Pokemon GO Gyms: Battling, max limit, and everything you need to know

Pokemon GO Gyms can be a mystery for new players as they function in a completely different manner compared to the mainline games. Gyms in Pokemon GO do not have a Leader; instead, they have Pokemon representing a particular team. The gym is also controlled by the same team, and all other players representing that gym can put in a Pokemon to defend the gym, although with slight restrictions.

In this article, we will explore all the mechanics surrounding Pokemon GO Gyms. We will explain how battles work here, what limitations it has, and more about the feature, allowing you to easily navigate through it.

What are Pokemon GO Gyms?

Check out the current Pokemon GO raid bosses that you can encounter in-game

Pokemon GO Gyms are locations that are found scattered throughout the world. You can battle the Pokemon of rival teams here, and defeating the critters defending a Gym allows your team to gain control of that particular Gym for the team you represent.

Each Gym can have up to six Pokemon assigned to defend it. Likewise, opponents can bring a team of up to six Pokemon to battle against the Gym's Pocket Monsters.

How to battle in Pokemon GO Gyms?

Battling in Gyms in Pokemon GO (Image via Niantic)

To take part in a Pokemon GO Gym battle, simply be in the vicinity of the Gym, and tap on it. The color of the gym will denote which team is currently in control of the Gym, and you can only battle if any team other than the one you represent is in control of it.

Once you tap and open the Gym, you can see all the defending Pokemon and their CP. Simply tap on the battle icon to begin the Pokemon GO Gym battle.

Gym battles are PvE elements of the game. Once in a battle, there are three actions that you can do:

Fast Attack: Tap on your screen to make your Pokemon use their Fast Attack. These attacks also build the Charged Attack meter.
Charged Attack: Once your Charged Attack meter is full, tap on it once (unlike PvP mode where there is an extra layer of charging) to make your Pokemon use it.
Dodge: You can dodge the attacks of the opposing Pokemon by swiping left or right during their attack.

How to defeat a Pokemon GO Gym?

Defeat the Pokemon defending a Gym to lower its motivation (Image via Niantic)

Unlike traditional games, battling and defeating a Gym here would mean lowering the motivation of all the defending Pokemon to zero. This can take multiple tries, and you might need to rely on more than one team if your critters are not strong enough.

In most cases, it is possible to defeat a Pokemon GO Gym solo by recycling the team members till the opposing critters reach zero motivation. Stronger Gyms with stronger Pokemon often require multiple people battling simultaneously to defeat it.

What is motivation of a Pokemon in Pokemon GO Gyms?

The motivation is denoted by the heart icon (Image via Niantic)

Each Pokemon in a Gym has a level of motivation, which is a measurement of the critter's desire to stay and defend that Gym. Once the motivation reaches zero, the critter will leave the Gym and return to its trainer and will remain fainted till it has been revived.

A Pokemon can reach zero motivation in two ways:

If it loses battles and is defeated by other trainers multiple times.
It will gradually lose interest over time unless its motivation is increased by trainers.

How to increase the motivation of Pokemon in a Gym?

A Pokemon's motivation can be increased by any trainer representing that particular team. This can be done by feeding it treats in the form of various berries or even poffin.

Rewards after defeating a Pokemon GO Gym

You can claim an empty Gym after defeating it (Image via Niantic)

Once you completely defeat all Pokemon in a Gym by depleting their motivation, you can claim it for your team. The Gym's color will change to white or gray, at which point you can assign a critter of your own to the Gym, thereby claiming it for your team. Each trainer can assign only one Pokemon to a Gym.

Defeating a Gym also grants a special badge. This is similar to how Gym Badges work in the mainline Pokemon games and the anime. Additionally, Gyms serve as PokeStops, and you can spin their wheel to grab items.

Maximum limits of assigning Pokemon in Pokemon GO Gyms

Pokemon GO does impose some limits when it comes to assigning Pokemon in Gyms:

Each trainer can only assign one Pokemon to a particular Gym.
A Pokemon cannot be assigned to more than one Gym at a given point.
Pokemon cannot be recalled from Gyms.
A trainer can have a maximum of 20 Pokemon assigned to different gyms at a given point. After 20, they will not be allowed to assign any more critters to a Gym.

That's all about Gyms in Pokemon GO.

For similar articles, check out the following: