In Pokémon Go, you also have to defend a Gym on behalf of your chosen team. Once a Gym has been claimed, you can send a Pokémon to defend it, giving other teams the chance to claim it.
Protecting a Gym is valuable for most players because you can earn PokéCoins by doing so, which is the premium currency of Pokémon Go that usually costs real money. The disadvantage of defending a Pokémon Gym is that you lose access to the Pokémon while it is away.
This brave Gardevoir does an amazing job, having held its position for over 200 days, preventing it from returning to its owner. *“This is honestly one of the worst things in Pokémon Go.
You should be able to recall a Pokémon after a week or a certain time,”* wrote one user, while another said, *“Poor thing comes back after a year with only 50 coins to show for it.”*
One user had a suggestion for long stays in Gyms. *“I’d like to see some sort of mechanism put in place to prevent accidental abandonment of Pokémon in Gyms.
Maybe a maximum limit that your Pokémon can be in a Gym (e.g. 10 days) before it’s automatically kicked out.”* *“Maybe an option to recall your Pokémon after a certain time.
Maybe even the same mechanism but you earn coins for each day that your Pokémon is in a Gym after the first day (e.g. 5 coins per day).”*
The reason for most long stays in Pokémon Gyms is the location.
People defending Gyms in busy cities will face many challengers, while those who claim Gyms in remote locations won’t have as much competition, so a powerful defender can keep competitors at bay for indefinite periods. The fact that there is a limit on PokéCoins for stays in Gyms is a huge waste, as it would encourage players to fight for Gyms for longer.
As it stands, this Gardevoir will only earn as many coins as a Rattata that defends a Gym for a fraction of the time.