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Why have so few characters in the show a Pokedex?

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Mucrush

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I noticed something, of cause not the only one, but only a few characters has a Pokedex... like, from we see, Ash and the other main characters (females mostly), but then I wonder why is that so? Why do neither Iris or Cilan hava a Pokedex?

Or maybe there is a answer, but I am too stupid to realize? xD
 
Well, the Village of Dragons looks kind of... like a backwater place and they obviously have different customs from the rest of Unova. From what we've gotten so far, they just stick you with a baby Dragon-type and send you out rather than sticking you with the typical Grass/Fire/Water starter. Plus, Iris was apparently a trainer before kids from the rest of the known world can legally become one. Iris seems to have a hatred for technological science thingies, so it makes sense why she doesn't have one.

Cilan's a Gym Leader and Connossieur. They have to do different shit, and it's obvious Cilan's far from being a beginner. He probably doesn't even need a 'Dex.

From what I've seen, in traditional towns in traditional settings they give Pokedexes to beginning trainers like they were candy (y'know, polar opposite of Pokemon Special's Pokedexes). I imagine most CotD trainers don't show them off because they eat enough time up already when Ash uses them, but that's the excuse I'm going with. I recall the Bulbapedia entry saying in the anime only "beginning trainers with potential" get Pokedexes, but that sounds pretty bullshitty since there's no realistic way of judging that from a kid before they've even started training with Pokemon. So I assume beginners who live in actual civilization without weirdass customs do get Pokedexes when they start out.

What I wonder is how kids can get customized colored Pokedexes. I mean, red/pink (or yellow, whatever) makes sense to discern male/female, but what about Barry's orange Pokedex? And Paul's awesome black-and-blue one? I'd seriously want something like that. Do kids just make requests for those before they get their gear and their starter or what?
 
I always got the impression that most people do have pokedexes in the anime. Also, anyone could probably just order a pokedex through eBay or buy one or whatever methods they use in the Pokemon Universe.

I recall the Bulbapedia entry saying in the anime only "beginning trainers with potential" get Pokedexes, but that sounds pretty bullshitty since there's no realistic way of judging that from a kid before they've even started training with Pokemon. So I assume beginners who live in actual civilization without weirdass customs do get Pokedexes when they start out.
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I agree as almost any trainer has potential in the pokemon world, not just those who come from Pallet Town or New Bark Town, etc. What about gym leaders and the Elite Four? Don't they have potential?
 
Simple ... they don't need them.

Ash is new to the region and the trainers like May/ Dawn/ Bell and trip are also noobs.

Iris and Dent already KNOW a ton about Pokemon as they have both shown through out the anime.
 
Shinneth said:
What I wonder is how kids can get customized colored Pokedexes. I mean, red/pink (or yellow, whatever) makes sense to discern male/female, but what about Barry's orange Pokedex? And Paul's awesome black-and-blue one? I'd seriously want something like that. Do kids just make requests for those before they get their gear and their starter or what?
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I'm guessing it's like a laptop or a DS, where they all come in different colors?

And come to think of it, maybe a trainer's mom pays for the Pokedex in advance?
 
Because then any time a character came across a Pokemon they didn't recognise, they'd have to scan it. Imagine what Ash does, only now every single other character on the show does it as well.
I think I rather enjoy that they don't have them.
 
I prefer to think that most trainers (at least your typical fare, like Ash/May/Dawn to CotDs that are in the same boat) do in fact have Pokedexes, but simply don't use them for the aforementioned reason. The time really adds up on how long those things take if there are multiple instances of it happening (such as my favorite DP episode having like five of them).
 
Didn't Paul's Pokedex only appear ONCE, in his debut episode? I think the writers just don't care to show characters outside of Ash/May/Dawn pokedex pokemon.
 
No, Paul's appeared at least a couple other times. He immediately scanned the Gliscor he caught with it.
 
I'm just gonna throw this out there: maybe Pokédexes are only available through 'official' channels, like from the regional Professor? So a Pokédex would go hand-in-hand with one of the stock-standard starters.
 
I'm pretty sure that "only beginning trainers with potential get pokedexes" thing is just to make the players feel special in the games. :p

Anyway, I think Winterdaze may be into something. Within the anime, the Pokedex's primary purpose = exposition, to give background info upon whatever hapless creature it's pointing at. There's only so many times you can really implement that device before it starts to slow down the plot.^^
 
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Even gym leaders and champions like Cynthia were beginners once so I'm sure even they have pokedexes stashed away somewhere. Even expert trainers have a lot to learn and a pokedex is a great way to learn about them so a lot of COTDs have them I'm sure.
 
Well considering the Pokedex seems to be used as identification (such as in the Pokemon leagues), you would assume all trainers competing for gym badges would need to have them, making it more of an issue of the other trainers simply not using them. The anime doesn't exactly show other actual trainers very often - the COTDs seem to mostly have Pokemon as pets, not as serious trainers competing for the leagues/contests.
 
Yeah I never liked the idea that some characters who had Pokemon carried Pokedexs and other trainers like gym leaders didn't. It's not like they know every Pokemon in the world.
 
I've always assumed that some people had one, but they just didn't use it as often as the others. After a certain amount of time and depending on how much study you do on your own you'll know most of a region's pokemon and its type. Though i've never thought that every single trainer went to a region's professor and got one. Like, I just don't see that being true. Back in Kanto it really only seemed like the 4 Kanto trainers had one, at least for that year they were leaving.
 
No one said Pokédexes are rare.

Supposedly in the anime-verse, everyone signed up for a league has one. The Pokédex is also a trainer's ID and license.
We just don't see others with one very often because they'd mostly be scanning Ash's Pokémon like he does theirs.
 
Darthbane2007 said:
I assumed that only trainers who got their license through a regional professor recieved one..
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This is what I've always thought too.

But it's also possible we just don't generally see other trainers use them to allow Ash (or someone else) to be the one to scan the Pokemon, as mentioned.
 
Burgundy/Cabernet had a Pink Pokedex she used during her Evaluation/Tasting Time in Episode 19.
 
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