Pokéstops and Gyms!

The game is Pokémon Go… not stop, right? Well, such a thing called a Pokéstop exists in the game, and I’m here to tell you all about it. Plus, I will also get into detail about Gyms; which ironically, aren’t a place for you or your Pokémon to work out. Pokéstops and Gyms are very helpful tools when it comes to playing Pokémon Go, so let’s dive into it.

First up are the Pokéstops. If you’ve ever seen a light blue Pokéball-looking figure on the map, you’ve come across a Pokéstop! A Pokéstop yields items for the trainer, such as Pokéballs, potions, berries, eggs, and gifts. To get these items, the trainer will spin the photo disc on Pokéstop, which will make it turn purple. The photo disc will feature a photo of the location of the Pokéstop. Pokéstops can also be beneficial to catching Pokémon with the use of a Lure Module. Trainers can acquire Lure Modules from the shop or from completing certain Research Tasks and can come in several different forms (regular, Rainy, Mossy, Magnetic, and Glacial). When a Lure Module is active, all trainers who are near the Pokéstop can catch the Pokémon that appear from it.

A Gym is similar to a Pokéstop in the way that trainers can collect items from them by spinning the photo disc. A Gym is much larger on the map compared to a Pokéstop and is also color-coded depending on which team is in control of the Gym. It will either be blue for Team Mystic, red for Team Valorant, or yellow for Team Instinct. If your team is currently holding the Gym, then you can add one of your Pokémon to defend the Gym. If not, you can choose to battle the Pokémon defending the Gym with your own. Defending the Gym itself doesn’t yield benefits, but getting knocked out of the Gym does. Once your Pokémon is knocked out of the Gym, you will receive Pokécoins depending on how long your Pokémon was in the gym. There is a cap of 50 Pokécoins to be earned per day. Pokécoins are used in the shop for items a trainer may need on their adventures. Another thing about Gyms is that they are also the place for raids! When a raid egg appears at a Gym, trainers can gather and work together to defeat the Pokémon that hatches from it. Once defeated, trainers are given an opportunity to catch said Pokémon.