How to EV Train in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl - Pokemon Diamond, Pearl and Platinum Guide - IGN (2024)

Here you'll find everything you need to know about Effort Values (EVs) in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl—from the basics of training to understanding the benefits of held items and Pokerus.

Effort Values are fundamental to players who'd want to compete online, as this type of training will create much stronger Pokemon than those trained using traditional methods.

EV Training in Pokemon BDSP

When your Pokemon levels up, they gain points in all six stats—HP, Attack, Defense, Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed. In addition, those stats are amplified by "hidden" values that increase every time you battle either wild Pokemon or against trainers.

However, depending on the Pokemon you defeated, you will gain different EVs. Each Pokemon can achieve a maximum of 252 EVs per stat for a total of 510 EVs.

Note that the maximum amount of additional stat points that EV-training can acquire for a given stat is 63 when the Pokémon is level 100 (max level), compared to an otherwise identical Pokémon uninvested in EVs (e.g., Wild Pokemon).

Though EVs are hidden, you can check your Pokemon's total EVs by pressing X under the Pokemon Skill's tab on their summary page.

There you can see your Pokemon's current EVs represented by a yellow hexagon. While you can't tell its numeric values, you can gauge by comparing them to its core stats (blue hexagon).

New Features That Affect EV Training

In Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, your team is essentially "forced" to acquire experience through the new automatic exp share system.

This new feature signifies that regardless of which of your Pokemon finished the battle against a given Pokemon, all members of your party will gain experience—which means that it will earn EVs no matter what.

For those looking to EV train, this feature can be highly beneficial. If you're looking to train multiple Pokemon with similar desirable EVs, this is advantageous because you don't have to EV train them individually like previous games.

EV Training from Battles

The traditional way of EV Training a Pokemon is by battling other Pokemon. It's free and relatively straightforward, given the right strategy.

EV Training Using Vitamins

Your Pokemon can also earn EVs by giving them Vitamins. Vitamins add 10 EVs peruse but can't increase a Pokemon's total EVs above 510.

You can find vitamins as loot or purchase them from several stores. The easiest way to acquire them is from the Department Store in Veilstone City on the second floor for 9800 Pokemon Dollars each.

There are six different vitamins; each corresponds with a Pokemon's six main stats.

• HP UP - HP
• Protein - Attack
• Iron - Defense
• Calcium - Special Attack
• Zinc - Special Attack
• Carbos - Speed

EV Training With Power Items

You can give your Pokemon Power Items to hold to boost the EVs it gets per battle. Power Items provide an additional eight EVs when you defeat a Pokemon. They also halve the speed of the Pokemon holding it.

There are seven Power Items; the first six corresponds with a Pokemon's six main stats, with an extra one called the Macho Brace.

• Power Weight - HP
• Power Bracer - Attack
• Power Belt - Defense
• Power Lens - Special Attack
• Power Band - Special Defense
• Power Anklet - Speed
• Macho Brace - Doubles the EVs gained through battle.

You can purchase these Power Items post-Pokemon League at the Battle Park for 16 BP each, except for the Macho Brace, which you can obtain in Pastoria City, in the house north of the Poke Mart. You need to have all three forms of Burmy in your starting six and show it to the Bug Catcher inside the house.

EV Training With Pokerus

Pokemon virus, more commonly known as Pokerus, is a beneficial virus that can significantly improve your EV Training.

Pokerus doubles your EV gain, and it stacks with any of the Power Items above. Pokerus is extremely rare, with a 3 out of 65,5367 chance for it to appear on your Pokemon—making it one of the most difficult things to find in the game.

You can spread the virus once you have it on one Pokemon to the rest of your party members. Battle any Pokemon, and eventually, the rest of your Pokemon will be infected with the virus.

• You have between 1-4 days to do this before the virus is gone. But don't worry; even if your Pokemon no longer has the virus, the double EVs effect will linger.

You can also store your infected Pokemon in one of the PC's boxes to keep the virus past its standard duration. This method won't infect the rest of your stored Pokemon, though.

How to Reset EVs

With the limit of 510 EVs, you're going to want to maximize your Pokemon's EVs efficiency to strengthen its stats even more. You can do this by resetting your Pokemon's EVs using unique berries—allowing you to allocate the 252 EVs into the one stat you want.

Each berry, when consumed, will lower specific EVs by 10 points.

• Pomeg Berry - HP
• Kelpsy Berry - Attack
• Qualot Berry - Defense
• Hondew Berry - Special Attack
• Grepa Berry - Special Defense
• Tamato Berry - Speed