What are Effort Levels (EL) in Pokemon Legends: Arceus

One of the most significant changes introduced in Pokémon Legends: Arceus is the new Effort Levels (EL) system. Although not vital for normal game progression, EL comes into play when you start raising Pokémon with perfect attributes. Since this is a brand new feature, we’ve put together a brief guide explaining the new EL system.

EL is essentially an amalgamation of previously existing Effort Values (EVs) and Individual Values (IVs) systems. These were important features that let trainers dictate the upbringing of a Pokémon by tweaking its attributes.

Earlier, IVs were responsible for changing the stats of a Pokémon, such as Speed, Defense, Attack, etc. On the other hand, Evs were bonus stats that a Pokémon attained upon defeating specific Pokémon. However, with the addition of EL in the game, trainers will now be able to raise each stat up to level 10. This can be done using a new item called Grit, which raises a stat level by 1.

Ultimately, EL will only come into play when you are a hardcore player looking to raise a perfect Pokémon. If you are a casual player looking to spend leisure time in the game or beat the story, getting ideal EL shouldn’t concern you.