Pokemon Sword and Shield

There are 25 possible Natures in pokemon sword and shield. Each Nature provides a 10% boost to one specific stat and a 10% reduction to another. This stat modification is visually represented on your Pokémon's status screen: a red stat indicates a boost, and a blue stat indicates a reduction. If a Nature affects the same stat for both a boost and a reduction, no visual change will occur. Beyond stat alterations, a Pokémon's Nature also dictates its preferences for different curry flavors.

While you can complete the main story with any Nature, having a beneficial Nature becomes crucial for competitive play against other trainers and for tackling post-game challenges. The best approach to choosing a Nature is to first identify your Pokémon's strongest base stat and then select a Nature that amplifies it. For instance, a physical attacker would benefit from an Adamant Nature (boosting Attack), while a Speed-boosting Nature can be advantageous as faster Pokémon act first.

It is generally advised to avoid Natures that do not provide any stat boosts, such as Hardy. While seemingly offering no weaknesses, this lack of a strength can be detrimental in battles. If your Pokémon needs to utilize both Physical and Special attacks, consider a Nature that lowers a Defense stat instead.

Furthermore, do not choose a Nature solely to compensate for a stat weakness. The 10% multiplier from a Nature is more impactful when applied to an already high stat rather than a low one. If a Pokémon has a significant weakness, it's often better to work around it or choose a different Pokémon for the task.

Manipulating Natures:

• Synchronize Ability: Placing a Pokémon with the Synchronize Ability at the front of your party will ensure that wild Pokémon encountered have a 100% chance of possessing the same Nature as your lead Pokémon. This requires having a Pokémon with Synchronize and the desired Nature already. Note that this method does not apply to raids.
• Everstone: When breeding Pokémon, if one of the parent Pokémon holds an Everstone, it will pass down its Nature to its offspring with 100% certainty. If both parents hold an Everstone, the offspring's Nature will be a 50-50 chance between the two parents' Natures, so only one parent should hold the item.
• Mints: Introduced in pokemon sword and shield, Mints can be obtained in the Battle Tower after reaching the post-game. They can be earned by progressing through the ranks or purchased using Battle Points (BP). Mints alter the stat modifications resulting from a Pokémon's Nature, effectively overwriting the stat changes without changing the Nature itself. For example, Naughty Mints provide the same stat changes as a Naughty Nature.

Alright, let's break down how your Pokémon's stats work in Pokemon Sword and Shield. It might seem a bit complex at first, but think of it like this: some Pokémon are just naturally stronger than others, kind of like how some people are taller than others. Higher level Pokémon usually have better stats, and some species, especially Legendaries, are just built tougher.

Then there are the less obvious things. Ever notice how some stats are in red and others in blue when you look at your Pokémon? That's its Nature! It gives a 10% boost to one stat and a 10% decrease to another. We'll get into the nitty-gritty of that on other pages, but just know it's a key factor.

Also, even two Pokémon of the exact same species, level, and Nature can have slightly different stats. This is because each individual Pokémon has its own unique base stats, kind of like a hidden potential. And, of course, Pokémon you've put effort into training will generally be stronger than ones you just caught.

Putting it all together, here's the general idea of how stats are calculated:

(Note: The actual formulas for IVs and EVs are covered in more detail on subsequent pages.)

Don't stress about memorizing these formulas, though! You're not expected to be a math whiz for the game. The important thing is understanding the concepts. You might be surprised to learn that Pokémon don't actually gain stats in the traditional sense when they level up. Those little +1, +2, +3 numbers you see? That's just the difference in how their stats are scaled at the new level compared to the old one. It's like adjusting a zoom level on a picture.

This also explains why certain battles, like those where all Pokémon above Level 50 are scaled down to 50, feel different. Your Pokémon's stats aren't being permanently lowered; they're just being adjusted to fit the battle's level cap. Pretty neat, right?

Now, let's talk about the Hexagonal Chart. By default, this blue shape shows your Pokémon's current stats. The further out the points go, the better that stat is. The chart can display values up to 300, though it's possible to go even higher.

Want to see more? Press the X Button! The chart then switches to an advanced view. The pale yellow shape in the middle represents the Pokémon species's base stats. The shape inside that one shows your Pokémon's Effort Values (EVs).

If the inner EV shape is yellow, it means your Pokémon can still gain more EVs in that stat. If it's pale blue, it's maxed out for that stat. And if a stat is sparkling, you've hit the maximum possible EVs for it!