Do you want to know if your Pokémon’s stats are the best in Pokémon Sword and Shield? You can check the base stats on the summary of your Pokemon, but what about their IVs? Unlocking the IV Checker will help!
Individual Values, or IVs as dubbed by the community, are like your Pokémon’s genes. These are essential in determining the stats of your Pokémon. IVs are hidden stats that affect each of the six stats, HP, Attack, Defense, Speed, Special Defense, and Special Attack. These hidden stats range from 0 to 31 and are unique for each Pokémon.
If you want to be the very best like no one ever was, it is essential to know your Pokémon’s Individual Values and if they are the best or not. In this guide, you will learn how to unlock the IV Checker in Pokémon Sword and Shield.
Unlocking the IV Checker
These are the things you must do to unlock the IV Checker:
The Main Storyline
You must first beat the main story. This means you have battled all eight gyms, collected their respective badges, and defeated the Champion of Galar, Leon. If you are still early in the game, worry about the main story first and the IV Checker later.
The Battle Tower
After beating the main storyline, you will unlock the Battle Tower. Participate in the Battle Tower until you win a total of six battles, in either Single Battles or Double Battles. The sixth battle is another battle against Leon.
The IV Checker (Finally)
After doing everything mentioned above and defeating Champion Leon again in the Battle Tower, you will unlock the IV Checker! Go to your Pokémon Boxes and press the + button to toggle the Judge function! Yup, as easy as that!
Upon checking the IVs of your Pokémon, your Pokémon’s IVs will be rated by adjectives and not the actual number. This is what the adjectives mean: Best is 31, Fantastic is 30, Very Good is from 29 to 21, Pretty Good is from 20 to 11, Decent is from 10 to 1, and No Good is 0.
Tips
It is worth noting Pokémon in the wild usually have low IVs. But watch out for wild Pokémon with a glowing yellow aura as that means it has two or three maximized IVs and one rare Egg move. These Egg moves are only learned through breeding. It is still possible to catch Pokémon with high IVs in the wild, but the chances are so low it is not worth trying. Pokémon encountered in Max Raid Battles, on the other hand, almost always have high IVs, so if you are trying to catch Pokémon with High IVs, best to stick to Max Raid Battles.
It is worth mentioning that a Pokémon’s IVs can be passed on by breeding. This can be done by letting the parent Pokémon hold the Power Weight to pass down the parent Pokémon’s HP IV, Power Bracer to pass down the parent Pokémon’s Attack IV, Power Belt to pass down the Defense IV, Power Anklet to pass down the Speed IV, or Power Band to pass down the Sp. Def IV, Power Lens to pass down the Sp. Atk IV or Destiny Knot to pass down five random IVs (in contrast to only three random IVs passed down without the Destiny Knot item).
If battling in the competitive scene is in your sights, the IV Checker is an essential tool to ensure you are fighting with the best Pokémon possible. Now, go forth and be the very best like no one ever was!
