Pokemon X and Y
Pokemon X and Y

Pokémon Breeding & IVs/EVs — Pokemon X and Y Guide

Master Pokémon breeding and IVs/EVs in Pokemon X and Y. Learn to manipulate these stats in Kalos to raise powerful competitive Pokémon and achieve your team go.

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Pokémon Breeding & IVs/EVs

Welcome, aspiring Pokémon Master! This detailed guide will walk you through the intricate world of Pokémon breeding in Kalos, focusing on how to manipulate Individual Values (IVs) and Effort Values (EVs) to create truly powerful Pokémon. Mastering these mechanics is crucial for competitive play and for simply having the strongest team possible.

Understanding IVs (Individual Values)

IVs are like a Pokémon's genetic potential. Each of a Pokémon's six stats (HP, Attack, Defense, Special Attack, Special Defense, Speed) has an IV ranging from 0 to 31. A higher IV in a stat means that stat will naturally be higher at any given level. A Pokémon with 31 IVs in a stat is said to have a "perfect" IV in that stat. While random for wild Pokémon, breeding allows us to pass down these desirable traits.

Checking IVs

To check your Pokémon's IVs, you'll need to visit the IV Judge. He is located in the Pokémon Center in Kiloude City, in the northern part of the city. Talk to the man standing near the PC. He will give you a general appraisal of your Pokémon's IVs, highlighting which stats are "outstanding" (31 IVs) or "decent" (lower IVs). Pay close attention to his phrases, as they indicate the overall quality of your Pokémon's IVs.

The Breeding Process

Breeding takes place at the Pokémon Day Care on Route 7 (Rivière Walk). You can drop off two compatible Pokémon (one male, one female, or one Pokémon and a Ditto) and, after some time, they may produce an Egg. Pokémon in the same Egg Group can breed, with Ditto being the exception as it can breed with almost any Pokémon (excluding Legendaries and some others).

Passing Down IVs with Destiny Knot

The key to breeding for perfect IVs lies with the Destiny Knot. If one parent holds a Destiny Knot, five of the twelve IVs from both parents (six from each) will be randomly selected and passed down to the offspring. This is a significant improvement over the standard three IVs passed down without the item.

  • Where to find Destiny Knot: You can obtain a Destiny Knot from a maid in the hotel in Cyllage City after defeating the Gym Leader, or by winning the Battle Institute in Lumiose City.

Passing Down Natures with Everstone

A Pokémon's Nature significantly impacts its stats. If one parent holds an Everstone, the offspring will inherit that parent's Nature 100% of the time. This is crucial for ensuring your Pokémon has the optimal Nature for its role.

  • Where to find Everstone: Wild Roggenrola and Geodude sometimes hold Everstones. You can also find one in the Connecting Cave.

Step-by-Step Breeding for Perfect IVs

  1. Acquire a Ditto with good IVs: This is your foundation. Catch several Dittos in the Pokémon Village (Route 20) and have the IV Judge check them. Aim for Dittos with at least 2-3 perfect IVs.
  2. Find a Pokémon with the desired Nature: Catch or breed a Pokémon with the Nature you want for your target species. Give this Pokémon an Everstone.
  3. Start with a 2-3 IV Parent: Begin by breeding your target Pokémon with your best Ditto. Give the Ditto the Destiny Knot.
  4. Iterative Breeding:
    • Hatch the eggs. Check the IVs of the offspring.
    • If an offspring has more perfect IVs than one of its parents, replace that parent in the Day Care with the new, better-IV'd offspring.
    • Continue this process, always ensuring one parent holds the Destiny Knot and the Nature-parent holds the Everstone.
  5. Aim for 5-6 Perfect IVs: With persistence, you'll eventually breed a Pokémon with 5 perfect IVs (e.g., 31/31/31/X/31/31). Achieving 6 perfect IVs is much rarer but possible.

Understanding EVs (Effort Values)

EVs are points gained by defeating specific Pokémon, which then boost a Pokémon's stats. Unlike IVs, which are fixed, EVs can be trained. A Pokémon can have a maximum of 510 total EVs, with a maximum of 252 EVs in any single stat. Every 4 EVs in a stat equates to 1 additional stat point at Level 100.

EV Training Methods

Pokémon X and Y offer several efficient ways to EV train:

1. Super Training

Super Training is a mini-game accessible from the bottom screen of your 3DS. It allows you to directly train your Pokémon's EVs by playing various balloon-popping challenges. Each challenge awards EVs for a specific stat. It's a precise and user-friendly way to manage EVs, especially for beginners.

  • Benefits: Easy to track, no risk of over-training, accessible early in the game.
  • Drawbacks: Can be slower than traditional methods for multiple Pokémon.
2. Horde Battles

Horde Battles involve battling five wild Pokémon at once. This is by far the most efficient way to EV train in X and Y, especially when combined with certain items and abilities.

  • Preparation:
    • Sweet Scent/Honey: Use a Pokémon with Sweet Scent (e.g., Oddish, Roselia) or use the item Honey to instantly trigger a Horde Battle.
    • Power Items: Equip your training Pokémon with a Power Item (e.g., Power Bracer for Attack EVs, Power Anklet for Speed EVs). Each Power Item adds +4 EVs to its respective stat per battle, in addition to the base EVs gained.
    • Pokérus: If your Pokémon has Pokérus (a rare in-game virus), all EV gains are doubled. This stacks with Power Items.
    • Exp. Share: Turn on the Exp. Share to distribute EVs to all Pokémon in your party, even if they don't participate in the battle. This allows you to EV train multiple Pokémon simultaneously.
  • Horde Battle Locations for Specific EVs:
    • HP: Route 5 (Gulpin hordes)
    • Attack: Route 19 (Weepinbell hordes), Route 14 (Bellsprout hordes)
    • Defense: Route 17 (Skorupi hordes)
    • Special Attack: Route 15 (Mime Jr. hordes), Reflection Cave (Solosis hordes)
    • Special Defense: Route 14 (Swablu hordes)
    • Speed: Route 8 (Wingull hordes), Route 12 (Mareep hordes)
  • Strategy:
    1. Go to the desired location.
    2. Use Sweet Scent/Honey to trigger a Horde Battle.
    3. Defeat the Pokémon that give the desired EVs. With a Power Item and Pokérus, you can gain a significant amount of EVs very quickly.
    4. Keep track of your EV gains. Each Pokémon in a horde gives its base EVs. For example, a Wingull gives 1 Speed EV. In a horde of 5 Wingull, you get 5 Speed EVs. With a Power Anklet (+4 Speed EVs) and Pokérus (x2), each Wingull would give (1+4)x2 = 10 Speed EVs. So, a horde of 5 Wingull would give 50 Speed EVs!
3. Vitamins

Vitamins (e.g., HP Up, Protein, Iron) instantly add 10 EVs to a specific stat. However, a Pokémon can only consume vitamins until it has 100 EVs in that stat. They are expensive but convenient for quickly boosting initial EV counts.

  • Where to buy: Lumiose City (North Boulevard Pokémon Center).

Resetting EVs

If you make a mistake or want to re-train your Pokémon's EVs, you can reset them:

  • Reset Bags (Super Training): Use a "Reset Bag" obtained from Super Training to completely wipe a Pokémon's EVs.
  • Berries: Certain berries reduce EVs in a specific stat by 10 points per berry. These include Pomeg Berry (HP), Kelpsy Berry (Attack), Qualot Berry (Defense), Hondew Berry (Special Attack), Grepa Berry (Special Defense), and Tamato Berry (Speed). These berries can be grown in the Berry Fields on Route 20.

By diligently applying these breeding and EV training techniques, you'll be well on your way to assembling a team of truly formidable Pokémon, ready to take on any challenge Kalos throws your way!