EV Training is NOT working. Please HELP.

I really do not understand what I am doing wrong. So I am trying to work on my Gastly's Special Defense. So I am killing Mantine, Tentacool, and Tentacruel in Cianwood. My Gastly has the Pokemon Virus on top of having Power Band. Currently he is level 20 and the past 5 levels he has only gained +1 to Special Defense, that does not make any sense to me. And again I have only been attacking and killing Mantine, Tentacool, and Tentacruel. Can someone please tell me what the heck I am doing wrong?!

EDIT: It it because I am only killing like 2-3 before I level up?

quote JugJug

I'm not exactly sure, but you need to kill a lot besides just 1 or 2 before leveling up.

To bad I cannot do that. If you HAVE to have like a level 30+ Pokemon to start EV training so you can kill like 100 Pokemon before you level up JUST ONCE to get the stat bonus. That is a MAJOR waste of time, and anyone who does that, really has no life. lol

you never see the benefits of ev training until your poke start to reach level 90+ (at least that is what i have found). I have often done ev training, especially on my pikachu and other, and noticed that i only go up by 1 or 2. There is quite a simple explanation for this - the pokemon's base stats + iv's + ev's + nature

To explain, a pokemon has a set base stat in each stat. For Gastly they are:
Base Stats: 30 35 30 100 35 80

Now, as you can see, sp.atk (100) is the highest. Sp.def is 35. Now, considering that it is 35, then you take into account the iv's of the gastly + the ev's spent on that stat. With a base of 35, there isn't going to be much increase at each level. Also, you will find that if you evolve you Gastly into haunter or gengar, then the base stats will increase accordingly. Gengar base stats are:
Base Stats: 60 65 60 130 75 110

Again, we see that sp.def isn't very high and therefore the increase after each level isn't going to be great like a +7 and upwards. The nature will also affect how the stat grows. If you have a nature that does not benefit Sp.def, then it will increase even slower.

Hope that kinda helped, if you need a simpler explanation, just say so and i will try

check the pokedex on the pokemon website before you start EV training. tentacruel's speed base is higher than its sp def base. you've been training speed and sp def this whole time. just focus on the mantines for now. or you could always use a pokemon modifier code for umbreons.

Also Vitamins work well too.

when I start off EVing a pokemon, I always rc to lvl 30 then give them vitamins. but after that I use the pokemon modifier so I can battle the appropriate pokemon. XD

I've EVd quite a few pokemon and I always do the same thing.

EDIT: songofstorms12, you're wrong when you type your wrong. if you check the pokedex, it has 3 bars for sp att, att, and sp def. 4 on speed. you get more speed EVs that way than sp def.

EDIT2: why is bulbapedia always contradicting the official pokemon website?

quote songofstorms12

Oh whatever. I've been working on using good grammar and I'm getting better I think...

is there such thing as good grammar? I thought it was using grammar well... or maybe that just applies to speaking English well vs. speaking good English.

anyways. I checked the bulbapedia website. do you know why it's always different from the official pokemon website?

We were only arguing about grammar, haha. Oskernaut, I'm not sure, the official pokemon website has some veryyyy weird stats