What do Pokemon Natures Do?
In Pokemon X & Y, every Pokemon you receive, catch or trade will have a set nature and characteristic. You might have noticed these on your Pokemon's Summary page. Natures are important because they add 10% and decrease 10% from two of your Pokemon's stats. Pokemon X & Y won't explicitly tell you how each of these natures affect your Pokemon stats, so refer to the table below to figure out which Nature is best for your specific Pokemon.
| - Attack | - Defense | - Sp. Atk | - Sp. Def | - Speed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| + Attack | Hardy | Lonely | Adamant | Naughty | Brave |
| + Defense | Bold | Docile | Impish | Lax | Relaxed |
| + Sp. Atk | Modest | Mild | Bashful | Rash | Quiet |
| + Sp. Def | Calm | Gentle | Careful | Quirky | Sassy |
| + Speed | Timid | Hasty | Jolly | Naive | Serious |
For example, if you want a Pikachu with high Special Attack, Modest is an ideal nature since it increases Special Attack and decreases Attack. Mild, Quiet and Rash could also work, however, these natures would decrease Sp. Def, Defense or Speed. Since a Special Attacking Pikachu would not be relying on Attack damage moves, it is better to have a decreased Attack stat.
What About Pokemon Characteristics?
Characteristics can also be found in the Summary page. They are similar to Natures as they are also indicative of your Pokemon's unique stats. A Pokemon's characteristic hints which of your Pokemon Individual Value's (IV's) is the highest. Pokemon IV's are unique from Pokemon to Pokemon and are why untrained Pokemon of the same nature and level may have widely varying stats. There are 6 different IV's for each stat and the values can range from 0 to 31. The higher the IV, the higher the increase on that stat. Unlike Natures, Characteristics can only increase and will not decrease a stat. Pokemon caught in the wild have randomly assigned IV's. The following table of characteristics indicates which IV is the highest for that Pokemon:
| Possible Individual Values (IV) | HP | Attack | Defense | Special Attack | Special Defense | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 | Loves to eat | Proud of its power | Sturdy body | Highly curious | Strong willed | Likes to run |
| 1, 6, 11, 16, 21, 26, 31 | Takes plenty of siestas | Likes to thrash about | Capable of taking hits | Mischievous | Somewhat vain | Alert to sounds |
| 2, 7, 12, 17, 22, 27 | Nods off a lot | A little quick tempered | Highly persistent | Thoroughly cunning | Strongly defiant | Impetuous and silly |
| 3, 8, 13, 18, 23, 28 | Scatters things often | Likes to fight | Good endurance | Often lost in thought | Hates to lose | Somewhat of a clown |
| 4, 9, 14, 19, 24, 29 | Likes to relax | Quick tempered | Good perseverance | Very finicky | Somewhat stubborn | Quick to flee |
Remember! - Even if your Pokemon's characteristic indicates one stat is the highest, it does not mean that the stat is close to 31. Although unlikely, a Pokemon could have a highest IV of 6 with the rest of its IV's 5 or lower. Through breeding, Pokemon can have a higher likelihood of being assigned better or perfect IV's.