Gym Takedown Habits

OK, this might seem like something strange to discuss, but bear with me. The other day, I was on a Gym tour (for Pokémon Go, certainly) also with the pretext of getting a few things, including food on the table in some way. While doing so, we noticed that some Trainers have the knack of putting Pokémon in Gyms as we encounter them - or perhaps we were just unfortunate. It led us to a discussion - on an outing full of discussions too - about our Gym takedown habits and the reasons for them.

My friend is of the more passive-slightly active type. If the Pokémon in a Gym aren't of the 8 and a half hours or so needed for someone to earn full coins for the day, my friend isn't likely to take it down. This applies whether or not my friend knows the Trainers in question. However, if the need arises to take down a Gym in that state, my friend will also likely contact the Trainers to ask permission - it's surprising how many my friend knows. Gyms that have turned gold are also not likely to be touched except by demand. It's a fair method, and I respect that, especially if the Trainers are known.

In comparison, as I explained to my friend, I'm more active tending to aggressive. If a Gym isn't gold and I've already dealt with it before, I'm likely to take it down no matter how long its denizens have been in there. However, I do try to leave them in there for as long as possible (up to the limit for earning coins), and if possible, I also take down others with the same Trainer to make up the time difference if less than the limit. This applies whether or not I recognize the Trainers in question, with the hope that they understand the intent should they ask, especially for those who I know.

Some points of our approaches are similar in that we don't deal with gold Gyms unless necessary or forced to, as in a "we need coins stat" circumstance. Likewise, we also attempt to have the denizens earn as many coins as possible, provided they have not earned it. Still, my friend has an "avoid trouble" approach while I have a "go after foes" approach, to borrow a couple of terms from Mystery Dungeon. In our discussions the other day, we also delivered a few criticisms of our respective habits, and it may lead us to tone down or bump up the efforts as needed to maintain neutrality.

That said, I don't know as many Trainers as my friend, and therefore I can't really tell who is "friend" or "foe". Yet I also know that the "invisible forces" are still apparently present, and I tend to consider strange Trainer names as part of those "forces" unless proven otherwise, which justifies my taking down of them. What makes things more complicated is that my friend knows some of these "invisible forces", and that puts pressure on us both, which is likely what spurred the discussion the other day. I suppose we can still stand by our habits or approaches based on observations.

Taking down Gyms in Pokémon Go is a task that eventually Trainers will have to do, and it is possible that they may have different habits or approaches for it, as evident through my discussions with my Pokémon Go friend. Ultimately, the objectives are mostly the same for Gym progression and coin earnings. Perhaps that shouldn't be too strange, and in the face of the above situations, we're still likely to apply our individual habits to make sure our objectives are accomplished - including that for going out itself.

One year ago: Delayed Costumes

Two years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 2/17/2019

Three years ago: Time for a Pikachu New 2DS XL?

Four years ago: The Park Is Open