Were EVs and IVs ever actually mentioned in the Pokemon games?

[Drathnoxis]

I'm not into competitive pokemon battling, but EVs and IVs seem to be a pretty important part of it. I'm just wondering how anybody was supposed to understand how they work or that they even exist without guides on the internet.

Heck, I even have an old strategy guide for Crystal that I've worn the binding off of, and it makes no mention of them or how they work.

So do any of the pokemon games go into any sort of detail about EVs or IVs?

 

[Dreiko_v1legacy]

Only since X and Y have they been incorporated. They used to be a secret thing that players discovered, they were never meant to be utilized for IV and EV training like we did, it was just a little extra they put in the game to make the stats of pokemon more variable for each player, it wasn't intended for players to figure this out and sculpt the perfect specimen. In effect, we made them finally acknowledge them in their newer games by using them for all this time prior.

 

[Bellvedere]

Not really. They're kept somewhat secret to preserve a sense that pokemon are real creatures not machines with programmed values or something.

However it is mentioned in-game that there is a variation in stats between pokemon of the same species and level. IVs are referred to as "potential" if you speak to the stats judges and EVs are alluded to through the existence of berries, ribbons, super training etc.

They were discovered all the way back in RBY days because people noticed the huge variations in stats between pokemon of the same species and level and wanted to work it out in order to get stronger pokemon.

 

[Fractral]

EV's weren't in Gen 1 or 2 (instead there was 'stat experience', and IV's were quite different back then. Gen 3 introduced the system that's used currently. I've played every main series game since Gen 3 but I can't remember any direct references to IV's except the NPC's who tell you which stat is highest.
EV's are a little more obvious since there are items that improve them as well as characters who will tell you when you're maxed out on them. Plus Super Training, introduced in Gen 6, outright tells you the EV's your pokemon has and lets you grind them pretty easily.

 

[Hero of Lime]

Fractral mentioned it, before 6th gen there have been NPCs who tell you if your Pokemon have perfect IVS. Other than that, I don't think anyone explicitly talks about IVs. EVs have been eluded to more than IVs. NPCs who give you EV boosting items like the macho brace will tell you that the item boosts growth. Still cryptic for no reason though.

 

[Sheo_Dagana]

Frankly, I'm glad that Pokemon finally acknowledged IVs and EVs outright. A friend of mine didn't believe they were even a thing and that I was wasting my time... until we had a battle. It's nice that they've given us a way to keep track of/grind out what we want without the use of a GameShark, which was honestly the only reason I used one in Pokemon.