In lieu of Effort Values (EVs) and Individual Values (IVs), Pokémon Legends: Arceus features Effort Levels (ELs), which are values that dictate each Pokémon’s effectiveness in battle. A level 100 Pokémon with good ELs for each of its stats would have an advantage over a level 100 Pokémon with low ELs. To raise ELs, you’ll have to give your Pokémon Grit items, one of which is Grit Dust. Luckily, it’s fairly easy to get your hands on this seemingly rare item.
Grit Dust itself doesn’t have a fixed location, but rather, you can obtain it through a few different methods. The most efficient way we’ve found to farm Grit Dust is by releasing Pokémon from Jubilife Village’s pasture. For every Pokémon you release, you’ll obtain a Grit item. If you’ve been diligent about completing requests and filling out your Pokédex, chances are your pasture might be filled with tons of duplicates of low-level Pokémon. If you release all of them, you can score yourself a pretty decent amount of Grit Dust. We recommend this method, especially once you unlock the ability to mass release Pokémon at the pasture.
Another way to score some Grit Dust is by going after Alpha Pokémon, which generally drop the item as a reward upon capture or defeat. If you’re going to go this route, we recommend you head into battle with a powerful, well-leveled party. Some requests also give out sacks of Grit Dust as rewards.
You use Grit Dust as you would any other consumable. Just select it in your inventory and apply it to any Pokémon in your party. You can use one sack to increase any one of the six ELs of your Pokémon by one; it can’t be used to raise ELs past level three, however. To raise ELs above three, you’ll need more powerful Grit Items like Grit Gravel, Pebbles, and Rocks.
