Pokemon White EV Training Guide

Introduction
EV Training Explained
A Closer Look at Natures
EV Removal
The Benefits of Vitamins
Training Spots
Pokerus
Items and EVs

What Are EVs?
EVs, or Effort Values, are the bases for a Pokemon's stats. Through a process referred to as EV Training, you can get the most out of your Pokemon's individual stats!

How EV Training Works
All you need to know is the more EVs you invest in a stat, the higher that particular stat will be and the quicker it will increase as the Pokemon levels up.

This formula reveals how EVs are calculated.

Attack = 2[(Base Attack +IV +(EV/4)) * (PkMn's Lv/100 +Lv +10)]

Stat = 2[Base +IV +(EV/4)) * (Level/100 + 5) * Nature Modifier]

Also note that EVs are now applied immediately after battle.

252, The Magic Number
There is a limit to the number of EVs a Pokemon can earn in any given stat, however. 255 to be exact, but you should realize that 252 EVs will result in the same boosted stat. For example, let's say you have a Gigalith and you give it 255 EVs in Attack.

Due to the nature of the game and how stats are calculated, those extra 3 EVs wind up going to waste. A good rule of thumb to make sure that doesn't happen is to remember that EVs must be divisible by 4 in order to achieve maximum effectiveness. The reason for this, any EVs, or fractions of, left over after after battle after your Pokemon has reached its growth limit aren't applied. It is because of this rule--the golden rule of EV training.

For every 4 EVs a level 100 Pokemon gains in a particular stat, that stat is increased by one point.

Because a Pokemon can only earn 255 EVs in any particular stat 252 EVs will result in the same gain as 255. That extra 3/4 of a point cannot be applied directly to the stat so it is wasted.

So if you wanted to maximize your Gigalith's attack you would only need to pump 252 EVs into its Attack stat, while those 3 points that would have been wasted can be applied to a different stat.

I'd also like to point out that a Pokemon can earn a maximum of 510 EVs, however the golden rule states that only 508 are necessary to achieve maximum growth.

Nature-al Selection
While pumping EVs in to your Pokemon's stats will no doubt have a positive over all effect, there is another force at work. A Pokemon's nature plays a huge role in determining whether or not it will achieve maximum growth.

Most natures provide a 10% increase in one stat and a 10% decrease in another. Neutral natures, however, increase and decrease the same stat.

Hardy (Neutral)
Lonely (+Atk, -Def)
Brave (+Atk, -Spe)
Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
Naughty (+Atk, -SpD)
Bold (+Def, -Atk)
Docile (Neutral)
Relaxed (+Def, -Spe)
Impish (+Def, -SpA)
Lax (+Def, -SpD)
Timid (+Spe, -Atk)
Hasty (+Spe, -Def)
Serious (Neural)
Jolly (+Spe, -SpA)
Naive (+Spe, -SpD)
Modest (+SpA, -Atk)
Mild (+SpA, -Def)
Quiet (+SpA, -Spe)
Bashful (Neutral)
Rash (+SpA, -SpD)
Calm (+SpD, -Atk)
Gentle (+SpD, -Def)
Sassy (+SpD, -Spe)
Careful (+SpD, -SpA)
Quirky (Neutral)

This time, let's say you've already gone through the process of EV training your Gigalith in Attack and HP and now it's level 100. You check its stats to see the fruits of your labor and, hang on, what's this? Your game is saying it's Attack stat is only 289, but that can't be right. Can it? You're positive you fought all the right Pokemon and used the appropriate supplements. So why is your Pokemon's stat so low? Shouldn't it be, like, 405, or something?

Upon closer inspection you come to the realization that your Gigalith's nature may be to blame. Its Bold nature means its Attack stat grows slowly, while its Defense grows more rapidly. Had its nature been Adamant or another nature that promotes Attack growth, it would have had a whopping 405 Attack (assuming it had 31 IVs) by the time it reached level 100.

Removing EVs
So now what? You've invested a lot of time in to raising Gigalith and don't want to start over with a new Roggenrola. Is there anything you can do to remove the EVs you've acquired and start from a clean slate?

Actually, yes, thanks to a change in the way level 100 Pokemon earn EVs.

One of the big changes in Gen V is that Pokemon that have reached level 100 can earn EVs from battles. This means you can properly train those events you received at level 100 and even retrain your prized level 100 Pokemon.

You can reduce your Pokemon's EVs by feeding them special berries. Note that the first berry will reduce your Pokemon's EVs in any given stat to 100 if it had more than 100 EVs in that category prior to using the berry. After, each berry will remove 10 EVs from the stat, as it would normally.

Pomeg Berry - Removes 10 HP EVs
Kelpsy Berry - Removes 10 Atk EVs
Qualot Berry - Removes 10 Def EVs
Hondew Berry - Removes 10 SpA EVs
Grepa Berry - Removes 10 SpD EVs
Tamato Berry - Removes 10 Spe EVs

Get Your Pills Here
You've been battling wild Patrat and Lillipup for hours and you've only earned 126 EVs. By now you're thinking "There's got to be a faster way to do this," and there is.

They're called vitamins by the game but they're not like the fruity things you're used to. These are, in their purest form, EVs in the form of 5 Hour Energy. One vitamin adds 10 EVs to the corresponding stat.

HP Up - +10 HP EVs
Protein - +10 Atk EVs
Iron - +10 Def EVs
Calcium - +10 SpA EVs
Zinc - +10 SpD EVs
Carbos - +10 Spe EVs

Be aware that there is a limit to the number of vitamins you can feed your Pokemon. Only 100 EVs can be obtained per stat through the use of supplements. After that number has been met the items will lose their effect on the Pokemon.

Gen V introduced another method for EV training your Pokemon. Each of the different wing items found on the Driftveil and Marvelous Bridges add 1 EV to a particular stat. However, unlike vitamins, there is no limit to the number of wings that can be used on a Pokemon, meaning it's entirely possibly to EV train a Pokemon without ever sending it into battle.

Health Wing - +1 HP EV
Muscle Wing - +1 Atk EV
Resist Wing - +1 Def EV
Genius Wing - +1 SpA EV
Clever Wing - +1 SpD EV
Swift Wing - +1 Spe EV

EV Training Spots
Without further adieu, here are some of the best EV training spots in the game.

HP
Stunfisk / Route 8, Icirrus City / +2 EVs

Victini / Liberty Island / +3 EVs

Attack
Golett / Dragonspiral Tower 2F / +1 EV
Lillipup / Route 1 / +1 EV
Mienfoo / Route 14, Outside & Dragonspiral Tower 1F (all seasons), Victory Road / +1 EV
Patrat / Route 1 / +1 EV

Beartic / Outside Dragonspiral Tower (Winter) / +2 EVs
Druddigon / Outside & Dragonspiral Tower 1F (Autumn, Spring, Summer) / +2 EVs
Sawsbuck / Outside Dragonspiral Tower (Autumn, Spring, Summer) / +2 EVs
Tranquill / Routes 6, 7, 12, Pinwheel Forest, Lostlorn Forest, Outside Dragonspiral Tower (Autumn, Spring, Summer) / +2 EVs

Defense
Ferroseed / Chargestone Cave / +1 EV
Klink / Chargestone Cave / +1 EV
Onix / Relic Castle (post game) / +1 EV
Roggenrola / Wellspring Cave / +1 EV
Sewaddle / Pinwheel Forest / +1 EV
Venipede / Pinwheel Forest / +1 EV

Cofagrigus / Relic Castle B4 / +2 EVs
Durant / Victory Road / +2 EVs
Sandslash / Relic Castle B4 (post game) / +2 EVs

Sp. Attack
Litwick / Celestial Tower F2-5 / +1 EV
Elgyem / Celectial Tower F3-5 / +1 EV

Sp. Defense
Frillish / Routes 4, 17, 18, Driftveil City / +1 EV

Speed
Joltik / Chargestone Cave / +1 EV
Woobat / Challenger's Cave, Mistralton Cave, Twist Mountain, Victory Road, Wellspring Cave / +1 EV

Basculin / Routes 1, 3, 6, Striaton City / +2 EVs

Not So Common Cold
Pokerus (ab. PkRs) is a rare natural occurrence in the games that helps boost a Pokemon's rate of growth. A Pokemon who has contracted the virus earns double the EVs it normally would. This boosted effect, stacked on top of the boosts provided by Macho Brace and the Power Items, can save you a lot of time in the field.

Power Items & Macho Brace
Power Items are useful tools for EV training Pokemon quickly. Each will reward the equipped Pokemon with 4 EVs in the corresponding stat, no matter what was earned from the battle, but also halve the Pokemon's Speed (for the duration of battle only!)

All of the Power Items can be bought for 16BP from the Battle Subway exchange counter.

Power Weight - +4 HP EVs
Power Bracer - +4 Attack EVs
Power Belt - +4 Defense EVs
Power Lens - +4 Special Attack EVs
Power Band - +4 Special Defense EVs
Power Anklet - +4 Speed EVs

Macho Brace functions a bit differently. Instead of granting 4 additional EVs at the end of battle, it doubles the total amount of EVs the Pokemon earned. Same catch as with the Power Items, the equipped Pokemon's Speed stat is reduced by half during battle.

Thank you so much for this. I understand EV's alot more now

quote tomlm

Great guide! I've never EV trained before but I may start doing so and this has definitely encouraged me, especially now I know the wings can be used limitlessly!

Can I just get this right: assuming I do have a level 100 adamant Gigalith and I reset all the EVs it's earned, not from specific EV training but from general gameplay and I just happen to have 252 muscle wings. If I use all of them, will Gigalith suddenly have its max 405 attack, assuming 31 IVs? And I don't need to do any battling, the stat will keep increasing with every four wings I give it?

Also a little comment, how can EV training on a Victini be recommended if you can only battle it once? Or am I missing something?

You still need to battle to see the changes applied.

If you knock Victini out by accident or run you can leave the room and it will reset.

PhantomBadger, all you would need to do is battle a Pokemon and after the stats will update automatically.

quote TrainerZer0

You still need to battle to see the changes applied.

If you knock Victini out by accident or run you can leave the room and it will reset.

PhantomBadger, all you would need to do is battle a Pokemon and after the stats will update automatically.

Thanks for clearing that up!

Insanity Prevails, I thought the preceding paragraph implied the limit was 100 per category, but I went ahead and changed the wording so it would be clear to those unfamiliar with EVing using items.

You're right about the berries too. I omitted the bit about how they affect Pokemon with >100 EVs in a particular stat.

TrainerZer0 That is a great Guide and it looks good too.
If I see someone asking for an EV training guide I will link them here.

None of this makes any sense to me.. Can someone explain it in really stupid person terms?

And how do I train them the best?