How quickly does a Pokémon lose motivation?

With the new gym update, Pokémon have a motivation meter while defending a gym. This meter degrades over time, which makes it easier to remove that Pokémon from its defending position. Motivation can be reduced quicker when it loses a fight defending the gym, but can also be replenished using berries. However, if a Pokémon is left alone at a gym too long, it will lose all motivation and be returned to you as soon as it is defeated a single time.

How quickly does this motivation meter degrade on its own? That is, how long will a Pokémon defend a gym naturally?

Solution 1:

According to this article, which references this reddit post, and it is calculated that Pokémon lose motivation over time at:

1. ~10% MPH for Pokémon with CP >= 3000
2. ~1% MPH for Pokémon with CP < 3000

It would appear that Pokemon with over 3000 CP lose roughly 10 percent motivation every hour, while Pokemon with CP below 3000 lose about one percent motivation every hour, one gamer observer on Reddit.

While CP and motivation are not the same thing, they are connected, as losing motivation decreases a Pokemon’s CP. Just to throw out some examples of how motivation can affect CP, one Reddit user found that a 3348CP Tyranitar and a 3094CP Gyarados both lost 3CP roughly every 30 seconds; a 2800CP Blissey, a 2795CP Donphan, and a 2753CP Alakazam all lost 3CP in four minutes; and a 2409CP Dragonite lost 3CP in 4 minutes and 20 seconds.

When the Pokémon is defeated, it is calculated the motivation will drop an additional ~20%

In battle, Pokemon generally lose about 20 percent motivation every time they are defeated, meaning defeating a Pokemon five times in battle should be enough to drain its motivation.