For long time fans of Pokemon, IVs are a familiar part of maximizing your team’s strength. They represent hidden stats that may make a Pokemon slightly better than its peers. Not too long after the release of Pokemon Go, it was discovered that IVs made their way into Niantic’s hit title, as well.
So how do Pokemon Go IVs work and how can you make the most of them in your team? Keep reading for our full Pokemon Go IV guide!
What are Pokemon Go IVs?
Just like in classic Pokemon titles, each type of Pokemon has base stats. In Pokemon Go, there are only three stats: Attack, Defense, and Stamina. Attack and Defense are obvious, but Stamina comes into play when you leave a Pokemon to defend a gym. The higher the stamina, the longer they can defend before returning.
While every Squirtle might have the same base stats, their final stats vary. Pokemon Go IVs (or Individual Values) are hidden stats that are randomly generated when a Pokemon is caught or hatched. These values are between 0 and 15, with a separate value for each stat. If you’re lucky, they can increase a Pokemon’s base stats by roughly 10 percent.
Here’s a quick example of Pokemon Go IVs. Squirtle’s base stats vs perfect IV stats:
- Attack – 94 vs 109
- Defense – 122 vs 137
- Stamina – 88 vs 103
These stats are then put together into CP (Combat Points), which is main way a Pokemon’s strength is displayed in Pokemon Go. However, CP also takes Pokemon levels into account, so a 500 CP Squirtle may not have better IVs than a 150 CP Squirtle. The only way to know the true potential of a Pokemon is to check their IVs.
It’s also worth noting that IVs remain the same through evolution, so feel free to evolve that perfect IV Squirtle into a Blastoise.
How to check Pokemon Go IVs
There is one way to check Pokemon Go IVs that’s already built into the game. However, it only provides a rough estimate, and not the full list of stats. We’ll cover more accurate ways too, but if a quick estimate is all you need, here’s how to check IVs in Pokemon Go:
- Tap on the Pokemon you want to check.
- Expand the menu on the bottom right.
- Tap Appraise.
- If the Pokemon’s IVs are high, you’ll see one of the following messages:
- Mystic: Overall, your Pokemon is a wonder! What a breathtaking Pokemon!
- Valor: Overall, your Pokemon simply amazes me. It can accomplish anything!
- Instinct: Overall, your Pokemon looks like it can really battle with the best of them!
Only Pokemon with 80-100 percent IVs will return the messages above. If you manage to see it, you’ve got a keeper!
If you want to know exactly what the IVs of your Pokemon are, there are several tools at your disposal. Be careful before you start Googling and installing apps, because some of them are against the Pokemon Go terms of service and will get your account banned. To help, we’ve assembed a list of the best Pokemon Go IV calculators out there.
Read also: 5 best Pokemon Go IV calculators for Android!
For legal options, there are two types. The first is an online calculator, and the second is an app with similar functionality. Essentially, you input your Pokemon’s stats and it figures out the exact values using a mathematical formula. You may need to level up very low level Pokemon a few times to make sure it’s accurate.
That’s all for our guide to Pokemon Go IVs! Have you managed to find any perfect IV Pokemon? Let us know in the comments!