Leaving your Pokémon at a Gym is how you start defending it and earn rewards in Pokémon Go. You can place a Pokémon in any Gym that your team controls, provided it’s not already full.
Gyms are central to the gameplay loop of Pokémon Go, offering a way to stake your team’s claim and earn valuable in-game currency. Knowing how to strategically leave your Pokémon at a Gym, defend it, and eventually bring them back is key to success. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about leaving Pokémon at a Gym, Pokemon Gym defense, leaving Pokemon in Pokemon Go gyms, placing Pokemon in Pokemon gyms, defending gyms Pokemon Go, best Pokemon for gym defense, gym badge Pokemon Go, earning coins Pokemon Go, Pokemon placement gym, gym battles Pokemon Go, and returning Pokemon from gyms.
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Claiming and Placing Your Pokémon
Once you encounter a Gym, its status will be clear: either controlled by your team, an opposing team, or neutral.
Taking Over Neutral or Opposing Gyms
If a Gym is neutral (gray) or controlled by an opposing team, you’ll need to battle to claim it.
- Neutral Gyms: These are the easiest to take over. Simply tap the Gym and select “Add Pokémon.” Your Pokémon will automatically claim the Gym for your team.
- Opposing Gyms: These require battling. Tap the Gym, then tap the “Battle” button. You’ll face the Pokémon currently defending the Gym.
- You can battle up to six times against a defending team’s Gym.
- Winning a battle against a defending Pokémon significantly lowers its HP.
- If you defeat all the Pokémon defending the Gym, it will become neutral, and you can then place one of your own Pokémon in it.
Placing Your Pokémon in Your Team’s Gym
Once a Gym is controlled by your team (meaning it’s your team’s color), you can add your Pokémon to it.
- Tap the Gym icon on your map.
- If there’s an open slot, you’ll see an option to “Add Pokémon.”
- Select the Pokémon you wish to leave.
The Art of Pokemon Gym Defense
Pokemon Gym defense is all about strategically placing Pokémon that will be difficult for opponents to defeat. This involves choosing the right Pokémon and sometimes using items to keep them in the Gym longer.
Why Defend a Gym?
Defending a Gym serves several purposes:
- Earning Coins: The primary reason most players focus on Gym defense is to earn coins. For every hour a Pokémon stays in a Gym, you earn 1 Coin. There’s a cap of 50 Coins per day.
- Collecting Berries: When a Gym is controlled by your team, you can spin the Gym disc (if it’s a PokéStop) to earn items. Feeding Berries to Pokémon in your team’s Gyms also grants items, including Stardust and Rare Candies.
- Gym Badges: Successfully defending a Gym contributes to your Gym Badge progress. Earning Gold Gym Badges requires extensive interaction with specific Gyms, including leaving Pokémon there and winning battles. A good gym badge Pokemon Go collection shows your dedication to the game.
Choosing the Best Pokémon for Gym Defense
The best Pokemon for gym defense are those with high HP and good defensive stats. They should also have movesets that can surprise or counter common attackers.
Here are some top contenders and their strengths:
| Pokémon | Typing | Notable Fast Moves | Notable Charged Moves | Defensive Strengths |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snorlax | Normal | Lick, Zen Headbutt | Body Slam, Earthquake | High HP, bulky, good defensive typing. |
| Blissey | Normal | Pound | Psychic, Dazzling Gleam | Extremely high HP, making it very hard to knock out. |
| Metagross | Steel/Psychic | Bullet Punch | Meteor Mash, Psychic | Great defensive typing, powerful moves. |
| Skarmory | Steel/Flying | Steel Wing | Sky Attack, Flash Cannon | Resists many common attacking types. |
| Togekiss | Fairy/Flying | Charm | Ancient Power, Dazzling Gleam | Strong against Dragon-types, good bulk. |
| Umbreon | Dark | Snarl | Foul Play, Psychic | High defensive stats, good typing. |
| Dragonite | Dragon/Flying | Dragon Breath | Superpower, Dragon Pulse | Decent bulk, good offensive potential. |
| Gyarados | Water/Flying | Dragon Breath | Aqua Tail, Crunch | Good HP, resists Fighting-type attacks. |
| Melmetal | Steel | Thunder Shock | Superpower, Rock Slide | High defense and HP, strong typing. |
| Bastiodon | Rock/Steel | Smack Down | Stone Edge, Iron Head | Phenomenal defensive stats, but weak to common types. |
Considerations for Your Pokemon Placement Gym strategy:
- CP: While higher CP isn’t everything, it generally indicates higher stats.
- Typing: Pokémon with resistances to common attacking types are valuable. For example, a Steel-type Pokémon resists many types.
- Movesets: A Pokémon with defensive movesets (e.g., Body Slam, Psychic) can be more enduring.
- Max CP: Pokémon with high Max CP, like Blissey and Snorlax, can stay in Gyms for a long time due to their bulk.
- Uniqueness: Many players try to place Pokémon that aren’t commonly used in battling to make it harder for attackers to prepare specific counters.
The Motivation Mechanic
Pokémon in Gyms lose motivation over time and after battles. A Pokémon’s motivation is visually represented by its HP bar. When its motivation is low, its CP is reduced, making it easier for opponents to defeat.
- Feeding Berries: You can feed Berries to any Pokémon in a Gym controlled by your team, even if you didn’t place them there. Golden Razz Berries are the most effective for restoring motivation, as they fully replenish it. Other Berries restore a portion.
- Daily Limit: There’s a limit to how many Berries you can feed to Pokémon in Gyms per day (40 Berries, with a cap of 10 of each type per Pokémon). However, you can feed up to 10 Golden Razz Berries per Pokémon per day.
Strategy for Holding Gyms
- Teamwork: Coordinate with your teammates to place strong defenders in Gyms. If multiple people in your team can contribute, you can create a robust defense.
- Berry Management: Keep a good supply of Berries, especially Golden Razz Berries, to keep your Pokémon motivated and healthy in Gyms.
- Strategic Placement: Place your strongest defenders in Gyms that are frequently attacked or in key locations. Consider placing Pokémon with different typings to make it harder for opponents to sweep through your defense with a single type advantage.
Returning Pokémon from Gyms
Your Pokémon will only return to you when they are defeated in a Gym battle.
How to Get Your Pokémon Back
- Defeat: When an opponent wins a gym battle Pokemon Go, your Pokémon loses motivation and eventually gets knocked out.
- Notification: You will receive a notification when one of your Pokémon has been defeated and returned to you.
- HP and PP: When your Pokémon returns, its HP will be very low. You’ll need to use a Potion to heal it. Its status is not permanent.
What Happens When Your Pokémon is Returned?
- Health: Your Pokémon will have 1 HP remaining.
- No Items Lost: You do not lose any items associated with the Pokémon.
- Ready for Battle: Once healed, your Pokémon is ready to be used again in battles, raids, or to be placed in another Gym.
Earning Coins and Items
The rewards for leaving Pokemon in Pokemon Go gyms are primarily in the form of coins and items.
Earning Coins Pokemon Go
- Daily Limit: As mentioned, you earn 1 Coin for every hour your Pokémon remains in a Gym. The maximum you can earn per day is 50 Coins.
- Collection: You can only collect your earned coins when your Pokémon is returned to you from a Gym. This means you need to have Pokémon defeated and returned to collect the accumulated coins. It’s often a trade-off: keep a Pokémon in a Gym for a long time to get close to the 50-coin limit, or have it defeated sooner to collect your earnings and place it in a new Gym.
Gym Badges Pokemon Go
- Levels: Gym Badges have several levels: Fledgling,íví, Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum.
- Earning Progress: You earn points towards your Gym Badges by:
- Adding Pokémon: +100 points per Pokémon.
- Defending Pokémon: +1 point for every 100 CP of Pokémon you have in a Gym when your team holds it.
- Battling: +100 points for winning a battle against a Pokémon in an opposing Gym.
- Spinning PokéStops/Gyms: +25 points per spin.
- Feeding Berries: +5 points per Berry fed.
- Gold Gym Badges: Achieving a Gold Gym Badge requires significant dedication to a specific Gym, involving many hours of defense, many battles, and many berries fed.
Common Questions About Leaving Pokémon at Gyms
Here’s a section addressing some frequently asked questions related to this topic:
FAQ
Q1: Can I leave more than one Pokémon at a Gym?
A1: No, you can only place one Pokémon per Gym. However, your teammates can place their Pokémon in the same Gym, up to a maximum of six Pokémon.
Q2: How long can my Pokémon stay in a Gym?
A2: There’s no set time limit for how long a Pokémon can stay. However, it will be defeated if an opponent battles and wins against it. If a Gym is not attacked, your Pokémon could theoretically stay indefinitely.
Q3: What happens if my team loses control of a Gym while my Pokémon is there?
A3: If your team’s Gym is taken over by an opposing team, your Pokémon remains in the Gym but will be on the defending side for the new team. It will still be defeated through standard battling.
Q4: Can I recall my Pokémon from a Gym manually?
A4: No, you cannot manually recall your Pokémon. They must be defeated by opponents to return to you.
Q5: How do I know if I can leave a Pokémon at a Gym?
A5: You can only leave a Pokémon at a Gym if it is controlled by your team (the Gym’s color matches your team’s color) and there is an open slot. You will see an “Add Pokémon” button if this is the case.
Q6: Does the CP of my Pokémon matter for Gym defense?
A6: Yes, while not the only factor, higher CP Pokémon generally have better stats and are harder to defeat. However, strategic typing and movesets can sometimes make a lower CP Pokémon a better defender than a higher CP one with a disadvantageous typing or moveset.
Q7: What is the best strategy for earning the daily 50 coins?
A7: The most effective strategy involves placing Pokémon in multiple Gyms. Aim for Gyms that are less frequently contested to maximize the time your Pokémon can hold them. You’ll need to track when your Pokémon are returned to collect your coins. Some players strategically place Pokémon in remote or less popular Gyms, hoping they will last longer.
Q8: Are there any benefits to leaving Pokémon in Gyms that are also PokéStops?
A8: Yes, if a Gym is also a PokéStop, you can spin it for items while your Pokémon are defending it. This is a great way to gather resources and maintain your Gym presence.
Q9: How do I improve my chances in Gym battles?
A9: When attacking a Gym, choose Pokémon that have type advantages against the defenders. For example, if you’re facing a Blissey (Normal-type), a strong Fighting-type Pokémon is a good choice. Use your Charged Attacks wisely and try to dodge incoming attacks from defenders.
Q10: What is the significance of the different colored Gyms?
A10: Gyms are colored based on which team controls them:
* Red: Team Valor
* Blue: Team Mystic
* Yellow: Team Instinct
* Gray: Neutral Gym (unclaimed)
Your team’s color is the only color Gym you can add your Pokémon to without a battle.
This comprehensive guide should equip you with the knowledge to master the art of Gym defense and earn those valuable rewards in Pokémon Go. Good luck, Trainer!