Pokemon GO: How Gyms Work

The Basics

Gyms in Pokemon GO’s is one of the most interesting features of the game and will have players coming back for quite some time. For newcomers to the game however, they can seem like a daunting location to visit. There’s a lot going on, on screen, and Pokemon GO doesn’t tell you all that much about them and how they work.

Before we jump into all of the slightly more complicated aspects of Gyms, let’s run through the basics really quickly. Gyms are, for now, the only place that you can battle Pokemon. Upon reaching level five in the game you will be given the choice of joining one of three teams. Once you have chosen where your allegiances are going to lie for the entirety of your Pokemon adventure, there’s no going back, so be sure that you’re happy with your decision.

So where are these Gyms? You can spot one of them by their pretty large stature on your map. Most Gyms by now will have been claimed by one of the different teams, and will also be colored accordingly. Niantic has also placed them at local points of interest within the community, so you should be able to pinpoint where they are pretty easily.

Gyms are essentially King of the Hill spots that will be constantly contested by members of each different team. The mission is to keep the Gym under your team’s control for as long as possible to show that you’re the best team that there ever was. However, it’s not quite as simple as just picking Pokemon and battling it out. There’s a whole bunch of other things you’ll want to keep in mind.

Battling

With the controller of the different Gyms being solely based on who’s Pokemon emerge victorious from battle, it seems like the battling mechanic would be a good place to start with our explanations. When you come across a Gym that is controlled by an opposing team, you’ll be able to battle it. While there are certain things you’ll need to take into account (which we’ll get to later) before heading into battle, this is the meat of what you’ll be doing at the Gyms.

Battling has been largely refined from the standard Pokemon games, with a standard and special attack on offer and the ability to dodge your opponent’s moves. Tapping the screen will deliver a standard attack and holding down on the screen when the special meter has filled up will deliver the special attack. Swiping left and right on the screen allows you to move in each direction respectively to avoid incoming attacks. Remember to take a look at the defending Pokemon’s CP’s before you jump into battle, as if they’re too high above yours, you’ll likely come away pretty battered and bruised.

If you prove yourself in battle, however, and defeat all of the Pokemon at the Gym, you’ll emerge victorious and will be able to lay claim to it all for yourself.

Claiming a Gym

Once the battle has been defeated, the Gym’s Prestige will drop. Prestige is displayed on the main Gym screen next to the level and name of the Gym up at the top. If you drop a Gym’s Prestige to zero then the opposing team will be evicted and it’ll open up for you to take control of for yourself. This is the main mechanic of Pokemon GO’s Gyms that will have people checking into the game on the daily to ensure that they either have, or haven’t retained control, and then heading off out to go and put things right.

To claim a Gym in the name and color of your team all you have to do is leave a Pokemon of your very own there to raise the Gym’s Prestige and keep it defended.

Leaving Pokemon

To leave a Pokemon at a Gym the process is really simple. Once the opposing team has been booted out of the Gym, you should notice that their colors will drain away and it’ll return to being a neutral white/gray color. As soon as you see this happen you’ll want to tap the button in the bottom left-hand corner of the screen which looks like a Poke Ball and a plus sign next to it. Once you’ve done this, you’ll be greeted with all of your Pokemon. Simply choose whichever one you want to be left here and they’ll be dropped into the Gym.

It’s worth bearing in mind at this point that when you leave a Pokemon at a Gym you cannot do anything else with them. They stay there until they have been defeated by an attacking team. With that in mind, it’s not always a good idea to leave your most powerful Pokemon there if you’re planning on taking down a couple of other Gyms.

Alternatively, if your team controls a Gym, and there’s space for more Pokemon to be added, you can leave your Pokemon there without conflict. Just like when you take over a Gym, click the left-corner of the screen again, and if there’s space, you’ll be able to pick a Pokemon to leave there and help defend the Gym.

Gym Level

Each Gym has a level which will be listed just underneath its name. This level determines just how many Pokemon can be left to defend it. For example, if a Gym is level two, only two Pokemon can be left to defend it, whereas if the Gym is level four, four Pokemon can be left there.

You’re probably wondering then, how do I raise the Gym’s level? Well, battling at Gyms isn’t restricted to just facing off against those trainers who belong to a different team. If other trainers from your team have left Pokemon at a Gym, you can battle against them in order to fortify its defenses. With each defending Pokemon that you defeat, the higher the Gym’s Prestige will go, which, will eventually increase the level of the Gym.

Therefore, don’t always just ignore a Gym just because your team is already in control of it. Take a look at how many Pokemon are there and if you could defeat some of them. If you could then prepare for battle and with a little bit of luck, you’ll be able to leave a Pokemon to help your fellow teammates defend it.

Rewards

Now that you’ve defeated a Gym, left Pokemon there and claimed it, know all about leveling up the Gym to help bolster its defenses, and have some solid formidable creatures waiting for any opposing trainers who dare challenge you, it’s time to learn a little about the rewards. For every 21 hours that you have a Pokemon defending a Gym you’ll earn 10 PokeCoins, and 500 Stardust. This is currently the only way that you can earn PokeCoins in-game, so the more Pokemon you have defending Gyms, the more lucrative the rewards will be.

Now that you know all there is to know about Pokemon GO’s Gyms, it’s about time you head on out and start earning those rewards. For more tips, tricks, and guides, be sure to check out our Ultimate Pokemon GO Guide.