With Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s release, Redditor realises Pokéballs have avoided inflation for 26 years

Since 1996, Pokemon has been an almost idyllic universe to catch and train mons with no real problem. Sure, there’s the chaos caused by “organized crime syndicates trying to start global apocalypses,” according to the Reddit user. elfoochybut Team Rocket is the least of your problems here.

As a young teenager who took off into the wild with a single Pokémon, you’re already living rent-free. In Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, you only have to attend school for a few days before they let you roam free, and even then you don’t have to come back often. With no rent to pay and no school to attend, he’s already off to a good start.

Fortunately, there hasn’t been any inflation in the Pokemon universe in the last two decades either. Flagged by Reddit user The Hyrule JesterSince 1996, Pokéballs have been kept at the bargain price of 200 Pokédollars. With that in mind, it’s also worth noting that Pokemon offers free healthcare, free gyms, livable habitats for ‘mons, free education, zero poverty, and more.

Also, considering you’re so busy taking care of Team Star of whatever evil syndicate you’ve chosen, crime seems to be pretty low as well. I mean, every police officer you see has time to stop and fight, so crime can’t be much of a problem in Pokemon either.

And let me repeat: none of this has changed since 1996. In Pokémon, inflation doesn’t exist, and the social uproar is somewhat minor, usually blamed on a bunch of nosy kids. This is the only similarity our society shares with Pokémon, and even then, it’s usually resolved before the riots begin.

So when I share that I spent 30 hours with Pokémon Scarlet and Violet this weekend, it should come as no surprise. If you ignore the fact that the game is plagued with performance issues, it works as a near-perfect escape from the world we live in; a society where the only thing that matters is learning from the best, as no one has ever done.

That said, there’s an emphasis on sandwiches in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, and there’s a suspicion that wild Pokemon are making up the ingredients. This isn’t a problem for Paldean society right now, but who knows, maybe our next team of enemies will bear a striking resemblance to PETA.

Have you been playing the latest installment of Pokémon? If so, we’ve got a handy guide on the order of all Gym Bosses, Titans, and Star Teams in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, or you can check out where to find Eevee if you’re looking to collect all Eevee solutions.