Pokémon Red and Green introduced the concept of battling and capturing Pokémon battles. Each Pokémon’s differing strengths and weaknesses is displayed as numbers on its stats screen, but there are underlying numbers and formulas that determine these values. Among these is individual values, often abbreviated as IVs.
What are Individual Values (IVs)?
Individual Values are hidden numbers assigned to each Pokémon that help determine its stats. Think of them like a Pokémon’s inherent genetic potential. Two Pikachu caught at the same level might have slightly different stats, even before any training. This difference is largely due to their IVs.
Because individual values are random, they influence different stat ranges for each Pokémon. This creates a diversity in the stat values of each Pokémon, even in two Pokémon of the same species, ensuring that no two wild Pokémon are likely to have the same stats. The higher a Pokémon’s individual values, the higher its stats can reach.
Individual values are set when a Pokémon is first encountered, and the values cannot be changed.
Sun/Moon introduced Hyper Training, a feature that can maximize a Pokémon’s individual values.
Each of a Pokémon’s give stats has its own individual value, a number ranging from 0 to 15. A higher IV in a particular stat means the Pokémon has greater potential in that stat and will generally have a higher value for it at any given level compared to an identical Pokémon with a lower IV.
How IVs are calculated and stored
Internally, individual values for Attack, Defense, Speed, and Special are stored using four bits of data, allowing for values from 0 (binary 0000) to 15 (binary 1111).
The HP IV calculation
The individual value for hit points (HP) is calculated based on the other stats:
- Start with 0.
- If the attack IV is odd, add 8 to the HP IV.
- If the defense IV is odd, add 4 to the HP IV.
- If the speed IV is odd, add 2 to the HP IV.
- If the special IV is odd, add 1 to the HP IV.
A Pokémon with Attack IV 10 (1010 - even), Defense IV 13 (1101 - odd), Speed IV 5 (0101 - odd), and Special IV 8 (1000 - even) would have:
- Attack (even): +0
- Defense (odd): +4
- Speed (odd): +2
- Special (even): +0
Total HP IV = 0 + 4 + 2 + 0 = 6.
Limitation of IVs in wild Pokémon
Due to how individual values are generated in the color generation, it is impossible to encounter a wild Pokémon with maxed-out individual values in these titles. For details, see this Pokémon Speed Runs wiki page (via Wayback Machine).
The method to generate individual values differs in the metal generation, removing any limits on a wild Pokémon’s potential individual values.
Determining a Pokémon’s IVs
The individual values are hidden, and as such it is not possible to know the exact values without reverse-calculating them based on the Pokémon’s base stats and effort levels.
Ruby/Sapphire introduced a recurring judge NPC to get a vague idea of a Pokémon’s individual values. Sun/Moon upgraded this with an in-PC feature that provides a more precise image of each stat’s individual value.
Impact of Poké Transporter on Virtual Console Pokémon IVs
Virtual Console titles can send Pokémon to Poké Transporter, allowing them to travel to later generations. Due to the change in individual values starting with the advanced generation, a Pokémon’s individual values are re-rolled when sent through the Poké Transporter, with a guarantee of three maximized values.
With the closure of Nintendo’s eShop for the 3DS, it is no longer possible to download Game Boy Pokémon games, the Poké Transporter, and Pokémon Bank applications through the eShop. A Nintendo 3DS with these games and applications already installed can still (at the time of this writing) transfer Pokémon through these applications and to Pokémon HOME.
Why are they called Individual Values?
These are hidden values that Game Freak likely did not expect anyone to know about, so they are not directly mentioned or named within the Game Boy titles.
With no official term, fans created their own. Marcus Majarra coined the term Diversification Value.
At the time, Pokémon Forever used terms more in line with those used by Japanese websites. However, the term primarily used for these values was a mathematical term that wasn’t quite accurate. I considered switching to using the “DV” term, but I wasn’t certain what the “D” stood for, and when I looked it up I landed on at least three different words, including “Diversification” and “Determinant”.
Thus, I did the only sensible thing: I set out to create my own term and came up with Individual Value.
The term first appeared on Pokémon Forever on or shortly before February 10th, 2001. It was used in the Gold/Silver breeding section, including mentions on a page called “Breeding Memo 3”—which outlined a baby’s stat inheritance from its parents—and a page titled “Controlled Stats”—which had sections for “Shiny Baby” and “Max Individual Values Baby”.
The term “DV” remained popular in research communities such as Azure Heights and is still used by many to refer to the hidden values in the Game Boy era games. With the change in how the stats work starting in the advanced generation, the term “IV” became common as a differentiating factor.