Not all Pokémon are created equal. While every Pokémon of a certain type have the same base stats, they also have hidden stat bonuses called Individual Values (IV) which determine it’s max potential. Each IV bonus can range between 0-15 for each stat:

Stamina (Displayed as “HP” in the appraiser)
Attack
Defense

Combined IV stat bonuses can equal up to 45 (+15/+15/+15).

Combat Power (CP) has zero factor in the max potential of a Pokémon! IV bonuses are determined at catch/hatch and do not change during Evolution’s or Power Up’s.

How do I appraise my Pokémon?

From the Main Menu, tap Pokémon, and then tap on the Pokémon you want to appraise. After selecting a Pokémon, tap the menu in the lower right, and then APPRAISE.

Your gym leader will give key phrases that determine the estimated IV’s for your Pokémon. Find the appropriate team tab below to determine what these key phrases actually mean!

[tabgroup]

[tab title=”Team Mystic”]

1) Overall Appraisal

Phrase	IV Range / %
Overall, your (Pokémon name) is a wonder! What a breathtaking Pokémon!	37/45 – 45/45 81% – 100%
Overall, your (Pokémon name) has certainly caught my attention.	30/45 – 36/45 65% – 80%
Overall, your (Pokémon name) is above average.	23/45 – 29/45 50% – 64%
Overall, your (Pokémon name) is not likely to make much headway in battle.	0/45 – 22/45 0% – 49%

2) Stat Appraisal

I see that its best attribute is its [HP/Attack/Defense].

If a Pokémon has multiple highest stats (that are equal), Blanche will also say, “It is matched equally by its [HP/Attack/Defense].”

Phrase	Named Stat IV Bonus
Its stats exceed my calculations. It’s incredible!	+15 (Max bonus)
I am certainly impressed by its stats, I must say.	+13-14
Its stats are noticeably trending to the positive.	+8-12
Its stats are not out of the norm, in my opinion.	+0-7

3) Size Appraisal

Phrase	Size
The size of your (Pokémon name) is… colossal. This is indeed exceptional. Fascinating!	XL
Your (Pokémon name) is above average in size.	Large
Your (Pokémon name) is below average in size.	Small
Your (Pokémon name) is tinier than any we have on record.	XS

[/tab]

[tab title=”Team Valor”]

1) Overall Appraisal

Phrase	IV Range / %
Overall, your (Pokémon name) simply amazes me. It can accomplish anything!	37/45 – 45/45 81% – 100%
Overall, your (Pokémon name) is a strong Pokémon. You should be proud!	30/45 – 36/45 65% – 80%
Overall, your (Pokémon name) is a decent Pokémon.	23/45 – 29/45 50% – 64%
Overall, your (Pokémon name) may not be great in battle, but I still like it!	0/45 – 22/45 0% – 49%

2) Stat Appraisal

Its [HP/Attack/Defense] is its strongest feature.

If a Pokémon has multiple highest stats (that are equal), Candela will also say, “I’m just as impressed with its [HP/Attack/Defense].”

Phrase	Named Stat IV Bonus
I’m blown away by its stats. WOW!	+15 (Max bonus)
It’s got excellent stats! How exciting!	+13-14
Its stats indicate that in battle, it’ll get the job done.	+8-12
Its stats don’t point to greatness in battle.	+0-7

3) Size Appraisal

Phrase	Size
Your (Pokémon name) is gigantic—the largest I’ve ever seen!	XL
Your (Pokémon name) is rather sizable, that’s for sure!	Large
Aww, what a small (Pokémon name)! It’s rather cute, I’d say.	Small
Your (Pokémon name) is so tiny, I almost didn’t notice it!	XS

[/tab]

[tab title=”Team Instinct”]

1) Overall Appraisal

Phrase	IV Range / %
Overall, your (Pokémon name) looks like it can really battle with the best of them!	37/45 – 45/45 81% – 100%
Overall, your (Pokémon name) is really strong!	30/45 – 36/45 65% – 80%
Overall, your (Pokémon name) is pretty decent!	23/45 – 29/45 50% – 64%
Overall, your (Pokémon name) has room for improvement as far as battling goes.	0/45 – 22/45 0% – 49%

2) Stat Appraisal

Its best quality is its [HP/Attack/Defense].

If a Pokémon has multiple highest stats (that are equal), Spark will also say, “Its [HP/Attack/Defense] is great, too!”

Phrase	Named Stat IV Bonus
Its stats are the best I’ve ever seen! No doubt about it!	+15 (Max bonus)
Its stats are really strong! Impressive.	+13-14
It’s definitely got some good stats. Definitely!	+8-12
Its stats are all right, but kinda basic, as far as I can see.	+0-7

3) Size Appraisal

Phrase	Size
Your (Pokémon name) is just HUGE!	XL
Your (Pokémon name) is a BIG one!	Large
Your (Pokémon name) is a little small for its kind, don’t you think?	Small
Wh-whoa. That’s the tiniest (Pokémon name) I’ve ever seen!	XS

[/tab]

[/tabgroup]

Example

Most trainers are in the habit of saving their best CP Pokémon for evolutions because it’s widely assumed that higher CP equals a better Pokémon. As stated above though:

Combat Power (CP) has zero factor in the max potential of a Pokémon! IV bonuses are determined at catch/hatch and do not change during Evolution’s or Power Up’s.

Even though IV’s are a factor in calculating CP, you could find a lower CP Pokémon with better IV’s than a currently higher CP Pokémon of that same type. This means it’s max CP will surpass that of the currently higher CP Pokémon, even if it requires more Candy and Stardust in the end.

Let’s compare two Zubats

Looking at our Pokédex, these are the base stats for every Zubat:

Base Stamina	80
Base Attack	88
Base Defense	99

Now, let’s use the in-game appraisal to check out their IV information. I’ll be skipping the size appraisal since size does not matter at this time.

This would indicate that Zubat1 has 0-22 total IV’s, where Zubat2 has 37-45 total IV’s. Even if Zubat1 had max IV’s for it’s range (22) and Zubat2 had the minimum for it’s range (37), Zubat2 would still have at least 15 more IV’s than Zubat1 ever will.

Zubat1’s highest stat was Attack with an IV bonus of 8-12, and Zubat2’s highest stat was Defense with an IV bonus of 15 (max). Below we can the bonus IV’s applied to the base stats for a Zubat.

Base Attack	88
Base Attack + Attack IV	96-100 Zubat1
Base Defense	89
Base Defense + Defense IV	114 Zubat2

Results

After doing some calculations, we are able to get an even better visual of max potential for Zubat1 and Zubat2.

	Zubat1	Zubat2	MAX Zubat
Total IV’s	0-22	37-45	45
Best stat IV	8-12 (Attack)	15 (Defense)	15
Remaining IV’s for other two base stats	0-14	22-30	30
Current CP	333	10	642
Max CP	~518-556	~615-642	642
Max Golbat CP	~1701-1769	~1875-1921	1921

CP Formula credit

IV Calculator credit

Though it’ll take much more Stardust and Candy to max Power Up Zubat2, it has the potential to be the best Zubat you could find stat wise. This does not consider current or evolved move sets, but one could argue finding a Pokémon with near/or perfect IV’s is the hardest part of finding a perfect Pokémon.