Understanding Stats: Pokemon 101

Confused by Pokémon stats in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon? Learn to read the hexagonal chart, understand EVs, and boost your Pokémon's potential with this beginner-friendly guide.

Alright, let's break down how Pokémon stats work in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. It can look a little confusing at first, especially with that fancy hexagonal chart, but don't worry, I'll walk you through it!

When you look at your Pokémon's stats, you'll see this hexagonal chart. By default, it shows a blue shape. Think of this shape like a radar chart: the further out any part of the shape goes, the better that particular stat is for your Pokémon. The chart can display stats up to 300, but remember, your Pokémon can actually have higher stats than that!

Now, here's a cool trick: press the Y button. The display switches to an 'advanced' view. In this view, you'll see two shapes. The yellow shape in the center represents the base stats of your Pokémon's species – basically, what that Pokémon is naturally good at. The outer shape, the one that looks like the default blue one, now represents your Pokémon's Effort Values (EVs). These are the stats you've trained up through battling and using items.

Keep an eye on the colors in this advanced view. If the outer shape (the EVs) is orange, it means your Pokémon can still gain more EVs in that stat. But if it turns cyan, congratulations – that stat has reached its maximum EV capacity! And if you see a stat shimmering, that means you've maxed out the EVs for that specific stat. It's like a little notification that you've done all you can for that particular area.

So, what's the difference between the two views? The default blue chart shows your Pokémon's stats as a combination of everything: its species base stats, its Level, its Individual Values (IVs), its EVs, and its Nature. The advanced view, however, focuses on just two aspects: the species's base stats and your trained EVs. Both give you valuable info, but understanding the difference helps you see exactly what's contributing to your Pokémon's overall strength.