EV Training 203: HeartGold SoulSilver Johto EV Training
Effort Value Training is important for anyone who starts to battle competitively in Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver. This element enhances a lot of what the Pokemon is and helps it specialize into specifics roles. Anyone who’s played and had one of their Pokemon fight a good number of any one given species of another Pokemon may have noticed a sharp spike in one of their creature’s stats. This is because of EVs. This guide is more about the fastest, most efficient manner of gathering the EVs, aiming to complete the training quickly to be followed by Power Leveling.
So you’ve got it in your mind to start the EV training of a specific Pokemon. First, you’ll want some way to document and do the math for all the EV training. All this is mentioned in the EV Training 101, but a good recap is always useful. As there is a total of 510 EVs one can distribute to their Pokemon’s various stats, there is likewise the 255 per stat cap. A good way to kick start the EV training is to use the Vitamins to cover the first 100 EVs of any given stat. I will list some Pokemon and their EV value at the start of each section. I will then follow it up with my own training method. Mine is focused on expediency, getting the most out of any one area in the least amount of time. I got this information from various sources (There are decent EV Hotspot training guides at Gamefaqs.com which were the inspiration for this guide).
Different Pokemon are worth different EVs and as such by fighting and beating specific Pokemon it’s easy to quickly acquire the max 510 EVs. The general pattern to the whole actually scales with the Pokemon’s evolutionary stages. The First stage is woth 1 EV, the Second 2 and the Third 3.
As an example, Starly and Staraptor. Starly is worth 1 Speed EV while Staravia is worth 2 EVs.
As much as this is a pattern, it is also broken, such as Bidoof and its evolution Bibarel giving completely different EVs.
Getting Rid of EVs:
This is very simple to do and easy to manage. There is a set of berries that will decrease the amount of EVs that a Pokemon possesses. These berries also have the benefit of making the Pokemon who eats them happier, giving them a few functions in the game. The berries work in two different ways: They lower the EVs down to 100 (when over 100) OR they decrease the EVs by 10 (when below 100).
Keeping this in mind, to strip a Pokemon of 255 EVs you’ll need 11 berries.
HP EVs
Slowpoke: 1, Wooper: 1, Quagsire: 2
Slowpoke Well F1 – Surf around on the first floor of the well and Slowpokes are ALL you will encounter. These Pokemon will between levels 5 and 25.
Union Cave F1 – Surf around here to encounter Wooper and Quagsire.
Attack EVs
Bellsprout: 1, Weepinbell: 2
Route 44 – You can find a lot of Bellsprout and Weepinbells here, about 55%. The Pokemon are between levels 22 and 26.
Defense EVs
Geodude: 1, Unown: 1 (+1 Sp. D), Graveller: 2, Onix: 1, Rhyhorn:1
Dark Cave – As always, at least one cave as a lot of Geodudes early on. Again, between levels 2 and 4.
Victory Road – While these are some very strong wild Pokemon, there are a lot of Rock/Ground Types here that give Defense Evs.
Special Attack EVs
Flaafy: 2 Sp. A, Girafarig: 2 Sp. A
Route 43 – The Pokemon are between levels 15 and 17. It offers a good training pace here.
Special Defense EVs
Tentacool: 1 Sp. D, Tentacruel: 2 Sp. D
Route 40 and 41 – Surfing along the top of the water, you will encounter a LOT of Tenacools and Tentacruels.
Speed EVs
Pidgey: 1, Rattata: 1, Hoothoot: 1, Spearow: 1, Magikarp: 1, Gyrados: 2
Route 29 and 43 – A great place for early-on Speed training as most Pokemon here are between levels 2 and 4 and over half of them will give Speed Evs.
Fishing – Fishing with the Old Rod, more often than not will net you a weak Magikarp. These are easy Speed Evs. If you go and Surf on the Lake of Rage, you will have a slim chance of encountering a Gyrados who will give 2 Speed Evs.
Fishing For Gyrados – Seafoam Islands B4F, Mt. Silver 2F. Both these locations have a good chance for you to fish up a Gyrados using the Super Rod
