From Bulbapedia, the community-driven Pokémon encyclopedia.

Meowth (Japanese: ニャース Nyarth) is a member of Team Rocket, more specifically part of a trio with Jessie and James, that follows Ash Ketchum and his friends around in the Pokémon anime, usually trying to steal Ash's Pikachu. His major difference from other Meowth, and nearly all other Pokémon, is that he can talk and walk on two legs like a human.

In the anime

In the main series

History

Pre-series

Meowth as an infant

In a flashback in Go West Young Meowth, Meowth's earliest memory is being alone at Camp Pokéhearst. With no food, he was always starving and once tipped over a basket of baseballs believing it was food. As punishment for tipping the basket over, the baseball coach hung him from a tree; from this tree, he was able to see a movie called That Darn Meowth!, which depicted a Meowth in Hollywood being given delicious food by its family. Meowth instantly decided to go to Hollywood, which he believed would be a paradise.

However, when he arrived in Hollywood, he was merely perceived as a stray Pokémon, and was constantly being chased for stealing food. Soon, a Meowth gang, led by a Persian, took him in. Meowth lived on the streets as a member of the gang for a long time; the gang annoyed the humans in town by stealing food and causing trouble, the town's local Butcher Shop Owner in particular. One day, Meowth came across a female Meowth named Meowzie. She rejected him, saying that he was poor and that she preferred humans, so Meowth attempted to make himself more human-like to make her love him. Thus, he painstakingly taught himself to speak human language and walk upright like a human. When he approached her after this transformation, she once again rejected him, calling him a freak. Heartbroken, Meowth remembered the first human word he understood—"rocket"—and was inspired to join Team Rocket.

In Battle Aboard the St. Anne, Meowth stated that he was Giovanni's "Top Cat" in front of Giovanni with no objection (while noticing that Persian was now in that position). In Training Daze, however, he was shown to have been present at Team Rocket HQ for a short time, during which it is revealed that Persian is already there. During this time, Meowth became a servant to Giovanni, bringing him food and drinks; however, he was unsuccessful at this task because he tripped over a wire, spilled Giovanni's coffee, and got himself shocked. Giovanni didn't appear to be angry, but he assigned Meowth to Jessie and James's team.

Kanto

Meowth as seen in his debut episode

Meowth made his debut in the anime in Pokémon Emergency. Alongside Jessie and James, they set their sights on the injured Pokémon in the Viridian City Pokémon Center. As the two sent out their Ekans and Koffing from their Meowth balloon, they quickly overtook the Pokémon Center, which only had Nurse Joy, Ash and Misty inside. Before they could steal any of the Pokémon, however, Ash's Pikachu, who teamed up with many other Pikachu in the Pokémon Center, used an electric attack, causing the entire Pokémon Center to explode. It was here that Team Rocket vowed to capture Pikachu, deeming Ash's one as an exceptionally powerful Pokémon, making it their lifelong goal to capture him.

In Electric Shock Showdown, after hearing that Pikachu would fight to defend his own honor and Ash's, the trio were inspired to cheer on Pikachu before his rematch against Vermilion Gym Leader Lt. Surge's Raichu.

In Island of the Giant Pokémon, Team Rocket was swept away onto Pokémon Land, located on the Island of the Giant Pokémon, after a group of Gyarados, including James's own, triggered a cyclone using Dragon Rage. Meowth, Ekans, and Koffing were separated from Jessie and James in the chaos and landed on another part of the island. When Meowth found Pikachu without Ash, he ordered Koffing and Ekans to attack Pikachu, but they refused since Meowth was not their actual master. The following day, the trio found their way back to Jessie and James.

Jessie used Meowth during the Queen of the Princess Festival contest in Princess vs. Princess.

In Go West Young Meowth, Meowth, Jessie, and James returned to Hollywood while following Ash. While there, Meowth was reunited with Meowzie, who had since been abandoned by her mistress and was forced to join the gang of street Meowth. Meowth fought his former Persian leader to win Meowzie's love, and won, but Meowzie demonstrated that her loyalty was with Persian since he took care of her when she needed it (in addition to calling him a walking talking freak Meowth). Meowth was, once again, left heartbroken.

Orange Archipelago

Because of the effort Meowth exerted while learning to speak and walk like a human, he has not learned the signature move of his species, Pay Day. In Meowth Rules!, Meowth was worshiped by an island of people who believed that he could bring them riches with Pay Day. When he was caught in a battle meant to induce Pay Day, Jessie and James had to secretly bail him out by throwing the last of their spare change and some of James's prized bottlecaps in order to appease the islanders.

Johto

Several times, Meowth and Pikachu have had to team up, such as in the episodes Bound for Trouble and Hoenn Alone! when both were separated from their respective parties. His relationship with Jessie and James varies in quality; for example, in Go West, Young Meowth they stated that they regarded Meowth as a friend, but in Bound for Trouble, having discovered Meowth and Pikachu after the two had been stuck together, they both stated that they had really been looking for Pikachu and Meowth was just 'part of the package'. Meowth seems to have aspects of each of his teammates in him; in arguments, he can often be seen siding with either Jessie (usually denouncing James' incompetence) or James (usually complaining about Jessie's overdramatic and rash behavior). Despite these fights, the three remain very close and loyal friends, although at one point in Giovanni's Gym in Viridian City, they threatened to split up. However they realized they had over reacted, and became friends again, proving themselves very loyal to each other.

In The Trouble with Snubbull, Team Rocket first tried using Meowth as bait for a newly-evolved Granbull, which had been persistently following Meowth, so they could collect a reward from the Granbull's owner, Madame Muchmoney. This failed, and they subsequently used a Meowth-shaped mecha for their next attempt. Through a misunderstanding over Meowth trying to release Granbull from the mecha's tail, Team Rocket were mistakenly assumed to have tricked Madame Muchmoney. When Team Rocket was blasted off following a battle between the mecha and Granbull, Granbull returned home and no longer followed Meowth.

Meowth has also, since late Johto, had frequent fantasies about presenting Giovanni with various Pokémon. These fantasies often involve whatever creature it happens to be assisting Giovanni in his daily routine.

This section is incomplete.

Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it.

Reason: role in AG.

Upon learning of his species' love for gathering coins and shiny objects from Ash's Pokédex in Do I Hear a Ralts?, Jessie criticized him for not doing so.

Jessie, disguised as "The Jester", used Meowth in the Pacifidlog Contest in Mean With Envy. In the Appeals Round, he created an ice sculpture of Giovanni, his Persian and himself. During his Contest Battle against Erica's Jynx, he used "Transform" by using the pouch attached to his belly. He transformed into a Sunflora first, using Razor Leaf against Jynx. Later, he transformed into a Kirlia and again into a Wailord. He popped the inflatable Wailord with his claws and Jessie was eventually disqualified.

In Two Degrees of Separation!, Giovanni approved the trio's plans to set up a Team Rocket branch in the Sinnoh region.

In Noodles! Roamin' Off!, Christopher, a former Team Rocket member and the owner of the ramen shop, saw Meowth use Fury Swipes to slice dough in order to make ramen and asked him to work in his restaurant as a noodle maker. After some thought, which included reflecting back on previous failures and the lack of appreciation and respect from Jessie and James, Meowth quit the Team Rocket Trio and accepted the offer. However, he eventually rejoined the group after hearing that James and Jessie were in danger.

Meowth has used his claws to pick locks on several occasions, such as when Jessie, James, and he wanted to get into Canalave City's Old Chateau in Get Your Rotom Running!.

Meowth in the Lilypad Contest

In To Thine Own Pokémon Be True!, Jessie and Meowth were competing against another Trainer and his Marowak. Although Jessie complained that Marowak's Thick Club would put her and Meowth at a huge disadvantage, the match continued. However, they were immediately disqualified from the Pokémon Ping Pong Tournament, because Meowth accidentally sliced the ball with his Fury Swipes, instead of hitting it.

In Dressed for Jess Success!, James disguised himself as Jessilina due to Jessie being sick. Meowth, following his promise in Old Rivals, New Tricks!, was used during the Performance Stage, where he used his talent for slicing ramen noodles. The two then gave the judges the ramen to taste, which was declared to be of excellent quality. The performance was impressive enough to advance Jessilina to the Battle Stage. Upon seeing the appeal on TV, Christopher became very proud.

In Arceus and the Jewel of Life, Meowth first made an appearance in the opening song when he and Team Rocket were powering a blimp by peddling on a bike. However, they grew tired and crashed before they had a chance to do anything. Not too long after, Team Rocket appeared again when Kevin explained Sheena's ability to communicate with Pokémon. Meowth appeared later in the movie when Arceus was floating down to investigate the fake Jewel of Life. After Arceus found out the Jewel was fake, it attacked the group. Ash, Sheena, Kevin, Dawn and Brock escaped, but Team Rocket was caught in the explosion and ended up being washed into the lake. Meowth made minor appearances throughout the rest of the movie as the battle between the Legendary Pokémon continued. Meowth also made an appearance in the credits, when an Electrode used Explosion on Team Rocket when they sneaked into the corn field.

Jessie, James, and Meowth were sent to the Unova region under orders from Giovanni after they were promoted in Memories are Made of Bliss!. To prevent them from getting too much attention, Giovanni did not allow Jessie's and James's other Pokémon to be sent to them, only making them use Pokémon native to Unova. This, however, made Meowth think of what would happen to him. Throughout most of the series, Meowth and his two friends were presented as horribly failing and erroneous criminals, always failing in their missions to capture Ash's Pikachu or other Pokémon. In Unova, however, he, along with the rest of his team, developed a more serious attitude in their work, as he had when first introduced, being quicker-witted and much more resourceful than before and using ingenious methods of escape and thus proving much more difficult for Ash to defeat. He has also demonstrated much more battling skill than before, being agile enough to land on his feet when blown back by Ash's Pidove's Gust, and unlike before, does not horribly injure himself in battle.

In Club Battle Finale: A Hero's Outcome!, while in Nimbasa City, Team Rocket prepared to put their latest plan into action. Later, in the next episode, Meowth's Scrafty Tactics!, Meowth was found injured by Ash, Iris and Cilan. While recovering, Meowth explained that while in Nimbasa City, he had botched up Team Rocket's scheme badly and was fired by Giovanni, leading to Jessie and James turning their backs on him. Later, Iris's Axew was kidnapped by a Scrafty, who wanted Axew's help to get its home back from a Mandibuzz. Using his ability to speak to both Pokémon and humans, Meowth not only helped get Axew back but also helped Scrafty get its home back and helped Mandibuzz return to her original nest. Afterwards, Meowth decided to travel with Ash and his friends, only for Iris to attempt to capture him in a Poké Ball. The capture nearly succeeded but Meowth broke out and told her he was going to help her regardless. Ever since, it seems to have become a running gag that he ends up in a Poké Ball at one point in an episode, as Iris tried twice (one of which was because Meowth didn't want a Purrloin to get caught), and by Cliff. However, in Crisis from the Underground Up!, it was revealed that Meowth's being fired was fake and all just one of Team Rocket's schemes to steal all the Pokémon from Nimbasa City's Pokémon Center.

He along with Jessie and James later left Unova temporarily in Unova's Survival Crisis! and then reappeared starting in New Places... Familiar Faces!.

In The Pokémon Harbor Patrol!, he, along with Jessie and James demonstrated their agility by easily dodging Pikachu's Thunderbolt.

In Meowth, Colress and Team Rivalry!, Team Rocket invaded Colress's newest laboratory and drew his security into a trap in the woods. Once Colress was alone, Meowth approached him and attempted to convince him to join Team Rocket. Colress refused, but offered to allow Meowth to participate in an experiment to increase his strength. Meowth agreed, having undergone training to resist the mind control device. However, Colress still managed to take control of Meowth, and ordered him to attack Jessie and James. Using Frillish and Amoonguss, they managed to snap him out of it before escaping. In What Lies Beyond Truth and Ideals!, the extension of his battling skill was shown again; he took on multiple opponents, including several of Team Plasma's Liepard.

Meowth continued to travel with Jessie and James through Kalos in Pokémon the Series: XY.

In A Battle of Aerial Mobility!, Giovanni approved the trio's plan to steal as many rare and powerful Pokémon as they could in Kalos.

In A Conspiracy to Conquer! Meowth along with Jessie and James encountered an evil, psychopathic Malamar. Malamar managed to take control of Jessie and James, as well as their Pokémon, but Meowth used Fury Swipes on itself to endure the hypnotizing. After Meowth escaped he encountered Ash and his friends and warned them of the Malamar. With Team Rocket in tow, Malamar found the whereabouts of Ash and his friends by a tree. It took Pikachu with them and forced him to be under their control. By the time Meowth, Ash and his friends arrived in the observation chamber of the radio observatory, Malamar took control of Clemont, Bonnie, and Serena. Meowth and Ash managed to endure it by once again using Fury Swipes on their faces to keep focus. The Automatic Pikachu Retrieving Device that Clemont built earlier entered the observatory and crashes into Malamar, breaking its control over everyone it hypnotized. Meowth translated Malamar's evil ambitions of conquering the world as part of an evil grand design to Ash and company and tried to stop it from doing so. But unfortunately for them, Malamar escaped. As Team Rocket recuperates from their ordeal with Malamar, Meowth reveals to them that Malamar is the evolved form of Inkay, causing them to react nervously when they looked at James's Inkay.

In Coming Back Into the Cold!, Meowth tried to stop Serena, Bonnie, and Alexa from rescuing an Amaura that he stole alongside Jessie and James, even showing off his prehensile strategy of using Fury Swipes to block Serena's Fennekin's Hidden Power. However, the parent Aurorus appeared in front of Meowth and froze him with Blizzard, allowing the three heroes to save Amaura.

In Facing the Grand Design!, Team Rocket, Ash, his friends, and Officer Jenny faced the evil Malamar from before. Meowth was scared of Inkay again because Inkay evolves into Malamar. They followed Inkay and met the evil Malamar again. Clemont, Meowth and James managed to escape but the evil Malamar held Ash, Pikachu, Serena, Bonnie, Jessie, Wobbuffet, and Officer Jenny with Psychic. However, thanks to the combined forces of the good Malamar and Inkay from the forest below Grace Tower, they managed to stop the evil Malamar, rescue everyone and save the world from certain destruction. But the evil Malamar escaped into the future, swearing to fight again and their grand design will succeed someday once they return.

In A Frenzied Factory Fiasco!, Team Rocket staged an ambush for Ash and his friends, tricking the heroes into giving them their Pokémon in their Poké Balls before trapping them. However, after stealing some freshly made Poké Balls, the group discovered that Pikachu was still free. Meowth then chased Pikachu throughout the Poké Ball Factory, attempting to recall the Mouse Pokémon into his Poké Ball. Failing to do so, Team Rocket attempted to escape with their stash of stolen Poké Balls in their getaway van, but got stopped in their tracks by Pikachu's Thunderbolt. Meowth then challenges Pikachu to a duel, wagering Ash and his friends's Poké Balls, while at the same time trying to recall Pikachu again. However, the Scratch Cat Pokémon is still defeated by his enemy before blasting off again with the rest of his team.

In Performing with Fiery Charm!, he performed with Jessie and Wobbuffet in the Dendemille Town Pokémon Showcase. They lost but they made it to the performing round.

In Dream a Little Dream from Me!, Meowth appeared with other members of his group, apparently unable to sleep due to the loud snoring of Jessie and James, but successfully did so after putting in earplugs and counting Mareep. Later it woke up in a nightmare of Squishy, caused by a wild Darkrai's Bad Dreams, wherein he wished up to drink some water but is shocked to see Serena's Delphox, Clemont's Diggersby and Ash's Froakie speaking human language during their conversation with Ash's Pikachu. He tried to tell this strange event to Jessie and James, and was all the more surprised to see the two talk like Wobbuffet and Inkay respectively. Utterly distraught by the strange happenings, he ran away from those two and collides with a similarly fleeing Pikachu. Glad that Pikachu is still normal, the two met up with Squishy who suggested running way as the trio stumbles across a flame monster and successfully evade the monster. Later when the Order Pokémon tries to explain its position in the ecosystem and transformed into its Complete form, the real, still asleep, Meowth clang to James in horror. When the day sets in and he woke up, he set on to find Squishy after explaining his horrible experience to Jessie and James and collided once again with Pikachu. At this moment, the two were dragged into Squishy's nightmare once again by Darkrai. After meeting up with Squishy again, they were forced to flee the flame monster and pass a clearing burnt by the latter, which is subsequently replenished by Squishy. The trio continued further but was shocked to see the flame monster right in front of them. Squishy ordered the Scratch Cat Pokémon and the Mouse Pokémon to battle but the monster's powerful flame attacks easily caused Meowth to retreat. The monster was eventually dealt with assistance from Delphox, Diggersby, Froakie, Serena's newly evolved Pangoro and Clemont's newly evolved Chesnaught. However, before the battle can be over, a ticking sound was heard and Clemont's alarm clock exploded, awakening Meowth, Pikachu and Squishy. Meowth then returned to Jessie and James, and explained his strange dream. James however claimed that Meowth has been working too much and is starting to hallucinate, and Jessie suggested that Meowth should go back to sleep but the Normal-type Pokémon decided that he's never going to sleep again, because he doesn't want that dream again.

In A Dancing Debut!, he and his teammates reached Couriway Town and witnessed the Showcase venue. Later they sneaked up in the Showcase premises to learn the theme of the Theme Performance so that Jessie might prepare before hand. When Jessie revealed a sheet with an abstract drawing on it she stole rather hastily due to Meowth setting up the alarm, he deduced that Theme Performance is about fashion and making hats. However his intuition is proved wrong when they learn that the theme actually revolves around Poké Puff baking. Later, in Jessilee's performance, the Scratch Cat Pokémon was seen giving a 'paw massage' to the dough and later imprinted his charm on the Poké Puff. He then ended his part by using Fury Swipes to spread chocolate syrup on the Poké Puff. When the Showcase ended and Jessie is awarded the Princess Key, he was seen crying, happy that Jessie managed to win the Princess Key.

In Master Class Is in Session!, Meowth first appeared praising Jessie, who had entered the Gloire City Pokémon Showcase Master Class, as the future Kalos Queen. During the first round, he was seen with Wobbuffet in the waiting room, cheering on Jessilee as she performed with her Gourgeist. He was Jessie's partner Pokémon in the quarter finals and semi-finals (along with Gourgeist). When Jessie lost the semi-finals, he and Gourgeist held on to each other, fearing Jessie's anger, but their fears were unfounded, as she seemed pretty delighted at her performance in the Master Class, happy that Kalos could see her beauty. When the Master Class was over, he, along with James, Inkay, Gourgeist and Wobbuffet, were seen walking behind a silent Jessie through Gloire City, fearing her wrath on losing. However, she shrugged their fears and decided that she just wanted to give them a feast for supporting her, which caused them to be overjoyed and jump over her; Jessie then angrily declared that the feast shall be financed by James.

He along with his teammates and Jessie's Wobbuffet worked as Malva's assistants during the Lumiose Conference from A League of His Own! to Down to the Fiery Finish!, with the aim of earning money and capturing any strong Pokémon in the Kalos League. However, they were not very pleased with their job and felt that they were over-working; despite this, they did not quit their jobs. In Kalos League Passion with a Certain Flare!, they made it a point to steal the two finalists, Ash and Alain's, Pokémon after the battle, but could not execute their plan due to Team Flare wreaking havoc in Lumiose City. In Coming Apart at the Dreams!, he, in disguise of a news reporter, set out with his teammates, Serena, Mairin and Professor Sycamore towards Lysandre Labs in an attempt to take over the base and bring Team Flare down. In the next episode, he fled the Lysandre Labs after the Giant Rock transformed into a Zygarde, along with his teammates, on their helicopter. He was in-charge of shooting footage of the entire incident surrounding the Rock as he followed it on their helicopter on its way towards Anistar City, and like his teammates, was utterly surprised to see the seven Gym Leaders and Kalos Champion Diantha arrive on the scene to deal with the Giant Rock.

After the disaster, he and his teammates claimed sole credit for defeating Team Flare to Giovanni.

This role is incomplete.

Please feel free to edit this role to add missing information and complete it.

Reason: Role during the Nihilego-Lusamine arc.

In Loading the Dex!, the trio arrived in the Alola region to obtain some rare Alolan Pokémon for Giovanni. The first Pokémon they encountered was a Mimikyu on Melemele Island. After being scared by it, Meowth was the first to ascertain that it was not actually a Pikachu. He also refused to translate what Mimikyu was saying, determining it to be too scary. Since Jessie and James had left Gourgeist and Inkay at headquarters before going to Alola, Jessie threw Meowth at Mimikyu to try to capture it. Fury Swipes had no effect on it. Meowth then tried to remove its Pikachu costume. But when it looked within, Meowth was badly hexed, and fell unconscious. He had a vision of walking down a long tunnel, then ran into a light, finding visions of Glaceon, Gardevoir, and Lopunny calling for him. They turned out to be projections cast by Gastly, Haunter, and Gengar. Everything disappeared, and he fell into an abyss.

In the real world, Jessie and James dumped water on Meowth, reviving him. After relating his apparent near-death experience, he blamed Mimikyu for it. They hid from the approaching Ash and his classmates from the Pokémon School. When Mimikyu battled Pikachu hard, Team Rocket decided to attempt to capture it, and stepped in to stop Ash. When Pikachu threw an Electro Ball at Meowth, Mimikyu used Shadow Ball to deflect it, aligning itself with Team Rocket. Before they could fight again, however, a Bewear stepped in and carried Jessie and James off. Meowth got Mimikyu to disengage from Pikachu so they could chase the Bewear.

In First Catch in Alola, Ketchum-Style!, Bewear looked after the trio, giving them food and shelter at its den.

In They Might Not Be Giants!, Meowth attempted to catch Ash's Rowlet and Lana's Popplio, who had been separated from their Trainers, but was defeated by a wild Litten. Later, when Rowlet, Litten, and Popplio were caught by Team Rocket, Meowth invited Litten to join Team Rocket. The Fire Cat Pokémon apparently agreed, but it turned out to be a ruse to get itself and the other two free. Afterwards, they sent Team Rocket blasting off.

In A Seasoned Search!, the trio completed their secret base in Bewear's den.

In One Journey Ends, Another Begins..., Meowth became worried for Litten after its caretaker Stoutland came down with an illness. Later, he came across Ash and told him to protect Litten. Following Stoutland's disappearance, Meowth visited Litten to try and get it to talk before leaving when Ash approached. Meowth later watched as Ash caught Litten, claiming that it was for the best, even though it turned them into enemies.

In A Team-on-Team Tussle!, the trio, upon learning about Z-Moves, began their search for a Z-Ring. They discovered a Darkinium Z in a nest of Alolan Rattata and Raticate, led by a Totem Raticate, and attempted to retrieve it. However, they were intercepted by members of Team Skull, who were after the same Z-Crystal. Ultimately, after a clash with the other team, and with the Totem Pokémon, the trio obtained the Z-Crystal for themselves.

In Alola, Kanto!, Team Rocket was revealed to have flown to Kanto as per orders from the headquarters. At the airport, the trio noticed Misty and Brock meet up with Ash and his classmates, and after eavesdropping on the group's conversation, decided to steal Pokémon off of Professor Oak's Laboratory to present them to Giovanni. However, their attempt to steal the group's Pokémon was thwarted, and they were carried back to Alola by Bewear in When Regions Collide!.

In Acting True to Form!, Meowth became upset when Jessie stole his limited-edition ice cream and ran off, upset only to fall into some mud and encountered an Alolan Meowth. Jessie and James came looking for him and mistook the Alolan Meowth for him. Returning to base, he discovered the Alolan Meowth was winning over Jessie and James and ignored his warnings about not trusting it. Later, the Alolan Meowth arrived at Team Rocket Headquarters and found itself the assistant of Matori. It later contacted Meowth, stating its intentions to replace Persian on Giovanni's lap.

This section is incomplete.

Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it.

Reason: role in Journeys.

Personality and characteristics

Meowth has an ambitious, conniving, and idealistic personality. He has made it his life goal to please his boss, Giovanni, and will stop at nothing to capture or steal Pokémon, especially Ash's Pikachu, which he has been pursuing since Pokémon Emergency.

Meowth is a characteristically jealous individual, particularly towards other cat Pokémon such as Giovanni's Persian and Matori's own Meowth. He often clashes with them because they are equally as smug and conniving as him. Many of his personality traits are typical for other Meowth, where they have an affinity for affection, but he has an eye for sparkling objects. Unlike most other Pokémon, who are not truly evil and will only commit evil deeds when ordered to do so, as stated by Jessie's Ekans in Island of the Giant Pokémon, Meowth is both perfectly capable of and willing to commit evil deeds without the aid of others. He is motivated by self-interest and greed, but also enjoys the thrill of taking advantage of others.

Despite his seemingly outgoing nature, Meowth also has a contemplative inner side that is not seen as often. In one of his image songs, Meowth's Song, and in Mewtwo Strikes Back, he is a philosopher. Meowth comforted Ash's Chimchar in Tears For Fears! and even expressed some admiration for Ash and his friends. On a few occasions, Meowth has become stranded with Pikachu, and during these times, the two work together fairly well. Pikachu distrusts Meowth, but Meowth is more willing to let go of the past and work together. Usually, by the end of these episodes, Meowth will betray Pikachu once he and Pikachu find Jessie and James.

Meowth recognizes himself as a Pokémon, but has always felt at odds where he doesn't perfectly fit into the Pokémon world because of his ability to speak like a human. Despite his often self-interested nature, he is willing to support individuals with their own passions, and will go out of his way to ensure they achieve their goal. Examples include Simon from The Poké Spokesman, who was certain he could understand the feelings of Pokémon, or Michelle's Bagon who was keen on learning how to fly.

Meowth in love

Meowth is an amorous Pokémon, developing crushes on occasion, which often jeopardize Team Rocket's operations. He has also demonstrated aspirations of being a parent-like caretaker, like in Who Gets to Keep Togepi?, when he coddled Togepi's Egg before fighting for custody of it, only to lose it to Misty. To regain custody of Togepi, he even defeated Brock's Onix by throwing a bucket of water in its face and finishing it with a Fury Swipes attack to the head.

Meowth normally does not battle unless there are extreme circumstances; his explanation is that his ability to talk and walk upright came at the expense of battling ability. However, when forced to fight, Meowth is fairly resourceful, such as dumping a bucket of water on an Onix to weaken it, most notably Brock's Onix in Who Gets to Keep Togepi?.

Much like Ash's Pikachu, Meowth does not stay inside a Poké Ball, though he is technically a wild Pokémon. He remains a part of the trio because he feels he has a place with them. Meowth considers himself the brains of the trio's operations, namely because his ability to translate Pokémon speech for Jessie and James, and also because of his extensive technical knowledge, which has helped construct many of Team Rocket's mechas. He utilizes fantasies to explain his schemes to his teammates, though these also expose Meowth's ambitions to be Giovanni's sole companion. On several occasions, Meowth's value has been questioned. He even had some tension towards Jessie's Wobbuffet when he first joined the trio and kept taking his place in the Team Rocket motto, but the pair now gets along. His attachment to Jessie and James is more obvious when he finds himself separated or when the trio has decided to go their separate ways. Examples of this include Hoenn Alone or Lucario and the Mystery of Mew, when he became sad after Jessie and James got swallowed up by the Tree of Beginning's antibodies.

During Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon, Meowth developed a bond with Litten. In They Might Not Be Giants!, Meowth was brought to tears when Litten explained its past. His concern for Litten grew in One Journey Ends, Another Begins..., when Stoutland began to grow ill before disappearing, and he even informed Ash that he had better protect Litten. Following Stoutland's disappearance, Meowth visited Litten to try and get it to talk before leaving when Ash approached. Meowth later watched as Ash caught Litten, knowing that it was for the best even though it meant they were enemies. Encountering Torracat for the first time since Litten evolved during Love at First Twirl!, Meowth seemed to be excited by its evolution.

Moves used

Moves improvised

Voice actors

Artwork

This section is incomplete.

Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it.

Reason: Expansion of role in M20, full role in M21.

Meowth appeared in I Choose You!, which is set in a different continuity from the main series. He first appeared in disguise with Jessie and James in a Pokémon Center, being wanted for stealing Pokémon. When a Trainer who had just battled an Entei hurried inside the Pokémon Center, Team Rocket eavesdropped on the conversation and decided to hunt for Entei themselves. While looking for Entei in the forest, they were blasted off by a raging Onix.

Voice actors

In the games

Meowth appears as part of Jessie and James's team each time they appear in Pokémon Yellow, alongside Ekans, Koffing, and their evolved forms. However, unlike in the anime, Meowth resides in a Poké Ball instead of traveling around with Jessie and James. He reappeared in Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, which is based on Yellow. Unlike Yellow, he is no longer a part of the battles that Jessie and James have against the player. Also unlike the anime, he does not speak the human language, and instead, his dialogue mainly consists of making generic cat noises.

Team Rocket's Meowth was distributed via Wi-Fi from December 7, 2012 to January 10, 2013 for Japanese players of Pokémon Black 2 and White 2, because of its involvement in the Best Wishes: Episode N season of the anime.

Team Rocket's Meowth was again distributed via Wi-Fi from May 10 to June 9, 2013 for Korean players of Pokémon Black 2 and White 2, because of its involvement in the Best Wishes: Episode N season of the anime.

Team Rocket's Meowth was also distributed in Italy as part of the Pokémon Day event held at the Mirabilandia amusement park. It was available from July 13 to 14, 2013.

In the spin-off games

Arcade games

Pikachu appears in Pokémon: Battle Nine and Pokémon: Wobbuffet Fell Down!.

In Battle Nine, if a Meowth or Team Rocket symbol is selected instead of a Poké Ball, it will trigger the appearance of Meowth or the whole Team Rocket trio respectively. If Meowth appears, it will attempt to steal 1 captured Pokémon. If successful, it will replace it with a fresh Pokémon. If the whole Team appears, they will steal all captured Pokémon and replace them with fresh ones, essentially causing the player to start over. Both actions will cause the player to lose potential combo bonuses involving the Pokémon captured.

In Pokémon: Wobbuffet Fell Down!, players use medals to bring forth and control various Pokémon in order to reach a goal guarded by Meowth. He begins facing the tree chanting "ソーナンスがころんだニャ!", "Wobbuffet fell down, meow!" at varying speeds. He will turn around upon saying "meow!", and any Pokémon he sees at this time will be frozen from the game.

Meowth appears in Intellectual Training Drill Pokémon Diamond & Pearl: Letter and Number Intelligence Game.

Meowth appears on the PNF (Pokémon News Flash), along with Psyduck. He goes out and interviews random Pokémon in random locations.

Meowth also appears in Pichu Bros. in Party Panic, along with Jessie's Wobbuffet and the Squirtle Squad. He plans a party for himself and invites all the Pokémon from Big Town.

This section is incomplete.

Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it.

Reason: Double Trouble event information.

Starting on July 1, 2020, Meowth would occasionally appear in the Pokémon Center, stating how he got separated from his teammates Jessie and James while searching for a Mythical Pokémon. They are reunited for the Double Trouble Event.

Unlike most characters in Pokémon Masters, Meowth's appearance is based directly on his anime incarnation, and retains his Japanese voice actress.

Quotes

Menu interface (voice clips)

During conversation

"Wow!" "You better be ready for this!"

Special Event - Double Trouble

Team Rocket on the Scene!

"Not anymore! We went off track after you two losers said ya saw a Mythical Pokémon!"

Forest Shenanigans

"We're outnumbered. Even if we fight 'em head on..." "Wait a sec. I recognize that twerp... You're <player>, ain't ya?" Regardless of choice: "He/She's one of the up-and-comin' young Trainers from the PML. If we get 'im/'er to work with us..."

If spoken to at 1/2 "I've got a good feelin' that we can use you."

2/2, before defeating Masked Man "I only see that one guy over there right now."

Pride in the Evils of Truth and Love

"I don't care what ya do! Just do somethin' about this already!" "(Team Rocket all together) A pitfall trap!"

If spoken to at 1/2 before finding the right spot "Hey! Get back to work! You ain't got time to be slackin' off!"

If the Purrloin is spoken to for the first time at 1/2, before finding the right spot "Wowee! Be still, my beatin' heart!" "You're better lookin' than any Mythical Pokémon, toots! How's 'bout we go get a coffee together?" "How 'bout ya mind yer own business!" "She says her Trainer's crazy about cat Pokémon."

If the Purrloin is spoken to again at 1/2, before finding the right spot "The ground here's too hard. I think we've gotten pretty far away from the good dirt."

If the spot near the Beauty is tapped for the first time at 1/2, before finding the right spot "It says it's just eatin' a little bit of this good soil 'cause it doesn't wanna evolve." "It's sayin' this lady here probably won't wanna pat it on the head anymore if it evolves into Tyranitar."

If the spot near the Beauty is tapped again at 1/2, before finding the right spot "It says that the ground near that lady is probably perfect for a pitfall trap."

If the right spot near the Rising Star is tapped "Lemme talk to 'em. Let's see here..." "It says it's lost all its confidence from losin' all the time." "Nincada grow up in the dirt, so this is sorta like homesickness or somethiin'."

"Now all we gotta do is lure Team Break this way and make 'em fall down this hole!"

If the other spots are tapped "The ground here's no good for pitfall traps." "Look for good dirt that would make Pokémon wanna dig right in."

2/2, before defeating Team Break "We're outnumbered. C'mon, let's get outta here for now."

"Meowth, that's right!"

2/2, after defeating Team Break "If we can get our hands on some strong Pokémon and bring 'em to the boss..."

Special Team Rocket event blurb

"Where'd those two run off to?"

Special Team Rocket event intro conversation

"I got separated from the others while we were searchin' for a Mythical Pokémon. I gotta find 'em!"

Special Double Trouble event blurb

"We gotta bring that Mythical Pokémon to the boss!"

Special Double Trouble event conversation

"If we catch Celebi, we can get whatever we want as a reward!"

Special Blasting Off Again event blurb

"Cha-CHING! That's the sound I'll be hearin' when all them fireworks go off!"

Special Blasting Off Again event conversation

"I bet my charm'll really shine in the light of all them fireworks!"

Special log-in conversation (morning)

"Ya haven't had breakfast yet? It's the most important meal of the day, y'know! Don't look at me, Jessie! Get your own!"

Meowth is a playable character, along with Jessie and James. Their theme is Double Trouble.

In Special Seven mode, Meowth appears as card #2. When the Meowth card is used, he will force the opponent to draw 2 cards. This can be countered if the player has another Meowth card, in which case the effect will pass on to the next player, unless they also have a Meowth card, and so on.

Meowth also makes a cameo in Four Kings mode. When the game is won, he tells the player to try the next level of difficulty. Meowth also appears on the box art.

Meowth appears as a trophy. This trophy is unlocked after obtaining each All-Star trophy for all 25 playable characters.

Melee trophy information

This...is Meowth's dream. Meowth strides all over the globe scattering invitations to other Pokemon, insisting they come to "Meowth's Party". At this wonderful party, guests are packed in like sardines as Meowth climbs up the stage with its faithful guitar. It strikes a chord, pauses, and then rocks their world.

Meowth appears in Pokémon: Catch the Numbers!, Pokémon Advanced Generation: I've Begun Hiragana and Katakana!, and Pokémon Advanced Generation: Pico for Everyone Pokémon Loud Battle!.

In the manga

Meowth in the Ash & Pikachu manga

In the Ash & Pikachu manga

In Ash & Pikachu, which is based on the anime, Meowth appears along with Jessie and James.

Moves used

Using Fury Swipes Move First Used In Fury Swipes Tale Of The Friendship Between Pikachu And Meowth A † shows that the move was used recently, unless all moves fit this case or there are fewer than five known moves.

In The Electric Tale of Pikachu manga

Meowth in The Electric Tale of Pikachu manga

Meowth debuts in Pikachu's Excellent Adventure, where he is searching for the Hidden Village with Jessie and James when he runs into Tommy, Pikachu and other Pokémon, who are also searching for the village. Meowth offers them free breakfast (made by Jessie and James) and the trio travel with them to the village. Later, he is expelled from the Hidden Village by Kangaskhan when Jessie and James try to steal the Pokémon.

Meowth reappears in You Gotta Have Friends, when he, Jessie, and James attempt to steal a herd of wild Pikachu. Following this, the Team Rocket trio begin regularly appearing in the manga, following Ash to the Pokémon League championship at Indigo Plateau and cheering him on at the Orange League.





In the movie adaptations

As Meowth has appeared in every movie to date, he has appeared in the manga adaptations of them as well.

In the Pocket Monsters manga

This section is incomplete.

Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it.

Reason: Photo.

Meowth debuted in JNM04.

In the TCG

Meowth is featured in the TCG as one of Team Rocket's Pokémon and as a Pokémon . The following is a list of cards featuring Meowth.

Merchandise

20th Anniversary Team Rocket Special Case

The final item released during the XY BREAK Era, and the XY Era as a whole, was the 20th Anniversary Team Rocket Special Case (Japanese: 20周年記念 ロケット団スペシャルケース). This item could only be purchased from the Pokémon Center Online as part of a make to order run, with each case costing ¥12,000 plus tax. The reservation period began on November 3, 2016 and closed after December 18, 2016. Cases began shipping to customers from mid-February 2017. Each case is made of high-quality plastic and includes a handle and clasps to secure it when closed. Inside are molded high-density foam inserts that contain the case's 2 exclusive Full Art promotional cards, Team Rocket-themed Deck Case, set of 64 sleeves, and metal coin.

Product images:

20th Anniversary Team Rocket Special Case contents The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins





Ash vs Team Rocket Deck Kit

The Ash vs Team Rocket Deck Kit (Japanese: 30枚デッキ対戦セット「サトシVSロケット団」) is a Japanese-exclusive Deck Kit released alongside the Facing a New Trial subset, on April 21, 2017. The deck features Pokémon from Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon of the Pokémon anime, including Ash's Pikachu and Jessie's Mimikyu as Pokémon-GX. The Deck Kit also includes a player's guide, damage and Status Condition markers, 2 GX markers, a coin, a playmat, and a How to Play instruction manual.

Product image:

Ash vs Team Rocket Deck Kit The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins





SM10b accessories

April 26, 2019 saw the release of Sky Legend, the second subset associated with the Double Blaze expansion, as well as the Great Detective Pikachu subset, promoting the Detective Pikachu movie that premiered in Japan the following Friday. A variety of merchandise featuring artwork based on the two subsets was available to purchase from the same day, as were many other items in anticipation of Golden Week, traditionally a busy shopping period and longer in 2019 than usual due to the Japanese imperial transition.

Deck cases: Each deck case comes with 2 organizational dividers and can store up to 180 cards.

The Team Rocket Deck Case (Japanese: デッキケース ロケット団) features a Ken Sugimori illustration of the Team Rocket trio Jessie, James, and Meowth. This deck case was limited to Pokémon Centers.

Playmats: Each single-player playmat is made from a resilient rubber-like material. All playmats available from April 26, 2019 were exclusive to Pokémon Centers.

The Team Rocket Rubber Playmat (Japanese: ハーフプレイマット ロケット団) features Team Rocket members Jessie, James, and Meowth against a space-themed backdrop containing planets and galaxies.

Sleeves:

The Team Rocket Sleeves (Japanese: デッキシールド ロケット団 Deck Shield: Team Rocket) feature the infamous trio of Team Rocket agents Jessie, James, and Meowth in front of the Team Rocket emblem. These sleeves case could only be purchased at Pokémon Centers.

Product images:

Team Rocket Deck Case Team Rocket Rubber Playmat Team Rocket Sleeves The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins





Trivia

Meowth without his koban

References

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