Learn what IVs are in Pokémon GO, how they affect CP and performance, and how to check IVs using the appraisal system. This guide also covers IV floors, Hundo odds, PvP IVs, trading, purification and Hyper Training.
IV stands for Individual Value. Every Pokémon has three individual values that are added on top of its species’ base stats. These determine the individual Pokémon’s Attack, Defense and HP.
In short: not all Pidgeys and Mewtwos are created equal. Two Pokémon of the same species and level can have different CP and perform slightly differently in battle because of their IVs.
The Three IV Stats
- Attack IV: Increases the Pokémon’s Attack stat and affects how much damage it deals.
- Defense IV: Increases the Pokémon’s Defense stat and reduces the damage it receives.
- HP IV: Increases the Pokémon’s Stamina and can give it more HP.
Each IV ranges from 0 to 15. A Pokémon with 15 points in all three stats has a 15/15/15 IV spread and is commonly called a Hundo. A 0/0/0 Pokémon is known as a Nundo.
Base stats belong to the species. IVs belong to the individual Pokémon.
Every Mewtwo starts with the same species base stats, but one Mewtwo may have 15 Attack IV while another has only 10. Those IV points are added to the base stats before the Pokémon’s level is taken into account.
This is why IVs should not be considered on their own. A Pokémon with excellent base stats and average IVs will usually outperform a weaker species with perfect IVs. A Hundo Flareon is not automatically better than an Entei with lower IVs just because both are Fire-type Pokémon.
Evolving a Pokémon changes its base stats, but it does not change its IVs. Powering up changes the Pokémon’s level and CP without changing its IVs.
Trading, purification and Hyper Training are the exceptions, which we will cover later in this guide.
IVs in Raids and Gym Battles
A Pokémon with better IVs can deal slightly more damage and survive slightly longer than the same Pokémon with lower IVs, provided they are using the same moves and are powered up to the same level.
However, the difference is probably smaller than you think. The Pokémon’s species, level, moveset and typing usually matter far more than a few IV points.
The original GO Hub IV guide compared a perfect Mewtwo with a 0% Mewtwo in the same battle. The perfect Mewtwo won only about one second faster. Mewtwo remains an excellent attacker even with poor IVs because its base Attack is so high.
When choosing raid counters, start with the right Pokémon and moveset. Don’t sweat the difference of a couple of IV points unless you are short-manning a difficult raid or deciding which expensive Pokémon to power up.
IVs in PvP
IVs work differently in the Great League and Ultra League because those formats have CP limits.
Attack contributes more to CP than Defense or HP. For many Pokémon, a low Attack IV allows them to reach a higher level before crossing the league’s CP limit. This can result in a bulkier Pokémon with more Defense and HP.
This is why many Great League and Ultra League Pokémon prefer low Attack and high Defense and HP IVs. However, 0/15/15 is not automatically the best PvP spread for every Pokémon. The ideal spread depends on the species and league.
Pokémon that remain below the CP limit at or near their maximum level may still want perfect IVs. Master League has no CP limit, so 15/15/15 is usually preferred there.
An IV score shows how many of the possible 45 IV points a Pokémon has. It is normally displayed as a percentage between 0% and 100%.
IV Score = (Attack IV + Defense IV + HP IV) ÷ 45 × 100
A 15/15/15 Pokémon has all 45 points and therefore has a 100% IV score. A 0/0/0 Pokémon has 0%.
This percentage measures only the Pokémon’s IV points. A 100% Pokémon is not 100% stronger than a 0% Pokémon.
Sample IV Table
| Attack | Defense | HP | IV Total | Maximum | IV Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | 14 | 3 | 32 | 45 | 71.1% |
| 15 | 15 | 2 | 32 | 45 | 71.1% |
| 10 | 15 | 0 | 25 | 45 | 55.6% |
| 15 | 8 | 2 | 25 | 45 | 55.6% |
| 13 | 8 | 0 | 21 | 45 | 46.7% |
Not every Pokémon has the same possible IV range. Wild Pokémon can normally have any value from 0 to 15 in each stat, while raids, Eggs, Research encounters and Lucky Pokémon have minimum IV floors.
A higher IV floor gives you a much better chance of finding a Hundo.
| Encounter Source | Minimum IVs | Hundo Chance |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary wild encounter | 0/0/0 | 1 in 4,096 |
| Weather-boosted wild encounter | 4/4/4 | 1 in 1,728 |
| Eggs, raids and most Research encounters | 10/10/10 | 1 in 216 |
| Lucky Pokémon | 12/12/12 | 1 in 64 |
Events and certain special encounters may use different IV floors.
GO Hub previously analysed 600,000 verified wild encounters to investigate how wild IVs are distributed. The research found that each ordinary wild IV combination had the same 1 in 4,096 chance of appearing. There was no observed IV bias connected to location, altitude, nests or nearby PokéStops.
You can read the complete dataset and findings in our IV Mechanics and Distribution research.
Combat Power is calculated using the Pokémon’s Attack, Defense, Stamina and level. Each of those stats includes the relevant IV.
The CP formula is:
CP = max(10, floor(((Base Attack + Attack IV) × √(Base Defense + Defense IV) × √(Base Stamina + HP IV) × CP Multiplier²) ÷ 10))
The CP Multiplier represents the Pokémon’s level.
Attack has the greatest effect on CP because it is the only stat in the formula that is not under a square root. This is also why low Attack IVs can be useful in CP-capped PvP leagues.
Pokémon GO has a built-in appraisal system that shows the IVs of every Pokémon you own.
To appraise a Pokémon:
- Open your Pokémon storage.
- Select the Pokémon you want to check.
- Tap the menu icon in the bottom-right corner.
- Select Appraise.
Your Team Leader will appear with a short appraisal. Focus on the star rating and the three stat bars.
Star Rating
The star rating is based on the Pokémon’s total IV points out of 45.
| Rating | Total IV Points | IV Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 0 Stars | 0-22 | 0-48.9% |
| 1 Star | 23-29 | 51.1-64.4% |
| 2 Stars | 30-36 | 66.7-80% |
| 3 Stars | 37-44 | 82.2-97.8% |
| 4 Stars | 45 | 100% |
A four-star Pokémon has a red appraisal background and perfect 15/15/15 IVs.
Reading the Stat Bars
Under the star rating are three bars for Attack, Defense and HP. Each bar represents a value from 0 to 15.
The bars are divided at 5 and 10. A completely filled bar represents an IV of 15. You can use these divisions to read the exact IV spread without an external calculator.
Appraisal Search Filters
The Pokémon storage search bar lets you find Pokémon based on their overall rating or individual IVs.
4*shows Pokémon with perfect 15/15/15 IVs.3*shows Pokémon with a three-star appraisal.3*,4*shows all three-star and four-star Pokémon.0attackshows Pokémon with exactly 0 Attack IV.4attackshows Pokémon with exactly 15 Attack IV.4defense&4hpshows Pokémon with 15 Defense and 15 HP IVs.0attack&4defense&4hpshows Pokémon with a 0/15/15 IV spread.!4*shows every Pokémon that does not have perfect IVs.hypertrainingshows Pokémon currently undergoing Hyper Training.
For individual stats, the appraisal search ranges are:
| Search Prefix | IV Range |
|---|---|
0attack |
0 |
1attack |
1-5 |
2attack |
6-10 |
3attack |
11-14 |
4attack |
15 |
Replace attack with defense or hp to search the other two stats.
Evolving and powering up a Pokémon do not change its IVs. However, IVs can change through trading, purification and Hyper Training.
Trading and IVs
Trading rerolls a Pokémon’s IVs for the receiving Trainer. Its IVs can improve or become worse, and the new CP and HP range is shown before the trade is confirmed.
A Pokémon can be traded only once, so it cannot be passed between accounts until it receives better IVs.
Friendship provides the following minimum IV floors when trading:
| Friendship Level | Minimum IVs |
|---|---|
| Good Friend | 1/1/1 |
| Great Friend | 2/2/2 |
| Ultra Friend | 3/3/3 |
| Best Friend | 5/5/5 |
| Lucky Pokémon | 12/12/12 |
Purification and IVs
Purifying a Shadow Pokémon adds two points to its Attack, Defense and HP IVs, up to the maximum of 15.
For example, a Shadow Pokémon with 13/13/13 IVs will become a perfect 15/15/15 Pokémon when purified.
Purification also removes the Shadow attack bonus, so better IVs do not necessarily make purification the best choice for raids or PvP.
Hyper Training and IVs
Hyper Training allows you to increase selected IVs by completing tasks with the Pokémon as your Buddy. Unlike trading, Hyper Training does not randomly reroll all three stats.
Hyper Training allows Trainers to increase a Pokémon’s Attack, Defense or HP IVs. To begin, you need an extremely rare Bottle Cap and an eligible Pokémon that has reached Good Buddy or higher.
There are two types of Bottle Cap:
- Gold Bottle Cap: Can be used to begin Hyper Training for multiple stats.
- Silver Bottle Cap: Can be used to begin Hyper Training for one selected stat.
You choose how many points you want to add to each selected stat. Every completed task awards one IV point, so improving a stat from 14 to 15 takes much less work than increasing it from 0 to 15.
Hyper Training Tasks
The Pokémon must be your active Buddy to make progress. Tasks are based on the stat being trained:
- Attack: Battle alongside your trainee.
- Defense: Play, explore and catch Pokémon with your trainee.
- HP: Explore, spin PokéStops and earn Buddy Candy with your trainee.
Once Hyper Training begins, you have up to 365 days to complete it. Finished stat increases cannot be reversed.
Hyper Training Restrictions
- The Pokémon must be a Good Buddy or higher.
- Shadow Pokémon cannot undergo Hyper Training.
- Pokémon that already have a four-star appraisal are not eligible.
- A Hyper Trained Pokémon cannot be sent to Pokémon HOME.
- Increasing IVs also increases CP.
Be careful when Hyper Training a Pokémon intended for Great League or Ultra League. Raising its IVs may push it over the league’s CP limit.
How to Get Bottle Caps
Bottle Caps are extremely rare and are distributed through selected events, Research and other limited rewards. They may also expire if they are not used before the date shown in the Item Bag.
Because the available source changes between events, check our Pokémon GO Hyper Training Guide for the latest Bottle Cap availability and tasks.
If you are min-maxing, absolutely. If you mainly want to complete your Pokédex and don’t care about raids, PvP or Gym battles, you don’t need to obsess over every appraisal.
For raids, species, moveset and Pokémon level come first. A powerful attacker with average IVs is normally more useful than a weaker species with perfect IVs. The difference of a couple of IV points rarely decides an ordinary raid.
For Great League and Ultra League, IVs can make a more noticeable difference because they determine how much Attack, Defense and HP you can fit under the CP limit. That still doesn’t mean you need a Rank 1 spread before using a Pokémon.
When spending a large amount of Stardust and Candy XL on a Legendary, Mythical or Level 50 Pokémon, it makes sense to compare your options and invest in the best one you have. Just don’t leave a useful Pokémon at Level 20 for years because you are waiting for a Hundo that may never appear.
What is a Hundo?
A Hundo is a Pokémon with perfect 15/15/15 IVs. It has a 100% IV score and appears with four stars and a red background in the appraisal screen.
What is a Nundo?
A Nundo is a Pokémon with 0/0/0 IVs. Nundos have little practical value but are popular collector’s items because there is no boosted encounter method that makes them easier to find.
Is a three-star Pokémon always good?
A three-star appraisal means the Pokémon has between 37 and 44 of the possible 45 IV points. That is usually good for raids, but it does not tell you whether the species, moveset or level is useful.
Three-star Pokémon are also not automatically ideal for Great League or Ultra League.
Is 0 Attack always best for PvP?
No. Low Attack is common among highly ranked Great League and Ultra League IV spreads, but the best combination depends on the Pokémon and league. Master League Pokémon and species that remain under the CP limit at Level 50 often want high or perfect IVs.
Can IVs decrease?
Trading can produce lower IVs because all three stats are rerolled. Hyper Training and purification only increase IVs, and completed increases cannot be reversed.
Are perfect IVs necessary for raids?
No. A Hundo is the best version of a particular Pokémon at the same level and with the same moves, but species, moveset, level and type effectiveness matter much more in most raids.
This guide incorporates examples and commentary from Spindiana’s original GO Hub Guide to IVs, first published in 2021.
