Colkate said:
I've got two questions that I can't seem to find definitive answers to:
1)Back in the Red/Blue days I always used to hear that using Rare Candy's would result in a Pokemon not as strong as one levelled via exp, is this still true? (If it ever was.)
2)I recently heard that a Pokemon of type (for example) Water using a Water move gets a damage bonus, something I've never been aware of. Is that true?
1) Yes and no. Pokemon stats are dependent on a few things:
- Nature
- IVs
- EVs
- Level
Nature will either be neutral and not affect stats at all or give one stat a boost of 10% and another a handicap of 10%. For a special sweeper (a pokemon with a high Sp.Atk who is primarily used offensively with moves that take advantage of Sp.Atk), it might be advantageous to have a boost of 10% in Sp.Atk, but a 10% handicap in Atk (which would never be used). I think the nature for this is Modest. There are tables that describe what each nature does on the net.
IVs are Individual Values and at level 100 can boost each stat from nothing to as much as 31 points. These are determined either at conception or when you first catch a pokemon. Basically, there are six of them (one each for Atk/Def/Sp.Atk/Sp.Def/Spd/HP) per monster and each one gives you a boost in that stat of between 0 and 31 at level 100 and a proportional boost at lower levels. They're basically random (unless you're breeding, where there are different rules)
EVs are Effort Values and are gained from either defeating pokemon or using stat boosting items (protein, iron, carbos, calcium etc.) and provide a boost for each of your 6 stats depending on how they're distributed. Each pokemon you defeat will give you a certain number of EVs (Bidoof give 1 EV in the HP stat, for instance) and when you get 4 EVs in a stat, that stat will be boosted by 1 at either the next level up, upon evolution or when you use a stat-reduction berry on a different stat. EVs for each stat are maxed out at 255 (maximum boost of 63 points in any stat) and your overall cap is set at 510 EVs (127 point boost distributed over all your stats). Also, your stat boost items provide 10 EVs up to (I think 100 EVs in a stat).
Levelling up boosts your stats according to level tables.
Thus, when you level up your pokemon to level 100, they'll get the level 100 base stats plus any boosts/handicaps due to nature, plus any boosts due to IVs, plus any boosts due to EVs.
If you use rare candy to level up to 100, your pokemon doesn't get the EV boosts and so is weaker than one that was levelled up via battling. Luckily, you can EV train at any time. At level 100, however, you need to take an extra step (because you can't level again).
1) Decide what you want your EV spread to be
2) Choose a stat you don't want any EVs in and gain a maximum of
two EVs in that stat.
3) Use a guide to EV train as normal
4) Find a stat reduction berry for the "junk" stat from step 2 and use it on your pokemon
5) The game will recalculate your EV boost and your pokemon will gain its 127 point EV boost
2) A water pokemon using an offensive water move will get a 50% power boost on that move. It's called Same Type Attack Boost, or STAB.
