Ev training in Pokémon sun and moon?

Question

Ok so I am beginning to get my first competitive team together and wanted to see if you think my way of going about Ev training is right. So I have chosen my 6 and I am in the middle of breeding to get the right IVs and nature. On a side note could you tell me if the Judge option on the computers pokecentre is to show the IV or EV spread? Ok so once I have found the perfect Pokémon I will first put them in the poke polego isles to train them in the stat a want maxing. After I have done this is it just matter of leveling them up to see if the stat boost worked?

Thanks in advance for your help

Answer 1

If you would like to EV train your Pokemon in the fastest possible way, do not use Poke Pelago (or at least not exclusively). Poke Pelago is one of the least efficient methods of EV training the series has seen in a long time. Even if Isle Evelup is taken to level 3, the Pokemon will only gain 4 EVs per 30-minute session. So in order to max a stat with 252 EVs, it will take 1890 minutes, or 31.5 hours. That is well over a day – and while this does function in the background and doesn’t require you to be attentive, other methods can have you max out stats in a mere fraction of that time.

The most efficient method to EV train in Sun and Moon is SOS chaining. This method is very fast, very efficient, very easy and allows you to train multiple Pokemon at once. However, in order for it to be effective, you will need to get yourself some Power items, which you can get using BP at the Battle Royale dome. This might take some time, but if you’re serious about training a competitive team, it will be a very good long term investment. In the meantime, you can put some Pokemon in Isle Evelup, but don’t expect much from it from just the few hours you’ll spend earning Power items.

Each Power item corresponds to a particular stat; you’ll want to get your hands on one for every stat you want to train EVs in. Here is a reference to know which corresponds to each stat:

• Power Weight adds 8 HP EVs to any defeated Pokemon’s EV yield.
• Power Bracer adds 8 Attack EVs to any defeated Pokemon’s EV yield.
• Power Belt adds 8 Defence EVs to any defeated Pokemon’s EV yield.
• Power Lens adds 8 Special Attack EVs to any defeated Pokemon’s EV yield.
• Power Band adds 8 Special Defence EVs to any defeated Pokemon’s EV yield.
• Power Anklet adds 8 Speed EVs to any defeated Pokemon’s EV yield.

If you do not know what an EV yield is, it is the amount of EVs your Pokemon gains when knocking out a Pokemon. So if your Pokemon knocks out a Caterpie, which yields 1 HP EV, all Pokemon that fought against it (or have Exp Share activated) will gain 1 HP EV. However, Power items bolster the amount of EVs you get from knocking out Pokemon. So even though each Power item costs 16 BP to buy from the Battle Royale dome, they are speed things up significantly. However, this method does not stop here; if you combine Power items with the fact that any Pokemon called into battle by wild Pokemon will have its EV yield doubled, you have the most efficient method of EV training in the game. If your Pokemon knocks out a Caterpie while holding a Power Bracer, it will gain (1 + 8) × 2 EVs, or 18 per Pokemon knocked out. If you repeatedly have the Caterpie call in allies, you can completely max out the stat after knocking out just 14 Pokemon. If your Pokemon has PokeRus, this is doubled again, down to just 7 Pokemon. You can max stats in minutes like that.

So in summary, if you want to EV train competitively-fit Pokemon, use this process:

1. Get Power items from the Battle Royale dome for 16 BP each. Put some Pokemon in the Isle Evelup while you do this.
2. Activate the Exp Share and equip the Pokemon whom you would like to train EVs the Power item. If you have multiple Power items, you can equip them on more Pokemon and train multiple Pokemon at once.
3. Grab a high-level Pokemon and teach it False Swipe. Find a weak Pokemon that yields EVs in the stat you want to train.
4. Get into a battle with said Pokemon and use False Swipe on it, then use an Adrenaline Orb to increase the chance it will call an ally (make sure the Pokemon you’re chaining is capable of calling for help in the first place).
5. Repeatedly knock out the Pokemon that are called in until you’ve knocked out 14 of them. If the original Pokemon doesn’t call for help, waste a turn by using an Adrenaline Orb. It will waste the turn, but you won’t lose any items.
6. After knocking out the 14 Pokemon, leave the battle and access the summary screen of the Pokemon you equipped the Power item to. Press Y to see a graph of its EVs. If done correctly, the graph should show the stat clearly maxed, and the stat's name should sparkle.

You can keep repeating this process with different Pokemon and by switching the Power items until each stat is maxed. After becoming familiar with the method, I have fully maxed EVs on my Pokemon in under 30 minutes, far more efficient than Poke Pelago.

To answer your side question, the Judge option on the PC shows IVs, not EVs. Do not check the PC judge if you want to check EVs; as above, you can see EVs by pressing Y when viewing your Pokemon’s stats in its summary. If you see the stat is maxed here, the EV training has done its job. Additionally, if the EV graph is coloured blue on its outermost layer, the Pokemon has maxed its EVs, so you’re free to go level it up against anything without worrying about messing up its EVs.

If you have any further questions, feel free to leave a comment. :)