Evergreen
Team Mystic, Team Valor and Team Instinct: Pokémon GO's Three Teams
Pokémon GO's three teams explained: who leads them, what your team changes at Gyms and in raids, what it doesn't affect, and how switching teams works.
Early in Pokémon GO, every player makes a choice that sticks with them for a long time: blue, red or yellow. Your team colours your profile, decides which Gyms you can defend and gives local players an easy way to tease each other. What it doesn't do is make your Pokémon stronger or weaker. In practice, the choice matters most at Gyms and very little anywhere else.
The three teams at a glance
| Team | Colour | Leader | What the team values | Emblem |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Mystic | Blue | Blanche | Wisdom, calm analysis and understanding Pokémon | Widely linked to Articuno |
| Team Valor | Red | Candela | Strength, passion and training Pokémon to their full power | Widely linked to Moltres |
| Team Instinct | Yellow | Spark | Intuition and trust in your instincts and your Pokémon | Widely linked to Zapdos |
The three leaders work alongside Professor Willow, the game's resident researcher. Each has a distinct personality in the lines they give you, from Blanche's cool, measured tone to Candela's confidence and Spark's easy-going optimism, but the game treats all three teams equally.
When you choose
Team selection opens once you reach an early trainer level (level 5 at the time of writing). Until then you can't battle at Gyms, place Pokémon in them or join raids. When the moment comes, you meet the three leaders and pick one. There's no wrong answer, though switching later costs something (see below), so pick with your local friends in mind.
What your team changes
- Gyms. You can place a Pokémon in a Gym only if it's empty or held by your team and has a free slot (one defender per player per Gym), and you battle Gyms held by the other two teams to knock their defenders out. You can also feed berries to your own team's defenders to keep them going. Our guide to Gyms covers battling, defending and Gym badges in detail.
- Raid rewards. The number of Premier Balls you get to catch a raid boss has included team-related bonuses, such as one for your team controlling the Gym and one tied to your team's share of the damage. The post-raid rewards screen has shown this breakdown, and it's one reason groups sometimes prefer to raid at a Gym their team holds.
- Appraisal. Your team leader is the one who appraises your Pokémon. The information is the same whichever team you're on; only the leader and their comments differ. Our appraisal guide explains how to read the ratings.
- Your profile. Your team colour and emblem appear on your trainer profile, so other players can see your team at a glance.
What your team doesn't change
- Your Pokémon's CP, IVs, moves or catch rates.
- Who you can raid with. Players from all three teams fight raid bosses together in the same lobby.
- Who you can add as a friend, trade with or challenge to a Trainer Battle.
- The GO Battle League, which matches you against players regardless of team.
- Access to events, research or any Pokémon.
The rivalry is real at Gyms and friendly nearly everywhere else. Many local groups mix all three colours.
How to choose
Since the teams are mechanically equal, the useful questions are social ones:
- What are your friends on? Playing with people you know is easier when you defend the same Gyms and share Gym-control raid bonuses.
- Which team is strongest nearby? Joining the dominant local team makes it easier to hold Gyms together; joining a smaller one means more Gyms to attack. Pokémon defending Gyms also earn PokéCoins when they return, up to a daily cap, so a team that can hold local Gyms, or a busy scene where Gyms change hands often, affects how easily you earn coins without spending money.
- Which leader or colour do you like? A perfectly good reason. You'll be seeing that colour for a long time.
Switching teams
If you change your mind, the in-game shop has offered a Team Medallion, an item that moves you to another team. Its use has been limited to once a year, so read the item's description for the current terms, cost and any conditions, such as what happens to Pokémon you have defending Gyms, before buying. Your level, Pokémon collection and items stay as they are; what changes is your team colour, the leader who appraises your Pokémon and which Gyms count as your team's from then on.
Team spirit without the drama
Rivalry is part of the fun, but it works best with a light touch. Taking a Gym from another team is part of the game. Following someone around to do it over and over, or leaving players out of a raid group because of their colour, is not. A friendlier outlet is a light team challenge, such as seeing which colour brings the most players to a Community Day. If you're setting up a local group, our guide to starting your own group has more on keeping it welcoming.
Team questions
Is Team GO Rocket a fourth team?
No. Team GO Rocket is the villainous group you battle at PokéStops and in balloons. It isn't a team you can join.
Does any team get better rewards?
No. The game doesn't favour any team. Team-related bonuses, like the extra Premier Balls for raiding at a Gym, depend on whether your own team happens to hold that particular Gym and how many teammates are in your group, and Gym control changes from place to place and hour to hour.
Can I play without a team?
Before choosing, you can still catch, spin PokéStops and do research; Gym battles and raids open up at the level where you pick a team.
Once you've picked a colour, the guides on the Trainer Hub homepage cover everything from your first catches to battling at Gyms, and our beginner's guide to Pokémon GO walks through the basics step by step.