How Stats Work - Competitive Pokemon Explained Part 1

Want to learn how to battle competitively in Pokemon Sword and Shield? We'll teach you how--starting with Pokemon's stats.

Even if you've played every Pokemon game, there's a good chance you've never played it competitively. That's because competitive Pokemon has a high barrier to entry, and there's a lot you need to know just to start battling. That said, competitive battling is exciting and incredibly rewarding--it's worth it, and Sword and Shield are a great place to get started.

In the video above, we break down that barrier to entry so you can actually enjoy battling. Part 1 of this mini-series is all about how Pokemon's stats work: species stats, IVs, natures, and the basics of EVs. What do all those words and acronyms mean? This video explains all of them with plenty of charts to make it a lot less intimidating.

In GameSpot's Pokemon Sword and Shield review, Kallie Plagge wrote, "In collecting, battling, and exploring, Sword and Shield cut out the bloat and focus on what makes these pillars of the Pokemon games so captivating in the first place. You're not held back by overly complicated back-end systems or hoops to jump through; from the outset, you can start wandering the Galar region, seeing its new Pokemon, and trying out its new battle strategies with very little in your way. This leaves you free to enjoy what Pokemon is all about, and that makes for an incredibly strong showing for the series' proper debut on Switch."

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