Each trainer’s team is themed around one of the gyms found in the Johto region and, due to this, their Pokémon all share one primary type - flying, bug, normal, ghost, fighting, steel, ice or dragon.
Finding and battling these trainers will help you complete the Go Tour: Johto Battle Challenge - a timed research quest only available on Saturday, 26th February.
This research quest, along with Go Gym Trainer locations, are available to anyone who wishes to partake in Go Tour: Johto - whether you’ve brought a ticket or not.
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To find Go Gym Trainer locations, you must visit twitching PokéStops. These PokéStops appear different to regular ones, with the cube at the top moving erratically.
Unlike Go Rocket PokéStops - which they share the same twitching behaviour - these don’t have a darker appearance, making them a little harder to spot from a distance, so be sure to look out for the telltale movement.
Unfortunately, the appearance rate of Gym Trainers is very low. Even if you have several PokéStops around you, it’s still a rare chance as to whether one will appear.
Fingers crossed Niantic will react and increase this before the event ends - but it has yet to comment yet on whether thing will change. Until then, the only thing you can do is keep Stops in your sights and hope they appear. For those with Tickets, we highly recommend focusing on the other time-limited tasks first, especially those which add to your Collection Challenge medal progress.
That said, some Go Gym Trainers may have dual-type Pokémon, making them slightly harder to defeat - but these Pokémon will still be weak to the same types as the other team members. Heracross, for example, is a bug and fighting-type Pokémon, but, like all bug-types, it’s still weak to fire attacks.
To assist in your counter planning, we’ve listed which type each Go Gym Trainer has been assigned to, along with what the greatest weaknesses for this type are:
If you’re looking for Pokémon recommendations, you can visit our best Pokémon page to find the best attackers for each type. Otherwise, read on for Gym Trainer counters advice, in order they are appear in the research quest…
Our top Go Gym Flying counters are Raikou - if you have one! - otherwise fellow electrics Electivire and Ampharos work as more common electric types you might have available. On the ice side Mamoswine is an excellent pick, while Tyranitar and Rampardos are great rock choices.
Our top Go Gym Bug counters are fire types - such as Darmanitan, Arcanine and Charizard, or legendaries such as Moltres or Entei if you have them. That should do you nicely here, as strong flying recommendations are harder to come by, and if you want a rock pick, then we’d offer the trusty Tyranitar.
That limits our options, but the good news is that there are many great fighting types. As such, our Go Gym Normal counters are Lucario, Conkeldurr, Machamp, Hariyama - or even Heracross for when you have caught one during the event.
Our top Go Gym Ghost counter is Tyranitar, who as you might have guessed from our other counters, is a great Pokémon to lean on. On the Ghost side, Giratina is the best you can get - though Gengar is easier to source, and will more than do the job here.
Our top Go Gym Fighting counters are those fairy types - specifically Togekiss and Gardevoir - but on the psychic side, a Mewtwo will easily clear any opposition in your way.
Our top Go Gym Steel counters are fighting Pokémon, who literally pack a punch - so we’re looking at Lucario, Conkeldurr, Machamp or Hariyama.
Flying types often don’t have the best offensive options, so if you want an alternative to fighting, then Goudon, Garchomp and Rhyperior are worth looking at on the ground side of things.
Our top Go Gym Ice counters are fighting types again - Lucario, Conkeldurr, Machamp or Hariyama - but if you wanted to put the heat on this trainer, then fire Pokémon Darmanitan, Arcanine and Charizard are worth bringing along.
The Season of Mythical Wishes continues with the Winter Holiday event, which has brought Mega Glalie to Pokémon Go. Don’t forget to partake in the new Go Battle League season.
Elsewhere, be sure to use Daily Adventure Incense for the chance of encountering Galarian Articuno, Galarian Zapdos and Galarian Moltres.
Our top Go Gym Dragon counters are ice types Mamoswine, Weavile and Eevee evolution Glaceon.
Otherwise - if you want to pit dragon versus dragon, then Dragonite, Garchomp and Rayquaza are recommended.
Best of luck completing the Go Tour: Johto Battle Challenge!
