EV training at the start, or finish the game first?

[Greylocke]

Newbie to EV training and I'm wondering if I should right away start properly distribute EV's to my pokemons. My problem is that the pokemon the AI trainers send to battle are unpredictable and I find it hard to distribute the ev's wthout battling an unwanted pokemon and unwanted ev yield. I figured that finishing the game first and then ev training a team would be easier than to avoid all the unwanted pokemons which delays the progression of the story suggestions anyone?

[Vinny]

1 - You have a weavile avatar and you're awesome.

2 - Holy title

3 - I'd say EV training should start when you feel the game is getting to a point where you're not doing enough damage, while opponents outdamage you frequently.

Honestly, you should not even need to bother with EVs because there's only so far a fan-game can go. However, if that's still not enough for you, then I'd say you should start caring about EVs when you have access to the "EV-Reducing Berries" in the Dept. Store. That way it will be easier for you to control the EVs of your pokémons.

[BIGJRA]

I personally have never noticed EV's and have done perfectly fine so far in all of my runs of Reborn, so don't ever feel pressured to do so. If you are inclined to, then I second Vinny's notion of using EV-reducing berries once you get access to them.

[Lord_Ludo]

I've only worried about EVs when I'm going back to train up a new team member. For example, my Carracosta having max attack from driving Bouffalants to extinction when raising him between episodes

Edited November 16, 2015 by Lord_Ludo

[DJWongTong]

Around Shelly is when you can really start EV training as you can start buying power items from the dept store, you can get by without training but it really is not that hard/tedious with the boosting items so may as well optimize a bit in case the game throws any curve balls, look to the EV training guide if you need any help!

[ty_taurus]

My method was to start when I got the power items. Any pokemon I intended to use, I would train one stat up to 252, then the other as much as it could go. I got the berries much later and did the minor fixing

[ArthurZH]

Personally I never did bother with EVs much. What I would do is I'll battle them blindly, go like "eh it has good spatk and mon A needs EXP, so wynaut give it some SpAtk EV too?"

If I really feel like it I'll buy the SpAtk and Atk reducing berries and reduce them accordingly, like use the atk one on Gardevoir all the time. Then if I really really need it, only will I buy the HP/Def/SpDef ones.

[Greylocke]

Thanks for the answer guys. But I'm confused, how is it possible to not EV train(or GAIN EV'S) while leveling your Pokemon. Each defeated pokemon has an EV yield. As far as I know, I can purposively battle pokemon with the EV's I want and gain its EV yield while also I can aimlessly battle any random pokemon and gain its EV once it's defeated. I haven't not yet had the knowledge about EV regulating berries so I have no idea how limited or not limited my resources are going to be.

What happens now is that I'm keeping my starter, a Jolly natured Combusken with average-above average attack and speed IV's away from unsure encounters. While a pidgeotto is what I use to catch all the unwanted EV's from AI trainer pokemons. If it's to switch in with an ATT/SPD EV yielding pokemon then do I switch Combusken.

[Shpee]

Thanks for the answer guys. But I'm confused, how is it possible to not EV train(or GAIN EV'S) while leveling your Pokemon. Each defeated pokemon has an EV yield. As far as I know, I can purposively battle pokemon with the EV's I want and gain its EV yield while also I can aimlessly battle any random pokemon and gain its EV once it's defeated. I haven't not yet had the knowledge about EV regulating berries so I have no idea how limited or not limited my resources are going to be.

Well, trainers have pokemon that give EVs to stats you don't need, such as Attack EVs on Special Attackers, thus making it similar to 'not EV train' as in getting EVs that are non-optimal and makes EV reducing berries essential if you want to get perfect EVs when you have pokemon that have progressed through the story without giving it perfect EVs.

[Greylocke]

So, I should just play the game and progress through the story while not minding the EV's until I get access to the EV reducing berries huh?

[Sheep]

Yeah, that's probably the best way to play. If you want to EV train after that then it's easy, but until that point it's going to be very tedious.

[Foamy]

Personally, I'd recommend EV-training after you complete Route 1. You'd have semi-easy access to most of the decent EV-training spots, and that's around the time you reach 7th Street.

[Deleted User]

Yes holly way too long title batman.

@gabzonzales - I shortened the title because it was unnecessarily long.

[Combat]

I never personally EV trained during the course of Reborn, only focusing on getting semi decent natures and the such. It is worth noting that I had a fairly hard time with certain gyms (curse you Cory and you being in the House) while I breezed through other gyms without a hitch (poor Serra). I honestly think that getting a counter for each gym is a lot easier than EV training, but once again, that's just my personal opinion.

[MellowSlinky]

Slight tangent to this - but if you also want to try and get good natures/abilities for the pokemon you want to EV train I would also recommend waiting until you get to the end of episode 15. The main reason for this IMO is that the 80 level cap means you will have an easier time getting Pick-Up slaves to lvl 100 so that you don't have to worry about running out of Heartscales. Its also good to wait until Agate Circus to grind since the repeatable trainer battle there gives you both shards and money for completing