If you like it then please leave a like, thanks.
UPDATE: JANUARY 13, 2013.
As you may or may not know, yes, I did quit. After seeing that people are still interested in this guide I am beginning to feel guilty that I have not updated it.
Thank you for all the views and thanks over the months, seeing some stupid thing I typed up being received that well and just getting viewed this much blew my mind!
If you're going to be in the Sevii islands use Squall's guide: Link
I'd like to ask that mods consider pinning the other EV guides as well since it's a whole different game from when I played. I'd hate to just straight up delete this thread but it's probably obscenely out of date and probably should be replace by a guide that someone else has written that is up to date. You'd know better than I would about it being informative.
Before you get started you may like to know what EVs actually are. EV stands for 'effort value'. 4 Evs will increase a pokemon stat by 1 point, the maximum amount of EVs in a stat is 255 but the recommended maximum is 252 so you can use the remainder points in another stat. If you want a full guide and explanation of what EVs are you should check somewhere else like bulbapedia.
If you have never played pokemon competitively before and would like to learn more about sets and EV spreads then I would recommend checking out smogon. They have all you need and more on basic cookie cutter
sets. (Sorry for everyone who just cringed)
Also, do not make the mistake of EV training a bad natured pokemon. For example an adamant abra. If you are going to sink the time into EV training, then you need to catch a pokemon with a nature complimentary to the stats you want. For example again a timid alakazam is perfect, as you will be EV training it for SpA and Spe. Here is a link to my preferred natures chart. The - stands for a subtraction of 10% and a + represents a subtraction of 10%. As you can see if you look at the chart timid adds to speed and subtracts from attack. You can also hover your mouse over the pokemon's nature in the pokemon summary to show what it does. I don't like to rely on that, though. Sometimes it's unresponsive.
This is a list of all the places to train EVs. It will tell you what pokemon will give what EVs and where to find them as well as their levels. I will ammend it as new content is released. If you see something wrong, let me know. Even I, the great and powerful Galium-sama-rama-chan-san-kun make mistakes. Also, this is not a natures or how to EV train thread. That's another show guide.
You would be surprised what doesn't give the EVs you thought it would (like weedle, speed what?)
The recommended pokes to train on and the best area to find them will be bolded and highlited in red.
Stat Recommended Area Level of pokemon
Health (HP)
Fat things give HP EVs and it's no coincidence that there is a fat guy sitting next to the pond in viridian. Before surf - Caterpie. After surf - Slowpoke. The pond has only slowpoke and psyduck, so you can get some SpA while you get HP.
1 HP EV Viridian Forest Lv. 3-5
Clefairy 2 HP EVs
Jigglypuff 2 HP EVs
Nidoran (F) 1 HP EV
Snorlax 2 HP EVs
Slowpoke 1 HP EV
Ditto 1 HP EV
Grimer 1 HP EV
1 HP EV Viridian City (surf) Lv. 20-35
Attack (Atk)
Of course slaughtering hugging super kawaii desu ne bugs with big eyes makes you stronger. Why wouldn't it? And if you're wondering "Why paras?" it's because they appear at a 100% rate in the tunnels. An alternate area is behind the safari zone warden's house in fuchsia. Fishing there will always land you a goldeen, seaking or gyarados. (Thanks Tsriel.) Watch out for the psyducks, though. If you want to keep your level low for tourneys, you need to stay at paras.
1 ATK EV Mt. Moon tunnels Lv. 5-10
Mankey 1 Atk EV
Machop 1 Atk EV
Machoke 2 Atk EVs
Growlithe 1 Atk EV
Doduo 1 Atk EV
Nidoran (M) 1 Atk EV
Ekans 1 Atk EV
Arbok 2 Atk EVs
Bellsprout 1 Atk EV
Weepinbell 2 Atk EVs
Gyarados 2 Atk EVs
Krabby 1 Atk EV
Kingler 2 Atk EVs
Goldeen 1 Atk Ev Fuchsia City (fishing behind warden's house) Lv. 15-25
2 Atk Evs Fuchsia City (fishing behind warden's house) Lv. 25-30
2 Atk Evs Fuchsia City (fishing behind warden's house) Lv. 15-25
Defense (Def)
ALL HAIL OUR GREAT OVERLORD, TANGELA. BY THE POWER OF TENTACLES, YOU WILL NO LONGER SUFFER THE VIRIDIAN FOREST! (for def) They appear at a 100% rate on route 21. That's RIGHT below pallet town. You need surf to get there.
Metapod 2 Def EVs
Kakuna 2 Def EVs
Geodude 1 Def EV
Onix 1 Def EV
Cubone 1 Def EV
Marowak 2 Def EVs
Sandshrew 1 Def EV
Koffing 1 Def EV
Weezing 2 Def EVs
Slowbro 2 Def EVs
Shelder 1 Def EV
1 Def EV Route 21 Lv. 14-28
Special Attack (SpA)
Special attack should only be done in one place. 2spookytower in lavender town. There is a healing spot right in the room on the 5th floor with the pokemon you will be genociding er.. ghost busting. (It's fine they're already dead). Just watch out for cubone because they give DEF and will screw up your EVs.
1 SpA Ev 2spookytower Lv. 13-19
2 SpA EVs 2spookytower Lv. 20-25
Oddish 1 SpA EV
Abra 1 SpA EV
Magnemite 1 SpA EV
Magneton 2 SpA EVs
Horsea 1 SpA EV
Psyduck 1 SpA EV
Special Defense (SP. Def)
Good news, everyone! Venonats came way earlier than I expected and now we get to grind on those! They give 1 EV and they're pretty common to boot (30%)! But wait, there's more! Ditto also appear in the same area (and the pokemon mansion basement at a 10% rate) as venonat so you can proceed to catch those in hopes of good natures for breeding (someday). The venonats appear on routes 13, 14 and 15, I recommend going to route 15 for the tasty dittos and close proximity to the pokecenter. After you get surf you can encounter tentacools and it's much easier to grind those than it is to grind venonats. And no, you can't surf into tentacruel until post game.
Drowzee 1 SpD EV
Venonat 1 SpD EV Routes 13/14/15 Lv. 24-26
1 SpD EV SURF ANYWHERE Lv. 5-40
Seel 1 SpD EV
Dewgong 2 SpD EV
Speed (Spe)
This one's easy. If you're supereffective against ground go to diglett tunnel. If you're weak to ground and will die to a dig train on route 18 and grind on the birds and rats. If you are a ground type you can go to the powerplant, just avoid the magnemite and magneton as they give SpA. You can put a level 23 pokemon in the front of your party and use one repel to only encounter dugtrio if you want. Heck, even zubat has a use sometimes. Gotta go fast.
Weedle 1 Spe EV
Pikachu 2 Spe EVs
Voltorb 1 Spe EV
Pidgey Route 1 Lv. 2-5
Spearow 1 Spe EV Route 16/17/18 Lv. 20-22
Zubat 1 Spe EV
Golbat 2 Spe EVs
Diglett 1 Spe EV Diglett's Cave Lv 15-22
2 Spe EVs Diglett's Cave Lv.29-31
Rattata 1 Spe EV Route 1/16/17/18 Lv. 2-4/18-22
Meowth 1 Spe EV
Magikarp 1 Spe EV
Vulpix 1 Spe
Fearow 2 Spe Routes 16/17/18 Lv. 25-27
Raticate 2 Spe Routes 16/17/18 Lv. 23-25
Electabuzz 2 Spe
Poliwag 1 Spe
Poliwhirl 2 Spe
Multiple EV Pokemon
Seadra 1 Sp.Atk & 1 Def
Muk 1 Hp & 1 Atk
