'Pokémon Let's Go' Training Guide: CP, Natures, EVs, IVs and More Explained

Training a team of Pokémon can be difficult and time-consuming. And while Pokémon Let's Go Pikachu and Let's Go Eevee does away with some battling aspects, the training part largely remains the same.

In fact, Let's Go makes it a little easier to train Pokémon and build a competitive team, despite not having breeding. Other features introduced in Let's Go can help trainers determine a Pokémon's Nature, IVs and even EVs.

Here's an explainer of certain Pokémon stats and how to determine them in Let's Go.

COMBAT POINTS (CP)

In Pokémon Go, CP was introduced as a way for players to determine if a Pokémon has good stats or not. Before the arrival of the Appraisal feature and IVs, CP was the one stat that Pokémon Go players could rely on, but it's become more muddied in the new Switch games.

In Let's Go, CP seemingly has less bearing on a Pokémon's stats than in Pokémon Go . While it's still a good visual for determining a Pokémon's strengths, the implementation of Natures (more on that below) CP is less reliable of a stat. In fact, it's less of a stat and more of a representation of a Pokémon's strength.

Natures, IVs and EVs are better ways to determine a Pokémon's strengths.

NATURE

Natures are very important in the development of a Pokémon, and are the easiest to determine. A Pokémon's Nature determines which stat grows faster slower than normal.

Players can check their Pokémon's Nature by going to its summary page. In the top right corner the Nature is shown underneath the Trainer's name. Press the A button to see the stats chart. A stat colored in Red will grow faster than normal, while a stat colored in Blue will grow slower.

If the stats chart doesn't have any color, that Pokémon has a neutral Nature and no stat will grow faster or slower than normal.

Pokémon caught in the wild will have a random Nature, but in Let's Go a trainer can pre-determine which Nature the Pokémon they catch or interact with will have.

By visiting the Fortune Teller in the Celadon City Pokémon Center, you can pay them 10,000 Poke Dollars to have Pokémon have a better chance of getting the Nature you want for one day. They will ask which colored flower to water (increase) and then which colored flower to let wither (decrease).

Here's each color and the stat it represents:

Red - Attack

Yellow - Defense

Blue - Special Attack

Green - Special Defense

Pink - Speed

INDIVIDUAL VALUES (IVs)

Individual Values or IVs are a Pokémon's specific character that affects how much stock is put into individual stats. Each stat of a Pokémon ranges from 0-31 -- with 31 being the max.

In Pokémon Let's Go, IVs are determined randomly when you catch a Pokémon, but trainers can find out what they are by talking to the IV Judge after catching at least 30 species of Pokémon. He can be found upstairs in the passageway between Route 11 and 12.

While IVs are random, using the new Catch Combo mechanic can help trainers catch a Pokémon with high stats.

The exact percentages are yet to be determined, but according to Serebii the chance to get guaranteed Max IVs in a Pokémon increases as your Catch Combo grows.

Here are the percentages:

0 - 10 combo = 0 guaranteed Max IVs

11 - 20 = 2

21 - 30 = 3

31 - 70 = 4

70 - 110 = 5

110 + = 6

There's another way to guarantee Max IVs in Pokémon Let's Go. Mr. Hyper can be found in the Day Care Center on Route 5 (South of Cerulean City) and he can max a Pokémon's IVs in exchange for Bottle Caps.

One Bottle Cap can be exchanged for one Max IV while a Gold Bottle Cap can be exchanged for six Max IVs. The method to obtaining these Bottle Caps is unknown but defeating Mina after leaving the S.S. Anne will provide one.

EFFORT VALUES/CANDIES

Effort Values (EVs) were a way for trainers to battle and earn points toward building certain Pokémon's stats. However, they are non-existent in Pokémon Let's Go and instead have been replaced with Candies.

Like Pokémon Go , feeding Pokémon candy will boost stats. There are two versions of candy, species-specific and generic. Species-specific candy can be obtained by releasing Pokémon, obtaining them randomly when you catch a Pokémon or completing minigames in the Pokémon Go Park.

Species-specific Pokémon candy will raise all stats by one, while the generic candy are separated by the stat.

Smart Candy (Sp Atk)

Health Candy (HP)

Mighty Candy (Attack)

Tough Candy (Defense)

Courage Candy (Sp Def)

Quick Candy (Speed)

These candy come in three sizes that can only be used for Pokémon at certain levels. Normal size candy can be used anyone, Large for Level 30 and above, and Extra Large for Level 60 and above.

That way to use the candy is to determine, which stats you want to increase first. If you want a speedy Pokémon, you'll want to feed it as much Quick Candy as possible until it can't any more. As a Pokémon's level increases, the more candy it will need.

Let's Go does a good job of telling trainers if a Pokémon can take a candy so pay attention to what it says.