Pay Day (move)

Pay Day ネコにこばん Coin for a Cat

Battles Type  Normal Category  Physical PP  20 (max. 32) Power  40 Accuracy  100% Priority  0 Does not make contact Affected by Protect Not affected by Magic Coat Not affected by Snatch Affected by Mirror Move Affected by King's Rock

Range Opponent Opponent Opponent Self Ally Ally Normal: May affect anyone adjacent to the user

Availability Introduced  Generation I TM16 in Generation I

Contests Condition  Smart Appeal  1 ♥ Jam  0   The appeal works best the more the crowd is excited.

Super Contests Condition  Smart Appeal  1 ♥ Earn +3 if the Pokémon gets the lowest score.

Contest Spectaculars Condition  Smart Appeal  0   Jamming  0

On Smogon's Movedex: Generation I Generation II Generation III Generation IV Generation V Generation VI Generation VII Generation VIII Generation IX

Pay Day (Japanese: ネコにこばん Coin for a Cat) is a damage-dealing Template:Type2 move introduced in Generation I and is Meowth's Signature move.

The Japanese name of Pay Day is a Japanese proverb akin to Pearls Before Swine.

Effect

Generations I-II

Pay Day does damage, and scatters coins on the ground with a value equal to twice the user's level for each time it's used. These coins are picked up afterwards if the player wins the battle.

Generation III

Same as above, except the move scatters coins equal to five times the user's level each time. The Amulet Coin now doubles the number of coins picked up.

Due to a glitch in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, the wrong amount of money will be displayed if the Amulet Coin is held, leaving the impression that it does not affect Pay Day. Yet, upon checking the Trainer card, the player will discover that the money earned from Pay Day has been doubled and added to their total savings. This error was fixed in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen and all subsequent games.

Generations IV and V

Same as above, except now the Luck Incense also doubles the amount of money picked up.

Learnset

By leveling up

#	Pokémon		Type		Level
					I		II		III		IV		V		VI
052		Meowth	Normal		Normal	17			20			20	18	30				30			''''
053		Persian	Normal		Normal	17			20			20	18								''''
Bold indicates a Pokémon gains STAB from this move. Italics indicates a Pokémon whose evolution or alternate form receives STAB from this move. A dash (−) indicates a Pokémon cannot learn the move by the designated method. An empty cell indicates a Pokémon that is unavailable in that game/generation.

By TM16

#	Pokémon		Type		Machine
					I TM16		II --		III --		IV --		V --		VI TM08
025		Pikachu	Electric		Electric	✔															✔
026		Raichu	Electric		Electric	✔															✔
031		Nidoqueen	Poison	Ground	✔															✔
034		Nidoking	Poison	Ground	✔															✔
052		Meowth	Normal		Normal	✔															✔
053		Persian	Normal		Normal	✔															✔
054		Psyduck	Water		Water	✔															✔
055		Golduck	Water		Water	✔															✔
056		Mankey	Fighting		Fighting	✔															✔
057		Primeape	Fighting		Fighting	✔															✔
079		Slowpoke	Water	Psychic	✔															✔
080		Slowbro	Water	Psychic	✔															✔
086		Seel	Water		Water	✔															✔
087		Dewgong	Water	Ice	✔															✔
112		Rhydon	Rock	Ground	✔															✔
143		Snorlax	Normal		Normal	✔															✔
151		Mew	Psychic		Psychic	✔															✔
Bold indicates a Pokémon gains STAB from this move. Italics indicates a Pokémon whose evolution or alternate form receives STAB from this move. A dash (−) indicates a Pokémon cannot learn the move by the designated method. An empty cell indicates a Pokémon that is unavailable in that game/generation.

By breeding

#	Pokémon		Type		Father
					II		III		IV		V		VI
187		Hoppip	Grass	Flying
509		Purrloin	Dark		Dark
Bold indicates a Pokémon gains STAB from this move. Italics indicates a Pokémon whose evolution or alternate form receives STAB from this move. A dash (−) indicates a Pokémon cannot learn the move by the designated method. An empty cell indicates a Pokémon that is unavailable in that game/generation.

By event

Generation II

#   Pokémon Type Obtained with 0225 Delibird Ice Flying New York City Pokémon Center Bold indicates a Pokémon which gets STAB from this move. Italic indicates a Pokémon whose evolution or alternate form gets STAB from this move.

Special move

Generation III

#   Pokémon Type Obtained with 0300 Skitty Normal Pokémon Box Ruby & Sapphire Bold indicates a Pokémon which gets STAB from this move. Italic indicates a Pokémon whose evolution or alternate form gets STAB from this move.

Other appearances

When a Meowth appears in a Poké Ball in Super Smash Bros. and Super Smash Bros. Brawl, it uses Pay Day.

In the anime

File:Meowth Pay Day.png Meowth
Numerous coins are hurled at the foe to inflict damage.
Pokémon	Method
User	First Used In		Notes
	Meowth crosses its arms, then opens them quickly and multiple glowing white balls come out of the charm on its head.
The Black Arachnid's Meowth	Spinarak Attack		Debut

In the manga

Pokémon Adventures

File:Fearow Rapidash Pay Day Adventures.png Fearow and Rapidash
Numerous coins are hurled at the foe to inflict damage.
Pokémon	Method
User	First Chapter Used In		Notes
	Fearow flaps its wings and multiple gold coins that look like a Meowth's charm comes out of them and fly at the opponent.
Pokémon Fan Club Chairman's Fearow	The Coming of Slowpoke (Eventually)		Debut Fearow cannot legally learn Pay Day.
	Rapidash points its head towards the opponent and multiple gold coins that look like a Meowth's charm appear and hit the opponent.
Pokémon Fan Club Chairman's Rapidash	The Coming of Slowpoke (Eventually)		Debut Rapidash cannot legally learn Pay Day.
	Meowth points one of its paws at the opponent and multiple gold coins that look like its charm appear and shoot at the opponent.
Unknown Trainer's Meowth	The Coming of Slowpoke (Eventually)		None

In other generations

Generation I	RBY	Generation I (Japanese)	Generation I (international)	Generation II	Generation II (Japanese)	Generation II (international)	Crystal	Generation III	Generation III (Japanese)	Generation III (international)	RS	FRLG	FRLGE	Generation IV	Generation IV (Japanese)	Generation IV (international)	PtHGSS	HGSS	Generation V	BW	B2W2	Generation V (Japanese)	Generation V (international)	Generation VI	XY	ORAS	Generation VII	SMUSUM	LGPE	Generation VIII	SwSh	BDSP	Legends: Arceus	Generation IX	Stadium (JP)	Stadium	Stadium 2	Colosseum	XD	Battle Revolution	Battrio	MD: Red and Blue	MD:Time, Darkness, andSky	MD: Blazing, Stormy, & Light Adventure Squad	MD: GTI	SMD	MD: RTDX	Rumble	Rumble Blast	Masters EX

Trivia

• In Generation I, Pay Day was one of only three methods (the other two being Elite Four rematches and selling items obtained through a glitch) for players to earn money once all Trainers were defeated. Further generations introduced areas in which rematches could be held, decreasing the usefulness of this move.

In other languages

Language Title Dutch Betaaldag French Jackpot German Zahltag Greek Ημέρα Πληρωμής Italian Giornopaga Korean 고양이돈받기 Goyang'i Donbatgi Portuguese Dia do Pagamento Serbian Isplata Spanish Día de Pago

This article is part of Project Moves and Abilities, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on two related aspects of the Pokémon games.