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Pokémon GO Gyms: How to Defend, Attack, Earn Coins, and Get Stardust

A practical guide to claiming and defending Pokémon GO Gyms, battling rivals, feeding berries for motivation, and collecting defender PokéCoins.
Length3 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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To earn a Gym’s defender bonus, leave one eligible Pokémon at a Gym your team controls; PokéCoins are credited only when that Pokémon returns. To take an opposing Gym, defeat its defenders until they leave, then assign one of your own Pokémon. You can also feed berries to friendly defenders to restore motivation and earn Stardust and XP.

How Gym control and defending work

Gyms are locations where teams battle for control. A Gym can hold up to six defending Pokémon, but each Trainer may place only one, and the same species cannot be placed twice in the same Gym. A Pokémon stays assigned until it is knocked out and returned to its Trainer.

Defenders have motivation, which represents their willingness to stay. Motivation decreases over time and when a defender loses to an opposing player. As it falls, the Pokémon’s CP is temporarily reduced. At zero motivation, it returns to its Trainer the next time it loses a battle.

Claim an open Gym

Approach an open Gym and assign an eligible Pokémon. A Pokémon you place there will remain until it is defeated and sent back to you.

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Reinforce a friendly Gym

Feed berries to Pokémon defending a Gym controlled by your team. Razz, Nanab, and Pinap Berries raise motivation; a Golden Razz Berry restores it fully. You can feed remotely through a Pokémon assigned to the Gym, though berries are less effective at greater distances. Feeding defenders also earns Stardust and XP, but the official help guide does not specify an amount.

How to attack a rival Gym

Enter the opposing Gym and choose a battle party of up to six Pokémon. You face defenders in the order they were placed, with the longest-standing defender first. Defeating defenders lowers their motivation; once all defenders have left, the Gym is open for another team to claim.

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  1. Choose a party: Select up to six Pokémon. The game’s recommended party is based on opponents’ strengths and weaknesses; you can also choose your own Pokémon and moves.
  2. Use attacks and dodges: Fast Attacks build the Charged Attack meter, while Charged Attacks deal more damage. Swipe to dodge incoming attacks.
  3. Use type advantages: Consider your Pokémon’s type and move types against the defenders when choosing your party.
  4. Continue until defenders leave: Defeat the defenders. When they have all departed, approach the open Gym and assign an eligible Pokémon to claim it for your team.

When defender PokéCoins arrive—and the daily cap

You receive defender PokéCoins only when a defending Pokémon returns to you, not while it is still at the Gym. Pokémon that defend for longer can earn more, but the official help page does not give a precise coin-per-time formula. Its current guidance sets a limit of 50 PokéCoins per day across all returns, regardless of how long a Pokémon stayed or how many Pokémon return that day. Returns after multiple days still count toward the limit on the day they happen. The Help Center notes that the maximum is subject to change and may vary, so treat 50 as current official guidance rather than a permanent rule: Earning the Defender Bonus.

Gym badges and Photo Discs

Interactions such as battling, defending, and feeding contribute to a Gym badge. Spinning a Gym’s Photo Disc can provide items, including Poké Balls and Potions. For further official Gym and Raid help topics, see the Pokémon GO Help Center’s Gyms & Raids section.

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  • There’s a Pikachu within your Pokémon GO Plus + that can sing you lullabies and act as your morning alarm; Pikachu grows friendlier the more you sleep, unlocking even more sounds!
  • Spin PokéStops or throw Poké Balls automatically in Pokémon GO for hands-free gameplay (and Great Balls and Ultra Balls can be thrown too!)
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Official Gym rules

The mechanics in this guide are described in Pokémon GO’s official Battling at Gyms help page. That page was listed as last updated roughly 340 days before October 8, 2026; the Defender Bonus page was listed as last updated roughly 362 days before that date.

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  • Keep track of your sleep with the press of a button
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  • There’s a Pikachu within your Pokémon GO Plus + that can sing you lullabies and act as your morning alarm; Pikachu grows friendlier the more you sleep, unlocking even more sounds!
  • Spin PokéStops or throw Poké Balls automatically in Pokémon GO for hands-free gameplay (and Great Balls and Ultra Balls can be thrown too!)
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