Pokemon GO Guide: How to Claim, Defend, and Reinforce Gyms

While playing Pokémon GO you'll come across a number of standing tower-like objects in the game, some of these towers will be Gyms. These Gyms can be white, red, yellow, or blue – depending on which team the Gym has been claimed by.

You will be able to contest Gym claims, claim open Gyms or reinforce friendly Gyms once you reach Level 5. That might sound like gibberish now, but once it's explained things might make more sense.

Related: Pokemon GO Guide Hub

After catching a bunch of Pokémon you'll hit Level 5, at this level you will be able to access Gyms – but before you do that, you have to align yourself with a team. Choosing a team is as simple as choosing the color or Pokémon you like the best. Being on a team allows you to team up with other local players and go against any team that isn't the one you've picked.

Each team is tied to a Legendary bird: Team Instinct has Zapdos, Team Mystic has Articuno, and Team Valor has Moltres. At the moment, there's nothing that shows being on a team will provide you with any benefits other than the ability to reinforce fellow teammates at Gyms and train Pokémon.

Gyms run by teammates will give you place to earn XP and increase the Prestige of your friendly Gyms all at once. To train your Pokémon at a friendly Gym, all you have to do is challenge a teammates Pokémon to a battle. The more battles you do, the higher your team's Gym Prestige goes and the more XP you get.

If you lose a friendly battle your Pokémon won't faint, it will simply be returned to your inventory with 1 HP.

Claiming an Open Gym

Grabbing a Gym that has not been claimed is, perhaps, the easiest of all. All you have to do is come across a grey tower and tap it. There is one thing to be aware of when claiming a Gym, you will be abandoning one of your Pokémon at the Gym so it can defend your honor. Leaving it behind means that you will no longer be able to access that Pokémon.

This Pokémon will be automatically returned to you if  someone beats it.

1. Walk up to a gray-colored Gym.
2. Touch the Gym to enter it.
3. At the bottom of the screen, touch the Add Pokémon
4. Select a Pokémon to add to the Gym.

Reinforcing a teammates Gym

As long as you are on the same team as someone (the same color), you can help out in their Gyms (and they can help you at your Gyms too). Reinforcing a teammates Gym has the same process as claiming an open Gym.

1. Walk up to a friendly Gym.
2. Touch the Gym to enter it.
3. At the bottom of the screen, touch Add Pokémon
4. Select a Pokémon to add to the Gym.

Claiming a Gym from a rival team

This is the hardest of all. If you come across a Gym that is not owned by a teammate, it's a rival Gym. In order for you to claim the Gym for your team you must defeat the other team's Pokémon.

You will need up to six Pokémon to get the job done. Each time you defeat a rival Pokémon you will reduce the Gym's prestige which could even lower the Gym's level and if you defeat the Gym alltogether, you will reduce Prestige by a "significant" amount.

Once the Gym hits zero Prestige, you can claim it. Here's the method, as per Niantic's description:

To battle Pokémon at rival Gyms:

1. Walk up to a Gym controlled by a rival team.
2. Touch the Gym to enter it.
3. Select up to six Pokémon to use in battle. There are two ways of making your selections.
   • Touch the icon of an individual Pokémon to swap it out for a different Pokémon.
   • Touch the Shuffle  to get a completely different set of six Pokémon to use in battle.
4. To start the battle, touch the Glove

Once in the battle, you can perform one of three different actions:

• Fast Attack
  • Tap your Pokémon to perform a fast attack
  • Fast attacks charge your special attack meter.
• Dodge attacks
  • Swipe left or right to dodge attacks.
• Special Attack
  • Once your Special Attack meter is charged, long-press your Pokémon to perform a special attack.
  • Special Attacks cause large amounts of damage.