How do gym battles work in pokemon go
Jessica Burns
Updated on March 20, 2026
If you are fighting a rival Gym, defeating the team’s pokemon will slowly lower their prestige rating until defenders are forced to drop out as the Gym’s level lowers – …
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When you battle a friendly gym, you are helping to build its prestige level and give it room for more friendly Pokemon. Battles work in the same way as enemy gym battles, except you aren’t harming…
If you want to fight, you go to the gym and hit the battle button in the lower right. You’ll select some Pokemon and then head to an arena-looking location. At that point, you just tap the enemy …
Pokemon Go has just been launched and most of the people are still trying to figure everything out – we’re here to help with a complete series of guides for the game and in this article we’re going to learn everything about Gym battles in Pokemon Go and how Gyms work.I am sure that you have a lot of questions about this gameplay feature and how to get the most …
Walk up to a Gym controlled by an opposing team and touch it to enter. Touch the Battle button to select your Pokémon for battle. You can bring a group of up to six Pokémon to battle against your opponents. Generally, Pokémon with high CP and HP make great additions to your group.
If you crossed over to the next level you can add a Pokemon to the gym. Otherwise you’ll have to keep at it. But this is just if your team already owns it. If another team owns it, then you have to do the opposite. You need to lower the prestige of the gym until it hits zero. To do this you battle once again, but you can bring a team of six Pokemon with you this time. Even if you …
When ready, tap the GO button to the bottom right to start a battle. In most cases you should fight in gyms with Pokémon that have CP not to far from your best beast. However, in my case I have won a few battles where I have been severely dis-proportioned with CP; you can see in my Twitch stream (jump to about 41 minutes in.)
Raid Battles are detailed in other guides, but their effect on how Gyms work is thus: you’ll occasionally see an “egg” above a Gym with a timer, which indicates a Raid will appear when the timer runs out. While the egg is above the Gym and the Raid has not yet started, you can continue using the Gym as normal.
When a gym is controlled by another team, you battle the opposing team’s Pokemon that have been left at the gym. Prestige levels still determine the amount of Pokemon at a gym, i.e. if you get a gym’s Prestige below a certain level, the Pokemon with the lowest CP is booted out.
Battle at Gyms A Gym controlled by a rival team can be claimed by defeating the Pokémon on the Gym. Each time you defeat a rival Pokémon, you reduce its motivation. When a Pokémon’s motivation is reduced to zero, it will leave the Gym and return to its Trainer the next time it loses a battle.Related Questions
How do Pokémon battles work in Pokémon Go?
Trainers from an opposing team can challenge the defenders with six of their own Pokémon, in hopes of claiming the Gym for their own team . A Pokémon’s ability to be successful in battle is primarily influenced by its Hit Points (HP) and Combat Power (CP).
How do you start a gym battle in Pokémon Go?
Once you get to a Gym. You choose between one of three matches by swiping through opponents. Place your higher CP Pokémon in the line up by tapping them and adding into position. When ready, tap the GO button to the bottom right to start a battle. In most cases you should fight in gyms with Pokémon that have CP not to far from your best beast.
What happens when a Pokemon is assigned to a gym?
When a Pokémon is assigned to a Gym, a motivation meter will be displayed. Pokémon assigned to defend a Gym lose motivation over time and as they are defeated in battle. As a Pokémon loses motivation, its CP will temporarily decrease, making it easier for opposing teams to defeat.
How many rounds does it take to defeat a gym in Pokémon Go?
It typically takes three rounds to take down a fully motivated Gym in Pokémon Go. If there’s only one defender, that’s three battles total. If it’s a full six defenders, that’s 18 battles. If you attack in groups, usually you all go together and it still takes three rounds or up to 18 battles for everyone.