Pokémon Legends Z-A EV IV Training Guide for Optimizing Stats

Mastering stat growth in Pokémon Legends: Z-A is the key to building unbeatable teams. Learn how to efficiently EV train your Pokémon, uncover hidden training methods, and turn your favorites into competitive powerhouses.

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How EVs work in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Effort Values, or EVs, determine how much a Pokémon’s stats grow as it gains experience in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. Each Pokémon can earn EVs by battling others, using special training items, or completing tasks in specific training zones. As EVs accumulate, they directly enhance key attributes like speed, attack, or stamina, allowing players to customize their Pokémon’s strengths for different strategies. Mastering how EVs work is essential for creating powerful, well-balanced teams that perform at their peak in both story battles and competitive play.

Rest assured, EVs work the same in Legends: Z-A as they do in most of the other games.

All Pokémon are able to gain 510 EVs, which add scaling stats to your Pokémon. At level 100, they’ll gain one stat per four EVs. This means if your Heracross has 16 Attack EVs, it’ll have four more Attack than normal. Most players will want to max out two stats by putting 252 EVs into them, and then dump the remaining four points in a not-as-important stat. (No, that doesn’t add up to 510, but the remaining two points don’t really. do anything since it’s less than four EVs.)

This is functionally why the level 50 Heracross you’ve used over the course of the game will be stronger than a fresh wild level 50 Heracross.

To check your Pokémon’s EVs, open its summary page and scroll down until you see its stats. Press Down on the right stick (as in the direction, not pressing the stick literally into the controller), and you should be able to see a different shape. If the shape is white, your Pokémon can still gain EVs. If it’s yellow, that means that the EVs of this Pokémon are capped out. Any stat that has sparkles around it is maxed.

How to clear your Pokémon’s EVs in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

To clear your Pokémon’s EVs in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, you can use specific items such as the Reset Bag, which is found in the game and allows you to reset all EVs to zero. Alternatively, feeding your Pokémon certain berries like Pomeg, Kelpsy, or Qualot will reduce EV points in their corresponding stats, making it easier to redistribute EVs for optimized training. Clearing EVs lets you customize your Pokémon’s stats from scratch, ensuring a tailored approach to competitive or in-game battles.

To start clean, you’ll want to talk to this NPC inside the Rust Syndicate building. In exchange for five Mega Shards, she’ll clear the EVs of your Pokémon:

There are also a few berries you can use to lower a specific EV stat by 10 points:

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

Where to get EV-increasing items in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

EV-enhancing items like Proteins, Carbons, and other stat boosters can typically be purchased from specialty shops or earned through Battle Facilities in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. Some NPC trainers may also reward these items for completing side quests or performance challenges. Additionally, exploring certain high-level zones or hidden areas can yield rare EV items through treasure chests or sparkling ground spots, making exploration an effective way to stock up on training resources.

There are six “power” items you can give your Pokémon to hold that will increase their EV gains for a specific stat, in exchange for lowering their speed (only when they’re holding the item, not permanently).

You can get them from the following side missions, though keep in mind that the higher the side mission number, the farther you need to get in the main story to unlock it.

• Power Weight (HP): Side Mission 72, “Find My Galarian Stunfisk!”
• Power Bracer (Attack): Side Mission 38, “Chasing Status”
• Power Belt (Defense): Side Mission 39, “Slowpoke for Slowpoke”
• Power Lens (Special Attack): Side Mission 104, “Abuzz About Bug Types”
• Power Band (Special Defense): Side Mission 99, “Pleasing Aron’s Palate”
• Power Anklet (Speed): Side Mission 69, “A Sky Battle, for Old Times’ Sake”

If you’re looking to EV train multiple Pokémon at once and you want more of these items, you can buy them after the credits roll from Quasartico Inc. for 180 Mega Shards each.

There are also single-use items that increase your Pokémon’s EVs:

• HP: Health Feather, HP Up
• Attack: Muscle Feather, Protein
• Defense: Resist Feather, Iron
• Special Attack: Genius Feather, Calcium
• Special Defense: Clever Feather, Zinc
• Speed: Swift Feather, Carbos

Feathers raise EVs by one point and the vitamins raise EVs by 10 points. These items can be found scattered around the city and are rewards for various side missions. Feathers are commonly found on the floor as sparkling objects, and you can actually buy the vitamins after you beat the game’s main story. They’ll become purchasable from Pokémon Centers for $5,000 each.

How to gain EVs in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

In Pokémon Legends: Z-A, gaining Effort Values (EVs) effectively requires battling specific wild Pokémon or trainers that yield the desired EVs for your Pokémon’s stats. Focus on targeting Pokémon known to award EVs in the stats you want to enhance, such as Attack or Speed. Additionally, using items like Power Items can boost the EVs gained per battle, speeding up the training process. Keep track of your EV distribution to optimize your Pokémon’s competitive potential.

If you’re not using the single-use items listed above, then you’ll need to take to the streets to battle.

As with previous Pokémon games, your Pokémon will gain specific EVs from defeating specific Pokémon. Since all Pokémon gain EXP after each battle, note that every Pokémon in your party will gain the EVs, if they have room to grow. While you’re EV training, you should only have Pokémon that are maxed out already or Pokémon that need the respective points.

Below we tabled out some EV farming areas, along with what EVs they give.

There isn’t really a great specific place to EV train for Special Defense. We recommend alternating between taking out the Carbink on the roofs in Wild Zone 9 and then heading to the Lumiose Sewers to wipe out the Goomy and Skrelp.

Also keep in mind that if the Pokémon isn’t mentioned in the table above, it will give different EVs. For example, when you’re building up HP EVs in Wild Zone 19, be careful as to not take out any Furfrou or Eevee, as these will give different stats. Worst case scenario, you can use the aforementioned berries to get rid of any stats you accidentally gain.

Best Pokémon species to fight for each EV stat in Z-A

In Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the best Pokémon species to fight for each EV stat to maximize EV training efficiently are as follows:

• HP:

  • Tepig, Spritzee, Snorunt, Slowpoke, Skiddo, Galarian Slowbro, Amaura (1 EV)

  • Vaporeon, Stunfisk, Kangaskhan, Gogoat, Glalie, Diggersby, Clefairy, Aurorus, Audino, Aromatisse (2 EVs)

  • Clefable, Zygarde (All Forms), Yveltal, Xerneas (3 EVs)

• Attack:

  • Pokémon like Heracross and Garchomp are commonly farmed for Attack EVs, but specific species were not listed in the sources. Generally, Fighting-type Pokémon or others with high Attack EVs are good candidates.

• Defense:

  • No specific species directly highlighted in the sources, but typical choices in Pokémon games include Pokémon like Onix or Geodude for Defense EVs.

• Special Attack:

  • Pyroar is a prime choice for Special Attack EV farming.

• Special Defense:

  • There is no specific ideal area for Special Defense EV training. Alternating between defeating Carbink on rooftops in Wild Zone 9 and taking down Goomy and Skrelp in Lumiose Sewers is recommended.

• Speed:

  • Buneary, Bunnelby, Delibird, Electrike, Espurr, Fletchling, Froakie, Furfrou, Helioptile, Magikarp, Meditite, Noibat, Panpour, Pansage, Pansear, Pichu, Pidgey, Staryu, Trubbish, Tynamo, Weedle provide 1 Speed EV.

  • Aerodactyl, Dedenne, Emolga, Fletchinder, Frogadier, Froslass, Jolteon, Lopunny, Manectric, Medicham, Meowstic, Noivern, Pidgeotto, Pikachu, Simipour, Simisage, Simisear, Starmie provide 2 Speed EVs.

Additional notes:

• Alpha Pokémon are excellent for HP EVs as they have perfect HP EVs.

• Using training items for each stat boosts EV gains.

• Avoid Pokémon that yield multiple EV stats if you want pure EV training for one stat.

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Which routes spawn the best EV trainers for each stat

The best routes or zones for EV training in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, focusing on specific EV stats, are as follows:

• HP EVs:

  • Wild Zone 12: Abundant Snorunt and Gogoat spawn here, great for HP EVs.

  • Dragon Lake: Dondozo (+3 EV HP) and Slowpoke (+1 EV HP) spawn here for efficient HP EV gains.

• Attack EVs:

  • Bamboo Grove: Populated with Heracross, Lokix, Kricetune, and Luxray that provide +2 or +3 Attack EVs each.

• Defense EVs:

  • Desert Biome: Hippowdon and Orthworm spawn, both giving +2 Defense EVs each.

• Special Attack EVs:

  • River outside the Fairy Base (North of the map): Golduck spawns here, giving +2 Special Attack EVs. This spot is considered the best for special attack EV training.

• Special Defense EVs:

  • Outside Psychic Gym: Gothorita (+2 Special Defense EVs) spawns here, a good spot to farm Special Defense EVs.

• Speed EVs:

  • Beach near the first lighthouse in the game: Wingull, Buizel, and Magikarp spawn here, each giving +1 Speed EV points.

Using these locations to target specific EV stats allows for efficient EV training through battles with the appropriate wild Pokémon. Pairing this with held EV-enhancing items can speed up the process.​