You've spent hours hatching eggs. Or maybe you finally caught that Iron Valiant with the perfect mark, but there’s a problem. Its stats are total garbage. In the old days of Pokemon, that was basically a death sentence for a competitive build. You’d just toss it in a box and start over. But honestly? That sucks. Nobody wants to abandon their favorite shiny just because its Attack stat is "Decent" at best. This is exactly where you need to use bottle caps in Pokemon Violet.
Hyper Training is the mechanic that saves your sanity. It’s been around for a few generations now, but Game Freak actually made it way more accessible in Scarlet and Violet. You don't have to grind to level 100 anymore, which is a massive relief for anyone who doesn't have ten hours a day to farm Chanseys.
Basically, a Bottle Cap is a specialized currency. You trade them to a specific NPC, and he "trains" your Pokemon to have the equivalent of a perfect 31 Individual Value (IV) in a specific stat. It’s not a permanent change to the Pokemon's genetics—if you breed a Hyper Trained Pokemon, the baby won't inherit those maxed-out stats—but for every battle that actually matters, your Pokemon will perform like it’s a genetic masterpiece.
Where to Find the Hyper Training Guy
If you’re looking for the guy who handles all this, head over to Montenevera. It’s that snowy town in the northern part of Paldea where the Ghost-type Gym is located.
Once you fly into the Montenevera Pokemon Center, look for a guy standing near a large Abomasnow. He’s wearing a puffy jacket—fitting for the weather—and he’s the only one who can actually help you use bottle caps in Pokemon Violet. He’s easy to spot. Just look for the Abomasnow standing around like a bodyguard.
There’s a catch, though. Well, a small one. In previous games, your Pokemon had to be level 100. In Gen 9, they lowered the requirement to level 50. It’s a huge quality-of-life improvement. If your Pokemon is level 49, he won't even look at you. Pop a couple of Rare Candies or some Exp. Candy L from a Tera Raid, get to 50, and you're golden.
How to Get Your Hands on Bottle Caps
You can't do much without the caps themselves. Luckily, they aren't as rare as they used to be. You have a few ways to stock up, and some are way more efficient than others.
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The easiest way? Just buy them. Seriously. Once you’ve progressed far enough in the game—specifically after earning six Gym Badges—Delibird Presents shops will start stocking Silver Bottle Caps in the "General Goods" section. They cost 20,000 Pokedollars (or League Points) each. It sounds expensive, but compared to the time spent breeding, it’s a bargain. You can find Delibird Presents branches in Mesagoza, Levincia, and Cascarrafa.
If you're short on cash but have a solid team for raiding, Tera Raid Battles are your best friend. 4-star, 5-star, and 6-star raids frequently drop Silver Bottle Caps as rewards.
- 5-Star Raids: These are the sweet spot. They aren't impossibly hard, and the drop rate for Bottle Caps is decent enough that a few hours of raiding will fill your bags.
- 6-Star Raids: Harder, obviously, but the loot is better. You’ll find caps here alongside Herba Mystica.
- The Ace Academy Tournament: After you finish the post-game story, you can replay the tournament at the school. It’s a bit of a gamble, but Bottle Caps are in the prize pool.
What about Gold Bottle Caps? Those are the white whales. A Gold Bottle Cap maxes out every single one of a Pokemon's stats at once. You can’t just buy these at the shop. You’ll usually find them as rare rewards from the Porto Marinada Auction or as a very low-drop-rate reward from high-level raids and the Ace Academy Tournament. Honestly, though? Unless you’re trying to max out a legendary with six "No Good" stats, Silver Bottle Caps are usually better because they give you more control.
Silver vs. Gold: The Strategy of Choice
Most competitive players actually prefer Silver Bottle Caps. Why? Because sometimes you don't want a perfect 31 IV in every stat.
Take a Special Attacker like Gholdengo or Flutter Mane. If they have a maxed-out Attack stat, they actually take more damage from the move Foul Play and hurt themselves more if they get hit with Confusion. In those cases, you want an Attack IV of zero. If you use a Gold Bottle Cap, you’ve just ruined that optimization. By using Silver Bottle Caps, you can just max out HP, Defense, Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed, leaving the physical Attack stat untouched.
It’s all about precision.
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The Process: Step-by-Step
When you talk to the man in Montenevera, he’ll ask which Pokemon you want to train. You select one from your party or boxes. Then, he shows you a checklist of its stats: HP, Attack, Defense, Sp. Atk, Sp. Def, and Speed.
You check the boxes for the stats you want to improve. Each box checked costs one Silver Bottle Cap. If you’re using a Gold Bottle Cap, it just does the whole thing in one go. You’ll get a little animation, he’ll tell you the training is done, and that’s it.
If you check the Pokemon’s summary afterward and flip over to the IV judge (which you unlock by talking to a nurse at any Pokemon Center after finishing the main story), you’ll see the stat now says "Hyper Trained!" instead of "Best" or "Fantastic." Functionally, "Hyper Trained" is exactly the same as "Best." It represents a value of 31.
Why Effort Values Still Matter
Don't fall into the trap of thinking Bottle Caps are everything. Hyper Training only fixes the IVs—the "genetics" your Pokemon was born with. It does absolutely nothing for Effort Values (EVs).
Think of IVs as the ceiling and EVs as the work you put in to reach it. If you use bottle caps in Pokemon Violet to max out your Azumarill’s Attack, but you haven't given it any vitamins or defeated enough physical attackers to earn EVs, it’s still going to hit like a wet noodle.
You need to pair Hyper Training with proper EV training. Use Proteins, Carbos, and Zincs from the Chansey Supply shops to fill out those stats. Or, if you’re old school, use the "Power" items (like the Power Lens or Power Band) and go knock out some wild Lechonks. The combination of a 31 IV from a Bottle Cap and 252 EVs from training is what creates a true powerhouse.
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Common Misconceptions and Nuances
There’s a lot of weird info floating around about Hyper Training, so let's clear it up.
First, the level requirement. Some old guides still say level 100. Ignore them. That changed the moment Scarlet and Violet launched. As long as you’re level 50, you’re good.
Second, the breeding thing. I mentioned it earlier, but it’s worth repeating because people get frustrated by this all the time. Hyper Training is "artificial." If you have a Ditto that you’ve Hyper Trained to have perfect stats, and you put it in a picnic with a Destiny Knot to breed, it will pass down its original crappy stats, not the Hyper Trained ones. For breeding perfect babies, you still need "natural" 31 IVs. Bottle Caps are for the Pokemon you intend to actually use in battle, not for parents.
Third, Hidden Power doesn't exist in Gen 9. In older games, your IVs determined the type of the move Hidden Power. Since that move is gone, there is almost no reason not to max out your relevant stats anymore.
Actionable Next Steps for Your Team
If you're ready to take your team to the next level, start by doing a sweep of your boxes. Identify the three Pokemon you use the most in raids or online battles.
- Check their levels: If they are under 50, head to the Area Zero or farm some Chanseys near the Team Star Fairy base to level them up quickly.
- Fly to Levincia or Mesagoza: Go to Delibird Presents. Buy enough Silver Bottle Caps to cover the missing "Best" stats for those three Pokemon. Usually, you only need 3-5 per Pokemon since most don't need both Attack and Special Attack.
- Head to Montenevera: Talk to the guy with the Abomasnow. Max out their primary offensive stat and their Speed/HP.
- Check your money: If you're broke after buying caps, go run the Ace Academy Tournament or clear out the 5-star raids on your map to sell the treasures (like Nuggets and Pearl Strings) they drop.
Hyper Training is the bridge between a casual playthrough and actually being able to hold your own in the post-game. It takes the randomness out of the game and lets you focus on strategy rather than luck. Grab those caps and get to Montenevera. Your Pokemon deserve to reach their full potential.