Let's 8️⃣ start with what it does. The Pokérus is, as mentioned before, very helpful in training your own Pokémon. If you 8️⃣ have the Pokérus on a Pokémon, you have probably noticed that it will spread to the other Pokémon in your 8️⃣ party and when you level one of those Pokémon up by battling, their stats will increase higher than usual. The 8️⃣ reason for this is because the Pokérus doubles the Effort Points you've obtained. In other words, it's just like the 8️⃣ Macho Brace you get north of Mauville except without the speed boost and it doesn't take up an item slot. 8️⃣ (For more info on Effort Points, go take a look at the Effort Value guide.)

So now how do I get 8️⃣ this elusive virus? Well to tell you the truth… It's really based upon luck, like most things. Even rarer than 8️⃣ Shiny Pokémon, there's a 1 in 21,178.6 chance of getting it. To get the Pokérus, your Pokémon needs to engage 8️⃣ in a battle a wild Pokémon that holds the Pokérus. Simply battling or capturing this Pokémon will allow for the 8️⃣ virus to appear. Even running will work. You will be alerted if you have the Pokérus in your party when 8️⃣ you next visit the Pokémon Centre. The Pokémon nurse there will go through a dialogue with you dealing with the 8️⃣ Pokérus after you get them healed. You can catch it as well by catching the Pokémon and placing it in 8️⃣ your party to spread it.

The duration that PokéRus lasts is dependant upon a random number, known to some as the 8️⃣ strain of the virus and can last anywhere from 1 to 4 days. This gives ample time to spread the 8️⃣ virus to other Pokémon. When the PokéRus has gone through the specific amount of time that the strain allows it, 8️⃣ the Pokémon will no longer be able to spread PokéRus and it will now have a face on the status 8️⃣ screen. However, despite it not being contagious, as of Diamond, Pearl & Platinum, it will still receive the boost of 8️⃣ Effort Values so it will forever be good. If you want to keep it being contagious, however, you can keep 8️⃣ it in your box and remove it whenever you wish to spread it.

And that is amazingly everything related to the 8️⃣ Pokérus…