Typically, Pokémon games have an item called Rare Candy. What those do is instantly level up a Pokémon regardless of its EXP totals. It seems great, but there’s a hidden drawback. If you keep using Rare Candies to level up a Pokémon, you’ll miss out on stat growth Pokémon get from participating in battles. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet also introduced EXP Candy, an item that doesn’t quite level up a creature all the way but does offer a chunk of XP. Does the Rare Candy drawback apply here too?
Do EXP Candies Increase EVs in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet?
Yes. Yes it does. Regardless of if your Pokémon are chowing down on Rare Candies or EXP Candies, they’re gonna miss out on EVs, also known as Effort Values. If you take too much of a shortcut to level 100, your Pokémon won’t be living up to its full potential. That’s just the way it is.
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If you have no clue what I’m talking about, EVs are somewhat hidden values that more or less apply modifiers to a Pokémon’s stat growth. If you micromanage your EVs you can customize a Pokémon’s stats to a pretty significant degree. That isn’t a necessary practice for getting through the story, but if you’re considering diving into the Pokémon competition scene, managing EVs may as well be a requirement.
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That said, you can still utilize these items and optimize your team’s stats as long as you’re careful about it. Bumping your Blastoise up a level won’t permanently rob it of EV points. There’s a cap to how much this aspect of the game impacts the numbers, and you can reach that cap well before reaching the max level. You just don’t want to pump your friends full of candy then expect them to hang in a competitive arena without doing anything else.
