>>41210787James got to Top 8, losing to Gladion.
>>41210845> with some brand new contrived contraption that they are somehow able to build despite following Ash around homeless and pennilessThey requested cash from the Team, before eventually being suspended for over-expending by Johto. After that, they had to make up "get rich quick" schemes to fund their new schemes and pay back their loans. They've gotten funding again in Unova, but still continued to sell products so as to not go over budget. SM literally shows them getting resources, a base, building contraptions and stuff.
Your criticism is towards a plotline from early seasons, which not only had an explanation, but was dealt with. Half the time Team Rocket appears in BW and SM they have a different goal, not connected to Ash. Only XY tried to return to the old formula, and even then it was more like "we were stealing Pokemon and ran into the twerps again!" rather than "let's make a plan to steal Pikachu!"
