iamjustice
EV training doesn't have to be bad. Especially with the items and Pokerus. Do you have those?
Or is there confusion with how to do so?
It was scary and confusing for me at first, but it really doesn't take that long once you get how to do it.
I know how to do it - it's more the philosophical issues I have with the system itself, which remain true even now. Apologies in advance, for incoming rambling.
-It's inefficient for a purely arbitrary reason. At level 100, your EV spread is divided by 4 to get its effect on your stats. 510, the cap,
does not divide evenly by 4.
-It puts even more emphasis on base stats. Since, at most, you can only get +127 to your overall stats (compared to +378 in second gen) from training, the proportion of your stats that come from baseline has increased greatly.
When I first heard of the system, I thought the EVs wouldn't be divided at all (so, for example, a Careful Sandslash with 31 IV and 254 EV = 440 Special Defence,) a prospect that actually had me excited for the system. Lots of variety, lots of customisation, and what would seem to be an interesting choice between enhancing your strengths and covering your weaknesses. Do you gamble on the normally faster opponent not splashing speed and try to get enough to seize the initiative? Do you go nuts on SDef with your ground types, which only have* Special weaks? Do you go hard on (special) attack and speed and become a glass cannon?
*Had. I'm quite aware of stat-control and type being separated, considering how it took Shadowball away from Flareon and gave it to Vaporeon and Espeon.
razz
-Finally, it punishes you for playing the game. The same Pokemon that you started with, and the ones you meet on your journey... the same that helped you defeat anyone who harassed you, plus evil gangs, plus Gym Leaders, plus the Elite Four... who helped you meet, withstand, and hopefully catch the physical gods of the region...
...are not suitable as members of your "real" team, because fighting random anything (and Arceus forbid, exploiting type matchup) ensures an "improper" EV spread and greatly diminished viability in PvP. (To say nothing of tiers, though I have a list of favourites spread out all across those. My absolute favourite, take a wild guess which one, isn't even USABLE in tiered/claused play, unless it has its Dream World ability.)
Call me a lore-geek or RP nerd (or unkinder variants thereof) as you will; but it seems rather immersion-breaking to me.
3nodding