat. - A Pokémon without the Pokérus holding a Power Item will earn 9 EVs each time it defeats a Pokémon giving 1 EV: (1 EV + 8 = 9 EVs).
It will hence take you 252 EVs / 9 = 28 defeated Pokémon to max out a stat. - A Pokémon with the Pokérus holding a Power Item will earn 18 EVs each time it defeats a Pokémon giving 1 EV: (1 EV + 8) * 2 = 18 EVs).
It will hence take you 252 EVs / 18 = 14 defeated Pokémon to max out a stat.
Not every EV spread is as straightforward as 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe or 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe.
Formats such as VGC require, for example, far more complex and calculated spreads that I am going to illustrate next:
Let us, for instance, take the Careful VGC2020 Incineroar spread: 236 HP / 116 Def / 156 SpD.
- The HP EVs could, for example, be acquired by defeating 13 Skwovet while being infected with Pokérus and while holding a Power Weight:
13 * 18 EVs = 234 EVs.
Now you would simply remove the item and defeat another Skwovet to get the final 2 EVs through Pokérus alone:
(2 * 1 EV) + 234 EVs = 236 EVs. - The Defense EVs could, for example, be acquired by defeating 6 Rolycoly while being infected with Pokérus and while holding a Power Belt:
6 * 18 EVs = 108 EVs.
Now you would simply switch the Power Belt for the Macho Brace and defeat another two Rolycoly to get the final 8 EVs:
(((2 * 1 EV) * 2) * 2) + 108 EVs = 116 EVs. - The remaining 156 Special Defense EVs could be obtained by defeating 9 Gossifleur while being infected with Pokérus and while holding a Power Band:
9 * 18 EVs = 162 EVs. Even though Incineroar would gain 162 EVs here, it will only gain 158 because the 510 maximum amount of EVs is reached.
Vitamins
In this section, I am going to talk about one of two kinds of items that can be applied directly to your Pokémon in order to help it gain EVs quickly: the Vitamins.
Below you can find a list of all of the available Vitamins, their respective effects, and where to obtain them:
| Vitamin: | Increased Stat: | EVs Earned: | Locations: |
|---|---|---|---|
| HP Up | HP | 10 | HP Up can be purchased in exchange for 2 Battle Points (BP) each from the League Staff lady in Hammerlocke's central Pokémon Center. HP Up can also be purchased for 10,000 Poké Dollars each at the right counter of Wyndon's southern Pokémon Center. HP Up can also be randomly obtained after winning ranked battles in Battle Stadium. |
| Protein | Attack | 10 | Protein can be purchased in exchange for 2 Battle Points (BP) each from the League Staff lady in Hammerlocke's central Pokémon Center. Protein can also be purchased for 10,000 Poké Dollars each at right counter of Wyndon's southern Pokémon Center. Protein can also be randomly obtained after winning ranked battles in Battle Stadium. |
| Iron | Defense | 10 | Iron can be purchased in exchange for 2 Battle Points (BP) each from the League Staff lady in Hammerlocke's central Pokémon Center. Iron can also be purchased for 10,000 Poké Dollars each at the right counter of Wyndon's southern Pokémon Center. Iron can also be randomly obtained after winning ranked battles in Battle Stadium. |
| Calcium | Special Attack | 10 | Calcium can be purchased in exchange for 2 Battle Points (BP) each from the League Staff lady in Hammerlocke's central Pokémon Center. Calcium can also be purchased for 10,000 Poké Dollars each at the right counter of Wyndon's southern Pokémon Center. Calcium can also be randomly obtained after winning ranked battles in Battle Stadium. |
| Zinc | Special Defense | 10 | Zinc can be purchased in exchange for 2 Battle Points (BP) each from the League Staff lady in Hammerlocke's central Pokémon Center. Zinc can also be purchased for 10,000 Poké Dollars each at the right counter of Wyndon's southern Pokémon Center. Zinc can also be randomly obtained after winning ranked battles in Battle Stadium. |
| Carbos | Speed | 10 | Carbos can be purchased in exchange for 2 Battle Points (BP) each from the League Staff lady in Hammerlocke's central Pokémon Center. Carbos can also be purchased for 10,000 Poké Dollars each at the right counter of Wyndon's southern Pokémon Center. Carbos can also be randomly obtained after winning ranked battles in Battle Stadium. |
What makes this method so fast and efficient is the fact that, ever since the Generation 8 games, these items have become usable in bulk.
While you were only able to invest a maximum of 100 EVs by clicking one Vitamin at a time in previous generations, you can freely select 26 vitamins to max out a stat in one click (26 * 10 EVs = 260 EVs), even though the maximum caps at 252.
Wings
As we have seen, the item method is undeniably faster than the aforementioned one that requires you to defeat Pokémon.
However, while the Vitamins method is especially recommendable when it comes to simple EV spreads, I am going to use this section to introduce you to another EV-raising item that can help you obtain more complex EV spreads as well: the Wings.
Below you can find a list of all of the available Wings, their respective effects, and where to obtain them:
| Wing: | Increased Stat: | EVs Earned: | Locations: |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health Wing | HP | 1 | Health Wings can be found at the shimmering places on the bridges between Route 5 and Hulbury and between Motostoke and the Motostoke Outskirts. Once you have picked up all of the Wings in one area, you will unfortunately have to wait until they respawn on the next day. |
| Muscle Wing | Attack | 1 | Muscle Wings can be found at the shimmering places on the bridges between Route 5 and Hulbury and between Motostoke and the Motostoke Outskirts. Once you have picked up all of the Wings in one area, you will unfortunately have to wait until they respawn on the next day. |
| Resist Wing | Defense | 1 | Resist Wings can be found at the shimmering places on the bridges between Route 5 and Hulbury and between Motostoke and the Motostoke Outskirts. Once you have picked up all of the Wings in one area, you will unfortunately have to wait until they respawn on the next day. |
| Genius Wing | Special Attack | 1 | Genius Wings can be found at the shimmering places on the bridges between Route 5 and Hulbury and between Motostoke and the Motostoke Outskirts. Once you have picked up all of the Wings in one area, you will unfortunately have to wait until they respawn on the next day. |
| Clever Wing | Special Defense | 1 | Clever Wings can be found at the shimmering places on the bridges between Route 5 and Hulbury and between Motostoke and the Motostoke Outskirts. Once you have picked up all of the Wings in one area, you will unfortunately have to wait until they respawn on the next day. |
| Swift Wing | Speed | 1 | Swift Wings can be found at the shimmering places on the bridges between Route 5 and Hulbury and between Motostoke and the Motostoke Outskirts. Once you have picked up all of the Wings in one area, you will unfortunately have to wait until they respawn on the next day. |
While the Wings are also "spammable", you can only find a limited amount of them on a daily basis.
This is why I suggest combining them with Vitamins in order to obtain complex EV spreads.
Let us go back to the example of the Careful VGC2020 Incineroar spread from the Power Items paragraph: 236 HP / 116 Def / 156 SpD.
- The HP EVs could, for example, be acquired by using 23 HP Up and 6 Health Wings:
(23 * 10 EVs) + (6 * 1 EV) = 236 EVs. - The Defense EVs could, for example, be acquired by using 11 Iron and 6 Resist Wings:
(11 * 10 EVs) + (6 * 1 EV) = 116 EVs. - The Special Defense EVs could be obtained by using 15 Zinc and 6 Clever Wings:
(15 * 10 EVs) + (6 * 1 EV) = 156 EVs.
Standard Seminars
Now, despite the fact that EV training has become a lot faster and more convenient over the years, doing it manually still requires you to pay attention in order to keep track of what you are doing. However, I am going to use the following paragraphs to introduce another EV training method that, much like the Isle Evelup in Generation 7's Poké Pelago, automatically EV trains your Pokémon for you: the Poké Jobs.
You can access the Poké Jobs by talking to the Rotom PC that can be found in every single Pokémon Center across the Galar region.
While the regular Poké Jobs are cycled through on a daily basis, the EV training seminars offered by the Hammerlocke University are always available.
Below you can find a list of all of the available seminars and how many EVs can be earned:
| Seminars: |
|---|
HP seminar in session! |
Attack seminar in session! |
Defense seminar in session! |
Sp. Atk seminar in session! |
Sp. Def seminar in session! |
Speed seminar in session! |
You can register up to 10 Pokémon at once per seminar, and then you get to pick a time frame during which they will complete the seminar.
Here is a list of the time frames and their conversion to real time:
| Time Frame: | Real Time: |
|---|---|
Whole Day | 24 hours |
Half Day | 12 hours |
Very Long | 8 hours |
Long | 4 hours |
Short | 3 hours |
Very Short | 2 hours |
Just a little | 1 hour |
Normally a Pokémon will gain 4 EVs for every completed hour, but you can increase the amount of gained EVs with the Pokérus and held items.
Below you can find a list showing you the EV gains in real time for every possible scenario:
| Scenario: | 1 hour: | 2 hours: | 3 hours: | 4 hours: | 8 hours: | 12 hours: | 24 hours: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No Pokérus + Itemless | 4 EVs | 8 EVs | 12 EVs | 16 EVs | 32 EVs | 48 EVs | 96 EVs |
Pokérus + Itemless | 8 EVs | 16 EVs | 24 EVs | 32 EVs | 64 EVs | 96 EVs | 192 EVs |
No Pokérus + Macho Brace | 8 EVs | 16 EVs | 24 EVs | 32 EVs | 64 EVs | 96 EVs | 192 EVs |
Pokérus + Macho Brace | 16 EVs | 32 EVs | 48 EVs | 64 EVs | 128 EVs | 192 EVs | 252 EVs |
No Pokérus + Power Item | 12 EVs | 24 EVs | 36 EVs | 48 EVs | 96 EVs | 144 EVs | 252 EVs |
Pokérus + Power Item | 24 EVs | 48 EVs | 72 EVs | 96 EVs | 192 EVs | 252 EVs | 252 EVs |
Exploited Seminars
Sometimes having to wait 8, 12, or even 24 hours for seminars to finish can feel like an eternity. In the following paragraph I am going to show step-by-step how you can easily skip the waiting time by exploiting an in-game glitch. While there are alternative methods to pull this off, I decided to specifically focus on this variant, since it does not require a Nintendo Switch Online membership, and I would not want to exclude any of our readers. However, keep in mind that Game Freak can patch this exploit in the future, meaning that while it worked at the time I wrote this guide, it might unfortunately not work by the time you are reading this. So, let us not waste any time and make good use of it as long as we can!
Let us get started:
- Use the Rotom PC in any Pokémon Center to send up to 10 Pokémon that you want to EV train to do their seminars as you normally would.
- Go and find a den in the Wild Area. It can either be a den that is already active, or you can simply use a Wishing Piece to activate a currently inactive den. Both methods work.
- Interact with the den and click the "Invite Others" option.
- Press the "HOME" button to access the main menu and proceed to open the System Settings.
- Scroll all the way down to "System" and then pick the "Date and Time" option under "Language" and "Region".
- Ensure that the "Synchronize Time via Internet" option is set to "Off".
- Change the date on your console to the next day and click "OK" once you have done so.
- Press "B" to go back into the main menu and go back to your Pokémon Sword or Pokémon Shield game.
- Back in-game, you cancel the raid and travel to the nearest Pokémon Center.
- Use the Rotom PC to check the Poké Jobs and you will see the seminar(s) will have been completed.
Last but not least, I am going to show you how you can easily remove EVs again with the help of a certain type of berries.
This is useful if you made a mistake while EV training a new Pokémon or if you want to change the EV spread of one of your already fully EV trained Pokémon. Ever since the Generation 8 games, these berries have become usable in bulk, much like the aforementioned Vitamins and Wings. They can be found on Berry trees in the Galar region and obtained as rewards after successful Max Raid Battles. However, these berries, much like the Vitamins and Wings mentioned above, are not affected by the Pokérus!
Below you can find a list with all of the available berries, their effects, and where to get them:
| Berry: | Decreased Stat: | EVs Removed: | Secondary Effect: | Berry Tree Locations: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pomeg Berry | HP | 10 | This Berry will also raise the Pokémon's Happiness level by +10 if its level is 0-99, by +5 if its level is 100-159, and by +1 if its level is 160-255. | Route 7 Bridge Field (Wild Area) Dappled Grove (Wild Area) Giant's Mirror (Wild Area) Hammerlocke Hills (Wild Area) Motostoke Riverbank (Wild Area) |
| Kelpsy Berry | Attack | 10 | This Berry will also raise the Pokémon's Happiness level by +10 if its level is 0-99, by +5 if its level is 100-159, and by +1 if its level is 160-255. | Route 7 Bridge Field (Wild Area) Giant's Mirror (Wild Area) Hammerlocke Hills (Wild Area) Motostoke Riverbank (Wild Area) Rolling Fields (Wild Area) |
| Qualot Berry | Defense | 10 | This Berry will also raise the Pokémon's Happiness level by +10 if its level is 0-99, by +5 if its level is 100-159, and by +1 if its level is 160-255. | Route 7 Bridge Field (Wild Area) Giant's Cap (Wild Area) Giant's Mirror (Wild Area) Giant's Seat (Wild Area) Motostoke Riverbank (Wild Area) |
| Hondew Berry | Special Attack | 10 | This Berry will also raise the Pokémon's Happiness level by +10 if its level is 0-99, by +5 if its level is 100-159, and by +1 if its level is 160-255. | Route 7 Bridge Field (Wild Area) Giant's Mirror (Wild Area) Hammerlocke Hills (Wild Area) Motostoke Riverbank (Wild Area) North Lake Miloch |
| Grepa Berry | Special Defense | 10 | This Berry will also raise the Pokémon's Happiness level by +10 if its level is 0-99, by +5 if its level is 100-159, and by +1 if its level is 160-255. | Route 7 Bridge Field (Wild Area) Dappled Grove (Wild Area) Giant's Mirror (Wild Area) Hammerlocke Hills (Wild Area) Motostoke Riverbank (Wild Area) |
| Tamato Berry | Speed | 10 | This Berry will also raise the Pokémon's Happiness level by +10 if its level is 0-99, by +5 if its level is 100-159, and by +1 if its level is 160-255. | Route 7 Bridge Field (Wild Area) Giant's Cap (Wild Area) Giant's Mirror (Wild Area) Motostoke Riverbank (Wild Area) |
Conclusion
This about sums up everything you need to know about EV training in Generation 8. In hindsight, when it comes to the fastest EV training method in Generation 8, then it definitely has to be the exploit method, closely followed by the method involving the Vitamins. Not only can they be purchased at incredibly low prices, but they are also "spammable" now. In this sense, Generation 8 has a huge advantage compared to the previous generations, and you should definitely not let this opportunity slide. Feel free to be creative and combine different EV training methods, especially when it comes to very specific EV spreads that require precision over speed. Now you know the various ways to efficiently unlock your Pokémon's full potential. So, what are you waiting for? Go out there and be the best trainer you can be!
Last edited:
