You can train EVs by defeating specific Pokémon in battle. Every Pokémon will give 1-3 EVs upon defeat, and those go to any Pokémon that battled in the fight.
In the Gen 3 games, these EVs will only be applied to the Pokémon when they level up, or are placed into storage.
Each Pokémon can have a max of 510 EVs spread out through all of their stats, with a maximum of 252 EVs allowed for a single stat. But let’s look into more detail on how you should train in FRLG.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
What Are EVs?
Every single Pokémon has 6 key stats that increase as the Pokémon battles and levels up. These 6 stats are:
- HP
- Attack
- Defense
- Special Attack
- Special Defense
- Speed
What many casual players do not realize is that you can actually specifically train each of these stats with the help of EVs.
EVs are “Effort Values”, and every 4 EVs in a specific stat will raise its value by 1. So if you train a Pokémon to have 252 EVs in its speed stat, it will have an extra 63 Speed.
Certain Pokémon excel with certain stats. Usually competitive players will raise the EV that a Pokémon is already strong in, in order to take advantage of the Pokémon’s natural abilities.
For example, players that use Gengar in competitive matches will typically raise Gengar’s Speed and Special Attack stat, so that their Gengar will always go first and its special attacks will hit like a truck.
Why EV Train?
EV training raises the stats of your Pokémon and makes them stronger in the specific areas that you choose.
This process adds another layer of depth to the game for players that want to min-max their Pokémon’s strength.
EV training is also all but necessary if you want to play competitively. Although not many people are playing FireRed and LeafGreen competitively nowadays, but learning the ropes on a game you love is good practice for modern games.
EV training has not changed very much with the most recent Pokémon games, and it has even become a little easier.
Note: if you play on an emulator, there are also a few Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen ROM hacks available that increase the difficulty to the point where you need to EV train to beat the hacks.
How To Train EVs Efficiently
Each Pokémon you have can gain 510 EVs total across all 6 of their stats.
Most players choose to max out 2 specific stats, and put the other 6 wherever they feel like. You can train your EVs however you see fit, and sometimes it’s very fun to play around with them.
To EV train you’ll just follow a few steps:
- Choose the stats that you want to train for each Pokémon (write them down). Each Pokémon can have 2 maxed out stats, and one small boost to an extra stat.
- Pull up a list of Pokémon EVs for FireRed and LeafGreen
- Choose a Pokémon to train, and head to a spot that has many EVs available for the stat you want to train (listed below)
- ONLY defeat Pokémon that give the EVs you want, and ONLY use the Pokémon that you want to train those EVs in.
Note: in FRLG it’s important not to use the EXP Share while you’re EV training, unless you want both Pokémon to gain the same EVs.
Every time you defeat a Pokémon, the ones you used will gain 1-3 EVs depending on the Pokémon that was defeated. These EVs won’t take effect until your Pokémon levels up or you transfer them in and out of the PC.
Best EV Training Spots (FRLG)
A couple of things to note here:
- Pokémon give the same EVs no matter where you find them
- Evolutions generally give the same type of EVs as their predecessors, just more of them
- It doesn’t matter if you EV train your Pokémon before or after they evolve. They keep their EVs.
Now let’s take a look at some good routes to EV train each stat.
HP Training
| Location | Pokémon | EV Value |
|---|---|---|
| Viridian Forest | Caterpie | 1 EV |
| Mt. Moon | Clefairy | 2 EV |
| Route 16 | Snorlax | 2 EV |
Attack Training
| Location | Pokémon | EV Value |
|---|---|---|
| Route 22 | Mankey | 1 EV |
| Rock Tunnel | Machop | 1 EV |
| Victory Road | Arbok | 2 EV |
Defense Training
| Location | Pokémon | EV Value |
|---|---|---|
| Mt. Moon | Geodude | 1 EV |
| Rock Tunnel | Onix | 1 EV |
| Victory Road | Marowak | 2 EV |
Special Attack Training
| Location | Pokémon | EV Value |
|---|---|---|
| Pokémon Tower | Gastly | 1 EV |
| Pokémon Tower | Haunter | 2 EV |
| Route 12 | Oddish | 1 EV |
| Route 12 | Gloom | 2 EV |
Special Defense Training
| Location | Pokémon | EV Value |
|---|---|---|
| Route 11 | Drowzee | 1 EV |
| Surfing (anywhere) | Tentacool | 1 EV |
Speed Training
| Location | Pokémon | EV Value |
|---|---|---|
| Route 1 (and other early routes) | Rattata | 1 EV |
| Route 1 (and other early routes) | Pidgey | 1 EV |
| Diglett’s Cave | Diglett | 1 EV |
You can keep an eye out for any of these Pokémon and their evolutions on any route or cave in the game.
The tables above just feature the best places to train specific stats, but there are other options too!
EV Training Items
As you can imagine, only getting 1-3 EVs per battle can be very tedious.
This is great news for players that love to grind, but a nightmare for those that’d rather train their Pokémon as fast as possible.
Luckily, there are a few items available in FireRed and LeafGreen that will streamline EV training and make it much easier to max out the stats you want.
| Item | Location | What It Does |
|---|---|---|
| Macho Brace | Hidden item after defeating Viridian Gym | Doubles the amount of EVs obtained by the Pokémon holding it |
| Exp. Share | Oak’s Aid in the Route 15 Gate | A Pokémon holding the Exp. Share will receive the EVs from any battle that it’s not involved in |
| HP Up | Celadon Dept. Store | Gives 10 HP EVs |
| Protein | Celadon Dept. Store | Gives 10 Attack EVs |
| Iron | Celadon Dept. Store | Gives 10 Defense EVs |
| Calcium | Celadon Dept. Store | Gives 10 Special Attack EVs |
| Zinc | Celadon Dept. Store | Gives 10 Special Defense EVs |
| Carbos | Celadon Dept. Store | Gives 10 Speed EVs |
One of the quickest ways to max out the EVs of your Pokémon is to use the consumable items that give 10 EVs a piece.
However, these are rather expensive and cost 9,800 Pokédollars each. So you’ll need to really save up if you go this route.
Still, the Macho Brace and Exp. Share are a great budget option for people that want to EV train, but want to spend fewer hours doing so!
Guide Navigation
-
Pokémon FRLG
- How To EV Train Efficiently in Pokémon FireRed & LeafGreen
Related Posts:
How To Get Black Glasses in Pokémon FRLG
Where To Get Charcoal in Pokémon FireRed & LeafGreen
Where To Get HM02 Fly in Pokémon FRLG
How To Get Twisted Spoons in Pokémon FireRed & LeafGreen
How To Get The Master Ball in Pokémon FRLG
Where is the Move Deleter in Pokémon FireRed & LeafGreen?
Where To Get The Super Rod in Pokémon FireRed & LeafGreen
Where To Get Metal Coats in Pokémon FRLG