How to Make Perfect Pokemon in Pokemon Legends Z-A (EVs, IVs, & More)

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In Pokemon Legends: Z-A, your Pokemon will get stronger as you play, gaining experience, improving stats, and learning new moves. But if you really want to maximize your Pokemon’s potential, you’ll need to consider things like their Natures, Effort Values (EVs), and Individual Values (IVs). This guide will explain everything you need to know to build the perfect Pokemon team in Pokemon Legends: Z-A.

This guide explains how to maximize a PokĆ©monā€™s stats, but itā€™s up to you to decide which stats are best for each PokĆ©mon. What works well for one ā€“ like high HP and Special Attack ā€“ might not be ideal for another, which could benefit more from high Attack and Speed. If youā€™re unsure what stats to prioritize, resources like Smogen University and Reddit can offer helpful advice.

Change Nature in Pokemon Legends Z-A

To create the ideal PokĆ©mon, start by giving it a helpful nature. PokĆ©mon natures boost one stat while lowering another, and you can change a PokĆ©monā€™s nature using a Mint. In PokĆ©mon Legends Z-A, there are 21 different Mints available. You can buy them from flower vendors at locations shown on the map for 20,000 PokĆ© Coins each. The table below details what each Mint does.

Mint Effect
Serious Mint All stats grow at an equal rate.
Lonely Mint ā†‘Attack, ā†“Defense
Adamant Mint ā†‘Attack, ā†“Sp. Atk
Naughty Mint ā†‘Attack, ā†“Sp. Def
Brave Mint ā†‘Attack, ā†“Speed
Bold Mint ā†‘Defense, ā†“Attack
Impish Mint ā†‘Defense, ā†“Sp. Atk
Lax Mint ā†‘Defense, ā†“Sp. Def
Relaxed Mint ā†‘Defense, ā†“Speed
Modest Mint ā†‘Sp. Atk, ā†“Attack
Mild Mint ā†‘Sp. Atk, ā†“Defense
Rash Mint ā†‘Sp. Atk, ā†“Sp. Def
Quiet Mint ā†‘Sp. Atk, ā†“Speed
Calm Mint ā†‘Sp. Def, ā†“Attack
Gentle Mint ā†‘Sp. Def, ā†“Defense
Careful Mint ā†‘Sp. Def, ā†“Sp. Atk
Sassy Mint ā†‘Sp. Def, ā†“Speed
Timid Mint ā†‘Speed, ā†“Attack
Hasty Mint ā†‘Speed, ā†“Defense
Jolly Mint ā†‘Speed, ā†“Sp. Atk
Naive Mint ā†‘Speed, ā†“Sp. Def

Changing a PokĆ©monā€™s nature with a Mint wonā€™t update the nature shown in its Trainer Notes. Instead, youā€™ll see red and blue arrows next to the PokĆ©monā€™s stats to show how the Mint has changed those stats.

EV Training in Pokemon Legends Z-A

Once you’ve established a good base for your PokĆ©mon, you can start focusing on their EVs, or Effort Values. Simply put, EVs are points PokĆ©mon earn through battles that increase their stats. PokĆ©mon can have a total of 508 EV points, and each stat is maxed out at 252 points. In PokĆ©mon Legends: Z-A, dedicated players can fully maximize two stats, and put the remaining four points into a third. Hereā€™s how to do it:

Reset EVs

Okay, so if you’ve been battling with a PokĆ©mon and haven’t really paid attention to its Effort Values ā€“ basically, those hidden stats that make it stronger in certain areas ā€“ things can get a little messy. Its EVs might be all over the place, meaning it’s not optimized. But don’t worry, there are actually a couple of ways to fix that and reset your PokĆ©mon’s EVs so you can start fresh!

  • Berries: There are six Berries in Pokemon Legends: Z-A that can be used to reduce the EVs assigned to a particular stat. Those Berries are Kelpsy (Attack), Pomeg (HP), Qualot (Defense), Hondew (Sp. Atk), Grepa (Sp. Def), and Tamato (Speed), and a single Berry will remove 10 points when used.
  • Rust Syndicate Office: After completing Main Mission 24 in Pokemon Legends: Z-A, players can enter the Rust Syndicate Office. The NPC at the front desk in this building can reset all of a Pokemon’s EVs for just five Mega Shards.

Increase Desired EVs

After resetting a PokĆ©mon’s Effort Values (EVs), players can carefully distribute the 508 points to boost the stats they want. A common strategy is to maximize two stats by putting 252 points into each, and then add the remaining 4 points to a third stat. There are a couple of different methods for doing this.

  • EV Items: The fastest way to increase a Pokemon’s EVs is to feed it items that apply points directly to the stats that are of interest. Indeed, there are consumable items associated with each stat, and using one will put 10 points towards the stat. These items can be purchased from Poke Centers for 5,000 Poke Coins each, and they are as follows:
Item Effect
HP Up +10 HP Points
Protein +10 Attack Points
Iron +10 Defense Points
Calcium +10 Sp. Atk Points
Zinc +10 Sp. Def Points
Carbos +10 Speed Points

To maximize a PokĆ©mon’s Effort Values (EVs), players can use 26 of a specific EV-boosting item, which provides a total of 260 points, but only 252 are actually applied. Luckily, players will also find Feathers throughout the game. Each Feather adds one point to a stat. Therefore, players can reach the 252 EV maximum by using 25 EV items and 2 Feathers.

  • Battling: If a player is short on Poke Coins, they can also earn all their EVs in battle. However, players who plan to gain their EVs in this fashion should make sure to target Pokemon that apply points towards the stats that they are interested in increasing. Indeed, each Pokemon yields a certain type of EV when defeated, and here are some good locations for grinding each stat:
Desired EV Where to Grind
HP Wild Zone 19 ( , , )
Attack Wild Zone 13 ( , , , , )
Defense Wild Zone 15 ( , , )
Sp. Atk Wild Zone 6 ( , , )
Sp. Def Wild Zone 3 ( )
Speed Wild Zone 1 ( , , , , )

Before battling to raise your PokĆ©monā€™s EVs, be sure to equip them with the corresponding power item. These items give your PokĆ©mon an extra eight EV points per battle and can be bought from the woman at the front desk of Quasartico Inc. after completing PokĆ©mon Legends: Z-A. You can also earn these items by completing certain Side Missions.

Power Item Effect Side Mission
Power Weight +HP Stat Side Mission 72: Find My Galarian Stunfisk!
Power Bracer +Attack Stat Side Mission 38: Chasing Status
Power Belt +Defense Stat Side Mission 39: Slowpoke for Slowpoke
Power Lens +Sp. Atk Stat Side Mission 104: Abuzz About Bug Types
Power Band +Sp. Def Stat Side Mission 99: Pleasing Aron’s Palate
Power Anklet +Speed Stat Side Mission 69: A Sky Battle, for Old Times’ Sake

You can see a PokĆ©mon’s Effort Values (EVs) by looking at its stats. If a stat has reached its maximum, it will be highlighted with sparkles when you check.

IVs in Pokemon Legends Z-A

Now that EVs are established, players can focus on improving their PokĆ©mon’s IVsā€”the inherent stats a PokĆ©mon has at creation. To maximize these stats, visit the Justice Dojo and use the Hyper Training feature with an NPC there. They can raise one stat using a Bottle Cap, earned after completing the game in the Infinite Z-A Royale, or max all six stats with a Gold Bottle Cap.

You’ll get Bottle Caps by completing Mable’s Research tasks. Once you’ve used those, the Infinite Z-A Royale is the best way to earn more.

Plus Moves in Pokemon Legends Z-A

When players visit the Justice Dojo, they can talk to the NPCs there to turn regular moves into Plus Moves. Each conversion costs one Seed of Mastery, which players get by defeating Alpha Pokemon.

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2025-10-24 19:10