Presumably, every trainer in Pokémon GO has already occupied gyms. However, very few have managed to defend a gym for as long as a trainer on Reddit.
Why should I occupy gyms? When you occupy a gym with one of your Pokémon in Pokémon GO, you can earn coveted PokéCoins. You can use these to purchase items like incubators, raid passes, or lures.
For every 10 minutes that one of your Pokémon defends a gym, you will receive one PokéCoin as soon as your creature leaves the gym. Since the maximum possible coins is 50 coins per day, you would need to defend a gym for 8 hours and 20 minutes if you only placed one Pokémon to maximize your earnings.
A trainer on Reddit has now published a screenshot showing how long his Pokémon has already defended a gym. And it’s record-breaking.
A Caterpillar Against the Rest of the World
Which Pokémon is it? The Pokémon that the trainer is diligently occupying the gym with is not one of the strongest attackers in Pokémon GO or a top monster with a lot of hit points. It is a Caterpie, the small caterpillar from Generation 1.
How long has the Pokémon been in the gym? The fact that the Pokémon is a very weak monster is not the special thing – it’s the time the Pokémon has been in the gym.
As can be seen in the trainer’s screenshot, the Pokémon has been in the gym for an incredible 2,583 days. This corresponds to more than 7 full years and is likely one of, if not the, longest-sitting Pokémon in a gym in the game.
We are embedding the post on Reddit here for you:
What does the trainer say about it? In response to a commenter’s question about whether the gym is located in a small town, the post’s creator replies that he found the gym while on vacation and that it is not near his home.
He also adds in another comment that the Caterpie was placed in the gym just a few days after the gym system was revamped. If he had placed the Pokémon in the gym before the change, it would have automatically returned to him.
What does the community say about it?
While some commenters have advice for the trainer, others just want to use the gym themselves or speculate about the location. There is also some sympathy for the poor Caterpie.
This gym must be pretty hard to find. If you say where it is, a spoofer will probably take up the challenge and track it down. I would keep the location to myself, because that’s pretty cool
, writes the trainer Crazy-Culture2274Where the hell is the gym? I really want to go there, and I want to do it now. I’m going to book a flight
, writes soggyleaffPoor Caterpie, stuck there for years
, comments user VartixGamingThe brother is on Mount Everest
, speculates user Bitter_Pea_4047
What do you think about it? What is your record for defending a gym? Feel free to share your experiences in the comments and exchange with other trainers here. If you want to know what awaits you in the game soon, take a look at the events in August 2024 in Pokémon GO.
