To leave a Pokémon at a Gym, you simply need to approach a Gym controlled by your team, tap on it, and select the “Add Pokémon” option. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about Pokémon Go gym placement and how to effectively contribute to your team’s territory.
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Getting Started with Pokémon Go Gyms
Pokémon Go gyms are special locations in the game where players can battle and place their Pokémon to defend territory for their team. There are three teams in Pokémon Go: Mystic (blue), Valor (red), and Instinct (yellow). When you reach level 5, you can choose your team. Once you’ve picked a team, you can interact with gyms controlled by your team or challenge gyms controlled by opposing teams.
What are Gyms and How Do They Work?
Gyms are typically located at real-world landmarks like statues, monuments, and public art. They are the primary battlegrounds in Pokémon Go, allowing for player-versus-player combat and strategic placement of Pokémon.
Your First Gym Interaction
When you first encounter a gym, it will either be:
- Neutral (Gray): Anyone can place a Pokémon here. It’s a great opportunity to secure a spot for your team.
- Controlled by an Opposing Team: You’ll need to battle to take it over.
- Controlled by Your Team: You can immediately contribute by defending it.
The Importance of Teamwork
Pokémon Go is a team-based game, especially when it comes to gyms. Holding gyms earns you valuable rewards, including PokéCoins and Stardust, which are essential for progressing in the game. Working with your teammates is crucial for maintaining control of gyms.
Depositing a Pokémon in a Gym: The Basics of Leaving Your Pokémon
Leaving your Pokémon at a gym is a straightforward process, but knowing which Pokémon to choose can make a big difference.
The “Add Pokémon” Button
Once you’ve reached a gym controlled by your team, follow these steps:
- Tap on the Gym: Locate a gym controlled by your team on the in-game map.
- Select “Add Pokémon”: A button will appear on the gym’s interface. Tap it.
- Choose Your Defender: A list of your Pokémon will appear. Select the Pokémon you wish to leave at the gym. You cannot place a Pokémon that is currently in your battle party or is being used to defend another gym.
- Confirm Placement: Once you’ve chosen, confirm your selection. Your Pokémon is now defending the gym!
What Happens When You Leave a Pokémon?
When you leave your Pokémon at a gym:
- It Starts Defending: Your Pokémon will actively defend the gym against attackers from other teams.
- It Stops Being Usable: You cannot use this Pokémon for battles, raids, or transferring until it is defeated and returned to you.
- It Earns You Progress: It contributes to your Gym Badges.
Pokémon CP for Gyms: Choosing Your Defender Wisely
The Pokémon CP for gyms is a significant factor in how well your Pokémon will defend. While you can place any Pokémon, strategically choosing high-CP Pokémon with good defensive stats is key to prolonged defense.
Here are some general guidelines:
- High CP is Generally Better: Pokémon with higher CP have higher HP and Attack stats, making them tougher to defeat.
- Defensive Stats Matter: Pokémon with naturally high Defense and Stamina stats will last longer.
- Type Matchups: Consider the types of Pokémon already defending the gym and the types that opposing players are likely to use.
- Consider Pokémon that are Hard to Beat: Some Pokémon have abilities or stats that make them particularly annoying to face in gyms, even if their CP isn’t the absolute highest.
Pokemon Gym Mechanics: Deeper Insights
Understanding the Pokemon gym mechanics will significantly improve your gym strategy. This includes how Pokémon are placed, how defense works, and how battles are initiated.
Gym Slots and Limits
- Six Slots: A gym can hold a maximum of six Pokémon.
- Team Control: The gym belongs to the team that has the most Pokémon assigned to it.
- Unique Pokémon: You can only place one of each species of Pokémon in a gym. For example, you can’t put two Blissey in the same gym.
Motivation and CP Decay
Pokémon defending a gym lose motivation over time. This is represented by their CP decreasing.
- CP Decay: The CP of a defending Pokémon gradually drops. This makes them easier to defeat.
- Feeding Berries: Teammates can feed Golden Razz Berries and Razz Berries to defending Pokémon to restore their motivation and increase their CP, making them tougher to beat.
- Defeating Pokémon: When a defending Pokémon’s HP reaches zero in a gym battle, it is defeated and returned to its trainer.
Returning to Your Trainer
When your Pokémon is defeated in a gym, it will return to your storage. You will also receive a notification. They will have lost all motivation and will need to be healed using Potions or Revives.
Assigning a Pokemon to a Gym: Strategic Placement
Assigning a Pokémon to a gym requires a bit of forethought. It’s not just about putting your strongest Pokémon in.
Best Pokémon for Defense
While the meta can shift with new game updates, some Pokémon are consistently excellent gym defenders. These often include:
| Pokémon | Type(s) | Key Strengths |
|---|---|---|
| Blissey | Normal | Extremely high HP and Defense, making it very tanky. |
| Snorlax | Normal | High HP and good Defense, can learn useful moves. |
| Chansey | Normal | Similar to Blissey, but can evolve into Blissey. |
| Gyarados | Water/Flying | High CP and good bulk, wide range of resistances. |
| Milotic | Water | High HP and Defense, good resistance profile. |
| Umbreon | Dark | High Defense and Stamina, useful typing. |
| Wobbuffet | Psychic | Can trap attackers with Counter and Mirror Coat. |
Considerations for Placement
- Gym Location: Is the gym in a high-traffic area where it will be challenged often, or a more remote location where it might hold for longer?
- Team Presence: Are there other Pokémon from your team in the gym? A gym with multiple defenders is much harder to take down.
- Berry Support: Will your teammates be active in feeding berries to keep your Pokémon motivated?
- Your Personal Goals: Are you trying to collect Gym Badges, or are you focused on earning coins?
Training at a Gym: Boosting Your Team’s Strength
Training at a gym refers to battling friendly Pokémon at a gym controlled by your own team. This is a way to increase the gym’s level and prestige, allowing it to hold more Pokémon.
How to Train
- Approach a Friendly Gym: Go to a gym that is already controlled by your team.
- Tap to Interact: Tap on the gym.
- Select “Battle”: You’ll see an option to battle.
- Choose Your Pokémon: Select a Pokémon from your team to battle against the defending Pokémon.
- Win the Battle: You’ll need to win the battle to earn prestige for the gym. You can use your own Pokémon to battle.
Benefits of Training
- Increase Gym Level: Winning battles against your own team’s Pokémon increases the gym’s level and prestige.
- Unlock More Slots: Higher-level gyms can hold more Pokémon, up to a maximum of six.
- Earn Items: Training at a gym can also yield items like Poké Balls, Potions, and Berries, similar to spinning a PokéStop.
- Earn XP: You gain experience points (XP) for winning battles.
Pokemon Gym Battles: Taking Down the Opposition
Pokemon gym battles are where you challenge gyms controlled by opposing teams. This is how you claim gyms for your own team.
The Battle Process
- Approach an Enemy Gym: Locate a gym controlled by a different team.
- Tap to Interact: Tap on the gym.
- Select “Battle”: Choose the battle option.
- Choose Your Pokémon: Select your team of up to six Pokémon to attack.
- Battle Your Opponent’s Pokémon: You’ll face the defending Pokémon one by one. Your goal is to defeat all of them.
- Defeating the Gym: If you defeat all the Pokémon in a gym, it will become neutral. You can then assign one of your Pokémon to it.
Types of Gym Battles
- Single Pokémon Battles: You battle one defending Pokémon at a time.
- Multi-Pokémon Gyms: If a gym has multiple defenders, you’ll battle through them sequentially.
- Raid Battles: These are special events where multiple players team up to defeat a powerful Raid Boss Pokémon. Raids occur at gyms and are a major way to obtain rare and powerful Pokémon.
Attacking Strategies
- Type Advantages: Use Pokémon with types that are strong against the defending Pokémon’s types.
- Know Your Counters: Research which Pokémon are most effective against common gym defenders.
- Use Fast Attacks and Charged Attacks: Efficiently tap to use your fast attack and charge up your special attack.
- Dodge: Swipe left or right to dodge incoming attacks from the defender. This can save your Pokémon from taking significant damage.
Gym Badges: Your Gym-Conquering Achievements
Gym badges are a testament to your dedication and success in controlling and interacting with gyms. They are a collectible feature that shows your progress.
Types of Gym Badges
- Gym Badges: Awarded for interacting with gyms (battling, defending, feeding berries).
- Medals: While not strictly gym badges, many in-game medals relate to gym activities, such as “Battle Girl” (winning gym battles) or “Catcher” (catching Pokémon).
Earning Gym Badges
You earn experience points towards a gym badge by:
- Defending a Gym: Any Pokémon you have in a gym contributes to your badge progress.
- Battling at a Gym: Winning battles at any gym (friendly or enemy) earns you progress.
- Spinning the Gym’s Photo Disc: If the gym is also a PokéStop, spinning its photo disc earns progress.
- Feeding Berries: Feeding berries to Pokémon at a gym earns progress.
- Winning Raid Battles: Participating and winning raid battles at a gym also contributes.
Badge Tiers
Gym badges have several tiers:
- Novice: The first level.
- Trainer: Requires more interactions.
- Great: Significant progress.
- Ultra: High level of engagement.
- Elite: Very experienced gym battler.
- Master: The highest tier, showcasing exceptional dedication.
Each tier unlocks new interactions and sometimes provides small bonuses when interacting with gyms of that tier.
Pokemon Go Gym Placement: Maximizing Your Team’s Advantage
Effective Pokemon Go gym placement is about more than just leaving a Pokémon. It’s about contributing to your team’s overall strategy.
Golden Razz Berries: The Ultimate Defense Boost
Golden Razz Berries are the most powerful berries in the game and are crucial for keeping your Pokémon in gyms for extended periods.
- Full Motivation: A Golden Razz Berry will fully restore a Pokémon’s motivation.
- Difficult to Defeat: A Pokémon at full motivation with a high CP is very hard for opponents to defeat.
- Teamwork is Key: Coordinating with teammates to feed Golden Razz Berries to defending Pokémon can create an almost impenetrable gym.
What to Do When Your Gym is Under Attack
- Feed Berries: If you’re nearby, feed your Pokémon Golden Razz Berries to restore their motivation and potentially push back attackers.
- Alert Teammates: Use local Pokémon Go groups or chat functions to alert your teammates that the gym is under attack.
- Join the Defense: If possible, travel to the gym and start battling the attackers yourself.
Strategizing Gym Holds
- Cluster Gyms: In areas with many gyms close together, try to control a “cluster” of gyms. This makes it harder for opponents to flip them all.
- Long-Term vs. Short-Term: Decide whether you want to place Pokémon that will hold for a long time (high CP, tanky) or Pokémon that can be easily swapped out if needed.
- Coin Cap: Remember that you can only earn a maximum of 50 PokéCoins per day from defending gyms. Once you have Pokémon returned from gyms totaling 50 coins, any further Pokémon returned that day will not grant coins.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1: How many Pokémon can I leave at a gym?
You can leave one Pokémon at each gym you interact with. A single gym can hold up to six Pokémon in total.
Q2: What happens to my Pokémon when it’s defeated at a gym?
When your Pokémon is defeated, it is returned to your inventory. Its motivation will be completely depleted, and it will need to be healed with a Potion or Revive.
Q3: Can I leave a Pokémon at a gym if it’s fainted?
No, you cannot leave a fainted Pokémon at a gym. Your Pokémon must be at full HP and not currently being used in a raid party or battle party to be placed.
Q4: How do I get my Pokémon back from a gym?
Your Pokémon will automatically return to you when it has been defeated in battle by an opponent. You do not need to do anything specific to retrieve it.
Q5: How many PokéCoins can I earn from gyms?
You can earn a maximum of 50 PokéCoins per day by having your Pokémon defend gyms. You receive 1 coin for every 10 minutes your Pokémon stays at a gym, up to a maximum of 50 coins.
Q6: What is the best Pokémon CP for gyms?
While there’s no single “best CP,” higher CP generally means better defense. However, Pokémon with good defensive stats and typing are often more effective than a high-CP Pokémon with poor defensive capabilities.
Q7: Can I train at a gym controlled by another team?
No, you can only train at gyms controlled by your own team. To challenge gyms controlled by other teams, you must select the “Battle” option, not “Train.”
By following this comprehensive guide, you’ll be well-equipped to master the intricacies of Pokémon Go gym placement, effectively defend your team’s territory, and become a formidable force in the world of Pokémon Go.