Pokémon Champions is quite fun; you build a team of your favorite Pokémon and battle other players. But the more you battle, the more you see how strong opponents’ teams are, and that’s because they are training their Pokémon right.
In competitive VGC format, pros dedicate hours to modifying the stats of their Pokémon. From grinding hours to get EV points to find Pokémon with the best IV, it was a huge grind. But Pokémon Champions has made the system very simple. But the meta is still there, and you need to use your Stat points correctly if you want a strong team.
Here is everything you need to know about training in Pokémon Champions and ensuring your Pokémon are meta-ready.
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Pokémon Champions: New Training System, Explained
Before Pokémon Champions, the way to make your Pokémon stronger was through the EV and IV system. IV or Innate Value measures how strong the Pokémon is genetically. High IV Pokémon had higher base stats. EV, or Effort Values, were points you could earn by playing the game and were used to boost stats.
Each Pokémon can gain up to 510 total EVs, with a maximum of 252 in a single stat, allowing for specialization in areas like Speed or Attack. Every 4 EVs equals +1 stat point.
Pokémon Champions have made this system extremely simple. Firstly, all Pokémon in the game come with maxed-out IV. So, all Pokémon in the game are basically perfect Pokémon. For example, every Charizard in the game will have the same base stats.
Secondly, there is no EV anymore. Instead, you get 66 points in total that you can spread out over different stats. The max you can put in one stat is 32. Here are all the stats explained.
| Stat | What It Does |
| HP (Hit Points) | A Pokémon’s Health |
| Attack | Affects damage of physical moves (like Tackle, Earthquake) |
| Defense | Reduces damage taken from physical moves |
| Special Attack | Affects damage of special moves (like Flamethrower, Thunderbolt) |
| Special Defense | Reduces damage from special moves |
| Speed | Determines which Pokémon moves first in battle |
Note: Keep in mind the difference between normal and Special Attack/Defense.
The next thing you need to keep an eye on is Stat Alignment, which was previously called Nature (of a Pokémon). Think of it like a small modifier that increases or decreases a certain stat. For example, the Stat Alignment “Hasty” increases the Speed but decreases Attack.
The last thing to know is “Moves” and “Ability.” Moves are, as the name suggests, the moves your Pokémon can use in battle. On the other hand, Ability is a special passive power that gives a Pokémon unique effects in battle (and sometimes outside of battle). For example, Blaze is an ability that boosts Fire moves when HP is low.
That’s all the information you need on the training system in Pokémon Champions. Let’s get to how to actually train your Pokémon the right way.
How To Train Your Pokémon (Correctly)
The most important part of training the Pokémon is using your 66 Points correctly; everything else follows that. And deciding what stats to boost comes down to the Pokémon’s type.
For example, if you’re training a Pokémon that’s designed to knock out opponents quickly (They are called Sweepers in Pokémon lingo), you focus on the Speed and Attack/Special Attack stats, and max them out. This boosting of two stats to the max is something you will see everywhere, and it’s all because of the 252/252/4 rule. In Pokémon Champions, the rule can be written as 32/32/1.
This rule has become a standard for competitive Pokémon teams. You boost two stats to the max with the leftover on one stat. Try to stick to this rule as much as you can, as most opponents you face will be too.
For offensive pokemon that sole purpose is to deal as much damage, maxing out Speed and Attack/Special Attack, and putting the rest into Health. For Defensive Pokemons or Tanks, as they call them in the game, you max out Defense/Special Defense and Health, with the rest going wherever you want.
Just try to follow the 252/252/4, and you will be fine when it comes to spreading out stat points. There are other strategies, too, but this is the most reliable and the one that most pros abide by. For the stat alignment, you choose the alignment that boosts your main stats. The game does a great job of showing a graph that you can use to find the Stat Alignment for your Pokémon.
Similarly, Abilities are chosen in the same way. Your ability should always complement your Pokémon’s playstyle. For offense, look for abilities that increase damage (e.g., Huge Power, Sheer Force) or speed (e.g., Speed Boost, Swift Swim). Similarly, for Defense, prioritize abilities that offer immunities (e.g., Levitate, Water Absorb) or passive healing (e.g., Regenerator, Poison Heal).
The last thing you need to select the right item for your Pokémon, preferably a Mega Stone if available, and you have a meta-friendly trained Pokémon.
Key Takeaways
In short, all you need to understand is how to distribute stats properly. For the spread, you can rely on the 252/252/4 rules, and when it comes to which stat exactly to boost, you need to consider the playstyle of your Pokémon. Try to choose between Offense and Defense, and stick with one.
If you try to balance both out, you will end up with a weak Pokémon. Ideally, you should build your team with a mix of Defensive and Offensive Pokémon.
That’s pretty much all you need to know about making your Pokémon stronger. You can always find specific builds for specific Pokémon, but it’s much better to start making your own builds, and this is where you can start.
Published: Apr 16, 2026 05:00 pm