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Discover how IVs impact your Pokemon’s strength in Pokemon GO. Learn to calculate, evaluate, and optimize IVs for battle success!
In Pokemon GO, Individual Values (IVs) are key to determining how strong and durable your Pokemon can be in battles. While they might seem hidden at first glance, IVs are simple to understand once you know how they work. Let’s break it all down in a friendly, easy-to-follow guide to help you make the best decisions for your team.
What Are IVs in Pokemon GO?
IVs, short for Individual Values, represent a Pokemon’s unique stats. They determine how much better one Pokemon of the same species can perform compared to another. In Pokemon GO, IVs influence three key stats:
- Attack: Impacts how much damage your Pokemon deals in battles.
- Defense: Helps your Pokemon resist damage from opponents.
- HP (Stamina): Affects how long your Pokemon can stay in the fight.
Each of these stats has a range from 0 to 15. Higher IVs mean a better-performing Pocket Monster overall. Together, IVs add to a Pokemon’s base stats, which are consistent within each species.
Base Stats vs. IVs
Think of base stats as the foundation of a Pokemon’s strength. They stay the same across all Pokemon of the same type. For example, every Charizard has the same base stats. IVs, on the other hand, are what make each Pocket Monster unique, adding that extra boost to their base stats.
How IVs Work in Pokemon GO
When you catch a Pokemon in the wild, hatch it from an egg, or defeat a raid boss to catch it, the game randomly assigns its IVs. Unlike the main series of Pokemon games, factors like Nature or Effort Values (EVs) don’t affect stats in Pokemon GO. This makes IVs much simpler to manage.
Here’s how Pokemon GO assigns IVs:
- Wild Pokemon: IVs range from 0 to 15 for each stat.
- Eggs and Raid Bosses: These Pokemon have IVs ranging from 10 to 15 for each stat, meaning they’re generally stronger.
Appraising Pokemon IVs
The easiest way to check IVs is through the Appraisal feature in the game.
- Open a Pokemon’s profile.
- Tap the button with three lines in the bottom-right corner.
- Select Appraise.
Your Team Leader will analyze the Pokemon’s stats, showing three bars (Attack, Defense, and HP). The closer each bar is to being fully filled and red, the higher the IVs. A perfect IV Pokemon will have all the bars completely filled.
What Is Perfect IV in Pokemon GO?
A perfect IV Pokemon, often called a “hundo,” has 15/15/15 IVs for Attack, Defense, and HP. This means the Pokemon has reached its full potential for battle performance.
Why Perfect IVs Matter
While a perfect IV Pocket Monster isn’t always necessary for every battle, it’s ideal for maximizing strength. High-IV Pokemon excel in raids, Gym defense, and even against Team GO Rocket. When combined with strong base stats and good moves, they become formidable opponents or allies.
How to Find Perfect or High-IV Pokemon
You can use the game’s search bar to quickly locate Pokemon based on their IVs:
- Type 4* to filter Pocket Monster with perfect IVs.
- Use 3* to find strong Pokemon with great stats, though not perfect.
Organizing your Pokemon this way saves time and ensures you focus on the strongest ones in your collection.
Can IVs Be Changed?
Once assigned, a Pocket Monster’s IVs cannot be directly altered. However, there are two ways they can change under specific circumstances:
1. Purifying Shadow Pokemon
Shadow Pokemon, known for their powerful Shadow Boost, can be purified to increase their IVs by +2 points for each stat. This means, with 13/13/13 it will become a perfect IV Pocket Monster (15/15/15) after purification.
Purified Pokemon also have reduced Candy and Stardust requirements for powering up and evolving, making them a solid option for trainers. However, purifying removes the Shadow Boost, so you’ll need to decide based on your strategy.
2. Trading Pokemon
When you trade Pocket Monsters with friends, their IVs are randomized. While this can result in improved stats, it’s also possible to end up with worse IVs than before.
- Lucky Trades: If you and your friend are at max friendship, trading has a chance to result in a Lucky Pokemon. Lucky Pocket Monsters always have high IVs (at least 12/12/12) and require less Stardust for powering up.
IVs vs. CP: What’s the Difference?
It’s easy to confuse a Pokemon’s Combat Power (CP) with its IVs, but they’re not the same.
- CP is a combination of a Pokemon’s base stats, IVs, and level.
- A high CP doesn’t guarantee high IVs. Some Pocket Monsters with low CP can have excellent IVs, while others with high CP might fall short in potential.
Always use the appraisal tool to evaluate a Pokemon’s true worth instead of relying solely on its CP.
How IVs Are Handled Across Games?
If you transfer a Pocket Monster between Pokemon GO and other games like Pokemon HOME or Let’s Go, their IVs may change. Here’s how:
- Attack and Special Attack IVs: Determined by multiplying Pokemon GO’s Attack IV by 2 and adding 1.
- Defense and Special Defense IVs: Calculated by doubling the Defense IV and adding 1.
- Speed IVs: Randomized since Speed doesn’t exist in Pokemon GO.
Perfect IV Pokemon in GO will remain perfect when transferred to other compatible games.
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