One of the most common doubts in Pokémon Go is about what the IV values are , which the game keeps hidden, and what is their difference with respect to the PC (or CP), which are shown on the pokémon tokens.
Unfortunately, Pokémon Go is a bit of a “cheat” in this regard. It expresses the strength of each Pokémon captured by CP, an irrelevant indicator, while IVs are not mentioned. Before going into the differences, let’s clarify what these acronyms are:
- CP : they mean “combat points” (“CP” in English), it is a data that shows Pokémon Go in an open way, and that determines the combat strength of a specific creature at that exact moment, since the CP can be increased using candies and stardust.
- IV : refers to the “individual values” (“individual values” in English), which determine the combat potential that each pokémon will achieve. It is a hidden number, which ranges from 0 to 100 and is fixed in each specific copy.
Here we find the key difference: CP represents force at a given moment , while IV values represent potential force , that is, the power that a pokémon can reach if we raise its level with stardust and candy.
In the end, no matter how much power we give a pokémon, its limit is set by the IV values, so we should not waste resources with those with a reduced IV.
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These statistics only serve to compare the same species, as much as a Rattata has an IV of 100, a Mewtwo with an IV of 50 will still be much stronger.
The IVs are the important thing: a practical example
All this is easier to understand with a practical case. For example, let’s imagine that we have two Dratini with a PC of 400 , but one has an IV of 100 and another has an IV of 50.
At that particular time, the combat capabilities of both Dratini will be similar. But the specimen with an IV of 50 is mediocre , and it is not worth enhancing it.
On the other hand, the Dratini with IV of 100 , apart from being a very rare specimen, will become a formidable Dragonite to fight once we evolve it and raise its level using candies and stardust.
We must bear in mind that the trainer level in Pokémon GO limits the power that they allow us to give to a specimen. That is, no matter how high the IV of a Pokémon is, we will not be able to obtain its maximum CP until we reach level 40.
How the IV system works
Within Pokémon Go (and the rest of the games in the series), the IV values represent the degree of perfection of each creature. They are associated with its genetics, being assigned randomly when the pokémon is “born”.
In Pokémon Go the IVs are not so random, for example, a catch in a raid, weekly reward, or an egg will almost always have a pretty good IV. On the other hand, the “spawn” (the wild pokémon that appear in the streets) is much more variable.
IV values are made up of three separate components :
- Attack.
- Defending.
- Health.
Each of these IV values can range from 0 to 15 , the higher the better. That is, a perfect pokémon would have an IV of 45 (or 100%).
In Pokémon Go, IVs are usually measured in a percentage from 0 to 100, but the system is identical, only a scale change is made. Hence, some IVs have decimals, when transforming them into a percentage.
Since the IV is the sum of three individual components, the same final figure can represent very different capacities , as in this example:
- 10 (ATK) + 15 (DEF) + 15 (HP) – defense and health would be maximum, but attack would be below.
- 15 (ATK) + 10 (DEF) + 15 (HP) – we would be facing a specimen with maximum health and attack, but less defense.
As a curiosity, it should be noted that in console games, from the 3rd generation, the components of the IVs are 6, adding Special Attack, Special Defense and Speed. In addition, the values that they can take range from 0 to 31, but in Pokémon Go the issue of genetics has been simplified.
How to calculate IVs
In the different games of the franchise there have been various ways of knowing the IVs of each pokémon, sometimes directly, and others using tricks. Regarding Pokémon Go, after updating the rating system, it is quite easy to get an approximate idea.
Each creature now displays stat bars , and is assigned a score between 0 stars and 4 stars :
The initial rating system was hardly useful at all, however, now the number of stars gives us information about the differences in power, following this table:
- 0 stars : IV between 0% and 48.9%.
- 1 star : IV between 51.1% and 64.4%.
- 2 stars : IV between 66.7% and 80%.
- 3 stars : IV between 82.2% and 97.8%.
- 4 stars : IV of 100% (perfect).
In general, the pokémon that we want to keep will be those with 3 stars or 4 stars , except if we have been in the game for a short time, or it is a very rare specimen. With 2 or less stars, they are simply not worth it.
On the other hand, we can download an IV calculator for Pokémon Go like Calcy , which is very comfortable on Android mobiles (not so much on iPhone) and obtains the data with greater accuracy.
Using calculators allows us to be more competitive , there is no risk of our account being blocked (at least for now) and they include several additional functions that we might want to explore if we continue to play Pokémon Go with enthusiasm.
High IVs do not guarantee victory
Finally, we must remember one of the basics of Pokémon Go. The weaknesses among types are key in battle , so a copy with high IV PC and uploaded to the maximum could be defeated by another much lower if it is weak against type.
This reinforces the idea that IVs only serve to compare within a specific species of Pokémon. In the end, a Magikarp (Water-type) will never be able to defeat a Raikou (Electric-type), regardless of IVs, for two reasons: the Water-type is weak against Electric, and the raw power is much higher on the Raikou.
In addition, we must remember the importance of choosing fast and charged attacks appropriate to each creature, which sometimes we will have to change through a TM to adapt them to the opponent’s type.
In conclusion, our advice is to always choose to enhance and evolve the specimens with a high IV , and not focus on the CPs. Unless we need a high CP for immediate combat, in the long run it pays to dedicate resources to the pokémon with the most potential.
Now that you know what IV values are and we have explained the difference with PCs, you will not make the mistake of focusing on pokémon with high CP, a very common confusion when we start playing Pokémon Go and we still do not know all its details.
