Individual Values (IVs)

Discover how Individual Values (IVs) affect your Pokémon's stats in Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire. Learn to determine and breed for perfect IVs with our expert guide!

Alright, let's talk about something super important for making your Pokémon truly powerful: Individual Values, or IVs for short. Think of these as your Pokémon's hidden potential, a secret stat that makes one Pokémon naturally better than another, even if they're the same species!

Every single Pokémon you catch has six IVs, one for each stat – HP, Attack, Defense, Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed. Each IV can range from 0 (the absolute lowest) all the way up to 31 (which is considered 'perfect'). At Level 100, that 31 IV gives you a whopping 31 extra points in that specific stat compared to a Pokémon with 0 IVs in it. At lower levels, the boost is smaller, but it's still there, making a difference!

Unlike Effort Values (EVs) that you can train up, IVs are set in stone from the moment a Pokémon is generated. You can't train them up or change them directly. They're also not something the game shows you upfront, unlike Natures. So, how do you figure out what IVs your Pokémon has?

For regular wild Pokémon, their IVs are usually totally random. However, if you start using the DexNav feature, you'll sometimes find Pokémon that already have 1, 2, or even 3 perfect (31) IVs! You'll see this indicated by stars under the 'Potential' stat when you encounter them.

The real magic happens with breeding. By breeding compatible Pokémon, you can actually pass down IVs from the parents to their offspring. With enough patience and the right strategy, you can eventually breed Pokémon that have up to 6 perfect IVs – these are the absolute best you can get!

Determining Your Pokémon's IVs

So, you've got a Pokémon and you want to know its IVs. While online calculators are the most precise way to get the exact numbers, the game itself offers some help once you've beaten the Elite Four.

Head over to the Battle Resort and find the IV Judge in the Pokémon Center. Talk to him, and he'll give you a textual description of your Pokémon's IVs. First, he'll tell you your Pokémon's overall Potential, which is basically the combined total of all six IVs. The higher this sum, the better!

Then, he'll point out your Pokémon's best stat(s) – the one(s) with the highest IV value. He'll describe how good that stat is, and even mention if a stat is really bad (meaning it has an IV of 0). Combining the 'Potential' and 'best stat' info gives you a pretty solid idea of your Pokémon's IV spread.