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A Mystery That's Been Bugging Me...

Aberrant17

The cake is a lie!!!
This question has been on my mind for a while now... You know how Ash and Co. are always traveling, right? We'll how the heck do they cover their expenses!? I know they aren't paying for gas and all, but they have to pay for food, right? So it only stands to reason that they must have some means by which to maintain their livelihood. Do their folks send them money? Do they moonlight like Team Rocket has done on occasion? What are your thoughts and theories?
 

White Wizard

Hundred acre Woods
well sometimes brock cooks, but thats true i never really thought of that, but maybe if you win a gym battle etc. you get money too.
 

KGB13

Man of Mystery
I remember them mentioning that trainers eat for free at the Pokemon Center, but their parents probably send them money or something.
 

HoennMaster

Well-Known Member
Pokémon Center services are always free, but considering the Brock does all the shopping he probably has money from being a Gym Leader and his family helps out.
 
There have been episodes showing money (I think?). I think it's like a charitable thing for trainers and such.
 

randomspot555

Well-Known Member
Pokemon Centers are free.

Money has been a plot point of several episodes, usually when they are away from a town with a Pokemon Center. They usually end up doing some type of work/favor for food and lodging.
 

Lorde

Let's go to the beach, each.
Leave the money, have you ever noticed that how brock keeps all those CookWare stuff inside his little bag? Lol, it's Pokemon (can do anything, what they want) :p

Well that is something that's bugged me. It bugs me because sometimes the anime chooses to use common sense and physics and at other times, ignores both completely. I thought maybe the cookware and all the other stuff were just collapsible or something, so that they don't take too much space. That sounds like something from Pokemon right? And as for the money issue, I'm sure Delia, Johanna, and Lola send their kids money via some sort of PayPal account.
 

pokemonloverXD

Ash's fangirl
I think their parents send them money 4 their journey or maybe Ash gets money from beating the gym leaders (off-screen)
 

MrGreen

Steel Fanatic
Leave the money, have you ever noticed that how brock keeps all those CookWare stuff inside his little bag? Lol, it's Pokemon (can do anything, what they want) :p

Forget Cookware, Have you seen the size of Torterra and Mamoswine. How much food do you think they consume in one sitting let alone a day. And im pretty sure Gible doesnt help the case. Anime Law, its there to stop your head from hurting.
 

Lorde

Let's go to the beach, each.
Forget Cookware, Have you seen the size of Torterra and Mamoswine. How much food do you think they consume in one sitting let alone a day. And im pretty sure Gible doesnt help the case. Anime Law, its there to stop your head from hurting.

I don't think food is a problem though. Remember May's Pink Surprise? That PokeBlock that managed to satisfy even Munchlax's enormous appetite? I think there's something similar to it in other forms; a form of Pokemon food that can satisfy a big Pokemon's appetite, like a Poffin or something like that. It would be a life saver, otherwise trainers would go broke feeding such big Pokemon.
 

Wisper

Member
It has always bugged me too but personally I think pokemon trainers must get some sort of 'government' (in whatever form that comes in the pokemon world) allowance, I think it works like a university system whereby trainers have to pay back the money they use later on in life be that from prize money from pokemon tournaments or an actual job.

This could explain the apparant lack of more adult trainers, only sucessful pokemon trainers e.g gym leaders/ frontier brains/ elite four tend to be adults, these people can make a living out of pokemon training whereas most people go on their pokemon journey when they are young then give it up later to get a proper job.

This probably benifits the pokemon world as a whole as young people are traveling round and learning life lessons, overall its probably cheaper than a formal education system, not to mention bringing money into different towns. The government would also provide the services like the pokemon centres knowing they will be able to get taxes out of the working population for their provision.

Yes I probably have thought about it a little too much but it makes sense to me, explains how trainers seem to have money most of the time but sometimes have to make some more if they have spent their alloted allowence
 

Cuddy

Cyndaquil Master
Forget Cookware, Have you seen the size of Torterra and Mamoswine. How much food do you think they consume in one sitting let alone a day. And im pretty sure Gible doesnt help the case. Anime Law, its there to stop your head from hurting.

Some Pokemon grow their own food on their bodies, like Grotle and Torterra does. They show that Pokemon eats the berries and nuts off the plants. You think Brock also cook those berries/nuts to keep other Pokemon and people with them fed.
 
Well in episode 5 or so of the whole series it showed Ash with a bill, so they do have some money... But all those Pokeballs and dress-up clothes; it has to come from somewhere!
 
Pokemon Trainers, Coordinators, etc. all have free accommodation and food when in use of a Pokemon Center.

Ash's mother, Delia, owns a Pallet Town restaurant. She may be sending him money, or paying for everything that's been sent home by Ash. And of course, there's the mystery of his father and what he does.

Misty owns a Gym, and has relatives working there when she isn't present. She is likely well off. Not to mention the possibility of her parents being financially achieved.

Brock is similar to Misty, in that he has inheritance to a Gym as well. Being the one with the most items on his person, he may have the most money on hand out of all of the travelling group.

Tracey had a short-lived time travelling, but his parents likely have him checked off as paid enough to travel alone. And then there's the chance that he works as a pokemon sketcher for a profit.

May and Max fall under the same category as Misty and Brock, since their father owns a Gym. Electronically sent money to his kids, or electronically sent bills to their parents, can set them pretty well for their time on their journey.

Dawn's mother, Johanna, was a successful coordinator and has been shown to be quite wealthy. It's likely she takes care of Dawn's expenses, and, just like Ash, Dawn's father may play a role in money troubles.

Basically, I think they have an amount of money on their person, but not enough to get by for their journey. They must rely on relatives, is what I'm saying.

Either that, or the writers don't think they need to care.
 
Maybe Ash will win a cash prize when beating a gym leader. Same as Dawn/May if they won the contest ribbon. Maybe while they are walking there is a low chance that they will saw some coins on the ground lol.
 
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