Team (GO)
In Pokémon GO, there are three teams (Japanese: チーム team), each led by one of Professor Willow's three assistants: the blue Team Mystic led by Blanche, the yellow Team Instinct led by Spark, and the red Team Valor led by Candela. After a player has reached level 5, they will be able to join a team of their choice upon interacting with a Gym.
After joining a team, players may only change their team by purchasing a Team Medallion in the Shop. After purchasing a Team Medallion, the player must wait a full year (365 days) before purchasing another one.
List of teams
| Team | Mascot | Leader | Introduction |
|---|---|---|---|
 Mystic |
 Articuno |
 Blanche |
I am Blanche, leader of Team Mystic. The wisdom of Pokémon is immeasurably deep. I am researching why it is that they evolve. My team? With our calm analysis of every situation, we can't lose! |
 Instinct |
 Zapdos |
 Spark |
Hey! The name's Spark—the leader of Team Instinct. Pokémon are creatures with excellent intuition. I bet the secret to their intuition is related to how they're hatched. Come on and join my team! You never lose when you trust your instincts! |
 Valor |
 Moltres |
 Candela |
I'm Candela—Team Valor's leader! Pokémon are stronger than humans, and they're warmhearted, too! I'm researching ways to enhance Pokémon's natural power in the pursuit of true strength. There's no doubt that the Pokémon our team have trained are the strongest in battle! Are you ready? |
Gyms
The original and main purpose of teams is for other players to cooperate or compete against each other for control over a Gym. If a Gym is under a player's team control, they made deploy one of their own Pokémon to defend it or feed Berries to strengthen current defenders. If a Gym is under another team's control, then the player can battle its defenders to take over the Gym. A player who spins a Gym controlled by their own team will also receive extra items.
For Raid Battles, players whose team controls the Gym will also receive extra Premier Balls and prize bundles. Prior to the introduction of Mega Raids, rewards were also distributed based on each team's total damage contribution.
Global Challenges
Occasionally, there are in-game events in which players around the world collectively work to achieve specific tasks for their teams. Past challenges include:
- Professor Willow's Global Challenge 2019 — Candy, Stardust, and XP bonuses unlocked for each team completing 15 million Field Research tasks within the challenges' time periods
- GO Fest 2020 weekly challenges — certain Pokémon spawn during GO Fest 2020 for each team having one million players completing the Timed Research
Team leaders
Team leaders assist Professor Willow in various aspects of his research. These contributions are often noted on Pokémon GO's official blog and social media. During game play, team leaders mainly offer advice to players and assist them in Battle Training.
Appraisals
- Main article: Stats judge → In Pokémon GO
Appraisals were the first major function of team leaders, originally implemented in versions 0.35.0 (Android) and 1.5.0 (iOS). Similar to a stats judge in the core series, a team leader can appraise a Pokémon's IVs. They will also note if the Pokémon's height or weight substantially deviates from the average listed in the Pokédex.
Battle Training
- Main article: Trainer Battle (GO) → Battle Training
Since December 2018, with the introduction of Trainer Battles, a player can take part in Battle Training by battling against any of the three team leaders. Participating in Battle Training can earn the player a prize bundle once per day.
Team GO Rocket
During the player's initial encounter with a member of Team GO Rocket, their team leader will guide them through the process, explaining the process of rescuing (capturing) Shadow Pokémon and purifying them. If the player loses to a Team GO Rocket member, the team leader will also give advice on which types are super effective against their type specialty.
The team leader also explains to the player how the Rocket Radar and Super Rocket Radar the first time they're equipped. Upon scanning an area with one of the radars, the team leader will inform the player either if no Team GO Rocket members are found within range or if the radar is being used outside of the working time window.
Trivia
Outside of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon, these are the only organizations with "Team" in their English name that does not have 団 or だん (dan, meaning gang) in their Japanese names.
