No. 0052 · Generation I · Scratch Cat Pokémon
ニャースNyāsu · From ニャー (nyā), the Japanese for 'meow'; its official trademarked spelling is Nyarth.
The Scratch Cat Pokémon · Normal type · first seen in Pokémon Red & Green (1996)
01Overview
Meet Meowth
Everything you need to know about the Scratch Cat Pokémon — the creature behind the number.
Meowth is the Scratch Cat Pokémon, a cream-furred little feline with a gleaming gold coin set into its forehead – an oval koban, the kind clutched by the beckoning lucky-cat figurines that wave from shop counters all over Japan. It is instantly recognisable: wide eyes with slit pupils, two pointed fangs, long whiskers framing black ears, hind paws and tail that darken to brown at the tips, and a tail that curls into a tight coil at the end. Its claws slide in and out at will, and it tucks them away to pad about without making a sound.
Meowth is a creature of the night. It lounges or sleeps through the day, then slips out around dusk to prowl city streets, its eyes aglow as it hunts for dropped loose change. Anything round and shiny is irresistible – the moment it spots something that sparkles, its eyes glitter and the coin on its head lights up too. It squirrels its finds away in a secret hoard (a Meowth in a very good mood might just let its Trainer have a peek) and washes its face regularly to keep its own coin spotless. That magpie streak sets it against Murkrow, and the two are forever squabbling over treasure in junkyards.
“All it does is sleep during the daytime. At night, it patrols its territory with its eyes aglow.”
Pokédex · Pokémon Red (Japan), Green (Japan), FireRed & Scarlet · 1996
It is playful, clever and thoroughly fickle. Offer a Meowth a coin and you'll make a friend in seconds, though nobody would bet on the friendship lasting. Its line learns Pay Day by levelling up, pelting foes with coins you get to pocket after the battle. One Meowth even taught itself to talk: Team Rocket's wisecracking partner in the anime.
Meowth also gets around. In Alola, cats brought over as gifts for the royal family grew sleek, blue-grey and haughty; in Galar, generations spent alongside fierce seafarers left Galarian Meowth bearded, bristling and partly made of iron. It has regional forms from two different regions, and a Gigantamax form too – a towering, absurdly long cat whose giant coin may hold the secret of Dynamax itself.
Fans love it for exactly that blend of charm and mischief: a good-luck mascot with one eye on your wallet. From the routes around Saffron City in the very first games to the Paldean countryside and the hyperspace wild zones of Lumiose, Meowth has been prowling the series for three decades.
How big is Meowth?
Meowth stands 0.4 m (1′04″) tall – roughly the height of a tenpin bowling pin – and weighs 4.2 kg (9.3 lb), about the same as a typical pet cat. Iron-boned Galarian Meowth weighs almost twice as much at 7.5 kg (16.5 lb), while Gigantamax Meowth towers past 33 m (108′03″) – taller than a ten-storey building.
Evolution
Alolan Meowth
Alola form · since Sun & Moon (2016) · Scratch Cat Pokémon
Meowth was never native to Alola. Long ago a royal house brought it to the islands from another region, and a life of palace luxury changed it: its coat turned a sleek blue-grey, its tail tip, whiskers, toes and inner ears paled to a whitish grey, its whiskers took on a gentle curve and its eyes became silvery. When the monarchy fell, the pampered pets went feral, and human activity helped their numbers boom until Alolan Meowth became as common there as Meowth is everywhere else.
The royal upbringing shaped its personality too. Alolan Meowth is proud, crafty, selfish and impulsive, gets bored in no time and is famously fussy about food. Wound its delicate pride – or dirty the coin on its forehead – and it flies into a hysterical rage. In battle it is cool and calculating, picking relentlessly at an opponent's weak points. All of which makes it notoriously hard to handle, and that, oddly enough, is exactly why some Trainers adore it and happily lavish it with the attention it demands.
Base stats
Abilities
- Pickup
If it isn't holding anything, it may find a random item after a battle – and in battle it can snatch up an item an opponent has just used. - Technician
Powers up its weaker moves (60 power or less) by 50%. - RattledHidden ability
Raises its Speed when it's hit by a Bug-, Ghost- or Dark-type move – and, since Sword & Shield, when it's hit by Intimidate.
Type matchups
How hard each attacking type hits Alolan Meowth (Dark).
Where to find itSun & Moon and Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon: wild on Route 2, at the Trainers' School, in Hau'oli City and in Malie Garden. Let's Go, Eevee!: trade a Meowth to a Trainer on Cinnabar Island to get one. Sword & Shield: trade only (from version 1.2.0), or claim one in The Isle of Armor as the reward for finding at least five of the island's hidden Alolan Diglett. Scarlet & Violet: via Pokémon HOME, or in The Indigo Disk by trading with Salvatore in the League Club Room. Legends: Z-A (Mega Dimension): 1★ and 4★ Dark-type wild zones in Hyperspace Lumiose.
Alolan Meowth’s Pokédex entries
This Pokémon was not originally found in Alola. Human actions caused a surge in their numbers, and they went feral. They're prideful and crafty.
When its delicate pride is wounded, or when the gold coin on its forehead is dirtied, it flies into a hysterical rage.
It's impulsive, selfish, and fickle. It's very popular with some Trainers who like giving it the attention it needs.
A royal house that flourished in the distant past brought it here from another region. Meowth is both selfish and prideful.
Highly intelligent and prideful, it's famously difficult to handle—but that's also a reason for its popularity.
It's accustomed to luxury because it used to live with Alolan royalty. As a result, it's very picky about food.
Deeply proud and keenly smart, this Pokémon moves with cunning during battle and relentlessly attacks enemies' weak points.
It's fickle, selfish, and easily bored. This species is very popular with certain Trainers—ones who prefer fulfilling others' needs over their own.
Galarian Meowth
Galar form · since Sword & Shield (2019) · Scratch Cat Pokémon
Galar's Meowth spent generations living alongside a savage, seafaring people, and all that rough living toughened its body so much that parts of it turned to iron. It certainly looks the part of a Viking's cat: a shaggy, greyish-brown coat hangs off its face like a great unkempt beard – a leftover from life in cold northern climes – above fierce yellow eyes and a toothy grin.
Its forehead coin is black and incredibly hard, and among Galarian Meowth the rule is simple: the darker and harder your coin, the more respect you command. These daring cats fight fearlessly with their steel claws, and battle after battle has given them the power to evolve into Perrserker instead of Persian. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Kantonian Meowth and Galarian Meowth don't get along.
Base stats
Abilities
- Pickup
If it isn't holding anything, it may find a random item after a battle – and in battle it can snatch up an item an opponent has just used. - Tough Claws
Powers up its moves that make direct contact by 30%. - UnnerveHidden ability
Makes opponents too nervous to eat their held Berries.
Type matchups
How hard each attacking type hits Galarian Meowth (Steel).
Where to find itSword & Shield: wild on Route 4 and in Max Raid Battles at Dusty Bowl, Giant's Seat and Stony Wilderness; the Expansion Pass adds raid dens at Brawlers' Cave, Courageous Cavern and the Stepping-Stone Sea on the Isle of Armor, and at Snowslide Slope, Path to the Peak, Giant's Bed and Frigid Sea in the Crown Tundra. Scarlet & Violet: a gift from Salvatore, the academy's languages teacher. Legends: Z-A (Mega Dimension): 2★ and 4★ Steel-type wild zones in Hyperspace Lumiose.
Galarian Meowth’s Pokédex entries
Living with a savage, seafaring people has toughened this Pokémon's body so much that parts of it have turned to iron.
These daring Pokémon have coins on their foreheads. Darker coins are harder, and harder coins garner more respect among Meowth.
Its unkempt beard is a vestige from living in cold climes. It fights dauntlessly using its steel claws.
02In the Pokédex's words
Meowth's Pokédex entries
21 different entries across 44 games, from 1996 to 2025. Here is how the Pokédex has described Meowth over the years, in the order the games came out.
Generation I
All it does is sleep during the daytime. At night, it patrols its territory with its eyes aglow.
Kanto Pokédex
Adores circular objects. Wanders the streets on a nightly basis to look for dropped loose change.
Kanto Pokédex
Appears to be more active at night. It loves round and shiny things. It can't stop from picking them up.
Kanto Pokédex
Sleeps in the daytime. At night, its eyes glow as it happily collects coins, its favorite things.
Kanto Pokédex
Generation II
It is fascinated by round objects. It can't stop playing with them until it tires and falls asleep.
Johto Pokédex
It loves anything that shines. It especially adores coins that it picks up and secretly hoards.
Johto Pokédex
It loves things that sparkle. When it sees a shiny object, the gold coin on its head shines too.
Johto Pokédex
Generation III
Meowth withdraws its sharp claws into its paws to slinkily sneak about without making any incriminating footsteps. For some reason, this Pokémon loves shiny coins that glitter with light.
Hoenn Pokédex
Adores round objects. It wanders the streets on a nightly basis to look for dropped loose change.
FireRed & LeafGreen Pokédex
Meowth withdraw their sharp claws into their paws to silently sneak about. For some reason, this Pokémon loves shiny coins that glitter with light.
Hoenn Pokédex
Generation IV
It is nocturnal in nature. If it spots something shiny, its eyes glitter brightly.
Sinnoh Pokédex
Generation VII
It lies around all day, becoming active near dusk. At night, it wanders the city in search of loose change.
Rotom Pokédex
It loves shiny things. It often fights with Murkrow over prey they're both trying to catch.
Rotom Pokédex
When visiting a junkyard, you may catch sight of it having an intense fight with Murkrow over shiny objects.
Rotom Pokédex
It loves coins, so if you give it one, you can make friends with Meowth easily. But it's fickle, so you can't count on that friendship lasting.
Rotom Pokédex
Appears to be more active at night. It loves round and shiny things. It can't stop itself from picking them up.
Let's Go Pokédex
Generation VIII
It loves to collect shiny things. If it's in a good mood, it might even let its Trainer have a look at its hoard of treasures.
Rotom Phone (Sword & Shield)
It washes its face regularly to keep the coin on its forehead spotless. It doesn't get along with Galarian Meowth.
Rotom Phone (Sword & Shield)
It is nocturnal by nature. If it spots something shiny, its eyes glitter as brightly as the shiny object.
Sinnoh Pokédex
Generation IX
It loves things that sparkle. When it sees a shiny object, the gold coin on its head shines, too.
Rotom Phone (Scarlet & Violet)
It loves anything that shines. It especially adores coins, which it will pick up and stash somewhere.
Rotom Phone (Legends: Z-A)
03Stats, moves & where to find it
Meowth in the video games
Base stat total 290 · 25 core-series games · 40 spin-offs · every move it learns, generation by generation.
Base stats
Meowth's base stats have never changed: 40 HP, 45 Attack, 35 Defense, 40 Sp. Atk, 40 Sp. Def and a speedy 90 Speed, a total of 290. In Red, Green, Blue and Yellow it had a single Special stat of 40, and when Gold and Silver split Special in two, Sp. Atk and Sp. Def both kept that 40. All three forms share the same 290 total but spend it very differently: Alolan Meowth moves 10 points from Attack into Sp. Atk (35 Attack, 50 Sp. Atk), while Galarian Meowth is a slow bruiser with 50 HP, 65 Attack, 55 Defense and only 40 Speed. Meowth and Alolan Meowth give 1 Speed EV, Galarian Meowth 1 Attack EV. Its base experience yield was 69 in Generations I–IV and has been 58 since Generation V, and its base friendship was 70 before Sword & Shield and is now 50. It reaches level 100 in the Medium Fast group (1,000,000 experience points).
Abilities
- Pickupsince Gen III
If it isn't holding anything, it may find a random item after a battle – and in battle it can snatch up an item an opponent has just used. - Techniciansince Gen IV
Powers up its weaker moves (60 power or less) by 50%. - UnnerveHidden abilitysince Gen V
Makes opponents too nervous to eat their held Berries.
Type matchups
How hard each attacking type hits a Normal Pokémon.
These matchups have never changed since Red and Green. As a pure Normal-type, Meowth fears only Fighting-type moves and is completely immune to Ghost-type attacks.
Training & breeding
- Catch rate
- 255
- Base friendship
- 50
- Base experience
- 58
- Growth rate
- Medium Fast
- EV yield
- 1 Speed
- Egg groups
- Field
- Egg cycles
- 20
- Colour
- Yellow
- Gender ratio
- 50% male
- Body shape
- quadruped
Where to find Meowth
| Game | Year | How to get it |
|---|---|---|
| Red & Green | 1996 | Green version only: wild on Routes 5, 6, 7 and 8, the four routes around Saffron CityRed players have to trade for one – Mankey is Red's counterpart. |
| Blue (Japan) | 1996 | Wild on Routes 5–8 |
| Red & Blue | 1998 | Blue version only: wild on Routes 5–8 around Saffron CityRed players have to trade for one. |
| Yellow | 1998 | Not found in the wild – trade onlyJessie and James send out a Meowth in every one of their battles with you – at Mt. Moon, the Rocket Hideout, Pokémon Tower and Silph Co. – though unlike in the anime it stays in its Poké Ball and only makes cat noises. |
| Gold & Silver | 1999 | Silver version only: wild on Routes 38 and 39 in Johto and Routes 5–8 in Kanto |
| Crystal | 2000 | Wild on Routes 38 and 39 in Johto, and on Routes 5–8 and 11 in Kanto |
| Ruby & Sapphire | 2002 | Not found in the wild – trade or event only |
| FireRed & LeafGreen | 2004 | Wild on Routes 5–8 and across the Sevii Islands: Kindle Road, Treasure Beach, Cape Brink, Bond Bridge, Five Isle Meadow, Water Path, Ruin Valley, Canyon Entrance and Sevault CanyonWild Meowth here sometimes carry a Nugget (a 5% chance). |
| Emerald | 2004 | Not found in the wild – trade a Skitty to a Trainer at the Battle FrontierThe traded Meowth, nicknamed Meowow, arrives holding Retro Mail. |
| XD: Gale of Darkness | 2005 | Snagged as a Shadow Pokémon at the Prestige Precept Center |
| Diamond & Pearl | 2006 | Trophy Garden, behind the Pokémon Mansion on Route 212, after you obtain the National Pokédex |
| Platinum | 2008 | Trophy Garden, after you obtain the National Pokédex |
| HeartGold & SoulSilver | 2009 | SoulSilver only: wild on Routes 38 and 39 in Johto and Routes 5–8 in KantoIt's also on the Pokéwalker's Sightseeing course – and a Meowth leading your party trots along behind you on all fours. |
| Black & White | 2010 | Not found in the wild – trade or event onlyPokémon Dream World's Spooky Manor also offered it. |
| Black 2 & White 2 | 2012 | Trade: male players can swap any Pokémon with Yancy in Nimbasa City for her level 50 MeowthFirst return Yancy's Dropped Item and call her 15 times on the Xtransceiver. Her Meowth has its Hidden Ability, Unnerve, and holds a Rare Candy. Female players get Curtis instead, whose first offer is a Mankey. |
| X & Y | 2013 | Not available |
| Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire | 2014 | Not found in the wild – trade, or breed one from a Persian |
| Sun & Moon | 2016 | Alolan Meowth only: wild on Route 2, at the Trainers' School, in Hau'oli City and in Malie GardenThe original Meowth can only be brought in from Pokémon Bank. An Alolan Meowth also lives in Hapu's house on the Ancient Poni Path – try to sleep in the bed and it swipes at you, dropping an Awakening. |
| Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon | 2017 | Alolan Meowth only: wild on Route 2, at the Trainers' School, in Hau'oli City and in Malie GardenThe original Meowth can only be brought in from Pokémon Bank. |
| Let's Go, Pikachu! & Let's Go, Eevee! | 2018 | Let's Go, Eevee! only: wild on Routes 24 and 25Also in Let's Go, Eevee!, trade a Meowth to a Trainer on Cinnabar Island for an Alolan Meowth. Team Rocket's Meowth tags along with Jessie and James again, but no longer battles you. |
| Sword & Shield | 2019 | Galarian Meowth: wild on Route 4 and in Max Raid Battles at Dusty Bowl, Giant's Seat and Stony Wilderness. Original Meowth: trade a Galarian Meowth to a Trainer at Turffield Stadium for a Meowth nicknamed CashGigantamax Meowth was a Mystery Gift from 15 November 2019 to 15 January 2020. The Isle of Armor (2020): Regina also hands over a Meowth in exchange for a Galarian Meowth, Max Soup from the Master Dojo can give a Meowth the Gigantamax Factor, and an Alolan Meowth is the reward for finding five of the island's Alolan Diglett. |
| Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl | 2021 | Trophy Garden, after you obtain the National Pokédex |
| Legends: Arceus | 2022 | Not available |
| Scarlet & Violet | 2022 | Wild in East Province (Area Three) and West Province (Area Three), a Flying Tera Type Meowth in South Province (Area Two), and 2★ Tera Raid BattlesGalarian Meowth is a gift from Salvatore, the academy's languages teacher. Alolan Meowth comes in via Pokémon HOME, or in The Indigo Disk (2023) by trade with Salvatore in the League Club Room. |
| Legends: Z-A | 2025 | Trade only in the base game (from version 2.0.0)The Mega Dimension expansion (2025) brings all three forms to Hyperspace Lumiose's wild zones: Meowth in 1★ and 3★ Normal-type zones, Alolan Meowth in 1★ and 4★ Dark-type zones and Galarian Meowth in 2★ and 4★ Steel-type zones. |
Sprites through the ages
Spin-offs & cameos
Super Smash Bros.
Meowth has been part of Super Smash Bros. since the very first game – not as a fighter, but as one of the Pokémon that burst out of a thrown Poké Ball. In the 1999 original it hovers in mid-air and sprays Pay Day coins in every direction: each one clinks like a Mario coin and stings for 6%, and anybody caught in the full shower can rack up as much as 50%. Melee is the odd one out. Meowth vanished from the Poké Balls, but it did get a trophy of Team Rocket's Meowth holding a red-and-white guitar, in honour of 'Meowth's Party' – the anime ending that also became a GameCube tech demo at Nintendo Space World 2000. Brawl brought it back with sharper aim, firing a stream of coins left or right at the nearest opponent (and trapping anyone who lands on top of it), along with a trophy that points out the gold medallion on its head and a sticker that boosts slashing attacks. The 3DS and Wii U games kept that routine with faster, tighter coins and gave it a trophy in both versions; the European text calls it 'purralysingly pawerful'. In Ultimate it is a Poké Ball Pokémon once more, and an Advanced-class support spirit whose Thrown Items ↑ ability is a nod to Pay Day – win it by beating two golden Isabelles on the coin-strewn Golden Plains to the tune of Road to Viridian City.
Pokémon GO
Meowth has been prowling Pokémon GO since launch day, 6 July 2016, and its regional cousins followed: Alolan Meowth arrived on 21 June 2018, and Galarian Meowth made its debut on 3 June 2020 as a reward for the Throwback Challenge Champion 2020 Special Research, before turning up in 7 km Eggs. Each form needs 50 Candy to evolve – into Persian, Alolan Persian or Perrserker – and walks 3 km per Candy as a buddy. Shiny hunters had to wait: shiny Alolan Meowth came first, at the third-anniversary celebrations on 28 June 2019, then shiny Meowth on 7 November 2019 during the Team GO Rocket Leaders' habitat disruption – fittingly, two days after Shadow Meowth first appeared – and shiny Galarian Meowth at Ultra Unlock Part 3: Sword and Shield on 20 August 2021. The Team Rocket links run deep. At GO Fest 2019 in Chicago and Dortmund, Team GO Rocket Grunts photobombed players after closing time, and every photobomb ended in a Meowth encounter; and from 7 July to 30 September 2020 a Meowth-shaped balloon sometimes floated in instead of the usual Team GO Rocket one, starting back-to-back battles with Jessie and James. Meowth had its own Spotlight Hour on 17 November 2020 and Alolan Meowth on 28 September 2021, while Shadow Meowth led one-star Shadow Raids in autumn 2023. The big moment came on 15 February 2026, when Gigantamax Meowth stretched into six-star Max Battles at a ticketed Max Battle Day, shiny from day one – though a Gigantamax-capable Meowth can't evolve.
Burst out of a Poké Ball and it hovers in mid-air, spraying Pay Day coins in every direction. Each coin clinks like one of Mario's and deals 6%, and a fighter caught in the full shower can take up to 50%.
The Beach is crawling with Meowth: one pulls faces from a high ledge until a Pester Ball knocks it down, then springs up and strikes poses, while others chase the Pidgey. Near the end, pelt both Pidgey before they can Gust the Meowth by their nest and you'll catch it dancing.
Meowth hosts the Blue Table's first bonus stage: every hit makes it stop and drop a pile of coins, and collecting 20 coins inside a minute clears the stage – grab several piles in a row and the haul multiplies, up to six times. It can also be caught in Cerulean City, Vermilion City Streets, Celadon City and Saffron City.
Team Rocket's Meowth is a playable character alongside Jessie and James in this anime-themed puzzler, and the trio come with their own theme, 'Double Trouble'.
In this Pokémon mini card game, Team Rocket's Meowth is card no. 2 in Special Seven, forcing an opponent to draw two cards – unless they can pass the penalty on with a Meowth of their own. Win at Four Kings and he pops up to dare you to try the next difficulty level, and he's on the box art too.
No Meowth in this game's Poké Balls. Instead there's a trophy of Team Rocket's Meowth holding a red-and-white guitar, based on 'Meowth's Party', the anime ending in which he dreams of inviting Pokémon from all over the world to his party.
Team Rocket – Meowth included – have made off with most of Ash, Misty and Brock's Pokémon in this Japan-only Sega Pico game, and it's up to you to win them back through a string of mostly maths-based minigames, voiced by the anime cast.
Team Rocket's Meowth roams about interviewing Pokémon for the Pokémon News Flash alongside Psyduck, and throws the party in 'Pichu Bros. in Party Panic', a special episode you can only watch in this game. He bosses everyone through rehearsals, debuts his band, Meowth's Music Attack, with 'Meowth's Party' – and is blasted off by his own fireworks.
A common piece in this block-matching puzzler, turning up in Secret Storage 9 and 18, Endless Level 22 and Mr. Who's Den.
Come out of the personality quiz as a Quirky boy and you'll wake up as a Meowth; otherwise it can be recruited on B3F–B6F of Western Cave and settles in Energetic Forest. One of its lines says it all: 'Round things… I adore them, meow!'
Found in Fall City and the Dusk Factory. Once captured, it can Cut through obstacles with its claws, and its Browser entry notes that it walks on its hind legs.
This Japanese medal game is a Pokémon take on Grandmother's Footsteps: Meowth faces a tree chanting 'Wobbuffet fell down, meow!' at varying speeds, and any Pokémon still moving when he spins round on the 'meow!' is out. He's voiced by his anime actress, Inuko Inuyama.
Meowth is the personality-quiz result for Sassy boys and Relaxed girls, and wild ones can be recruited on B5F–B15F of Happy Outlook.
Back in the Poké Balls with better aim: it now fires a stream of coins left or right at the nearest fighter, and anyone who drops on top of it gets trapped in the rush. It also has a trophy and a sticker that powers up slashing attacks.
Here Meowth joins you as a partner you can choose, and wild ones still roam Happy Outlook (B5F–B15F).
Lives in the Cavern Zone and the Haunted Zone (it also hangs around the Meeting Place, though it can't be befriended there). Once it's a friend, it can join in at Bastiodon's Block Barrage and Tangrowth's Swing-Along.
Found in the Cove Area, where its Pad profile sums it up as shrewd but earnest.
Found in Aurora and Terrera, it fights with Fury Swipes and has the Mountaineer, Fortune or Bonanza Ability. The warrior Tsunehisa can reach a perfect link with it – and with Persian, which it evolves into once its Speed reaches 96.
The boss of Frenzy Square's 'Guard the Fort!' battle, it also turns up in Locomotive Café's 'Dash Race!'.
In this Japanese medal game, Meowth's symbol is the one to dread: he tries to swipe one of the Pokémon you've captured, while the whole Team Rocket trio make off with the lot – and with them any combo bonus they were part of.
Returns with faster, tighter coin streams that hit for 4% a coin, and gets a trophy in both versions – the European text calls it 'purralysingly pawerful'.
Waits on Stage 37 in Isla Asul and Stage 633 at Zaffiro Coast, with a Mega Boost skill that charges up a same-type Mega Pokémon. Alolan Meowth, armed with Shot Out, dropped in during a Pokémon Safari event.
Found in Everspring Valley in the White Ruins and in Old-Growth Woods in the Origin Hideaway.
Once you've connected with 300 Pokémon, have a chat with Meowth in Lively Town and it joins up; on the Connection Orb it's linked to Hawlucha. Its motto: 'I like round things, meow!'
Caught by solving a puzzle in Area 08. Its Rising Reveal skill uncovers a one-square-wide column of the grid.
Here since launch day and joined by Alolan Meowth in 2018 and Galarian Meowth in 2020, it has a very Team Rocket-flavoured history – and in February 2026 Gigantamax Meowth arrived in six-star Max Battles.
Beat the Great League and Meowth joins your support team, handing over coins whenever its skill has recharged (every two and a half hours) – and the more you rank it up, the bigger the payout.
Back in the Poké Balls once more, and also an Advanced-class support spirit, won by beating two golden Isabelles on Golden Plains to the strains of Road to Viridian City.
Appeared on the Charizard, Pinsir, Gengar and Bulbasaur Seas, while Alolan Meowth turned up on the Rowlet and Buzzwole Seas.
From 1 July 2020, Team Rocket's Meowth started turning up at the Pokémon Center, having lost Jessie and James while hunting a Mythical Pokémon – the trio are reunited in the Double Trouble event. Ordinary Meowth can also hatch from Eggs and team up with the player: it featured in the Fairy- and Normal-Type Egg Event (25 March–8 April 2021), and Alolan and Galarian Meowth starred in the 'Meow Meow Meow!' Egg event.
The quiz can make Quirky boys and Lonely girls into Meowth (it shares those results with Chikorita and Psyduck), and it's a partner option too. Wild ones live in Wish Cave (20F–22F and 97F–98F), and fainted Meowth can be found in Silver Trench, Buried Relic and the Desert Region.
An Entrées specialist that first joined the café after Order #96, with outfits including Welcome 2022 and Mischievous yarn (from the 'Meowth's Love for Yarn' team event of January 2023). Alolan Meowth signed up through the 'Alola to Meowth' Cooking Festival in autumn 2024 and later dressed up as a Greedy sea captain.
Team Rocket's Meowth is an opponent in the first Super Tag set, attacking with Fury Swipes – beat the Team Rocket trio and you may earn a Support Pokémon Ticket based on him.
Meowth has moved in at the Research Camp, napping by the parked NEO-ONEs or hiding upstairs in the lab. A trail of fluffruit sends it chasing a hidden Rattata out from under the main building – or into a claw-swiping scrap with a Sudowoodo for a four-star shot.
Joined the roster as a melee Speedster on 9 January 2026, a month after its debut in the Chinese version. Its Pickup Ability steals opponents' battle items, Pay Day flings gold coins, and its Unite Move, Gold Coin Barrage, does exactly what it says on the tin.
A Snoozing-type helper that specialises in skills – Dream Shard Magnet S nets you a pile of Dream Shards – and gathers Persim Berries, Moomoo Milk and Bean Sausage. One of its sleep styles is Pay Day Sleep, and it clutches the coins it has collected while it dozes.
No. 084 in Pokopia's Pokédex, Meowth is a Trade specialist that likes a cool habitat and – naturally – loves shiny stuff, along with containers, glass stuff, luxury, group activities and spicy flavours.
Moves
Meowth has always fought like the alley cat it is. In Red and Blue its whole level-up list was Scratch, Growl, Bite, Pay Day, Screech, Fury Swipes and Slash, a set built for scrapping and for scooping up coins, yet the TM case let it zap foes with Thunderbolt or soak them with BubbleBeam. Gold and Silver made Bite a Dark-type move and added Faint Attack, Ruby and Sapphire brought the cheeky Fake Out, and Diamond and Pearl turned Meowth into a true schemer with Nasty Plot, Assurance, Captivate, Night Slash and later Feint.
Then the regional cousins arrived. Sun and Moon's Alolan Meowth leaned into the Dark type with Dark Pulse, Flatter and Parting Shot, and Sword and Shield's Galarian Meowth went its own steely way with Metal Claw, Metal Sound, Thrash and Steel Beam, while Gigantamax Meowth's G-Max Gold Rush whipped up a full-blown coin storm. Sword and Shield also reshuffled every form's list to open with Fake Out and close with Play Rough or Thrash, a layout Scarlet and Violet kept, and Legends: Z-A gave all three a fresh twist with Hypnosis and Charm, and handed Galarian Meowth an Outrage. Whatever the form, the recipe stays the same: strike first, scratch hard and always leave with the money.
Signature moves
The move that sums Meowth up: it scatters coins to pocket after the battle. Meowth has learned it by levelling up in every generation, at 17 in Red and Blue, 30 from Diamond and Pearl to Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, 12 in Sword, Shield, Scarlet and Violet and right from the start in Legends: Z-A, and it has also been a TM, from TM16 in Red and Blue to TM116 in Legends: Z-A.
Those claws never stop. Fury Swipes has been on Meowth's level-up list in every generation from Red and Blue (level 33) to Scarlet and Violet (level 29), as early as level 14 from Diamond and Pearl to Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon.
A sneaky first-turn slap that makes the target flinch. It joined at level 50 in Ruby and Sapphire, dropped to 9 in Diamond and Pearl and is a level-1 opener for all three forms in Sword, Shield, Scarlet and Violet.
Perfect for a Pokémon with a schemer's grin. Diamond and Pearl added it at level 38, Sword, Shield, Scarlet and Violet teach it at 40, and the Team Rocket Meowth event came with it.
The Dark-type Alolan Meowth's own touch: in Sun and Moon it alone goes on to learn Dark Pulse at level 55, and from Sword and Shield onwards it learns Night Slash where its Kantonian cousin learns Slash: at 36 in Sword, Shield, Scarlet and Violet and at 22 in Legends: Z-A.
The Steel-type Galarian Meowth's own streak: it swaps Bite for Metal Claw at level 16 and Nasty Plot for a screeching Metal Sound at 40 in Sword, Shield, Scarlet and Violet, before ending with a wild Thrash at 44.
Pay Day taken to the extreme. In Sword and Shield, a Gigantamax Meowth turns its Normal-type attacks into G-Max Gold Rush, a coin storm that confuses the opposing Pokémon and earns extra prize money.
Complete learnsets
Generation I · Red, Green, Blue & Yellow7 level-up · 17 TM/HM
In Blue, Meowth prowls Routes 5 to 8 around Saffron City; Red and Yellow have no wild Meowth, so players of those versions need a trade. Its seven-move level-up list is all claws and cash: Scratch and Growl to start, Bite at level 12 (still a Normal-type move here), Pay Day at 17, Screech at 24, Fury Swipes at 33 and Slash at 44. The TM case is surprisingly broad, with Thunderbolt, Thunder, BubbleBeam and Water Gun alongside Body Slam, Double-Edge, Swift and Skull Bash, and Pay Day can be taught from TM16 as well. Every attack's physical or special category simply follows its type. Five moves can come back from Gold and Silver through the Time Capsule: the Egg Moves Amnesia and Hypnosis and the TM moves Defense Curl, Dream Eater and Headbutt.
By level-up
| RGBY | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scratch | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 35 |
| 1 | Growl | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 40 |
| 12 | Bite | Normal | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 |
| 17 | Pay Day | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 20 |
| 24 | Screech | Normal | Status | — | 85 | 40 |
| 33 | Fury Swipes | Normal | Physical | 18 | 80 | 15 |
| 44 | Slash | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
By TM / HM / TR
| No. | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM06 | Toxic | Poison | Status | — | 85 | 10 |
| TM08 | Body Slam | Normal | Physical | 85 | 100 | 15 |
| TM09 | Take Down | Normal | Physical | 90 | 85 | 20 |
| TM10 | Double-Edge | Normal | Physical | 100 | 100 | 15 |
| TM11 | BubbleBeam | Water | Special | 65 | 100 | 20 |
| TM12 | Water Gun | Water | Special | 40 | 100 | 25 |
| TM16 | Pay Day | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 20 |
| TM20 | Rage | Normal | Physical | 20 | 100 | 20 |
| TM24 | Thunderbolt | Electric | Special | 95 | 100 | 15 |
| TM25 | Thunder | Electric | Special | 120 | 70 | 10 |
| TM31 | Mimic | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 10 |
| TM32 | Double Team | Normal | Status | — | — | 15 |
| TM34 | Bide | Normal | Physical | — | — | 10 |
| TM39 | Swift | Normal | Physical | 60 | — | 20 |
| TM40 | Skull Bash | Normal | Physical | 100 | 100 | 15 |
| TM44 | Rest | Psychic | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM50 | Substitute | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
By transfer
| Move | From |
|---|---|
| Amnesia | Gen II (breeding) |
| Defense Curl | Gen II (TM) |
| Dream Eater | Gen II (TM) |
| Headbutt | Gen II (TM) |
| Hypnosis | Gen II (breeding) |
Generation II · Gold, Silver & Crystal8 level-up · 28 TM/HM · 4 egg · 1 tutor
Silver puts Meowth on Kanto's Routes 5 to 8 and Johto's Routes 38 and 39, Crystal adds Route 11, and Gold has no wild Meowth at all. The level-up list grows to eight moves: Bite at 11, now a Dark-type move, Pay Day at 20, the brand-new Faint Attack at 28, Screech at 35, Fury Swipes at 41 and Slash at 46. Twenty-eight TMs include Iron Tail, Shadow Ball, Zap Cannon, Icy Wind, Thief and Dream Eater, and Crystal's move tutor can teach Thunderbolt. Breeding brings four Egg Moves: Amnesia from the Sentret, Wooper and Swinub families, Charm from Snubbull or Granbull, Hypnosis from Stantler and Spite from Dunsparce. Categories still follow type, so Bite and Faint Attack count as special moves. Ten old TM moves from Red, Blue and Yellow, including BubbleBeam, Water Gun, Skull Bash and Take Down, can be carried forward through the Time Capsule.
By level-up
| GSC | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scratch | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 35 |
| 1 | Growl | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 40 |
| 11 | Bite | Dark | Special | 60 | 100 | 25 |
| 20 | Pay Day | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 20 |
| 28 | Faint Attack | Dark | Special | 60 | — | 20 |
| 35 | Screech | Normal | Status | — | 85 | 40 |
| 41 | Fury Swipes | Normal | Physical | 18 | 80 | 15 |
| 46 | Slash | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
By TM / HM / TR
| No. | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM02 | Headbutt | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 15 |
| TM03 | Curse | ??? | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM06 | Toxic | Poison | Status | — | 85 | 10 |
| TM07 | Zap Cannon | Electric | Special | 100 | 50 | 5 |
| TM09 | Psych Up | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM10 | Hidden Power | Normal | Varies | — | 100 | 15 |
| TM11 | Sunny Day | Fire | Status | — | — | 5 |
| TM13 | Snore | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 15 |
| TM16 | Icy Wind | Ice | Special | 55 | 95 | 15 |
| TM17 | Protect | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM20 | Endure | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM21 | Frustration | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM23 | Iron Tail | Steel | Physical | 100 | 75 | 15 |
| TM25 | Thunder | Electric | Special | 120 | 70 | 10 |
| TM27 | Return | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM30 | Shadow Ball | Ghost | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| TM31 | Mud-Slap | Ground | Physical | 20 | 100 | 10 |
| TM32 | Double Team | Normal | Status | — | — | 15 |
| TM34 | Swagger | Normal | Status | — | 90 | 15 |
| TM35 | Sleep Talk | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM39 | Swift | Normal | Physical | 60 | — | 20 |
| TM40 | Defense Curl | Normal | Status | — | — | 40 |
| TM42 | Dream Eater | Psychic | Special | 100 | 100 | 15 |
| TM43 | Detect | Fighting | Status | — | — | 5 |
| TM44 | Rest | Psychic | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM45 | Attract | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| TM46 | Thief | Dark | Special | 40 | 100 | 10 |
| TM50 | Nightmare | Ghost | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
By breeding (egg moves)
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amnesia | Psychic | Status | — | — | 20 | Sentret, Furret, Wooper, Quagsire, Swinub, Piloswine |
| Charm | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 20 | Snubbull, Granbull |
| Hypnosis | Psychic | Status | — | 60 | 20 | Stantler |
| Spite | Ghost | Status | — | 100 | 10 | Dunsparce |
By move tutor
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderbolt | Electric | Special | 95 | 100 | 15 | Crystal |
By transfer
| Move | From |
|---|---|
| Bide | Gen I (TM) |
| Body Slam | Gen I (TM) |
| BubbleBeam | Gen I (TM) |
| Double-Edge | Gen I (TM) |
| Mimic | Gen I (TM) |
| Rage | Gen I (TM) |
| Skull Bash | Gen I (TM) |
| Substitute | Gen I (TM) |
| Take Down | Gen I (TM) |
| Water Gun | Gen I (TM) |
Generation III · Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, FireRed & LeafGreen (plus Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness)10 level-up · 26 TM/HM · 6 egg · 15 tutor · 1 event
Ruby and Sapphire have no wild Meowth, so it arrives by trade or event; Emerald offers one in an in-game trade for a Skitty at the Battle Frontier, and FireRed and LeafGreen bring it back to Routes 5 to 8 and Sevii Islands spots such as Bond Bridge and Water Path. Both pairs teach the same moves, with FireRed and LeafGreen running a little earlier: Bite at 11 or 10, Pay Day at 20 or 18 and Slash at 46 or 40, then the brand-new Fake Out at 50 or 43, plus a Swagger at 45 that only FireRed and LeafGreen teach. Assist and Psych Up join the Egg Moves; Water Pulse, Taunt, Torment, Shock Wave and Snatch join the TMs, with HM01 Cut and HM05 Flash on top. Emerald's tutors teach Meowth 14 moves, FireRed and LeafGreen's five and Pokémon XD's eight. A Japanese Egg Pokémon Present Meowth came with Petal Dance, and Pokémon XD's Shadow Meowth, found at the Prestige Precept Center, is the source of a Meowth with Sing.
By level-up
| RSE | FRLG | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Scratch | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 35 |
| 1 | 1 | Growl | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 40 |
| 11 | 10 | Bite | Dark | Special | 60 | 100 | 25 |
| 20 | 18 | Pay Day | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 20 |
| 28 | 25 | Faint Attack | Dark | Special | 60 | — | 20 |
| 35 | 31 | Screech | Normal | Status | — | 85 | 40 |
| 41 | 36 | Fury Swipes | Normal | Physical | 18 | 80 | 15 |
| 46 | 40 | Slash | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| 50 | 43 | Fake Out | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 10 |
| N/A | 45 | Swagger | Normal | Status | — | 90 | 15 |
By TM / HM / TR
| No. | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM03 | Water Pulse | Water | Special | 60 | 100 | 20 |
| TM06 | Toxic | Poison | Status | — | 85 | 10 |
| TM10 | Hidden Power | Normal | Varies | — | 100 | 15 |
| TM11 | Sunny Day | Fire | Status | — | — | 5 |
| TM12 | Taunt | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM17 | Protect | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM18 | Rain Dance | Water | Status | — | — | 5 |
| TM21 | Frustration | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM23 | Iron Tail | Steel | Physical | 100 | 75 | 15 |
| TM24 | Thunderbolt | Electric | Special | 95 | 100 | 15 |
| TM25 | Thunder | Electric | Special | 120 | 70 | 10 |
| TM27 | Return | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM28 | Dig | Ground | Physical | 60 | 100 | 10 |
| TM30 | Shadow Ball | Ghost | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| TM32 | Double Team | Normal | Status | — | — | 15 |
| TM34 | Shock Wave | Electric | Special | 60 | — | 20 |
| TM40 | Aerial Ace | Physical | 60 | — | 20 | |
| TM41 | Torment | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| TM42 | Facade | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| TM43 | Secret Power | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| TM44 | Rest | Psychic | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM45 | Attract | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| TM46 | Thief | Dark | Special | 40 | 100 | 10 |
| TM49 | Snatch | Dark | Status | — | — | 10 |
| HM01 | Cut | Normal | Physical | 50 | 95 | 30 |
| HM05 | Flash | Normal | Status | — | 70 | 20 |
By breeding (egg moves)
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amnesia | Psychic | Status | — | — | 20 | Sentret, Furret, Wooper, Quagsire, Swinub, Piloswine, Slakoth, Slaking and 3 more |
| Assist | Normal | Status | — | — | 20 | Skitty |
| Charm | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 20 | Snubbull, Granbull, Skitty |
| Hypnosis | Psychic | Status | — | 60 | 20 | Stantler, Spinda |
| Psych Up | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | Psyduck, Golduck, Espeon, Spoink, Grumpig, Spinda |
| Spite | Ghost | Status | — | 100 | 10 | Dunsparce |
By move tutor
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Body Slam | Normal | Physical | 85 | 100 | 15 | FRLG, Emerald, XD |
| Defense Curl | Normal | Status | — | — | 40 | Emerald |
| Double-Edge | Normal | Physical | 120 | 100 | 15 | FRLG, Emerald, XD |
| Dream Eater | Psychic | Special | 100 | 100 | 15 | FRLG, Emerald, XD |
| Endure | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | Emerald |
| Icy Wind | Ice | Special | 55 | 95 | 15 | Emerald, XD |
| Mimic | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | FRLG, Emerald, XD |
| Mud-Slap | Ground | Physical | 20 | 100 | 10 | Emerald |
| Nightmare | Ghost | Status | — | — | 15 | XD |
| Psych Up | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | Emerald |
| Sleep Talk | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | Emerald |
| Snore | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 15 | Emerald |
| Substitute | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | FRLG, Emerald, XD |
| Swagger | Normal | Status | — | 90 | 15 | Emerald, XD |
| Swift | Normal | Physical | 60 | — | 20 | Emerald |
Event moves
| Move | Event |
|---|---|
| Petal Dance | Egg Pokémon Present Meowth (Japan) |
Generation IV · Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold & SoulSilver15 level-up · 38 TM/HM · 11 egg · 11 tutor · 1 event
Diamond, Pearl and Platinum hide Meowth in the Trophy Garden, SoulSilver keeps it on Routes 5 to 8, 38 and 39 (HeartGold has none), and older Meowth can come home through Pal Park's Field area or the Pokéwalker's Sightseeing route. The level-up list is rebuilt into 15 moves that turn Meowth into a proper schemer: Bite at 6, Fake Out at 9, Fury Swipes at 14, Taunt at 25, Pay Day at 30, the brand-new Nasty Plot at 38, Assurance at 41, Captivate at 46 and Night Slash at 49, and Platinum, HeartGold and SoulSilver add Feint at 54. Every move now has its own category, so Bite and Faint Attack become physical. Flail, Last Resort, Odor Sleuth and Punishment join the Egg Moves, with Tail Whip in HeartGold and SoulSilver only; Dark Pulse, Payback, U-turn and Shadow Claw arrive as TMs; and the tutors of Platinum, HeartGold and SoulSilver teach ten moves such as Gunk Shot, Knock Off and Seed Bomb, with Headbutt in HeartGold and SoulSilver only. A Pokémon Center Meowth event in Japan came with Assist.
By level-up
| DP | PtHGSS | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Scratch | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 35 |
| 1 | 1 | Growl | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 40 |
| 6 | 6 | Bite | Dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 |
| 9 | 9 | Fake Out | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 10 |
| 14 | 14 | Fury Swipes | Normal | Physical | 18 | 80 | 15 |
| 17 | 17 | Screech | Normal | Status | — | 85 | 40 |
| 22 | 22 | Faint Attack | Dark | Physical | 60 | — | 20 |
| 25 | 25 | Taunt | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| 30 | 30 | Pay Day | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 20 |
| 33 | 33 | Slash | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| 38 | 38 | Nasty Plot | Dark | Status | — | — | 20 |
| 41 | 41 | Assurance | Dark | Physical | 50 | 100 | 10 |
| 46 | 46 | Captivate | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| 49 | 49 | Night Slash | Dark | Physical | 70 | 100 | 15 |
| N/A | 54 | Feint | Normal | Physical | 50 | 100 | 10 |
By TM / HM / TR
| No. | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM03 | Water Pulse | Water | Special | 60 | 100 | 20 |
| TM06 | Toxic | Poison | Status | — | 85 | 10 |
| TM10 | Hidden Power | Normal | Special | — | 100 | 15 |
| TM11 | Sunny Day | Fire | Status | — | — | 5 |
| TM12 | Taunt | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM17 | Protect | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM18 | Rain Dance | Water | Status | — | — | 5 |
| TM21 | Frustration | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM23 | Iron Tail | Steel | Physical | 100 | 75 | 15 |
| TM24 | Thunderbolt | Electric | Special | 95 | 100 | 15 |
| TM25 | Thunder | Electric | Special | 120 | 70 | 10 |
| TM27 | Return | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM28 | Dig | Ground | Physical | 80 | 100 | 10 |
| TM30 | Shadow Ball | Ghost | Special | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| TM32 | Double Team | Normal | Status | — | — | 15 |
| TM34 | Shock Wave | Electric | Special | 60 | — | 20 |
| TM40 | Aerial Ace | Physical | 60 | — | 20 | |
| TM41 | Torment | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| TM42 | Facade | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| TM43 | Secret Power | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| TM44 | Rest | Psychic | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM45 | Attract | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| TM46 | Thief | Dark | Physical | 40 | 100 | 10 |
| TM49 | Snatch | Dark | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM58 | Endure | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM65 | Shadow Claw | Ghost | Physical | 70 | 100 | 15 |
| TM66 | Payback | Dark | Physical | 50 | 100 | 10 |
| TM70 | Flash | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM77 | Psych Up | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM78 | Captivate | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM79 | Dark Pulse | Dark | Special | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| TM82 | Sleep Talk | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM83 | Natural Gift | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 15 |
| TM85 | Dream Eater | Psychic | Special | 100 | 100 | 15 |
| TM87 | Swagger | Normal | Status | — | 90 | 15 |
| TM89 | U-turn | Bug | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| TM90 | Substitute | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| HM01 | Cut | Normal | Physical | 50 | 95 | 30 |
By breeding (egg moves)
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amnesia | Psychic | Status | — | — | 20 | Psyduck, Golduck, Sentret, Furret, Wooper, Quagsire, Swinub, Piloswine and 9 more |
| Assist | Normal | Status | — | — | 20 | Skitty, Glameow, Purugly |
| Charm | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 20 | Pikachu, Vulpix, Dugtrio, Golduck, Growlithe, Snubbull, Granbull, Teddiursa and 16 more |
| Flail | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 15 | Dunsparce, Phanpy, Donphan, Zigzagoon, Slakoth, Slaking, Torkoal, Spinda |
| Hypnosis | Psychic | Status | — | 60 | 20 | Stantler, Spinda, Glameow, Purugly |
| Last Resort | Normal | Physical | 130 | 100 | 5 | Eevee, Vaporeon, Jolteon, Flareon, Espeon, Umbreon, Leafeon, Glaceon and 4 more |
| Odor Sleuth | Normal | Status | — | — | 40 | Growlithe, Arcanine, Girafarig, Swinub, Piloswine, Mamoswine, Houndour, Houndoom and 9 more |
| Psych Up | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | Psyduck, Golduck, Espeon, Spoink, Grumpig, Spinda |
| Punishment | Dark | Physical | — | 100 | 5 | Mankey, Primeape, Slaking, Infernape |
| Spite | Ghost | Status | — | 100 | 10 | Dunsparce |
| Tail Whip | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 30 | Rattata, Raticate, Pikachu, Raichu, Vulpix, Ninetales, Psyduck, Golduck and 18 more |
By move tutor
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Headbutt | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 15 | HGSS |
| Gunk Shot | Poison | Physical | 120 | 70 | 5 | Pt, HGSS |
| Icy Wind | Ice | Special | 55 | 95 | 15 | Pt, HGSS |
| Knock Off | Dark | Physical | 20 | 100 | 20 | Pt, HGSS |
| Last Resort | Normal | Physical | 130 | 100 | 5 | Pt, HGSS |
| Mud-Slap | Ground | Special | 20 | 100 | 10 | Pt, HGSS |
| Seed Bomb | Grass | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 | Pt, HGSS |
| Snore | Normal | Special | 40 | 100 | 15 | Pt, HGSS |
| Spite | Ghost | Status | — | 100 | 10 | Pt, HGSS |
| Swift | Normal | Special | 60 | — | 20 | Pt, HGSS |
| Uproar | Normal | Special | 50 | 100 | 10 | Pt, HGSS |
Event moves
| Move | Event |
|---|---|
| Assist | Pokémon Center Meowth (Japan) |
By transfer
| Move | From |
|---|---|
| Body Slam | Gen III (tutor) |
| Defense Curl | Gen III (tutor) |
| Double-Edge | Gen III (tutor) |
| Mimic | Gen III (tutor) |
| Nightmare | Gen III (tutor) |
| Petal Dance | Gen III (Egg Pokémon Present event) |
| Sing | Gen III (Pokémon XD) |
Generation V · Black, White, Black 2 & White 215 level-up · 33 TM/HM · 13 egg · 15 tutor · 4 event
Black and White have no wild Meowth, and Black 2 and White 2 offer one only through an in-game trade with Yancy in Nimbasa City, for male player characters; the Dream World's Spooky Manor has one too. The 15-move level-up list is unchanged, with Feint cut to 30 power. Hone Claws, Round, Echoed Voice, Retaliate and Work Up join the TMs, and the Egg Moves grow to 13 with Foul Play, Snatch and a chain-bred Iron Tail. Black 2 and White 2's tutors teach 15 moves, from Covet and Foul Play to Hyper Voice, Last Resort and Uproar. The Dream World Meowth can know Hypnosis or Secret Power, and the Team Rocket Meowth handed out in Japan, Korea and Italy came with Sing and Nasty Plot.
By level-up
| BW/B2W2 | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scratch | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 35 |
| 1 | Growl | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 40 |
| 6 | Bite | Dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 |
| 9 | Fake Out | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 10 |
| 14 | Fury Swipes | Normal | Physical | 18 | 80 | 15 |
| 17 | Screech | Normal | Status | — | 85 | 40 |
| 22 | Faint Attack | Dark | Physical | 60 | — | 20 |
| 25 | Taunt | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| 30 | Pay Day | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 20 |
| 33 | Slash | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| 38 | Nasty Plot | Dark | Status | — | — | 20 |
| 41 | Assurance | Dark | Physical | 50 | 100 | 10 |
| 46 | Captivate | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| 49 | Night Slash | Dark | Physical | 70 | 100 | 15 |
| 54 | Feint | Normal | Physical | 30 | 100 | 10 |
By TM / HM / TR
| No. | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM01 | Hone Claws | Dark | Status | — | — | 15 |
| TM06 | Toxic | Poison | Status | — | 90 | 10 |
| TM10 | Hidden Power | Normal | Special | — | 100 | 15 |
| TM11 | Sunny Day | Fire | Status | — | — | 5 |
| TM12 | Taunt | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM17 | Protect | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM18 | Rain Dance | Water | Status | — | — | 5 |
| TM21 | Frustration | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM24 | Thunderbolt | Electric | Special | 95 | 100 | 15 |
| TM25 | Thunder | Electric | Special | 120 | 70 | 10 |
| TM27 | Return | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM28 | Dig | Ground | Physical | 80 | 100 | 10 |
| TM30 | Shadow Ball | Ghost | Special | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| TM32 | Double Team | Normal | Status | — | — | 15 |
| TM40 | Aerial Ace | Physical | 60 | — | 20 | |
| TM41 | Torment | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| TM42 | Facade | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| TM44 | Rest | Psychic | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM45 | Attract | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| TM46 | Thief | Dark | Physical | 40 | 100 | 10 |
| TM48 | Round | Normal | Special | 60 | 100 | 15 |
| TM49 | Echoed Voice | Normal | Special | 40 | 100 | 15 |
| TM65 | Shadow Claw | Ghost | Physical | 70 | 100 | 15 |
| TM66 | Payback | Dark | Physical | 50 | 100 | 10 |
| TM67 | Retaliate | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 5 |
| TM70 | Flash | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM77 | Psych Up | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM83 | Work Up | Normal | Status | — | — | 30 |
| TM85 | Dream Eater | Psychic | Special | 100 | 100 | 15 |
| TM87 | Swagger | Normal | Status | — | 90 | 15 |
| TM89 | U-turn | Bug | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| TM90 | Substitute | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| HM01 | Cut | Normal | Physical | 50 | 95 | 30 |
By breeding (egg moves)
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amnesia | Psychic | Status | — | — | 20 | Psyduck, Golduck, Sentret, Furret, Wooper, Quagsire, Swinub, Piloswine and 13 more |
| Assist | Normal | Status | — | — | 20 | Skitty, Glameow, Purugly, Purrloin, Liepard |
| Charm | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 20 | Eevee, Snubbull, Granbull, Teddiursa, Phanpy, Skitty, Pachirisu, Buneary and 7 more |
| Flail | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 15 | Dunsparce, Swinub, Phanpy, Donphan, Zigzagoon, Slakoth, Slaking, Torkoal and 3 more |
| Foul Play | Dark | Physical | 95 | 100 | 15 | Houndour, Houndoom, Sandile, Krokorok, Krookodile, Zorua, Zoroark |
| Hypnosis | Psychic | Status | — | 60 | 20 | Stantler, Spinda, Glameow, Purugly, Patrat, Watchog, Munna, Musharna |
| Iron Tail | Steel | Physical | 100 | 75 | 15 | Nidoran♂, Rhyhorn, Mareep (chain breeding: the father must itself have learned it as an Egg Move) |
| Last Resort | Normal | Physical | 140 | 100 | 5 | Eevee, Vaporeon, Jolteon, Flareon, Espeon, Umbreon, Leafeon, Glaceon and 8 more |
| Odor Sleuth | Normal | Status | — | — | 40 | Growlithe, Arcanine, Girafarig, Swinub, Piloswine, Mamoswine, Houndour, Houndoom and 19 more |
| Punishment | Dark | Physical | — | 100 | 5 | Mankey, Primeape, Slaking, Infernape, Zorua, Zoroark |
| Snatch | Dark | Status | — | — | 10 | Purrloin, Liepard, Heatmor |
| Spite | Ghost | Status | — | 100 | 10 | Dunsparce |
| Tail Whip | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 30 | Rattata, Raticate, Pikachu, Raichu, Vulpix, Ninetales, Psyduck, Golduck and 34 more |
By move tutor
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Covet | Normal | Physical | 60 | 100 | 40 | B2W2 |
| Dark Pulse | Dark | Special | 80 | 100 | 15 | B2W2 |
| Foul Play | Dark | Physical | 95 | 100 | 15 | B2W2 |
| Gunk Shot | Poison | Physical | 120 | 70 | 5 | B2W2 |
| Hyper Voice | Normal | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 | B2W2 |
| Icy Wind | Ice | Special | 55 | 95 | 15 | B2W2 |
| Iron Tail | Steel | Physical | 100 | 75 | 15 | B2W2 |
| Knock Off | Dark | Physical | 20 | 100 | 20 | B2W2 |
| Last Resort | Normal | Physical | 140 | 100 | 5 | B2W2 |
| Seed Bomb | Grass | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 | B2W2 |
| Sleep Talk | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | B2W2 |
| Snatch | Dark | Status | — | — | 10 | B2W2 |
| Snore | Normal | Special | 40 | 100 | 15 | B2W2 |
| Spite | Ghost | Status | — | 100 | 10 | B2W2 |
| Uproar | Normal | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 | B2W2 |
Event moves
| Move | Event |
|---|---|
| Hypnosis | Dream World: Spooky Manor |
| Secret Power | Dream World: Spooky Manor |
| Sing | Team Rocket Meowth (Wi-Fi event in Japan and Korea; local event in Italy) |
| Nasty Plot | Team Rocket Meowth (Wi-Fi event in Japan and Korea; local event in Italy) |
By transfer
| Move | From |
|---|---|
| Body Slam | Gen III (tutor) |
| Defense Curl | Gen III (tutor) |
| Double-Edge | Gen III (tutor) |
| Endure | Gen III (tutor), Gen IV (TM) |
| Headbutt | Gen IV (tutor) |
| Mimic | Gen III (tutor) |
| Mud-Slap | Gen III (tutor), Gen IV (tutor) |
| Natural Gift | Gen IV (TM) |
| Nightmare | Gen III (tutor) |
| Petal Dance | Gen III (Egg Pokémon Present event) |
| Shock Wave | Gen III (TM), Gen IV (TM) |
| Sing | Gen III (Pokémon XD) |
| Swift | Gen III (tutor), Gen IV (tutor) |
| Water Pulse | Gen III (TM), Gen IV (TM) |
Generation VI · X, Y, Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire15 level-up · 36 TM/HM · 13 egg · 15 tutor · 1 event
X and Y have no Meowth to find, so one has to be traded in, while Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire let you hatch one by breeding a Persian. Faint Attack is now spelled Feint Attack, Assurance rises to 60 power and Feint moves to level 50, and Charm becomes a Fairy-type move. Dark Pulse becomes TM97, Sleep Talk TM88 and Confide TM100, Thunderbolt and Thunder drop to 90 and 110 power, and Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire add Secret Power as TM94. The 13 Egg Moves stay the same, and the Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire tutors teach 15 moves, now including Shock Wave and Water Pulse. The Happy Meowth handed out by serial code in PAL regions came with Happy Hour, fittingly a move that doubles the prize money from a battle.
By level-up
| XY/ORAS | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scratch | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 35 |
| 1 | Growl | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 40 |
| 6 | Bite | Dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 |
| 9 | Fake Out | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 10 |
| 14 | Fury Swipes | Normal | Physical | 18 | 80 | 15 |
| 17 | Screech | Normal | Status | — | 85 | 40 |
| 22 | Feint Attack | Dark | Physical | 60 | — | 20 |
| 25 | Taunt | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| 30 | Pay Day | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 20 |
| 33 | Slash | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| 38 | Nasty Plot | Dark | Status | — | — | 20 |
| 41 | Assurance | Dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 10 |
| 46 | Captivate | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| 49 | Night Slash | Dark | Physical | 70 | 100 | 15 |
| 50 | Feint | Normal | Physical | 30 | 100 | 10 |
By TM / HM / TR
| No. | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM01 | Hone Claws | Dark | Status | — | — | 15 | |
| TM06 | Toxic | Poison | Status | — | 90 | 10 | |
| TM10 | Hidden Power | Normal | Special | 60 | 100 | 15 | |
| TM11 | Sunny Day | Fire | Status | — | — | 5 | |
| TM12 | Taunt | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 20 | |
| TM17 | Protect | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | |
| TM18 | Rain Dance | Water | Status | — | — | 5 | |
| TM21 | Frustration | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 | |
| TM24 | Thunderbolt | Electric | Special | 90 | 100 | 15 | |
| TM25 | Thunder | Electric | Special | 110 | 70 | 10 | |
| TM27 | Return | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 | |
| TM28 | Dig | Ground | Physical | 80 | 100 | 10 | |
| TM30 | Shadow Ball | Ghost | Special | 80 | 100 | 15 | |
| TM32 | Double Team | Normal | Status | — | — | 15 | |
| TM40 | Aerial Ace | Physical | 60 | — | 20 | ||
| TM41 | Torment | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 15 | |
| TM42 | Facade | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 | |
| TM44 | Rest | Psychic | Status | — | — | 10 | |
| TM45 | Attract | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 15 | |
| TM46 | Thief | Dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 | |
| TM48 | Round | Normal | Special | 60 | 100 | 15 | |
| TM49 | Echoed Voice | Normal | Special | 40 | 100 | 15 | |
| TM65 | Shadow Claw | Ghost | Physical | 70 | 100 | 15 | |
| TM66 | Payback | Dark | Physical | 50 | 100 | 10 | |
| TM67 | Retaliate | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 5 | |
| TM70 | Flash | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 20 | |
| TM77 | Psych Up | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | |
| TM85 | Dream Eater | Psychic | Special | 100 | 100 | 15 | |
| TM87 | Swagger | Normal | Status | — | 90 | 15 | |
| TM88 | Sleep Talk | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | |
| TM89 | U-turn | Bug | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 | |
| TM90 | Substitute | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | |
| TM94 | Secret Power | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 | ORAS |
| TM97 | Dark Pulse | Dark | Special | 80 | 100 | 15 | |
| TM100 | Confide | Normal | Status | — | — | 20 | |
| HM01 | Cut | Normal | Physical | 50 | 95 | 30 |
By breeding (egg moves)
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amnesia | Psychic | Status | — | — | 20 | Psyduck, Golduck, Sentret, Furret, Wooper, Quagsire, Swinub, Piloswine and 13 more |
| Assist | Normal | Status | — | — | 20 | Skitty, Glameow, Purugly, Purrloin, Liepard |
| Charm | Fairy | Status | — | 100 | 20 | Pikachu, Snubbull, Granbull, Teddiursa, Phanpy, Skitty, Pachirisu, Buneary and 11 more |
| Flail | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 15 | Dunsparce, Swinub, Phanpy, Donphan, Zigzagoon, Slakoth, Slaking, Torkoal and 5 more |
| Foul Play | Dark | Physical | 95 | 100 | 15 | Houndour, Houndoom, Sandile, Krokorok, Krookodile, Zorua, Zoroark |
| Hypnosis | Psychic | Status | — | 60 | 20 | Stantler, Spinda, Glameow, Purugly, Patrat, Watchog, Munna, Musharna |
| Iron Tail | Steel | Physical | 100 | 75 | 15 | Nidoran♂, Rhyhorn, Mareep (chain breeding: the father must itself have learned it as an Egg Move) |
| Last Resort | Normal | Physical | 140 | 100 | 5 | Eevee, Vaporeon, Jolteon, Flareon, Espeon, Umbreon, Leafeon, Glaceon and 9 more |
| Odor Sleuth | Normal | Status | — | — | 40 | Growlithe, Arcanine, Girafarig, Swinub, Piloswine, Mamoswine, Houndour, Houndoom and 22 more |
| Punishment | Dark | Physical | — | 100 | 5 | Mankey, Primeape, Sneasel, Weavile, Slaking, Infernape, Zorua, Zoroark |
| Snatch | Dark | Status | — | — | 10 | Sneasel, Weavile, Purrloin, Liepard, Heatmor |
| Spite | Ghost | Status | — | 100 | 10 | Dunsparce |
| Tail Whip | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 30 | Rattata, Raticate, Pikachu, Raichu, Vulpix, Ninetales, Psyduck, Golduck and 42 more |
By move tutor
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Covet | Normal | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 | ORAS |
| Foul Play | Dark | Physical | 95 | 100 | 15 | ORAS |
| Gunk Shot | Poison | Physical | 120 | 80 | 5 | ORAS |
| Hyper Voice | Normal | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 | ORAS |
| Icy Wind | Ice | Special | 55 | 95 | 15 | ORAS |
| Iron Tail | Steel | Physical | 100 | 75 | 15 | ORAS |
| Knock Off | Dark | Physical | 65 | 100 | 20 | ORAS |
| Last Resort | Normal | Physical | 140 | 100 | 5 | ORAS |
| Seed Bomb | Grass | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 | ORAS |
| Shock Wave | Electric | Special | 60 | — | 20 | ORAS |
| Snatch | Dark | Status | — | — | 10 | ORAS |
| Snore | Normal | Special | 50 | 100 | 15 | ORAS |
| Spite | Ghost | Status | — | 100 | 10 | ORAS |
| Uproar | Normal | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 | ORAS |
| Water Pulse | Water | Special | 60 | 100 | 20 | ORAS |
Event moves
| Move | Event |
|---|---|
| Happy Hour | Happy Meowth (serial code, PAL regions) |
By transfer
| Move | From |
|---|---|
| Body Slam | Gen III (tutor) |
| Defense Curl | Gen III (tutor) |
| Double-Edge | Gen III (tutor) |
| Endure | Gen III (tutor), Gen IV (TM) |
| Headbutt | Gen IV (tutor) |
| Mimic | Gen III (tutor) |
| Mud-Slap | Gen III (tutor), Gen IV (tutor) |
| Natural Gift | Gen IV (TM) |
| Nightmare | Gen III (tutor) |
| Petal Dance | Gen III (Egg Pokémon Present event) |
| Sing | Gen III (Pokémon XD), Gen V (Team Rocket Meowth event) |
| Swift | Gen III (tutor), Gen IV (tutor) |
| Work Up | Gen V (TM) |
Generation VII · Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon15 level-up · 31 TM/HM · 13 egg · 16 tutor · + Alolan Meowth
Alola has a Meowth of its own: the Dark-type Alolan Meowth lives on Route 2, at the Trainers' School, in Hau'oli City and in Malie Garden, while the familiar Kantonian Meowth can only reach Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon through Pokémon Bank. Both forms keep the 15-move level-up list of the previous games, with Feint at 50, and Alolan Meowth carries on to a level-55 Dark Pulse. Dig is no longer a TM, and Alolan Meowth adds Quash and Embargo to the 31 TMs it shares with its cousin. Breeding splits the forms: Kantonian Meowth keeps 13 Egg Moves including Tail Whip, Odor Sleuth and Last Resort, while Alolan Meowth trades those and Iron Tail for Covet, Flatter and Parting Shot. Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon's tutors teach both forms the same 16 moves, among them Throat Chop, Knock Off and Foul Play. Twenty-eight older moves, from Bubble Beam and Zap Cannon to Petal Dance and Happy Hour, can be brought forward by a Kantonian Meowth.
By level-up
| SM/USUM | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scratch | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 35 |
| 1 | Growl | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 40 |
| 6 | Bite | Dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 |
| 9 | Fake Out | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 10 |
| 14 | Fury Swipes | Normal | Physical | 18 | 80 | 15 |
| 17 | Screech | Normal | Status | — | 85 | 40 |
| 22 | Feint Attack | Dark | Physical | 60 | — | 20 |
| 25 | Taunt | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| 30 | Pay Day | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 20 |
| 33 | Slash | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| 38 | Nasty Plot | Dark | Status | — | — | 20 |
| 41 | Assurance | Dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 10 |
| 46 | Captivate | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| 49 | Night Slash | Dark | Physical | 70 | 100 | 15 |
| 50 | Feint | Normal | Physical | 30 | 100 | 10 |
By TM / HM / TR
| No. | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM01 | Work Up | Normal | Status | — | — | 30 |
| TM06 | Toxic | Poison | Status | — | 90 | 10 |
| TM10 | Hidden Power | Normal | Special | 60 | 100 | 15 |
| TM11 | Sunny Day | Fire | Status | — | — | 5 |
| TM12 | Taunt | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM17 | Protect | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM18 | Rain Dance | Water | Status | — | — | 5 |
| TM21 | Frustration | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM24 | Thunderbolt | Electric | Special | 90 | 100 | 15 |
| TM25 | Thunder | Electric | Special | 110 | 70 | 10 |
| TM27 | Return | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM30 | Shadow Ball | Ghost | Special | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| TM32 | Double Team | Normal | Status | — | — | 15 |
| TM40 | Aerial Ace | Physical | 60 | — | 20 | |
| TM41 | Torment | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| TM42 | Facade | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| TM44 | Rest | Psychic | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM45 | Attract | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| TM46 | Thief | Dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 |
| TM48 | Round | Normal | Special | 60 | 100 | 15 |
| TM49 | Echoed Voice | Normal | Special | 40 | 100 | 15 |
| TM65 | Shadow Claw | Ghost | Physical | 70 | 100 | 15 |
| TM66 | Payback | Dark | Physical | 50 | 100 | 10 |
| TM77 | Psych Up | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM85 | Dream Eater | Psychic | Special | 100 | 100 | 15 |
| TM87 | Swagger | Normal | Status | — | 85 | 15 |
| TM88 | Sleep Talk | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM89 | U-turn | Bug | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| TM90 | Substitute | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM97 | Dark Pulse | Dark | Special | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| TM100 | Confide | Normal | Status | — | — | 20 |
By breeding (egg moves)
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amnesia | Psychic | Status | — | — | 20 | Psyduck, Golduck, Sentret, Furret, Wooper, Quagsire, Swinub, Piloswine and 13 more |
| Assist | Normal | Status | — | — | 20 | Skitty, Glameow, Purugly, Purrloin, Liepard |
| Charm | Fairy | Status | — | 100 | 20 | Eevee, Snubbull, Granbull, Teddiursa, Phanpy, Skitty, Pachirisu, Buneary and 10 more |
| Flail | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 15 | Dunsparce, Swinub, Phanpy, Zigzagoon, Slakoth, Slaking, Torkoal, Spinda and 7 more |
| Foul Play | Dark | Physical | 95 | 100 | 15 | Houndour, Houndoom, Sandile, Krokorok, Krookodile, Zorua, Zoroark, Oranguru |
| Hypnosis | Psychic | Status | — | 60 | 20 | Stantler, Spinda, Glameow, Purugly, Patrat, Watchog, Munna, Musharna |
| Last Resort | Normal | Physical | 140 | 100 | 5 | Eevee, Vaporeon, Jolteon, Flareon, Espeon, Umbreon, Leafeon, Glaceon and 9 more |
| Odor Sleuth | Normal | Status | — | — | 40 | Growlithe, Arcanine, Girafarig, Swinub, Piloswine, Mamoswine, Houndour, Houndoom and 26 more |
| Iron Tail | Steel | Physical | 100 | 75 | 15 | Ekans, Nidoran♂, Growlithe, Seel, Rhyhorn, Sentret, Mareep, Zangoose and 7 more (chain breeding: the father must itself have learned it as an Egg Move) |
| Punishment | Dark | Physical | — | 100 | 5 | Mankey, Primeape, Sneasel, Weavile, Slaking, Infernape, Zorua, Zoroark |
| Snatch | Dark | Status | — | — | 10 | Sneasel, Weavile, Purrloin, Liepard, Heatmor |
| Spite | Ghost | Status | — | 100 | 10 | Dunsparce |
| Tail Whip | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 30 | Rattata, Alolan Rattata, Raticate, Alolan Raticate, Pikachu, Raichu, Alolan Raichu, Vulpix and 44 more |
By move tutor
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Covet | Normal | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 | USUM |
| Foul Play | Dark | Physical | 95 | 100 | 15 | USUM |
| Gunk Shot | Poison | Physical | 120 | 80 | 5 | USUM |
| Hyper Voice | Normal | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 | USUM |
| Icy Wind | Ice | Special | 55 | 95 | 15 | USUM |
| Iron Tail | Steel | Physical | 100 | 75 | 15 | USUM |
| Knock Off | Dark | Physical | 65 | 100 | 20 | USUM |
| Last Resort | Normal | Physical | 140 | 100 | 5 | USUM |
| Seed Bomb | Grass | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 | USUM |
| Shock Wave | Electric | Special | 60 | — | 20 | USUM |
| Snatch | Dark | Status | — | — | 10 | USUM |
| Snore | Normal | Special | 50 | 100 | 15 | USUM |
| Spite | Ghost | Status | — | 100 | 10 | USUM |
| Throat Chop | Dark | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 | USUM |
| Uproar | Normal | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 | USUM |
| Water Pulse | Water | Special | 60 | 100 | 20 | USUM |
By transfer
| Move | From |
|---|---|
| Bide | Gen I (TM) |
| Body Slam | Gen I (TM), Gen III (tutor) |
| Bubble Beam | Gen I (TM) |
| Curse | Gen II (TM) |
| Cut | Gen V (HM), Gen VI (HM) |
| Defense Curl | Gen II (TM), Gen III (tutor) |
| Detect | Gen II (TM) |
| Dig | Gen III (TM), Gen IV (TM), Gen V (TM), Gen VI (TM) |
| Double-Edge | Gen I (TM), Gen III (tutor) |
| Endure | Gen II (TM), Gen III (tutor), Gen IV (TM) |
| Flash | Gen IV (TM), Gen V (TM), Gen VI (TM) |
| Happy Hour | Gen VI (Happy Meowth event) |
| Headbutt | Gen II (TM), Gen IV (tutor) |
| Hone Claws | Gen V (TM), Gen VI (TM) |
| Mimic | Gen I (TM), Gen III (tutor) |
| Mud-Slap | Gen II (TM), Gen III (tutor), Gen IV (tutor) |
| Natural Gift | Gen IV (TM) |
| Nightmare | Gen II (TM), Gen III (tutor) |
| Petal Dance | Gen III (Egg Pokémon Present event) |
| Rage | Gen I (TM) |
| Retaliate | Gen V (TM), Gen VI (TM) |
| Secret Power | Gen III (TM), Gen IV (TM), Gen V (Dream World), Gen VI (TM) |
| Sing | Gen III (Pokémon XD), Gen V (Team Rocket Meowth event) |
| Skull Bash | Gen I (TM) |
| Swift | Gen I (TM), Gen II (TM), Gen III (tutor), Gen IV (tutor) |
| Take Down | Gen I (TM) |
| Water Gun | Gen I (TM) |
| Zap Cannon | Gen II (TM) |
Alolan MeowthDark
Alolan Meowth's level-up list matches the Kantonian one move for move, then adds Dark Pulse at level 55. Its TMs include Quash and Embargo, and its Egg Moves include Covet, Flatter and Parting Shot. It has no older moves to transfer, as it first appeared in these games.
By level-up
| SM/USUM | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scratch | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 35 |
| 1 | Growl | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 40 |
| 6 | Bite | Dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 |
| 9 | Fake Out | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 10 |
| 14 | Fury Swipes | Normal | Physical | 18 | 80 | 15 |
| 17 | Screech | Normal | Status | — | 85 | 40 |
| 22 | Feint Attack | Dark | Physical | 60 | — | 20 |
| 25 | Taunt | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| 30 | Pay Day | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 20 |
| 33 | Slash | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| 38 | Nasty Plot | Dark | Status | — | — | 20 |
| 41 | Assurance | Dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 10 |
| 46 | Captivate | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| 49 | Night Slash | Dark | Physical | 70 | 100 | 15 |
| 50 | Feint | Normal | Physical | 30 | 100 | 10 |
| 55 | Dark Pulse | Dark | Special | 80 | 100 | 15 |
By TM / HM / TR
| No. | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM01 | Work Up | Normal | Status | — | — | 30 |
| TM06 | Toxic | Poison | Status | — | 90 | 10 |
| TM10 | Hidden Power | Normal | Special | 60 | 100 | 15 |
| TM11 | Sunny Day | Fire | Status | — | — | 5 |
| TM12 | Taunt | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM17 | Protect | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM18 | Rain Dance | Water | Status | — | — | 5 |
| TM21 | Frustration | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM24 | Thunderbolt | Electric | Special | 90 | 100 | 15 |
| TM25 | Thunder | Electric | Special | 110 | 70 | 10 |
| TM27 | Return | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM30 | Shadow Ball | Ghost | Special | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| TM32 | Double Team | Normal | Status | — | — | 15 |
| TM40 | Aerial Ace | Physical | 60 | — | 20 | |
| TM41 | Torment | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| TM42 | Facade | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| TM44 | Rest | Psychic | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM45 | Attract | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| TM46 | Thief | Dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 |
| TM48 | Round | Normal | Special | 60 | 100 | 15 |
| TM49 | Echoed Voice | Normal | Special | 40 | 100 | 15 |
| TM60 | Quash | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| TM63 | Embargo | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| TM65 | Shadow Claw | Ghost | Physical | 70 | 100 | 15 |
| TM66 | Payback | Dark | Physical | 50 | 100 | 10 |
| TM77 | Psych Up | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM85 | Dream Eater | Psychic | Special | 100 | 100 | 15 |
| TM87 | Swagger | Normal | Status | — | 85 | 15 |
| TM88 | Sleep Talk | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM89 | U-turn | Bug | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| TM90 | Substitute | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM97 | Dark Pulse | Dark | Special | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| TM100 | Confide | Normal | Status | — | — | 20 |
By breeding (egg moves)
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amnesia | Psychic | Status | — | — | 20 | Psyduck, Golduck, Sentret, Furret, Wooper, Quagsire, Swinub, Piloswine and 13 more |
| Assist | Normal | Status | — | — | 20 | Skitty, Glameow, Purugly, Purrloin, Liepard |
| Charm | Fairy | Status | — | 100 | 20 | Eevee, Snubbull, Granbull, Teddiursa, Phanpy, Skitty, Pachirisu, Buneary and 10 more |
| Covet | Normal | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 | Mankey, Eevee, Teddiursa, Ursaring, Zigzagoon, Linoone, Slakoth, Slaking and 3 more |
| Flail | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 15 | Dunsparce, Swinub, Phanpy, Zigzagoon, Slakoth, Slaking, Torkoal, Spinda and 7 more |
| Flatter | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 15 | Nidoran♂, Nidorino |
| Foul Play | Dark | Physical | 95 | 100 | 15 | Houndour, Houndoom, Sandile, Krokorok, Krookodile, Zorua, Zoroark, Oranguru |
| Hypnosis | Psychic | Status | — | 60 | 20 | Stantler, Spinda, Glameow, Purugly, Patrat, Watchog, Munna, Musharna |
| Parting Shot | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 20 | Pancham, Pangoro |
| Punishment | Dark | Physical | — | 100 | 5 | Mankey, Primeape, Sneasel, Weavile, Slaking, Infernape, Zorua, Zoroark |
| Snatch | Dark | Status | — | — | 10 | Sneasel, Weavile, Purrloin, Liepard, Heatmor |
| Spite | Ghost | Status | — | 100 | 10 | Dunsparce |
By move tutor
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Covet | Normal | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 | USUM |
| Foul Play | Dark | Physical | 95 | 100 | 15 | USUM |
| Gunk Shot | Poison | Physical | 120 | 80 | 5 | USUM |
| Hyper Voice | Normal | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 | USUM |
| Icy Wind | Ice | Special | 55 | 95 | 15 | USUM |
| Iron Tail | Steel | Physical | 100 | 75 | 15 | USUM |
| Knock Off | Dark | Physical | 65 | 100 | 20 | USUM |
| Last Resort | Normal | Physical | 140 | 100 | 5 | USUM |
| Seed Bomb | Grass | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 | USUM |
| Shock Wave | Electric | Special | 60 | — | 20 | USUM |
| Snatch | Dark | Status | — | — | 10 | USUM |
| Snore | Normal | Special | 50 | 100 | 15 | USUM |
| Spite | Ghost | Status | — | 100 | 10 | USUM |
| Throat Chop | Dark | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 | USUM |
| Uproar | Normal | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 | USUM |
| Water Pulse | Water | Special | 60 | 100 | 20 | USUM |
Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!14 level-up · 18 TM/HM · + Alolan Meowth
Meowth belongs to Let's Go, Eevee!: Kantonian Meowth lives on Routes 24 and 25, and an in-game trade on Cinnabar Island swaps a Kantonian Meowth for an Alolan one, while Let's Go, Pikachu! has neither form. Both forms learn the same brisk list: Scratch, Growl, Bite and Fake Out from the start (Bite and Fake Out are listed again at 3 and 6), then Taunt at 9, Pay Day at 12, Feint at 15, Fury Swipes at 19, Screech at 23, Slash at 27, Nasty Plot at 31 and Play Rough at 35. Kantonian Meowth can use 18 TMs, including Pay Day, Dark Pulse, Foul Play and Play Rough; Alolan Meowth has the same list minus Dig. There is no breeding in these games, and Meowth has no tutor moves.
By level-up
| LGPE | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scratch | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 35 |
| 1 | Growl | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 40 |
| 1 | Bite | Dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 |
| 1 | Fake Out | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 10 |
| 3 | Bite | Dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 |
| 6 | Fake Out | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 10 |
| 9 | Taunt | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| 12 | Pay Day | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 20 |
| 15 | Feint | Normal | Physical | 30 | 100 | 10 |
| 19 | Fury Swipes | Normal | Physical | 18 | 80 | 15 |
| 23 | Screech | Normal | Status | — | 85 | 40 |
| 27 | Slash | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| 31 | Nasty Plot | Dark | Status | — | — | 20 |
| 35 | Play Rough | Fairy | Physical | 90 | 90 | 10 |
By TM / HM / TR
| No. | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM01 | Headbutt | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 15 |
| TM02 | Taunt | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM05 | Rest | Psychic | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM07 | Protect | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM08 | Substitute | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM10 | Dig | Ground | Physical | 80 | 100 | 10 |
| TM12 | Facade | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| TM18 | U-turn | Bug | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| TM19 | Iron Tail | Steel | Physical | 100 | 75 | 15 |
| TM20 | Dark Pulse | Dark | Special | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| TM21 | Foul Play | Dark | Physical | 95 | 100 | 15 |
| TM27 | Toxic | Poison | Status | — | 90 | 10 |
| TM36 | Thunderbolt | Electric | Special | 90 | 100 | 15 |
| TM38 | Thunder | Electric | Special | 110 | 70 | 10 |
| TM43 | Shadow Ball | Ghost | Special | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| TM44 | Play Rough | Fairy | Physical | 90 | 90 | 10 |
| TM57 | Pay Day | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 20 |
| TM59 | Dream Eater | Psychic | Special | 100 | 100 | 15 |
Alolan MeowthDark
Same level-up list as Kantonian Meowth; the TM list is the same apart from Dig, which Alolan Meowth cannot learn here.
By level-up
| LGPE | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scratch | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 35 |
| 1 | Growl | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 40 |
| 1 | Bite | Dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 |
| 1 | Fake Out | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 10 |
| 3 | Bite | Dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 |
| 6 | Fake Out | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 10 |
| 9 | Taunt | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| 12 | Pay Day | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 20 |
| 15 | Feint | Normal | Physical | 30 | 100 | 10 |
| 19 | Fury Swipes | Normal | Physical | 18 | 80 | 15 |
| 23 | Screech | Normal | Status | — | 85 | 40 |
| 27 | Slash | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| 31 | Nasty Plot | Dark | Status | — | — | 20 |
| 35 | Play Rough | Fairy | Physical | 90 | 90 | 10 |
By TM / HM / TR
| No. | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM01 | Headbutt | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 15 |
| TM02 | Taunt | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM05 | Rest | Psychic | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM07 | Protect | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM08 | Substitute | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM12 | Facade | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| TM18 | U-turn | Bug | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| TM19 | Iron Tail | Steel | Physical | 100 | 75 | 15 |
| TM20 | Dark Pulse | Dark | Special | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| TM21 | Foul Play | Dark | Physical | 95 | 100 | 15 |
| TM27 | Toxic | Poison | Status | — | 90 | 10 |
| TM36 | Thunderbolt | Electric | Special | 90 | 100 | 15 |
| TM38 | Thunder | Electric | Special | 110 | 70 | 10 |
| TM43 | Shadow Ball | Ghost | Special | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| TM44 | Play Rough | Fairy | Physical | 90 | 90 | 10 |
| TM57 | Pay Day | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 20 |
| TM59 | Dream Eater | Psychic | Special | 100 | 100 | 15 |
Generation VIII · Sword & Shield, Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl13 level-up · 72 TM/HM · 15 egg · 1 tutor · + Alolan Meowth, Galarian Meowth
Galar has its own Meowth, too: the Steel-type Galarian Meowth roams Route 4 and turns up in Max Raid Battles in the dens of the Dusty Bowl, Giant's Seat and Stony Wilderness, with more dens on the Isle of Armor. Kantonian Meowth comes from an in-game trade at Turffield Stadium, where you hand over a Galarian Meowth, or as a Gigantamax Meowth event; on the Isle of Armor, Regina offers the same swap. Alolan Meowth can be traded in from Version 1.2.0, and the Expansion Pass gives one to anyone who finds at least five Alolan Diglett. Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl keep Kantonian Meowth in the Trophy Garden (neither regional form can be obtained there), and Meowth does not appear in Legends: Arceus. The level-up list is reshaped into 13 moves for all four games: Fake Out and Growl to start, Feint at 4, Scratch at 8, Pay Day at 12, Bite at 16, Taunt at 20, Assurance at 24, Fury Swipes at 29, Screech at 32, Slash at 36, Nasty Plot at 40 and Play Rough at 44. Sword and Shield teach 20 TMs and 20 TRs, including Charm, Snore, Retaliate, Uproar and Play Rough, while Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl return to a 32-move Sinnoh-style TM list with Cut as an ordinary TM. The Egg Moves shrink to six in Sword and Shield (Covet, Flail, Hypnosis, Last Resort, Spite and Tail Whip), with nine in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, and the Expansion Pass tutor teaches Lash Out. Feint Attack, Return, Hidden Power, Assist and several other older moves on the transfer list cannot be used in Sword and Shield.
By level-up
| SwSh/BDSP | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fake Out | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 10 |
| 1 | Growl | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 40 |
| 4 | Feint | Normal | Physical | 30 | 100 | 10 |
| 8 | Scratch | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 35 |
| 12 | Pay Day | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 20 |
| 16 | Bite | Dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 |
| 20 | Taunt | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| 24 | Assurance | Dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 10 |
| 29 | Fury Swipes | Normal | Physical | 18 | 80 | 15 |
| 32 | Screech | Normal | Status | — | 85 | 40 |
| 36 | Slash | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| 40 | Nasty Plot | Dark | Status | — | — | 20 |
| 44 | Play Rough | Fairy | Physical | 90 | 90 | 10 |
By TM / HM / TR
| No. | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM02 | Pay Day | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 20 | SwSh |
| TM15 | Dig | Ground | Physical | 80 | 100 | 10 | SwSh |
| TM16 | Screech | Normal | Status | — | 85 | 40 | SwSh |
| TM21 | Rest | Psychic | Status | — | — | 10 | SwSh |
| TM23 | Thief | Dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 | SwSh |
| TM24 | Snore | Normal | Special | 50 | 100 | 15 | SwSh |
| TM25 | Protect | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | SwSh |
| TM27 | Icy Wind | Ice | Special | 55 | 95 | 15 | SwSh |
| TM29 | Charm | Fairy | Status | — | 100 | 20 | SwSh |
| TM31 | Attract | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 15 | SwSh |
| TM33 | Rain Dance | Water | Status | — | — | 5 | SwSh |
| TM34 | Sunny Day | Fire | Status | — | — | 5 | SwSh |
| TM39 | Facade | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 | SwSh |
| TM40 | Swift | Normal | Special | 60 | — | 20 | SwSh |
| TM56 | U-turn | Bug | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 | SwSh |
| TM57 | Payback | Dark | Physical | 50 | 100 | 10 | SwSh |
| TM58 | Assurance | Dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 10 | SwSh |
| TM65 | Shadow Claw | Ghost | Physical | 70 | 100 | 15 | SwSh |
| TM76 | Round | Normal | Special | 60 | 100 | 15 | SwSh |
| TM79 | Retaliate | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 5 | SwSh |
| TR01 | Body Slam | Normal | Physical | 85 | 100 | 15 | SwSh |
| TR08 | Thunderbolt | Electric | Special | 90 | 100 | 15 | SwSh |
| TR09 | Thunder | Electric | Special | 110 | 70 | 10 | SwSh |
| TR17 | Amnesia | Psychic | Status | — | — | 20 | SwSh |
| TR20 | Substitute | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | SwSh |
| TR26 | Endure | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | SwSh |
| TR27 | Sleep Talk | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | SwSh |
| TR31 | Iron Tail | Steel | Physical | 100 | 75 | 15 | SwSh |
| TR33 | Shadow Ball | Ghost | Special | 80 | 100 | 15 | SwSh |
| TR35 | Uproar | Normal | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 | SwSh |
| TR37 | Taunt | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 20 | SwSh |
| TR42 | Hyper Voice | Normal | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 | SwSh |
| TR58 | Dark Pulse | Dark | Special | 80 | 100 | 15 | SwSh |
| TR59 | Seed Bomb | Grass | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 | SwSh |
| TR68 | Nasty Plot | Dark | Status | — | — | 20 | SwSh |
| TR73 | Gunk Shot | Poison | Physical | 120 | 80 | 5 | SwSh |
| TR81 | Foul Play | Dark | Physical | 95 | 100 | 15 | SwSh |
| TR85 | Work Up | Normal | Status | — | — | 30 | SwSh |
| TR90 | Play Rough | Fairy | Physical | 90 | 90 | 10 | SwSh |
| TR95 | Throat Chop | Dark | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 | SwSh |
| TM03 | Water Pulse | Water | Special | 60 | 100 | 20 | BDSP |
| TM10 | Work Up | Normal | Status | — | — | 30 | BDSP |
| TM11 | Sunny Day | Fire | Status | — | — | 5 | BDSP |
| TM12 | Taunt | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 20 | BDSP |
| TM17 | Protect | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | BDSP |
| TM18 | Rain Dance | Water | Status | — | — | 5 | BDSP |
| TM23 | Iron Tail | Steel | Physical | 100 | 75 | 15 | BDSP |
| TM24 | Thunderbolt | Electric | Special | 90 | 100 | 15 | BDSP |
| TM25 | Thunder | Electric | Special | 110 | 70 | 10 | BDSP |
| TM28 | Dig | Ground | Physical | 80 | 100 | 10 | BDSP |
| TM30 | Shadow Ball | Ghost | Special | 80 | 100 | 15 | BDSP |
| TM32 | Double Team | Normal | Status | — | — | 15 | BDSP |
| TM34 | Shock Wave | Electric | Special | 60 | — | 20 | BDSP |
| TM40 | Aerial Ace | Physical | 60 | — | 20 | BDSP | |
| TM41 | Torment | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 15 | BDSP |
| TM42 | Facade | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 | BDSP |
| TM44 | Rest | Psychic | Status | — | — | 10 | BDSP |
| TM45 | Attract | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 15 | BDSP |
| TM46 | Thief | Dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 | BDSP |
| TM58 | Endure | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | BDSP |
| TM63 | Nasty Plot | Dark | Status | — | — | 20 | BDSP |
| TM65 | Shadow Claw | Ghost | Physical | 70 | 100 | 15 | BDSP |
| TM66 | Payback | Dark | Physical | 50 | 100 | 10 | BDSP |
| TM70 | Flash | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 20 | BDSP |
| TM77 | Psych Up | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | BDSP |
| TM79 | Dark Pulse | Dark | Special | 80 | 100 | 15 | BDSP |
| TM82 | Sleep Talk | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | BDSP |
| TM85 | Dream Eater | Psychic | Special | 100 | 100 | 15 | BDSP |
| TM87 | Swagger | Normal | Status | — | 85 | 15 | BDSP |
| TM89 | U-turn | Bug | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 | BDSP |
| TM90 | Substitute | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | BDSP |
| TM93 | Cut | Normal | Physical | 50 | 95 | 30 | BDSP |
By breeding (egg moves)
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Games | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Covet | Normal | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 | SwSh | Eevee, Vaporeon, Jolteon, Flareon, Espeon, Umbreon, Leafeon, Glaceon and 6 more |
| Flail | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 15 | SwSh | Dunsparce, Swinub, Piloswine, Mamoswine, Zigzagoon, Linoone, Cubchoo, Beartic and 4 more |
| Hypnosis | Psychic | Status | — | 60 | 20 | SwSh | Munna, Musharna |
| Last Resort | Normal | Physical | 140 | 100 | 5 | SwSh | Eevee, Vaporeon, Jolteon, Flareon, Espeon, Umbreon, Leafeon, Glaceon and 7 more |
| Spite | Ghost | Status | — | 100 | 10 | SwSh | Vulpix, Alolan Vulpix, Ninetales, Alolan Ninetales |
| Tail Whip | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 30 | SwSh | Pikachu, Raichu, Alolan Raichu, Vulpix, Alolan Vulpix, Ninetales, Alolan Ninetales, Psyduck and 31 more |
| Amnesia | Psychic | Status | — | — | 20 | BDSP | Psyduck, Golduck, Sentret, Furret, Wooper, Quagsire, Swinub, Piloswine and 11 more |
| Charm | Fairy | Status | — | 100 | 20 | BDSP | Pikachu, Raichu, Eevee, Vaporeon, Jolteon, Flareon, Espeon, Umbreon and 18 more |
| Covet | Normal | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 | BDSP | Mankey, Primeape, Eevee, Vaporeon, Jolteon, Flareon, Espeon, Umbreon and 11 more |
| Flail | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 15 | BDSP | Dunsparce, Swinub, Piloswine, Mamoswine, Phanpy, Donphan, Zigzagoon, Linoone and 4 more |
| Foul Play | Dark | Physical | 95 | 100 | 15 | BDSP | Umbreon, Houndour, Houndoom, Kecleon |
| Hypnosis | Psychic | Status | — | 60 | 20 | BDSP | Stantler, Spinda, Glameow, Purugly |
| Last Resort | Normal | Physical | 140 | 100 | 5 | BDSP | Eevee, Vaporeon, Jolteon, Flareon, Espeon, Umbreon, Leafeon, Glaceon and 5 more |
| Spite | Ghost | Status | — | 100 | 10 | BDSP | Vulpix, Ninetales |
| Tail Whip | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 30 | BDSP | Rattata, Raticate, Pikachu, Raichu, Vulpix, Ninetales, Psyduck, Golduck and 27 more |
By move tutor
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lash Out | Dark | Physical | 75 | 100 | 5 | Expansion Pass |
By transfer
| Move | From |
|---|---|
| Assist | Gen III (breeding), Gen IV (breeding, Pokémon Center Meowth event), Gen V (breeding), Gen VI (breeding), Gen VII (breeding) |
| Bide | Gen I (TM) |
| Bubble Beam | Gen I (TM) |
| Captivate | Gen IV (level-up, TM), Gen V (level-up), Gen VI (level-up), Gen VII (level-up) |
| Confide | Gen VI (TM), Gen VII (TM) |
| Curse | Gen II (TM) |
| Defense Curl | Gen II (TM), Gen III (tutor) |
| Detect | Gen II (TM) |
| Double-Edge | Gen I (TM), Gen III (tutor) |
| Echoed Voice | Gen V (TM), Gen VI (TM), Gen VII (TM) |
| Feint Attack | Gen II (level-up), Gen III (level-up), Gen IV (level-up), Gen V (level-up), Gen VI (level-up), Gen VII (level-up) |
| Frustration | Gen II (TM), Gen III (TM), Gen IV (TM), Gen V (TM), Gen VI (TM), Gen VII (TM) |
| Happy Hour | Gen VI (Happy Meowth event) |
| Headbutt | Gen II (TM), Gen IV (tutor), Gen VII (Let's Go TM) |
| Hidden Power | Gen II (TM), Gen III (TM), Gen IV (TM), Gen V (TM), Gen VI (TM), Gen VII (TM) |
| Hone Claws | Gen V (TM), Gen VI (TM) |
| Knock Off | Gen IV (tutor), Gen V (tutor), Gen VI (tutor), Gen VII (USUM tutor) |
| Mimic | Gen I (TM), Gen III (tutor) |
| Mud-Slap | Gen II (TM), Gen III (tutor), Gen IV (tutor) |
| Natural Gift | Gen IV (TM) |
| Night Slash | Gen IV (level-up), Gen V (level-up), Gen VI (level-up), Gen VII (level-up) |
| Nightmare | Gen II (TM), Gen III (tutor) |
| Odor Sleuth | Gen IV (breeding), Gen V (breeding), Gen VI (breeding), Gen VII (breeding) |
| Petal Dance | Gen III (Egg Pokémon Present event) |
| Punishment | Gen IV (breeding), Gen V (breeding), Gen VI (breeding), Gen VII (breeding) |
| Rage | Gen I (TM) |
| Return | Gen II (TM), Gen III (TM), Gen IV (TM), Gen V (TM), Gen VI (TM), Gen VII (TM) |
| Secret Power | Gen III (TM), Gen IV (TM), Gen V (Dream World), Gen VI (TM) |
| Sing | Gen III (Pokémon XD), Gen V (Team Rocket Meowth event) |
| Skull Bash | Gen I (TM) |
| Snatch | Gen III (TM), Gen IV (TM), Gen V (breeding, tutor), Gen VI (breeding, tutor), Gen VII (breeding, USUM tutor) |
| Take Down | Gen I (TM) |
| Toxic | Gen I (TM), Gen II (TM), Gen III (TM), Gen IV (TM), Gen V (TM), Gen VI (TM), Gen VII (TM, Let's Go TM) |
| Water Gun | Gen I (TM) |
| Zap Cannon | Gen II (TM) |
Alolan MeowthDark
Sword and Shield only: Alolan Meowth cannot be obtained in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. It learns Night Slash at level 36 where Kantonian Meowth learns Slash, shares the same 20 TMs and 20 TRs, and breeds Flatter and Parting Shot.
By level-up
| SwSh | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fake Out | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 10 |
| 1 | Growl | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 40 |
| 4 | Feint | Normal | Physical | 30 | 100 | 10 |
| 8 | Scratch | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 35 |
| 12 | Pay Day | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 20 |
| 16 | Bite | Dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 |
| 20 | Taunt | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| 24 | Assurance | Dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 10 |
| 29 | Fury Swipes | Normal | Physical | 18 | 80 | 15 |
| 32 | Screech | Normal | Status | — | 85 | 40 |
| 36 | Night Slash | Dark | Physical | 70 | 100 | 15 |
| 40 | Nasty Plot | Dark | Status | — | — | 20 |
| 44 | Play Rough | Fairy | Physical | 90 | 90 | 10 |
By TM / HM / TR
| No. | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM02 | Pay Day | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 20 |
| TM15 | Dig | Ground | Physical | 80 | 100 | 10 |
| TM16 | Screech | Normal | Status | — | 85 | 40 |
| TM21 | Rest | Psychic | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM23 | Thief | Dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 |
| TM24 | Snore | Normal | Special | 50 | 100 | 15 |
| TM25 | Protect | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM27 | Icy Wind | Ice | Special | 55 | 95 | 15 |
| TM29 | Charm | Fairy | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM31 | Attract | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| TM33 | Rain Dance | Water | Status | — | — | 5 |
| TM34 | Sunny Day | Fire | Status | — | — | 5 |
| TM39 | Facade | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| TM40 | Swift | Normal | Special | 60 | — | 20 |
| TM56 | U-turn | Bug | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| TM57 | Payback | Dark | Physical | 50 | 100 | 10 |
| TM58 | Assurance | Dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 10 |
| TM65 | Shadow Claw | Ghost | Physical | 70 | 100 | 15 |
| TM76 | Round | Normal | Special | 60 | 100 | 15 |
| TM79 | Retaliate | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 5 |
| TR01 | Body Slam | Normal | Physical | 85 | 100 | 15 |
| TR08 | Thunderbolt | Electric | Special | 90 | 100 | 15 |
| TR09 | Thunder | Electric | Special | 110 | 70 | 10 |
| TR17 | Amnesia | Psychic | Status | — | — | 20 |
| TR20 | Substitute | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TR26 | Endure | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TR27 | Sleep Talk | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TR31 | Iron Tail | Steel | Physical | 100 | 75 | 15 |
| TR33 | Shadow Ball | Ghost | Special | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| TR35 | Uproar | Normal | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 |
| TR37 | Taunt | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| TR42 | Hyper Voice | Normal | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 |
| TR58 | Dark Pulse | Dark | Special | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| TR59 | Seed Bomb | Grass | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| TR68 | Nasty Plot | Dark | Status | — | — | 20 |
| TR73 | Gunk Shot | Poison | Physical | 120 | 80 | 5 |
| TR81 | Foul Play | Dark | Physical | 95 | 100 | 15 |
| TR85 | Work Up | Normal | Status | — | — | 30 |
| TR90 | Play Rough | Fairy | Physical | 90 | 90 | 10 |
| TR95 | Throat Chop | Dark | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 |
By breeding (egg moves)
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Covet | Normal | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 | Eevee, Vaporeon, Jolteon, Flareon, Espeon, Umbreon, Leafeon, Glaceon and 6 more |
| Flail | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 15 | Dunsparce, Swinub, Piloswine, Mamoswine, Zigzagoon, Linoone, Cubchoo, Beartic and 4 more |
| Flatter | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 15 | Nidoran♂, Nidorino, Nidoking, Buneary, Lopunny, Morpeko |
| Hypnosis | Psychic | Status | — | 60 | 20 | Munna, Musharna |
| Parting Shot | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 20 | Pancham, Pangoro, Thievul |
| Spite | Ghost | Status | — | 100 | 10 | Vulpix, Alolan Vulpix, Ninetales, Alolan Ninetales |
By move tutor
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lash Out | Dark | Physical | 75 | 100 | 5 | Expansion Pass |
By transfer
| Move | From |
|---|---|
| Aerial Ace | Gen VII (TM) |
| Assist | Gen VII (breeding) |
| Captivate | Gen VII (level-up) |
| Confide | Gen VII (TM) |
| Double Team | Gen VII (TM) |
| Dream Eater | Gen VII (TM, Let's Go TM) |
| Echoed Voice | Gen VII (TM) |
| Embargo | Gen VII (TM) |
| Feint Attack | Gen VII (level-up) |
| Frustration | Gen VII (TM) |
| Headbutt | Gen VII (Let's Go TM) |
| Hidden Power | Gen VII (TM) |
| Knock Off | Gen VII (USUM tutor) |
| Last Resort | Gen VII (USUM tutor) |
| Psych Up | Gen VII (TM) |
| Punishment | Gen VII (breeding) |
| Quash | Gen VII (TM) |
| Return | Gen VII (TM) |
| Shock Wave | Gen VII (USUM tutor) |
| Slash | Gen VII (level-up, Let's Go level-up) |
| Snatch | Gen VII (breeding, USUM tutor) |
| Swagger | Gen VII (TM) |
| Torment | Gen VII (TM) |
| Toxic | Gen VII (TM, Let's Go TM) |
| Water Pulse | Gen VII (USUM tutor) |
Galarian MeowthSteel
Sword and Shield only. Galarian Meowth swaps Feint, Bite, Assurance, Nasty Plot and Play Rough for Hone Claws at 4, Metal Claw at 16, Swagger at 24, Metal Sound at 40 and a level-44 Thrash. Its TM and TR list drops Icy Wind, Charm and Swift but adds Swords Dance, Crunch, Iron Defense, Gyro Ball and Iron Head, and it breeds Curse, Double-Edge and Night Slash. Besides Lash Out it can be tutored in Steel Beam. Some Galarian Meowth moved from Pokémon GO into Pokémon HOME in November 2020 arrived with their Kantonian cousin's level-up moves, which is how Feint turns up on its event list.
By level-up
| SwSh | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fake Out | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 10 |
| 1 | Growl | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 40 |
| 4 | Hone Claws | Dark | Status | — | — | 15 |
| 8 | Scratch | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 35 |
| 12 | Pay Day | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 20 |
| 16 | Metal Claw | Steel | Physical | 50 | 95 | 35 |
| 20 | Taunt | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| 24 | Swagger | Normal | Status | — | 85 | 15 |
| 29 | Fury Swipes | Normal | Physical | 18 | 80 | 15 |
| 32 | Screech | Normal | Status | — | 85 | 40 |
| 36 | Slash | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| 40 | Metal Sound | Steel | Status | — | 85 | 40 |
| 44 | Thrash | Normal | Physical | 120 | 100 | 10 |
By TM / HM / TR
| No. | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM02 | Pay Day | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 20 |
| TM15 | Dig | Ground | Physical | 80 | 100 | 10 |
| TM16 | Screech | Normal | Status | — | 85 | 40 |
| TM21 | Rest | Psychic | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM23 | Thief | Dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 |
| TM24 | Snore | Normal | Special | 50 | 100 | 15 |
| TM25 | Protect | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM31 | Attract | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| TM33 | Rain Dance | Water | Status | — | — | 5 |
| TM34 | Sunny Day | Fire | Status | — | — | 5 |
| TM39 | Facade | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| TM56 | U-turn | Bug | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| TM57 | Payback | Dark | Physical | 50 | 100 | 10 |
| TM58 | Assurance | Dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 10 |
| TM65 | Shadow Claw | Ghost | Physical | 70 | 100 | 15 |
| TM76 | Round | Normal | Special | 60 | 100 | 15 |
| TM79 | Retaliate | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 5 |
| TR00 | Swords Dance | Normal | Status | — | — | 20 |
| TR01 | Body Slam | Normal | Physical | 85 | 100 | 15 |
| TR08 | Thunderbolt | Electric | Special | 90 | 100 | 15 |
| TR09 | Thunder | Electric | Special | 110 | 70 | 10 |
| TR17 | Amnesia | Psychic | Status | — | — | 20 |
| TR20 | Substitute | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TR26 | Endure | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TR27 | Sleep Talk | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TR31 | Iron Tail | Steel | Physical | 100 | 75 | 15 |
| TR32 | Crunch | Dark | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| TR33 | Shadow Ball | Ghost | Special | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| TR35 | Uproar | Normal | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 |
| TR37 | Taunt | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| TR42 | Hyper Voice | Normal | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 |
| TR46 | Iron Defense | Steel | Status | — | — | 15 |
| TR52 | Gyro Ball | Steel | Physical | — | 100 | 5 |
| TR58 | Dark Pulse | Dark | Special | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| TR59 | Seed Bomb | Grass | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| TR68 | Nasty Plot | Dark | Status | — | — | 20 |
| TR73 | Gunk Shot | Poison | Physical | 120 | 80 | 5 |
| TR74 | Iron Head | Steel | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| TR81 | Foul Play | Dark | Physical | 95 | 100 | 15 |
| TR85 | Work Up | Normal | Status | — | — | 30 |
| TR90 | Play Rough | Fairy | Physical | 90 | 90 | 10 |
| TR95 | Throat Chop | Dark | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 |
By breeding (egg moves)
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Covet | Normal | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 | Eevee, Vaporeon, Jolteon, Flareon, Espeon, Umbreon, Leafeon, Glaceon and 6 more |
| Curse | Ghost | Status | — | — | 10 | Torkoal |
| Double-Edge | Normal | Physical | 120 | 100 | 15 | Tauros, Eevee, Vaporeon, Jolteon, Flareon, Espeon, Umbreon, Leafeon and 18 more |
| Flail | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 15 | Dunsparce, Swinub, Piloswine, Mamoswine, Zigzagoon, Linoone, Cubchoo, Beartic and 4 more |
| Night Slash | Dark | Physical | 70 | 100 | 15 | Dugtrio, Alolan Dugtrio, Alolan Meowth, Alolan Persian, Galarian Linoone, Obstagoon, Absol, Stunky and 8 more |
| Spite | Ghost | Status | — | 100 | 10 | Vulpix, Alolan Vulpix, Ninetales, Alolan Ninetales |
By move tutor
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lash Out | Dark | Physical | 75 | 100 | 5 | Expansion Pass |
| Steel Beam | Steel | Special | 140 | 95 | 5 | SwSh |
Event moves
| Move | Event |
|---|---|
| Feint | Transferred from Pokémon GO through Pokémon HOME (November 2020) |
Generation IX · Scarlet & Violet (plus The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero)13 level-up · 49 TM/HM · 6 egg · 2 event · + Alolan Meowth, Galarian Meowth
Kantonian Meowth roams East Province (Area Three) and West Province (Area Three), turns up as a Flying Tera Type in South Province (Area Two) and appears in 2★ Tera Raid Battles. Galarian Meowth is a gift from Salvatore, and Alolan Meowth arrives through Pokémon HOME or, in The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero, a trade with Salvatore in the League Club Room. All three forms keep their Sword and Shield level-up lists. Kantonian Meowth can use 49 TMs, from Take Down and Fake Tears to Power Gem, False Swipe, Pain Split and Tera Blast, and keeps six Egg Moves. The Flying Tera Meowth of South Province (Area Two) knows Aerial Ace, and also Fury Swipes even though it is only level 15.
By level-up
| SV | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fake Out | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 10 |
| 1 | Growl | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 40 |
| 4 | Feint | Normal | Physical | 30 | 100 | 10 |
| 8 | Scratch | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 35 |
| 12 | Pay Day | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 20 |
| 16 | Bite | Dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 |
| 20 | Taunt | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| 24 | Assurance | Dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 10 |
| 29 | Fury Swipes | Normal | Physical | 18 | 80 | 15 |
| 32 | Screech | Normal | Status | — | 85 | 40 |
| 36 | Slash | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| 40 | Nasty Plot | Dark | Status | — | — | 20 |
| 44 | Play Rough | Fairy | Physical | 90 | 90 | 10 |
By TM / HM / TR
| No. | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM001 | Take Down | Normal | Physical | 90 | 85 | 20 |
| TM002 | Charm | Fairy | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM003 | Fake Tears | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM004 | Agility | Psychic | Status | — | — | 30 |
| TM007 | Protect | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM018 | Thief | Dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 |
| TM020 | Trailblaze | Grass | Physical | 50 | 100 | 20 |
| TM022 | Chilling Water | Water | Special | 50 | 100 | 20 |
| TM025 | Facade | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| TM027 | Aerial Ace | Physical | 60 | — | 20 | |
| TM030 | Snarl | Dark | Special | 55 | 95 | 15 |
| TM031 | Metal Claw | Steel | Physical | 50 | 95 | 35 |
| TM032 | Swift | Normal | Special | 60 | — | 20 |
| TM034 | Icy Wind | Ice | Special | 55 | 95 | 15 |
| TM047 | Endure | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM049 | Sunny Day | Fire | Status | — | — | 5 |
| TM050 | Rain Dance | Water | Status | — | — | 5 |
| TM055 | Dig | Ground | Physical | 80 | 100 | 10 |
| TM057 | False Swipe | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 40 |
| TM060 | U-turn | Bug | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| TM061 | Shadow Claw | Ghost | Physical | 70 | 100 | 15 |
| TM062 | Foul Play | Dark | Physical | 95 | 100 | 15 |
| TM066 | Body Slam | Normal | Physical | 85 | 100 | 15 |
| TM070 | Sleep Talk | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM071 | Seed Bomb | Grass | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| TM082 | Thunder Wave | Electric | Status | — | 90 | 20 |
| TM085 | Rest | Psychic | Status | — | — | 5 |
| TM087 | Taunt | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM094 | Dark Pulse | Dark | Special | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| TM101 | Power Gem | Rock | Special | 80 | 100 | 20 |
| TM102 | Gunk Shot | Poison | Physical | 120 | 80 | 5 |
| TM103 | Substitute | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM114 | Shadow Ball | Ghost | Special | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| TM117 | Hyper Voice | Normal | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 |
| TM126 | Thunderbolt | Electric | Special | 90 | 100 | 15 |
| TM127 | Play Rough | Fairy | Physical | 90 | 90 | 10 |
| TM128 | Amnesia | Psychic | Status | — | — | 20 |
| TM130 | Helping Hand | Normal | Status | — | — | 20 |
| TM140 | Nasty Plot | Dark | Status | — | — | 20 |
| TM166 | Thunder | Electric | Special | 110 | 70 | 10 |
| TM171 | Tera Blast | Normal | Special | 80 | 100 | 10 |
| TM177 | Spite | Ghost | Status | — | 100 | 10 |
| TM181 | Knock Off | Dark | Physical | 65 | 100 | 20 |
| TM199 | Lash Out | Dark | Physical | 75 | 100 | 5 |
| TM202 | Pain Split | Normal | Status | — | — | 20 |
| TM203 | Psych Up | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM204 | Double-Edge | Normal | Physical | 120 | 100 | 15 |
| TM205 | Endeavor | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 5 |
| TM221 | Throat Chop | Dark | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 |
By breeding (egg moves)
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Covet | Normal | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 | Mankey, Eevee, Vaporeon, Jolteon, Flareon, Espeon, Umbreon, Leafeon and 14 more |
| Flail | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 15 | Dunsparce, Dudunsparce, Swinub, Piloswine, Mamoswine, Phanpy, Slakoth, Slaking and 6 more |
| Hypnosis | Psychic | Status | — | 60 | 20 | Stantler, Wyrdeer |
| Last Resort | Normal | Physical | 140 | 100 | 5 | Eevee, Vaporeon, Jolteon, Flareon, Espeon, Umbreon, Leafeon, Glaceon and 11 more |
| Spite | Ghost | Status | — | 100 | 10 | Vulpix, Alolan Vulpix, Ninetales, Alolan Ninetales, Hisuian Zorua, Hisuian Zoroark (Hisuian Zorua learned Spite by levelling up before Version 2.0.1 and can still learn it from TM177) |
| Tail Whip | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 30 | Pikachu, Raichu, Alolan Raichu, Vulpix, Alolan Vulpix, Ninetales, Alolan Ninetales, Psyduck and 52 more |
Event moves
| Move | Event |
|---|---|
| Aerial Ace | Wild Tera Meowth (Flying Tera Type) in South Province (Area Two) |
| Fury Swipes | Wild Tera Meowth (Flying Tera Type) in South Province (Area Two), at level 15 |
Alolan MeowthDark
Same level-up list as in Sword and Shield. Its 49 TMs add Confuse Ray and Curse but lack False Swipe and Pain Split, and Parting Shot can only be passed on with a Mirror Herb.
By level-up
| SV | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fake Out | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 10 |
| 1 | Growl | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 40 |
| 4 | Feint | Normal | Physical | 30 | 100 | 10 |
| 8 | Scratch | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 35 |
| 12 | Pay Day | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 20 |
| 16 | Bite | Dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 |
| 20 | Taunt | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| 24 | Assurance | Dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 10 |
| 29 | Fury Swipes | Normal | Physical | 18 | 80 | 15 |
| 32 | Screech | Normal | Status | — | 85 | 40 |
| 36 | Night Slash | Dark | Physical | 70 | 100 | 15 |
| 40 | Nasty Plot | Dark | Status | — | — | 20 |
| 44 | Play Rough | Fairy | Physical | 90 | 90 | 10 |
By TM / HM / TR
| No. | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM001 | Take Down | Normal | Physical | 90 | 85 | 20 |
| TM002 | Charm | Fairy | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM003 | Fake Tears | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM004 | Agility | Psychic | Status | — | — | 30 |
| TM007 | Protect | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM017 | Confuse Ray | Ghost | Status | — | 100 | 10 |
| TM018 | Thief | Dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 |
| TM020 | Trailblaze | Grass | Physical | 50 | 100 | 20 |
| TM022 | Chilling Water | Water | Special | 50 | 100 | 20 |
| TM025 | Facade | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| TM027 | Aerial Ace | Physical | 60 | — | 20 | |
| TM030 | Snarl | Dark | Special | 55 | 95 | 15 |
| TM031 | Metal Claw | Steel | Physical | 50 | 95 | 35 |
| TM032 | Swift | Normal | Special | 60 | — | 20 |
| TM034 | Icy Wind | Ice | Special | 55 | 95 | 15 |
| TM047 | Endure | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM049 | Sunny Day | Fire | Status | — | — | 5 |
| TM050 | Rain Dance | Water | Status | — | — | 5 |
| TM055 | Dig | Ground | Physical | 80 | 100 | 10 |
| TM060 | U-turn | Bug | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| TM061 | Shadow Claw | Ghost | Physical | 70 | 100 | 15 |
| TM062 | Foul Play | Dark | Physical | 95 | 100 | 15 |
| TM066 | Body Slam | Normal | Physical | 85 | 100 | 15 |
| TM070 | Sleep Talk | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM071 | Seed Bomb | Grass | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| TM082 | Thunder Wave | Electric | Status | — | 90 | 20 |
| TM085 | Rest | Psychic | Status | — | — | 5 |
| TM087 | Taunt | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM094 | Dark Pulse | Dark | Special | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| TM101 | Power Gem | Rock | Special | 80 | 100 | 20 |
| TM102 | Gunk Shot | Poison | Physical | 120 | 80 | 5 |
| TM103 | Substitute | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM114 | Shadow Ball | Ghost | Special | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| TM117 | Hyper Voice | Normal | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 |
| TM126 | Thunderbolt | Electric | Special | 90 | 100 | 15 |
| TM127 | Play Rough | Fairy | Physical | 90 | 90 | 10 |
| TM128 | Amnesia | Psychic | Status | — | — | 20 |
| TM130 | Helping Hand | Normal | Status | — | — | 20 |
| TM140 | Nasty Plot | Dark | Status | — | — | 20 |
| TM166 | Thunder | Electric | Special | 110 | 70 | 10 |
| TM171 | Tera Blast | Normal | Special | 80 | 100 | 10 |
| TM177 | Spite | Ghost | Status | — | 100 | 10 |
| TM181 | Knock Off | Dark | Physical | 65 | 100 | 20 |
| TM199 | Lash Out | Dark | Physical | 75 | 100 | 5 |
| TM203 | Psych Up | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM204 | Double-Edge | Normal | Physical | 120 | 100 | 15 |
| TM205 | Endeavor | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 5 |
| TM221 | Throat Chop | Dark | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| TM224 | Curse | Ghost | Status | — | — | 10 |
By breeding (egg moves)
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Covet | Normal | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 | Mankey, Eevee, Vaporeon, Jolteon, Flareon, Espeon, Umbreon, Leafeon and 14 more |
| Flail | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 15 | Dunsparce, Dudunsparce, Swinub, Piloswine, Mamoswine, Phanpy, Slakoth, Slaking and 6 more |
| Flatter | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 15 | Morpeko, Shroodle, Grafaiai |
| Hypnosis | Psychic | Status | — | 60 | 20 | Stantler, Wyrdeer |
| Parting Shot | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 20 | Mirror Herb only: the Meowth must hold a Mirror Herb to copy the move from another Pokémon |
| Spite | Ghost | Status | — | 100 | 10 | Vulpix, Alolan Vulpix, Ninetales, Alolan Ninetales, Hisuian Zorua, Hisuian Zoroark (Hisuian Zorua learned Spite by levelling up before Version 2.0.1 and can still learn it from TM177) |
Galarian MeowthSteel
Same level-up list as in Sword and Shield. Its 54 TMs include Iron Head, Flash Cannon, Steel Beam, Gyro Ball, Stealth Rock, Swords Dance and Metal Sound, and its six Egg Moves include Curse, Double-Edge and Night Slash.
By level-up
| SV | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fake Out | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 10 |
| 1 | Growl | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 40 |
| 4 | Hone Claws | Dark | Status | — | — | 15 |
| 8 | Scratch | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 35 |
| 12 | Pay Day | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 20 |
| 16 | Metal Claw | Steel | Physical | 50 | 95 | 35 |
| 20 | Taunt | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| 24 | Swagger | Normal | Status | — | 85 | 15 |
| 29 | Fury Swipes | Normal | Physical | 18 | 80 | 15 |
| 32 | Screech | Normal | Status | — | 85 | 40 |
| 36 | Slash | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| 40 | Metal Sound | Steel | Status | — | 85 | 40 |
| 44 | Thrash | Normal | Physical | 120 | 100 | 10 |
By TM / HM / TR
| No. | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM001 | Take Down | Normal | Physical | 90 | 85 | 20 |
| TM002 | Charm | Fairy | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM003 | Fake Tears | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM007 | Protect | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM018 | Thief | Dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 |
| TM020 | Trailblaze | Grass | Physical | 50 | 100 | 20 |
| TM025 | Facade | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| TM027 | Aerial Ace | Physical | 60 | — | 20 | |
| TM031 | Metal Claw | Steel | Physical | 50 | 95 | 35 |
| TM043 | Fling | Dark | Physical | — | 100 | 10 |
| TM047 | Endure | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM049 | Sunny Day | Fire | Status | — | — | 5 |
| TM050 | Rain Dance | Water | Status | — | — | 5 |
| TM055 | Dig | Ground | Physical | 80 | 100 | 10 |
| TM057 | False Swipe | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 40 |
| TM058 | Brick Break | Fighting | Physical | 75 | 100 | 15 |
| TM060 | U-turn | Bug | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| TM061 | Shadow Claw | Ghost | Physical | 70 | 100 | 15 |
| TM062 | Foul Play | Dark | Physical | 95 | 100 | 15 |
| TM066 | Body Slam | Normal | Physical | 85 | 100 | 15 |
| TM070 | Sleep Talk | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM071 | Seed Bomb | Grass | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| TM080 | Metronome | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM085 | Rest | Psychic | Status | — | — | 5 |
| TM087 | Taunt | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM088 | Swords Dance | Normal | Status | — | — | 20 |
| TM093 | Flash Cannon | Steel | Special | 80 | 100 | 10 |
| TM094 | Dark Pulse | Dark | Special | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| TM099 | Iron Head | Steel | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| TM102 | Gunk Shot | Poison | Physical | 120 | 80 | 5 |
| TM103 | Substitute | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM104 | Iron Defense | Steel | Status | — | — | 15 |
| TM105 | X-Scissor | Bug | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| TM108 | Crunch | Dark | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| TM114 | Shadow Ball | Ghost | Special | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| TM116 | Stealth Rock | Rock | Status | — | — | 20 |
| TM117 | Hyper Voice | Normal | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 |
| TM126 | Thunderbolt | Electric | Special | 90 | 100 | 15 |
| TM127 | Play Rough | Fairy | Physical | 90 | 90 | 10 |
| TM128 | Amnesia | Psychic | Status | — | — | 20 |
| TM130 | Helping Hand | Normal | Status | — | — | 20 |
| TM140 | Nasty Plot | Dark | Status | — | — | 20 |
| TM166 | Thunder | Electric | Special | 110 | 70 | 10 |
| TM170 | Steel Beam | Steel | Special | 140 | 95 | 5 |
| TM171 | Tera Blast | Normal | Special | 80 | 100 | 10 |
| TM177 | Spite | Ghost | Status | — | 100 | 10 |
| TM180 | Gyro Ball | Steel | Physical | — | 100 | 5 |
| TM181 | Knock Off | Dark | Physical | 65 | 100 | 20 |
| TM199 | Lash Out | Dark | Physical | 75 | 100 | 5 |
| TM204 | Double-Edge | Normal | Physical | 120 | 100 | 15 |
| TM205 | Endeavor | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 5 |
| TM221 | Throat Chop | Dark | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| TM223 | Metal Sound | Steel | Status | — | 85 | 40 |
| TM224 | Curse | Ghost | Status | — | — | 10 |
By breeding (egg moves)
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Covet | Normal | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 | Mankey, Eevee, Vaporeon, Jolteon, Flareon, Espeon, Umbreon, Leafeon and 14 more |
| Curse | Ghost | Status | — | — | 10 | Numel, Camerupt, Torkoal, Zangoose, Hisuian Zorua, Hisuian Zoroark |
| Double-Edge | Normal | Physical | 120 | 100 | 15 | Tauros, Paldean Tauros (Combat Breed), Eevee, Vaporeon, Jolteon, Flareon, Espeon, Umbreon and 36 more |
| Flail | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 15 | Dunsparce, Dudunsparce, Swinub, Piloswine, Mamoswine, Phanpy, Slakoth, Slaking and 6 more |
| Night Slash | Dark | Physical | 70 | 100 | 15 | Dugtrio, Alolan Dugtrio, Alolan Meowth, Alolan Persian, Zangoose, Stunky, Skuntank, Weavile, Zoroark, Meowscarada |
| Spite | Ghost | Status | — | 100 | 10 | Vulpix, Alolan Vulpix, Ninetales, Alolan Ninetales, Hisuian Zorua, Hisuian Zoroark (Hisuian Zorua learned Spite by levelling up before Version 2.0.1 and can still learn it from TM177) |
Pokémon Legends: Z-A13 level-up · 40 TM/HM · + Alolan Meowth, Galarian Meowth
Meowth could not be obtained in Legends: Z-A at launch. All three forms can be traded in from Version 2.0.0, and the Mega Dimension expansion lets them be caught in Hyperspace Lumiose's wild zones: Normal-type zones for Kantonian Meowth, Dark-type zones for Alolan Meowth and Steel-type zones for Galarian Meowth. Z-A's tables work differently: each move has the level at which it is learned, a later level at which it becomes a Plus Move, and a cooldown in place of accuracy and PP. Kantonian Meowth starts with Pay Day, Tail Whip and Growl and goes on to Bite, Taunt, Screech, Slash and Nasty Plot, then Hypnosis at 30, Take Down at 34, Charm at 37, Fake Tears at 40 and Play Rough at 48. Its 40 TMs include Headbutt, Power Gem, Spikes, Metronome and Pay Day itself as TM116, and Seed Bomb (35 power) and Trailblaze (40 power) hit differently here. There is no breeding and there are no tutors.
By level-up
| Learn | Plus | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Cooldown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | Pay Day | Normal | Physical | 40 | 6 |
| 1 | 10 | Tail Whip | Normal | Status | — | 7 |
| 1 | 10 | Growl | Normal | Status | — | 6 |
| 10 | 13 | Bite | Dark | Physical | 60 | 6 |
| 13 | 16 | Taunt | Dark | Status | — | 12 |
| 17 | 20 | Screech | Normal | Status | — | 10 |
| 22 | 25 | Slash | Normal | Physical | 70 | 7 |
| 27 | 30 | Nasty Plot | Dark | Status | — | 15 |
| 30 | 33 | Hypnosis | Psychic | Status | — | 10 |
| 34 | 37 | Take Down | Normal | Physical | 90 | 8 |
| 37 | 40 | Charm | Fairy | Status | — | 10 |
| 40 | 43 | Fake Tears | Dark | Status | — | 10 |
| 48 | 51 | Play Rough | Fairy | Physical | 90 | 8 |
By TM / HM / TR
| No. | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Cooldown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM001 | Headbutt | Normal | Physical | 70 | 7 |
| TM008 | Thunder Wave | Electric | Status | — | 10 |
| TM017 | Protect | Normal | Status | — | 15 |
| TM019 | Power Gem | Rock | Special | 80 | 8 |
| TM020 | Play Rough | Fairy | Physical | 90 | 8 |
| TM022 | Aerial Ace | Physical | 60 | 9 | |
| TM027 | Swift | Normal | Special | 60 | 5 |
| TM028 | Dig | Ground | Physical | 80 | 12 |
| TM032 | Double Team | Normal | Status | — | 15 |
| TM033 | Body Slam | Normal | Physical | 85 | 8 |
| TM035 | Endure | Normal | Status | — | 12 |
| TM041 | Water Pulse | Water | Special | 60 | 6 |
| TM045 | Knock Off | Dark | Physical | 65 | 10 |
| TM047 | Agility | Psychic | Status | — | 12 |
| TM049 | Icy Wind | Ice | Special | 55 | 7 |
| TM056 | Double-Edge | Normal | Physical | 120 | 10 |
| TM061 | Shadow Claw | Ghost | Physical | 70 | 7 |
| TM067 | Thunderbolt | Electric | Special | 90 | 8 |
| TM071 | Hyper Voice | Normal | Special | 90 | 8 |
| TM074 | Shadow Ball | Ghost | Special | 80 | 8 |
| TM082 | U-turn | Bug | Physical | 70 | 12 |
| TM083 | Nasty Plot | Dark | Status | — | 15 |
| TM085 | Substitute | Normal | Status | — | 10 |
| TM088 | Spikes | Ground | Status | — | 7 |
| TM090 | Dark Pulse | Dark | Special | 80 | 8 |
| TM091 | Curse | Ghost | Status | — | 15 |
| TM095 | Taunt | Dark | Status | — | 12 |
| TM097 | Heal Block | Psychic | Status | — | 12 |
| TM099 | Metronome | Normal | Status | — | 4 |
| TM100 | Gunk Shot | Poison | Physical | 120 | 10 |
| TM103 | Work Up | Normal | Status | — | 15 |
| TM106 | Thunder | Electric | Special | 110 | 10 |
| TM109 | Facade | Normal | Physical | 70 | 7 |
| TM110 | Chilling Water | Water | Special | 50 | 7 |
| TM115 | Trailblaze | Grass | Physical | 40 | 6 |
| TM116 | Pay Day | Normal | Physical | 40 | 6 |
| TM122 | False Swipe | Normal | Physical | 40 | 6 |
| TM125 | Mimic | Normal | Status | — | 6 |
| TM128 | Seed Bomb | Grass | Physical | 35 | 7 |
| TM141 | Fake Out | Normal | Physical | 40 | 3 |
Alolan MeowthDark
Alolan Meowth adds Snarl from the start, Parting Shot at 6 and Metal Claw at 15, and learns Night Slash at 22 where its cousin learns Slash. Its TM list is the Kantonian one plus Night Slash.
By level-up
| Learn | Plus | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Cooldown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | Pay Day | Normal | Physical | 40 | 6 |
| 1 | 10 | Tail Whip | Normal | Status | — | 7 |
| 1 | 10 | Growl | Normal | Status | — | 6 |
| 1 | 10 | Snarl | Dark | Special | 55 | 9 |
| 6 | 9 | Parting Shot | Dark | Status | — | 12 |
| 10 | 13 | Bite | Dark | Physical | 60 | 6 |
| 13 | 16 | Taunt | Dark | Status | — | 12 |
| 15 | 18 | Metal Claw | Steel | Physical | 50 | 6 |
| 17 | 20 | Screech | Normal | Status | — | 10 |
| 22 | 25 | Night Slash | Dark | Physical | 70 | 7 |
| 27 | 30 | Nasty Plot | Dark | Status | — | 15 |
| 30 | 33 | Hypnosis | Psychic | Status | — | 10 |
| 34 | 37 | Take Down | Normal | Physical | 90 | 8 |
| 37 | 40 | Charm | Fairy | Status | — | 10 |
| 40 | 43 | Fake Tears | Dark | Status | — | 10 |
| 48 | 51 | Play Rough | Fairy | Physical | 90 | 8 |
By TM / HM / TR
| No. | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Cooldown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM001 | Headbutt | Normal | Physical | 70 | 7 |
| TM008 | Thunder Wave | Electric | Status | — | 10 |
| TM017 | Protect | Normal | Status | — | 15 |
| TM019 | Power Gem | Rock | Special | 80 | 8 |
| TM020 | Play Rough | Fairy | Physical | 90 | 8 |
| TM022 | Aerial Ace | Physical | 60 | 9 | |
| TM027 | Swift | Normal | Special | 60 | 5 |
| TM028 | Dig | Ground | Physical | 80 | 12 |
| TM032 | Double Team | Normal | Status | — | 15 |
| TM033 | Body Slam | Normal | Physical | 85 | 8 |
| TM034 | Night Slash | Dark | Physical | 70 | 7 |
| TM035 | Endure | Normal | Status | — | 12 |
| TM041 | Water Pulse | Water | Special | 60 | 6 |
| TM045 | Knock Off | Dark | Physical | 65 | 10 |
| TM047 | Agility | Psychic | Status | — | 12 |
| TM049 | Icy Wind | Ice | Special | 55 | 7 |
| TM056 | Double-Edge | Normal | Physical | 120 | 10 |
| TM061 | Shadow Claw | Ghost | Physical | 70 | 7 |
| TM067 | Thunderbolt | Electric | Special | 90 | 8 |
| TM071 | Hyper Voice | Normal | Special | 90 | 8 |
| TM074 | Shadow Ball | Ghost | Special | 80 | 8 |
| TM082 | U-turn | Bug | Physical | 70 | 12 |
| TM083 | Nasty Plot | Dark | Status | — | 15 |
| TM085 | Substitute | Normal | Status | — | 10 |
| TM088 | Spikes | Ground | Status | — | 7 |
| TM090 | Dark Pulse | Dark | Special | 80 | 8 |
| TM091 | Curse | Ghost | Status | — | 15 |
| TM095 | Taunt | Dark | Status | — | 12 |
| TM097 | Heal Block | Psychic | Status | — | 12 |
| TM099 | Metronome | Normal | Status | — | 4 |
| TM100 | Gunk Shot | Poison | Physical | 120 | 10 |
| TM103 | Work Up | Normal | Status | — | 15 |
| TM106 | Thunder | Electric | Special | 110 | 10 |
| TM109 | Facade | Normal | Physical | 70 | 7 |
| TM110 | Chilling Water | Water | Special | 50 | 7 |
| TM115 | Trailblaze | Grass | Physical | 40 | 6 |
| TM116 | Pay Day | Normal | Physical | 40 | 6 |
| TM122 | False Swipe | Normal | Physical | 40 | 6 |
| TM125 | Mimic | Normal | Status | — | 6 |
| TM128 | Seed Bomb | Grass | Physical | 35 | 7 |
| TM141 | Fake Out | Normal | Physical | 40 | 3 |
Galarian MeowthSteel
Galarian Meowth learns Tail Whip at 6 and Metal Claw at 15, swaps Fake Tears and Play Rough for Metal Sound at 40, Mimic at 44 and Outrage at 48, and has the biggest TM list of the three, with Close Combat, Bulk Up, Iron Tail, Iron Head, Flash Cannon, Stealth Rock and Steel Beam among its 51 moves.
By level-up
| Learn | Plus | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Cooldown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | Pay Day | Normal | Physical | 40 | 6 |
| 1 | 10 | Growl | Normal | Status | — | 6 |
| 6 | 9 | Tail Whip | Normal | Status | — | 7 |
| 10 | 13 | Bite | Dark | Physical | 60 | 6 |
| 13 | 16 | Taunt | Dark | Status | — | 12 |
| 15 | 18 | Metal Claw | Steel | Physical | 50 | 6 |
| 17 | 20 | Screech | Normal | Status | — | 10 |
| 22 | 25 | Slash | Normal | Physical | 70 | 7 |
| 27 | 30 | Nasty Plot | Dark | Status | — | 15 |
| 30 | 33 | Hypnosis | Psychic | Status | — | 10 |
| 34 | 37 | Take Down | Normal | Physical | 90 | 8 |
| 37 | 40 | Charm | Fairy | Status | — | 10 |
| 40 | 43 | Metal Sound | Steel | Status | — | 10 |
| 44 | 47 | Mimic | Normal | Status | — | 6 |
| 48 | 51 | Outrage | Dragon | Physical | 120 | 15 |
By TM / HM / TR
| No. | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Cooldown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM001 | Headbutt | Normal | Physical | 70 | 7 |
| TM008 | Thunder Wave | Electric | Status | — | 10 |
| TM010 | Brick Break | Fighting | Physical | 75 | 7 |
| TM011 | Bulk Up | Fighting | Status | — | 18 |
| TM017 | Protect | Normal | Status | — | 15 |
| TM020 | Play Rough | Fairy | Physical | 90 | 8 |
| TM022 | Aerial Ace | Physical | 60 | 9 | |
| TM025 | Crunch | Dark | Physical | 80 | 8 |
| TM027 | Swift | Normal | Special | 60 | 5 |
| TM028 | Dig | Ground | Physical | 80 | 12 |
| TM030 | Swords Dance | Normal | Status | — | 15 |
| TM033 | Body Slam | Normal | Physical | 85 | 8 |
| TM034 | Night Slash | Dark | Physical | 70 | 7 |
| TM035 | Endure | Normal | Status | — | 12 |
| TM037 | Stealth Rock | Rock | Status | — | 10 |
| TM041 | Water Pulse | Water | Special | 60 | 6 |
| TM045 | Knock Off | Dark | Physical | 65 | 10 |
| TM049 | Icy Wind | Ice | Special | 55 | 7 |
| TM056 | Double-Edge | Normal | Physical | 120 | 10 |
| TM058 | Iron Head | Steel | Physical | 80 | 8 |
| TM061 | Shadow Claw | Ghost | Physical | 70 | 7 |
| TM067 | Thunderbolt | Electric | Special | 90 | 8 |
| TM071 | Hyper Voice | Normal | Special | 90 | 8 |
| TM074 | Shadow Ball | Ghost | Special | 80 | 8 |
| TM080 | Iron Defense | Steel | Status | — | 9 |
| TM081 | X-Scissor | Bug | Physical | 80 | 8 |
| TM082 | U-turn | Bug | Physical | 70 | 12 |
| TM083 | Nasty Plot | Dark | Status | — | 15 |
| TM084 | Flash Cannon | Steel | Special | 80 | 8 |
| TM085 | Substitute | Normal | Status | — | 10 |
| TM087 | Iron Tail | Steel | Physical | 100 | 10 |
| TM088 | Spikes | Ground | Status | — | 7 |
| TM090 | Dark Pulse | Dark | Special | 80 | 8 |
| TM091 | Curse | Ghost | Status | — | 15 |
| TM093 | Outrage | Dragon | Physical | 120 | 15 |
| TM095 | Taunt | Dark | Status | — | 12 |
| TM097 | Heal Block | Psychic | Status | — | 12 |
| TM099 | Metronome | Normal | Status | — | 4 |
| TM100 | Gunk Shot | Poison | Physical | 120 | 10 |
| TM103 | Work Up | Normal | Status | — | 15 |
| TM106 | Thunder | Electric | Special | 110 | 10 |
| TM107 | Close Combat | Fighting | Physical | 120 | 12 |
| TM109 | Facade | Normal | Physical | 70 | 7 |
| TM115 | Trailblaze | Grass | Physical | 40 | 6 |
| TM116 | Pay Day | Normal | Physical | 40 | 6 |
| TM122 | False Swipe | Normal | Physical | 40 | 6 |
| TM125 | Mimic | Normal | Status | — | 6 |
| TM128 | Seed Bomb | Grass | Physical | 35 | 7 |
| TM139 | Swagger | Normal | Status | — | 10 |
| TM141 | Fake Out | Normal | Physical | 40 | 3 |
| TM157 | Steel Beam | Steel | Special | 140 | 20 |
04On screen
Meowth in the anime
Debut EP002Pokémon Emergency! · Its appearances on screen, and 6 other trainers who raised one.
Meowth has been part of the anime since its second episode, and for most fans the name will always mean one cat in particular: Team Rocket's talking, two-legged schemer, who taught himself human speech to impress Meowzie and has chased Ash's Pikachu across the world ever since. Mewtwo cloned him in the first film, and on Galar's Darkest Day Eternatus's energy blew him up to Gigantamax size.
Yet the species' screen career reaches well beyond Team Rocket. A wild Meowth turned hero for a little boy in The Purr-fect Hero, a thief's Meowth used Pay Day in a century-old legend, and Tyson's boot-wearing Meowth knocked Ash out of the Ever Grande Conference before helping its Trainer lift the trophy. Alola brought a cunning Alolan Meowth who climbed over Team Rocket to become Matori's assistant and a police station full of hungry ones belonging to Nanu, while Galarian Meowth finally turned up in Wyndon as a pair of food thieves working for a Perrserker.
Other trainers’ Meowth
First seen: EP002Pokémon Emergency!
Now: Back with Jessie and James after a brief split, still chasing Pikachu: the reunited trio are last seen trailing Ash in their Meowth balloon as he sets off down the road
Long before he wore the red R, Meowth was a lonely, starving kitten at Camp Pokéhearst, hung from a tree as punishment for mistaking a basket of baseballs for food. From that branch he watched a film called That Darn Meowth! and learned that Hollywood had ice cream and fried chicken, so off he went, only to end up a stray, taken in by a street gang of Meowth led by a Persian. There he fell for Meowzie, a pampered Meowth who would not look at a street cat, so he crept into an old etiquette academy until he could walk on two legs, then taught himself human speech; in the English version, the first word he understood was "rocket". When he finally serenaded her, Meowzie called him a freak, and the heartbroken cat set out to become the richest freak she had ever seen, which is how he ended up in Team Rocket (EP070).
A Pokémon Chronicles flashback shows him at headquarters, fetching food and drinks for Giovanni with Persian already in residence, until a trip over a wire ended with spilt coffee and a nasty shock and the Boss assigned him to Jessie and James (HS12). The trio's first raid, on the Viridian City Pokémon Center from their Meowth-shaped balloon, gave them their life's goal: Ash's Pikachu (EP002). The early days brought plenty of humiliation, such as Ekans and Koffing flatly refusing his orders on the Island of the Giant Pokémon (EP017), but also a rare honour: when the trio stood in for Giovanni at the Viridian Gym, Meowth shared the title of Gym Leader with Jessie and James (EP063).
His softer side showed early. He fussed over the Egg Team Rocket had stolen, even bathing with it, and when it hatched into Togepi he fought for custody, beating Brock's Onix by tipping water over it and finishing with Fury Swipes before one Thunderbolt from Pikachu ended his claim; Togepi chose Misty anyway (EP050). Back in Hollywood he beat his old gang leader Persian in a rooftop showdown, but Meowzie stayed loyal to the Persian who had taken her in after her owner left town. Jessie and James told him he was still their freak, and the episode ends with Meowth gazing at the full moon, wondering whether Meowzie is looking at it too (EP070).
Meowth cannot use Pay Day, the signature move of his species, because, he says, he used up all his smarts learning to talk. That became a real problem when islanders worshipped him as a bringer of riches, and Jessie and James quietly rescued him by throwing their last spare change and James's precious bottle caps to the crowd (EP096). In Bound for Trouble (EP104) a scheme left him tied to Pikachu and lost in the wild; the pair fought their way to safety together, Meowth even improvising a Tickle on a Rhydon, although Jessie and James admitted they had really been after Pikachu and Meowth was just "part of the package".
Johto brought him an admirer he never wanted: a Snubbull that clamped onto his tail (EP124) and came back for more, forcing an ultimatum, him or the Snubbull, that his teammates answered the wrong way before everyone made up (EP149). It also brought his favourite disguise, Sunflora; in the Grass Tournament he stunned Ash's Bulbasaur with a clap in the face and some Fury Swipes before Razor Leaf shredded his costume (EP178). And when a Miltank nursed him at a hidden oasis where humans were not welcome, he talked Team Rocket's Pokémon out of attacking and tried to free Miltank from James's net (EP207).
In Hoenn, Meowth began explaining his schemes through elaborate boss fantasies that show how badly he wants to be Giovanni's one and only companion. His first Pokédex entry came by accident, when Ash scanned Team Rocket's Kirlia disguise and his Pokédex read out Meowth's data instead (AG109), and his Contest debut with Jessie at Pacifidlog featured an ice sculpture of Giovanni, Persian and himself (AG115–AG116). During the Battle Frontier he was swept back in time with May and Squirtle to help a woman named Edna stop the man she loved from leaving on a train (AG157), served as Deoxys's mouthpiece (AG171–AG172) and, when the trio fell out, was the one who reminded Jessie and James of the good times and brought them back together (AG176).
Sinnoh showed off his talents. Dressed as a Weavile he earned perfect marks at a Dress-Up Contest (DP033), and when he was stranded with Pikachu he claimed he wanted to swap sides, only to go for Barry's Empoleon with Fury Swipes, declaring that his heart had always belonged to Team Rocket (DP103). A former Rocket turned ramen chef, Christopher, saw him slice dough with his claws and offered him a job; Meowth quit to make noodles until he heard Jessie and James were in danger and raced back (DP117). Love struck again with a Glameow he sailed off with, defending it with "Fury Swipes of Love", until it evolved into a bossy, bulky Purugly and, his crush cured, he let it go home to its Trainer (DP178).
Black & White gave the trio a sharper, more serious edge, and Meowth, barred like the others from using anything but Unova-native Pokémon, wondered nervously where that left him. His finest con came in Meowth's Scrafty Tactics! (BW043): he turned up injured, claiming he had been fired and abandoned, helped a Scrafty win back its home and rescue Iris's Axew, and came within a whisker of being caught in Iris's Poké Ball, before the whole act was revealed as cover for a raid on the Nimbasa City Pokémon Center (BW047). He later helped free Giovanni from the Reveal Glass in the Abyssal Ruins, was turned against Jessie and James by one of Colress's mind-control experiments (BW119), and in the Decolore Islands grew so fond of Pikachu, Oshawott and Axew that he refused to join the next attack on them (BW124).
No, he never truly Mega Evolved: the "Mega Meowth" of Mega-Mega Meowth Madness! (XY010) was a giant robot powered by Professor Sycamore's Mega Evolution data. In Kalos he showed real backbone, breaking the evil Malamar's hypnosis by raking his own face with Fury Swipes and running to warn Ash (XY019), and he later stood with Jessie and James to shield Z2 from Team Flare (XY107). He spent a day tethered to Bonnie (XY071), lost a winner-takes-all duel with Pikachu over a haul of stolen Poké Balls (XY079), and wept with joy when Jessie won her Princess Key after a Poké Puff performance in which he kneaded the dough and spread the chocolate with Fury Swipes (XY101).
Alola began with a brush with the beyond: Meowth peeked under Mimikyu's disguise and was knocked out cold (SM003), and the trio were soon adopted by a Bewear who kept whisking them away. He formed a touching bond with Litten, crying at its story (SM016) and urging Ash to look after it when its old friend Stoutland disappeared (SM021). He also met a rival: an Alolan Meowth who charmed Jessie and James, became Matori's assistant at headquarters and announced that it meant to take Persian's place on Giovanni's lap (SM062). Later he let himself be passed off as a Stufful so that Matori would not take the real one (SM122).
Pokémon Journeys finally handed Meowth real power. During the Darkest Day in Galar, Eternatus hit him with a beam of Dynamax energy and he Gigantamaxed for the first time, turning on his own teammates (JN044) until a mention of Giovanni brought him to his senses. With Jessie and James clinging to his tail he scaled the stadium and went for G-Max Gold Rush, but Eternatus soaked up the Galar particles around it and blasted Team Rocket away with Dynamax Cannon (JN045). Later, a clash between Dialga and Palkia warped time so badly that he began to lose the power of speech, until Arceus stepped in and everything was put right (JN090).
The end of Ash's journey brought one last twist. After an ambush with all of their Pokémon ended with Latias blasting them away, the trio blamed one another and split up (JN145), and Meowth ended up back at headquarters working in the cafeteria (JN146). Fed up with cafeteria life, he sneaked into Viridian Forest to grab Pikachu and ran straight into Jessie and James, who had had the same idea. Reunited, they netted Pikachu and recited their motto to celebrate before Ash's Pidgeot cut it free and a Thunderbolt sent them flying, vowing never to stop chasing Pikachu together (JN147).
Personality
Meowth is the schemer of the trio: ambitious, vain, greedy and forever convinced that the next plan will be the one that wins him a place at Giovanni's side, ideally the spot on the Boss's lap that Persian keeps warm. Unlike most Pokémon, who only do wrong when they are told to, he is bad by choice and rather proud of it. He is the trio's interpreter, telling Jessie and James what every Pokémon is saying, and the mechanic behind most of their giant robots, so he likes to think of himself as the brains of the outfit. He rarely fights, insisting that learning to walk and talk cost him his battling skills, but when cornered he is cunning, and his Fury Swipes can cut anything from dough to a ping-pong ball. Under the swagger sits a hopeless romantic with a philosophical streak and a big heart: he falls in love at the drop of a hat, cries at other Pokémon's sad stories, fears being left behind by his teammates, and teams up with Pikachu whenever they are stranded together, right up until Jessie and James come back into view.
Moves usedFury SwipesScratchBiteG-Max Gold Rush
Key battles
- EP050Who Gets to Keep Togepi? · vs Brock's Onix Won
- EP050Who Gets to Keep Togepi? · vs Ash's Pikachu Lost
- EP070Go West Young Meowth · vs his old gang leader, Persian Won
- EP104Bound for Trouble · vs wild Rhydon and friends Won
- EP178The Grass Route · vs Ash's Bulbasaur Lost
- AG116Pacifidlog Jam · vs Erica's Jynx Lost
- DP103Jumping Rocket Ship! · vs Barry's Empoleon Unknown
- DP178For the Love of Meowth! · vs Ash's friends – and Jessie and James Won
- BW134The Journalist from Another Region! · vs a Golurk in a sumo bout Lost
- XY010Mega-Mega Meowth Madness! · vs Ash's Pikachu, Clemont's Chespin and Blaziken Mask's Mega Blaziken Lost
- XY023Coming Back Into the Cold! · vs Serena's Fennekin, then a wild Aurorus Lost
- XY079A Frenzied Factory Fiasco! · vs Ash's Pikachu Lost
- SM003Loading the Dex! · vs a wild Mimikyu Lost
- SM016They Might Not Be Giants! · vs a wild Litten Lost
- SM119A High-Speed Awakening! · vs a rival racer's Vikavolt Lost
- SM122Spying for the Big Guy! · vs Matori's Alolan Meowth Interrupted
- JN045Sword and Shield… The Legends Awaken! · vs Eternatus Lost
- JN145Rocket Revengers! · vs Ash's Pikachu, Infernape and Latias Lost
- JN147The Rainbow and the Pokémon Master! · vs Ash's Pikachu and Pidgeot Lost
First seen: AG125Like a Meowth to a Flame
Tyson found his Meowth injured in a snowy forest near Ever Grande City, beaten by its own pack's Persian leader and left behind. He nursed it back to health and made it a pair of boots because its sore paws hurt to stand on, and the cat in the hat and boots became one of the toughest members of his team (AG126). It made a dashing debut by chasing off a flock of Murkrow and snatching the stolen Moltres flame back from Team Rocket (AG125), then took its grudge against Persian out on Vivica's in the preliminary round, attacking so fiercely that Tyson had to recall it after the knockout (AG126). As Tyson's last Pokémon in the quarter-final Full Battle, it traded Thunderbolts, Iron Tails and Double Teams with Ash's Pikachu until Pikachu finally collapsed (AG131), and Tyson went on to win the whole Ever Grande Conference.
- AG125Like a Meowth to a Flame · vs Meowth Won
- AG126Saved by the Beldum · vs Meowth Won
- AG126Saved by the Beldum · vs Persian Won
- AG129A Judgment Brawl · vs Rhydon Won
- AG131At the End of the Fray · vs Pikachu Won
First seen: SM062Acting True to Form!
This Alolan Meowth turned up in Alola as a wild Pokémon with an eye for the main chance (SM062). After leaving Team Rocket's Meowth stuck in a muddy pond, it was taken home by Jessie and James, who thought it was their own Meowth, and promptly made itself indispensable: it fetched Jessie a drink, polished James's Poké Ball collection and struck a Z-Move pose, while Giovanni himself took notice over a video call. Its plan to snatch Pikachu at the Pokémon School worked, using Team Rocket's Meowth as bait, Feint and Thunderbolt to hold Ash off and a glass capsule to bag Pikachu, but by the time Mimikyu set Pikachu free the Alolan Meowth had already vanished. It reappeared at Team Rocket HQ as Matori's new assistant, having used the trio as a stepping stone and their money for its ticket to Kanto. It kept Matori's special unit going in the Matori Matrix missions (SM087–SM089), snubbed a call from Team Rocket (SM102) and helped her try to catch Bewear (SM122), whom it fears every bit as much as she does.
- SM062Acting True to Form! · vs Pikachu Won
- SM122Spying for the Big Guy! · vs Meowth Interrupted
First seen: SM073Why Not Give Me a Z-Ring Sometime?
Nanu, the world-weary kahuna of Ula'ula Island, shares the Po Town police station with a whole horde of Alolan Meowth. Team Rocket met them first, when the cats pounced on the trio's bag of Mixed Fruit Malasadas and wolfed the lot, and the din woke Nanu up (SM073). When Ash arrived to challenge the kahuna, Nanu found him buried under Meowth and, pretending to be someone else, left him to feed and play with them while he went off to 'wait for the kahuna'; Ash came away bitten and scratched, his Pokémon worn out, while a twirl of Nanu's kendama left the whole gang hypnotised (SM074). The Meowth are back in Guiding an Awakening! (SM077), and several help bathe Necrozma in light to restore it (SM090).
First seen: EP070Go West Young Meowth
Meowzie is where Team Rocket's Meowth's story really begins. As a scruffy Hollywood stray he fell for this pampered Meowth, whose Trainer could buy her anything; when she turned up her nose at him, he taught himself to walk upright and talk like a human to win her round, only for her to call him a freak. When he returned to Hollywood (EP070), her owner had abandoned her and she was living with his old street gang. Meowth beat the gang's Persian leader on a rooftop, but Meowzie ran to Persian's side, loyal to the gang that had taken her in and still unmoved by her 'freak' admirer. She has haunted his memories ever since, from a flashback in A Hole Lotta Trouble (AG022) to a fantasy in Noodles! Roamin' Off! (DP117) and another flashback in The Good, The Bad, and The Lucky! (JN095).
First seen: JN095The Good, The Bad, and The Lucky!
Having quit Team Rocket, Butch swapped schemes for baking and now runs a bakery, with a Meowth of his own about the place. When Jessie and Meowth turned up and were put to work paying off the bread he had given them, Team Rocket's Meowth was instantly smitten with Butch's female Meowth, a dead ringer for his lost love Meowzie, and Jessie, seeing how happy he was, let him stay behind (JN095).
Ash & Meowth
Ash has never caught a Meowth, but he has battled both with one and against one. The borrowed team he was handed for the Pokémon League entrance exam included a Meowth, whose Fury Swipes were no match for the instructor's Vaporeon and its freezing Ice Beam (EP056), and years later Tyson's boot-wearing Meowth outlasted Pikachu in a double Iron Tail finish to knock him out of the Ever Grande Conference in the quarter-finals (AG131). In Alola, Nanu even fobbed him off with a police station full of hungry Alolan Meowth to feed and play with (SM074).
Gigantamax Meowth on screen
Meowth has no Mega Evolution, but Gigantamax Meowth stormed into the anime on Galar's Darkest Day, when a blast of Eternatus's Dynamax energy turned Team Rocket's own Meowth into a towering giant.
- JN044Sword and Shield: From Here to Eternatus!When Team Rocket fire a net at Eternatus at Hammerlocke Stadium, its beam of Dynamax energy hits Meowth and he Gigantamaxes for the first time, then turns his rage on Jessie and James, who leave Ash to deal with him.
- JN045Sword and Shield… The Legends Awaken!The mere mention of Giovanni snaps the giant Meowth back to his senses. He climbs the stadium complex to take on Eternatus and goes for G-Max Gold Rush, but Eternatus's Dynamax Cannon blasts the whole team away.
Featured episodes
- EP053The Purr-fect HeroAt a preschool's Kids Day, Timmy will play with nobody but Meowth, because a wild Meowth once saved him from a Beedrill. Team Rocket's Meowth is talked into posing as the hero until he slips into human speech, but when Arbok's Dig sets off a rockslide, the real Meowth kicks a boulder in two to save Timmy and Ash, and ends the day curled up on the school roof.
- EP123Spinarak AttackIn a legend from more than a century ago, the master thief known as the Black Arachnid ran riot in Catallia City with a Meowth whose Pay Day scared off the police every time they closed in. An Officer Jenny eight generations back finally caught him in a Spinarak's web.
- JN020Dreams Are Made of These!On a Pokémon Orienteering course, a wild Persian and three Meowth lead Ash's group to some sleeping Rattata and then surround them. A Raticate wades in, and Officer Jenny's Growlithe breaks up the scrap with Roar; Ash scans the Meowth with his Rotom Phone.
- JN089The Gates of Warp!Alternate World Team Rocket slip into Ash's world while Dialga and Palkia clash, and their Meowth is everything the original isn't: a genuinely strong battler, armed with Dark Pulse and Slash, who can keep up with Cynthia's Garchomp. When their plan to turn the world's Pokémon back into Eggs backfires in Showdown at the Gates of Warp! (JN090), their own Pokémon are devolved too, all except Meowth and Wobbuffet.
- JN127Just a Scone's Throw From Here!Galarian Meowth make their anime debut as a pair of food thieves in Wyndon, working for a Perrserker boss. Team Rocket sign up as Perrserker's underlings and feed the gang's coins into their Rocket Prize Master, but Goh's Nickit trio evolve into Thievul and break up the gang, and everyone ends up sharing a pile of scones.
More appearances
- AG086Lights, Camerupt, Action! Max remembers a monster film in which a giant Meowth tramples a city and battles Pichu fighter pilots and a giant Marshtomp, a nod to Ultraman.
- BW127The Island of Illusions! Lost in the fog, Jessie and James are chased through the forest by a giant Meowth illusion and end up leaping off a cliff into the sea.
- XY037The Cave of Mirrors! Stranded in the Mirror World, Team Rocket meet their heroic mirror selves, Mirror Meowth included.
Beyond the main series
Anime gallery
Anime trivia
- Team Rocket's Meowth is one of the very few Pokémon in the anime that talk out loud rather than by telepathy.
- Pay Day is out of reach for him, as he used up all his smarts learning to talk.
- In Japanese he ends most sentences with "nya", the Japanese for "meow". The English dub used the tic far less and eventually dropped it, apart from the odd motto.
- In the Japanese version of Go West Young Meowth, the first word he understood was "itai" ("ouch") rather than "rocket", and the Japanese title, Nyarth's A-I-U-E-O, refers to the first five kana he learned.
- When a female Togepi's Attract worked on him in Where No Togepi Has Gone Before! (DP142), James used it as proof that Togepi was female, since everyone knew Meowth was male.
- Team Rocket's Meowth is voiced by Inuko Inuyama in Japanese. In English he was voiced first by Nathan Price, then by Maddie Blaustein (from EP032 to AG145, plus the first eight films) and, from AG146 to the end of Journeys, by James Carter Cathcart – also known as Jimmy Zoppi – who voices James too.
- Tyson's Meowth is a nod to Puss in Boots: the Japanese title of its debut episode translates as 'Arrival in Saiyu City! Nyarth in Boots!?', and in the dub Team Rocket's Meowth keeps calling it 'Meowth in Boots' (AG125).
- The borrowed team Ash was handed in The Ultimate Test was Arbok, Weezing and Meowth, the very species Team Rocket throw at him, while James drew Pikachu, Ivysaur and Charizard (EP056).
- Meowzie's owner drives a car with the licence plate 052-NYA: Meowth's National Pokédex number plus the 'Nya' of its Japanese name, Nyarth (EP070).
- When Team Rocket's Meowth and his clone refuse to fight in the first film, the English dub has Meowth wonder whether things would change if everyone looked at what's the same instead of always looking at what's different (M01).
- Before showing off the Breakneck Blitz pose, the Alolan Meowth who became Matori's assistant briefly strikes the transformation pose of Kamen Rider 1 (SM062).
- Galarian Meowth reached the anime in Just a Scone's Throw From Here! (JN127) as a pair of food thieves working for a Perrserker – their own evolved form.
“Meowth, the Scratch Cat Pokémon. Meowth loves to roam at night to gather coins and other objects that sparkle, but it spends most of the daylight hours sleeping.”
Ash's Pokédex · AG109
05On the big screen
Meowth in the movies
21 films, 24 Pikachu shorts and 5 specials featuring Meowth.
If Pikachu is the star of the Pokémon films, Team Rocket's Meowth is the scene-stealer. He turns up in almost every animated film, usually tagging along on Jessie and James's latest doomed heist but often doing the films' translating too, from Mew's message in Mewtwo Strikes Back (1998) to Pikachu's electric chat with Zapdos. His standout scenes come when he's on his own: making peace with his own clone, being whisked off by Mew to the Tree of Beginning in Lucario and the Mystery of Mew, and being possessed by a dark spirit in Hoopa and the Clash of Ages. Off the big screen he's the regular villain of the Pikachu shorts, leading Wobbuffet and friends from one scheme to the next, and in a pair of two-part side stories he even takes a holiday from Team Rocket in Big Town. Only the live-action Detective Pikachu (2019) leaves him out.
Pokémon: The First Movie – Mewtwo Strikes Back
M01 · 1998
Team Rocket's Meowth; Mewtwo's clone of him; Giovanni's Persian
Snooping round New Island's cloning lab, Meowth loses a hair to a machine that promptly grows a copy of him, and later he translates Mew's message to Mewtwo: real strength comes from the heart. In the brawl between originals and clones, the two Meowth square up, think better of it and sit down together instead. In English, Meowth sums up the film's moral: "Maybe if we started looking at what's the same instead of always looking at what's different, well, who knows?" In Japan, the clone just gazes at the full moon, and Meowth finds that rather poetic.
Pokémon the Movie 2000: The Power of One
M02 · 1999
Team Rocket's Meowth
Shipwrecked in the Orange Islands, Meowth becomes the film's interpreter, decoding the crackling electric conversation between Pikachu and Zapdos. Team Rocket then stun Ash by coming to the rescue, because they don't want the world destroyed either. When their extra weight slows Lugia down, the trio let go, and they turn up alive on Shamouti Island at the end.
Pokémon 3: The Movie – Spell of the Unown
M03 · 2000
Team Rocket's Meowth
After their balloon is shot down over crystal-covered Greenfield, Team Rocket blunder into the crystal mansion, and Meowth breaks the fourth wall to wonder whether they'll get a bigger part in the next movie. The trio even help grab Ash before he falls, and at the end Meowth decides that, above all, he is lovable.
Pokémon 4Ever: Celebi – Voice of the Forest
M04 · 2001
Team Rocket's Meowth
Riding along on the Iron-Masked Marauder's giant machine, a bored Meowth reaches for some fruit with Jessie and James, and all three tumble off. Later the trio block the escape of Ash's group.
Pokémon Heroes: Latios and Latias
M05 · 2002
Team Rocket's Meowth
Meowth's outdoor meal with Jessie and James is soaked when Annie and Oakley race round a corner, and the trio soon recognise the pair as fellow Team Rocket agents. Their part ends with a fall when Jessie's Wobbuffet pops out and its extra weight sends them plummeting to the ground.
M06 · 2003
Team Rocket's Meowth
Team Rocket are working as clowns for Butler's magic show, and when Jessie and James snatch Pikachu from a balloon in front of the crowd, Meowth is waiting in the wings to open the roof for their getaway. Dusclops's Night Shade blasts them off anyway, and the audience thinks it was all part of the act.
M07 · 2004
Team Rocket's Meowth
Team Rocket sink their Magikarp submarine on arrival, then, with no passports to get burgers from a machine, try to smash it and are attacked by a security robot for their trouble. They are among the first to be carried off by Deoxys's copies, but they make amends later, pedalling a machine during the push to power the wind turbines.
Pokémon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew
M08 · 2005
Team Rocket's Meowth; Mew, transformed into a Meowth
A starring film role for Meowth: up in the castle attic, Mew turns into a second Meowth and swaps places with him to confuse some Weavile, a trick the real Meowth ruins by opening his mouth. Mew then whisks him and Pikachu away to the Tree of Beginning. There Meowth becomes everyone's interpreter, explaining that Mew has persuaded the Tree the humans mean no harm, before he finds Jessie and James alive in its tunnels.
Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea
M09 · 2006
Team Rocket's Meowth
Team Rocket spot the Manaphy Egg in Team Rocket Magazine and steal it from a travelling troupe, only for it to swap the trio's minds into one another's bodies. Later they pose as recruits for the pirate Phantom, get blown off his submarine and are finally shot out of a Wailord's blowhole. In the English version, Meowth even plugs the next games: when diamonds and pearls come up, he quips, "Hey, that sounds like a good name for a game!"
M10 · 2007
Team Rocket's Meowth
Team Rocket trail behind in a Carnivine hot-air balloon, spot Darkrai through their binoculars and decide it must be theirs. Disguised as a TV crew, they help Baron Alberto hunt it, until Darkrai blasts the lot of them across town. Meowth also appeared before and after the feature to tell audiences how to get Darkrai.
Pokémon: Giratina and the Sky Warrior
M11 · 2008
Team Rocket's Meowth
Team Rocket try to run off with Shaymin and are pulled into Giratina's Reverse World, where they end up hiding from Giratina with Newton. When they meet the others in a cave, the cheeky Shaymin mocks Meowth and blows smoke in his face.
Pokémon: Arceus and the Jewel of Life
M12 · 2009
Team Rocket's Meowth
Team Rocket's grand plan to steal the Jewel of Life ends when Arceus destroys the ruins and dumps them in the river below. In the end credits, a watermelon raid goes wrong when one of the melons turns out to be a Voltorb in disguise.
Pokémon: Zoroark: Master of Illusions
M13 · 2010
Team Rocket's Meowth
Disguised as janitors, Team Rocket get Brock and Dawn to explain the Pokémon Baccer World Cup, and later their pedal-powered Yanmega balloon runs into Zorua, disguised as a Skiploom. The trio wake up next morning in the tree where the balloon crashed, grumbling about their lost sleep.
Pokémon the Movie: Genesect and the Legend Awakened
M16 · 2013
Team Rocket's Meowth
Eavesdropping as usual, Team Rocket decide to catch Mewtwo and the whole Genesect Army, but their bazooka attack is spotted by the Red Genesect, which drives them off. Wandering in the dark afterwards, they fall into a worksite and land on a group of Durant.
Pokémon the Movie: Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction
M17 · 2014
Team Rocket's Meowth
Team Rocket bundle Diancie into a sack and carry her up a clock tower, demanding diamonds, but her gems are only temporary and vanish to their dismay. They join the master thieves Marilyn and Riot in the scramble for her, and Yveltal turns its Oblivion Wing on them as they try to flee.
Pokémon the Movie: Hoopa and the Clash of Ages
M18 · 2015
Team Rocket's Meowth
Swooping down in the Meowth balloon, Team Rocket grab the Prison Bottle, and when Meowth takes hold of it he is possessed by the dark spirit sealed inside, which uses him to break itself free. Hoopa's rings later carry the trio to safety along with everyone else.
Pokémon the Movie: Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel
M19 · 2016
Team Rocket's Meowth
Alva recruits Team Rocket, handing them Mega Wave bracelets to Mega Evolve the Heracross and Pinsir he gives them. But when Meowth realises Magearna's soul is still alive inside the Soul-Heart, the trio turn on him: Alva blasts Jessie and James away and keeps Meowth hostage, until the pair free him during the final battle.
Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You!
M20 · 2017
Team Rocket's Meowth (the film's own version of the trio)
In this retelling, Team Rocket are Pokémon thieves hoping to catch the same Legendary Pokémon as Ash, and Meowth trails Ash's group with Jessie and James all the way to the crystal-like structure on Mount Tensei. In the end credits, Wobbuffet pops up and almost knocks Meowth out of the balloon.
Pokémon the Movie: The Power of Us
M21 · 2018
Team Rocket's Meowth
When Jessie decides the trio's next scheme should be a juice business rather than another Pikachu grab, Meowth does the maths and backs her, so Team Rocket open a Lum Berry juice stall at Fula City's Pokémon Catch Race. Those berries turn out to be just what Toren needs when the Effect Spore gas strikes.
Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back—Evolution
M22 · 2019
Team Rocket's Meowth; Mewtwo's clone of him; Giovanni's Persian
The CGI remake replays Meowth's big moments: mechanical claws dump him on a conveyor belt so the machine can pluck his tail hairs and clone him, and he translates the clash between Mew and Mewtwo for his teammates. Once again he talks his clone out of fighting, and the two realise how much they have in common.
Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle
M23 · 2020
Team Rocket's Meowth
Team Rocket sneak into the Biotope Company looking for something to steal for Giovanni, try to crack the lock on Dr. Zed's office and plot to hijack the truck holding Ash, Pikachu and Koko. Their snooping does some good in the end: the information they leak from Zed's office gets him arrested.
Pikachu shorts
- PK01Pikachu's Vacation (1998) · Team Rocket's Meowth
Meowth is trying to nap alongside Jessie's Arbok and James's Weezing, and when Pikachu and Raichu's squabbling wakes him once too often he pulls out a bomb to end the racket. Charizard lands on him just as it goes off. - PK03Kanga Games (1998) · Team Rocket's Meowth
Watching a snowball fight from above, Meowth laughs at the amateurs and heaves up a giant snowball of his own, until the snow gives way and he rolls off into the distance trapped inside an ever-growing snowball. - PK04Pikachu's Rescue Adventure (1999) · Team Rocket's Meowth
A lost Meowth is bowled over by a rolling Togepi, gets stuck on a branch and wakes a Gyarados with his cries for help. A squabble over who gets to ride the Gyarados ends with Pikachu blasting him off with Thunderbolt. - PK05Winter Games (1999) · Team Rocket's Meowth
Meowth swaggers onto the ice to show everyone how it's done and becomes a living curling stone instead, swept along by Poliwag and Chikorita and shot into a tree. His revenge on Bulbasaur backfires when Vine Whip sends him spinning, pinging off Geodude like a pinball and smashing into Squirtle. - PK07Pikachu & Pichu (2000) · Team Rocket's Meowth
Meowth is working as a window cleaner in Big Town when Pikachu's wild ride across the rooftops ends on his bench, slamming him into a billboard. Later he is knocked flying back onto it. - PK08Delibird's Dilemma (2000) · Team Rocket's Meowth
Meowth is warning Wobbuffet never to anger a Skarmory, after a nasty run-in of his own, when Delibird and a giant snowball come crashing down. Skarmory's Wing Attack blasts the pair away. - PK10Pikachu's PikaBoo (2001) · Team Rocket's Meowth
Meowth and Wobbuffet are gardening at a mansion. When the lawnmower breaks down Meowth declares the job done, and after a run-in with the runaway mower they fall down a chimney, so at least that's swept. - PK11Camp Pikachu (2002) · Team Rocket's Meowth
Lost with a map, Meowth and Wobbuffet tumble down a hill, get spooked by a Duskull and spin round and round on a water wheel. Finally they cling to a Skarmory that has stolen their cookie and drop into the coal on top of a train. - PK12Gotta Dance! (2003) · Team Rocket's Meowth; Giovanni's Persian (in Meowth's daydream)
Left in charge of Team Rocket's base while Jessie and James go to greet the boss, Meowth plans the entertainment with his newly invented Dancing Pokébaton and daydreams of replacing Persian as Giovanni's favourite lap cat. When the Pokébaton goes flying, everyone, Meowth included, is forced to dance, and the whole base ends up collapsing on top of him. - PK13Pikachu's Summer Festival (2004) · Team Rocket's Meowth
Meowth and Wobbuffet are on the road with Azumarill, and Meowth is dreaming of the fortune its act will make in the city when their car breaks down. They make it to the festival anyway, where Meowth announces Azumarill's big entrance and he and Wobbuffet bang the drums. - PK14Pokémon 3D Adventure: Find Mew! (2005) · Team Rocket's Meowth
In this 3D attraction, Meowth teams up with Pikachu to hunt for the elusive Mew. - PK15Pikachu's Ghost Carnival (2005) · Team Rocket's Meowth
Meowth, Wobbuffet and Cacnea arrive with a crane to wreck an old house and get the fright of their lives from sheet ghosts, Haunter's dancing hands and a mirror reflection that pulls faces back at Meowth. In the end a swelling Pikachu balloon bursts and washes them out through the roof. - PK17Pikachu's Island Adventure (2006) · Team Rocket's Meowth
Meowth and his gang, Hariyama and Exploud among them, drive a band of Wynaut, Pichu and Buizel off their island and claim it for Meowth. Pikachu trains the evicted Pokémon, and when Meowth orders Hariyama and Exploud to attack, the Wynaut turn the tables and the gang come off worst on a seesaw. - PK18Pikachu's Exploration Club (2007) · Team Rocket's Meowth
Meowth leads Wobbuffet, Carnivine, Cacnea and Mime Jr. after Pikachu's group, but every time they find something to eat a Marill turns up and they wake to find the food gone, much to Meowth's fury. A Regirock and a Snover make his day even worse. - PK19Pikachu's Ice Adventure (2008) · Team Rocket's Meowth
Meowth's gang go after Pikachu's friends for taking his surfing spot, but a blizzard blows everyone away to the ice, where a hungry Meowth daydreams of a feast. He ends up lending his Fury Swipes to the statue-building. - PK20Pikachu's Sparkle Search! (2009) · Team Rocket's Meowth
Tipped off by Mime Jr., Meowth races to grab the missing jewels first, even luring a Feraligatr away with bananas. But a singing Marill keeps sending him to sleep and the jewels slip out of his paws, and he ends the day watching the fireworks from a pile of tyres. - PK21Pikachu's Strange Wonder Adventure (2010) · Team Rocket's Meowth
Dreaming of what an Unown would fetch, Meowth grabs at one and accidentally opens a portal to a world where sizes keep changing, and towers over Pikachu's friends for a while. Mime Jr.'s Teeter Dance gets everyone dancing before the gang blast off. - PK22Pikachu's Summer Bridge Story (2011) · Team Rocket's Meowth
Meowth overhears a plan to fetch apples and races Pikachu's group for them with Woobat and Yamask, only for a singing Minccino to lull him to sleep, twice. He ends the day disappointed on the bridge, though he admits the fireworks are nice. - PK23Sing Meloetta: Search for the Rinka Berries (2012) · Team Rocket's Meowth
Smitten with Meloetta, Meowth chases after it with Wobbuffet, demanding that Piplup and Oshawott tell him where it went. He ends up slumped against the Rinka tree, already looking forward to seeing Meloetta again. - PK24Meloetta's Moonlight Serenade (2012) · Team Rocket's Meowth
Lovestruck by Meloetta, Meowth sets out to find the missing Melody Berries to impress it, but he falls on to a Snorlax's belly, tumbles into Diglett holes and loses the yellow Berry to Pikachu after running into Psyduck. - PK25Eevee & Friends (2013) · Team Rocket's Meowth
Meowth plays chef for the feast, until his dough drops on his head, and dresses up as a Leafeon to impress Espeon and the others. After wrongly attacking Umbreon's friends, he apologises and treats everyone to another feast. - PK26Pikachu, What's This Key? (2014) · Team Rocket's Meowth
Meowth, Wobbuffet and Inkay sneak after the others into Klefki's world, where Meowth goes treasure-hunting with a 'gleaming gold' key. When the keyholes start to vanish he snatches the key from Klefki to reopen the way home, and nearly loses it in Klefki's pile of keys. - PK27Pikachu and the Pokémon Music Squad (2015) · Team Rocket's Meowth
Meowth and Chespin are pinching Pecha Berries when a Torchic tackles Meowth and Florges drops him on to Pikachu. Later he translates for a glum Hawlucha who can't sing, upsets it by telling it to sing anyway, and gets squashed by a Snorlax. - Pichu Bros. in Party Panic (2003) · Team Rocket's Meowth
Shown on the GameCube's Pokémon Channel, this Pichu Brothers short has Meowth throwing a big party: he checks the preparations, fronts his band, Meowth's Music Attack, and calls for the fireworks, which promptly carry him off into the sky. Its ending song is 'Meowth's Party'.
TV specials
- Pokémon: Mewtwo Returns (2000)
Blown off course to Mount Quena, Meowth meets his clone again: Meowthtwo is now one of Mewtwo's closest companions. When Team Rocket's troops close in, Meowth follows Pikachu's lead and scratches his clone to help it escape, and the two Meowth ride into battle on Blastoisetwo. At the end, he and the other Pokémon object to Mewtwo's plan to wipe everyone's memories, arguing that the past is part of who you are. - Of Meowth and Pokémon (2003)
A Pokémon Chronicles two-parter in which Meowth takes a holiday from Jessie and James in Big Town. A picnic-basket mix-up with a Smoochum drags him into the Pichu Brothers' antics and ends with a Houndour beating him up and his lunch eaten. Saving up for a statue of himself, he is fired from a pizza job and then a park job, until the young Pokémon cheer him up with a gift of acorns, which he pretends to enjoy. - Big Meowth, Little Dreams (2003)
The end of Meowth's Big Town holiday: he gives up on his statue and turns detective to catch a sandwich thief, which turns out to be an invisible Kecleon feeding a hungry Azurill. Then he falls for a Skitty, but Azurill's meddling wrecks every attempt at romance before he heads home to Jessie and James. He even sings 'Meowth's Song'. - Pokémon: The Mastermind of Mirage Pokémon (2006)
Team Rocket sneak into the Mirage Master's castle to steal the Mirage System, but his Mirage Pokémon blast them off in the basement. They creep back to watch from a bush, only for a Gyarados to land beside them and send them flying again. - Distant Blue Sky! (2022)
Team Rocket ditch their latest disguise to chase Ash for Pikachu, seal it in an insulated capsule and start celebrating their promotion, but Ash simply takes the key mid-motto and frees it. Later, disguised and starving at the next table, they are fed croquettes by Ash's mum, Delia, and stop to thank her before resuming the chase.
06Trading Card Game · every card
Meowth in the Pokémon TCG
92 cards since 1999, oldest first. Tap any card to see it full size.
Meowth padded into English packs with Jungle in June 1999, where Mitsuhiro Arita's coin-crazy cat used Pay Day to draw a card on heads, a trick its cards kept returning to for the next thirteen years. Its cards picked up a colourful list of owners: Giovanni twice in Gym Challenge, the anime's own Team Rocket's Meowth on a promo drawn by series director Kunihiko Yuyama, and a Darkness-type Rocket's Meowth in EX Team Rocket Returns. There was a Game Boy tie-in too, with a 'GB'-stamped holo packed into the Game Boy Color game, and Holon Phantoms made Meowth δ both Darkness and Metal type, long before Alolan and Galarian Meowth arrived. The e-Card years added Dot Code strips for the e-Reader, Black & White put Castelia City behind it, and the era's showpiece was a Noble Victories Secret Rare that swaps the usual type watermark for Meowth's coin. Japan kept a few for itself, from a CoroCoro Comic insert and an Intro Pack card to a 2009 movie card credited to the 'Pikachu Project'.
Later the Scratch Cat Pokémon settled in as a dependable common, and then grew a whole family tree. Sun & Moon (2017) introduced Alolan Meowth as a Darkness type, Sword & Shield (2020) added a Metal-type Galarian Meowth, and in January 2020 the Meowth VMAX Special Collection turned Gigantamax Meowth into a 300 HP promo whose G-Max Gold Rush draws three cards. The art grew more playful along the way, from story scenes linked across several cards (a Berry-hunting Meowth eyed by Inkay, a forest trail of footprints in Fusion Strike) to Shining Fates' Shiny Galarian Meowth and the full-art Illustration Rares of the Scarlet & Violet years. Destined Rivals (2025) brought Team Rocket's Meowth back to the cardboard, Perfect Order (2026) gave Meowth an ex card, and 30th Celebration (2026) had OKUBO paint all three forms as Illustration Rares. Meanwhile Pokémon TCG Pocket has gone back to the start: its first Meowth, in Genetic Apex, wears Mitsuhiro Arita's original Jungle art.
Cards to know
- Wizards Black Star Promo 18 (Team Rocket's Meowth) — The anime's own talking Meowth, drawn by series director Kunihiko Yuyama. Miraculous Comeback flips a coin for every Pokémon in play, so it can blast the opponent or blow up in Meowth's face, which is very Team Rocket.
- EX Holon Phantoms 71/110 (Meowth δ) — A Darkness- and Metal-type Meowth from 2006, years before Alolan (Dark) and Galarian (Steel) Meowth existed.
- Wizards Black Star Promo 10 — Made for the Game Boy Color card game and packed with it as a holo, it wears the Game Boy game's tiny 'GB' symbol.
- SWSH Black Star Promos SWSH005 (Meowth VMAX) — Gigantamax Meowth at 300 HP, with G-Max Gold Rush doing 200 damage and drawing three cards: Pay Day at its most extravagant. Japanese fans first got one by tracking down a 'secret' card stadium in Ikebukuro.
- Destined Rivals 149/182 (Team Rocket's Meowth) — The anime's motor-mouthed schemer is back on a card, and Paw-cket Pilfer is pure Team Rocket: it snatches a random card out of your opponent's hand.
- Perfect Order 062/088 (Meowth ex) — Meowth as a Pokémon ex. Last-Ditch Catch pulls a Supporter from your deck when it hits the Bench, and Tuck Tail lets you scoop it back up to do it all over again.
Every English-language card
Promo cards
Japan-exclusive cards
Other regional releases
Pokémon TCG Pocket
Digital card games
- Pokémon Trading Card Game (Game Boy Color): Meowth LV.14 with Cat Punch (Kagemaru Himeno's art) as card A35 in the Colosseum booster pack. The card was created for the game first, and English copies of the printed card (LV.13) came packed with it.
- Pokémon Trading Card Game (Game Boy Color): Meowth (Jungle 56/64 art, Mitsuhiro Arita) as card C39 in the Mystery booster pack.
- Pokémon Card GB2 (Japan only): Meowth (Jungle 56/64 art) as card C49 in the Island of Fossil pack.
- Pokémon Card GB2 (Japan only): the Cat Punch Meowth promo as card G42 in the We Are Team Rocket pack, now at LV.13 to match the printed card.
- Pokémon Card GB2 (Japan only): Meowth (Team Rocket 62/82 art, Atsuko Nishida) as card H31 in the Team Rocket's Ambition pack.
- Pokémon Card GB2 (Japan only): Meowth (Ken Sugimori's January 1998 CoroCoro Comic promo) as Promotion Card P33.
- Pokémon Card GB2 (Japan only): Meowth (Bulbasaur Deck 16 art, Kagemaru Himeno) as card A46 in the Beginning Pokémon pack.
Most frequent illustrators: Kagemaru Himeno (8 cards) · Mitsuhiro Arita (5 cards) · Ken Sugimori (5 cards) · Kouki Saitou (5 cards) · kirisAki (4 cards) · Atsuko Nishida (3 cards)
07On the page & beyond
Meowth in manga, books & other media
From the earliest manga to story books and songs.
Meowth has been scheming on paper almost as long as on screen. Kosaku Anakubo's Pocket Monsters gave one to Red's rival Green (it evolved, then changed back), Toshihiro Ono's The Electric Tale of Pikachu has the talking Meowth luring Pikachu towards Team Rocket with the promise of a free breakfast, and Pokémon Adventures handed Sun a proud, money-minded Alolan Meowth called Cent; he tags along in the manga versions of the films too. On the bookshelf there's a retelling of his Hollywood heartbreak in Meowth, the Big Mouth, a fact book all of his own, and a Japanese picture book about moon-viewing soba written by his own voice actress, Inuko Inuyama. Above all, Meowth is the anime's crooner: he has sung Japanese ending themes from the moonlit 'Meowth's Song' of 1997 to the 3D 'Meowth's Party', the dance number 'Polka O Dolka' and 'Meowth's Ballad'. He also played himself on stage in Pokémon Live!, and in 2001 the coin-mad cat finally became one, on a $1 coin from Niue.
Manga
Books
Other media
More from the page
08Did you know?
Meowth trivia
Name origins, design secrets and the facts that make Meowth such a fan favourite.
What’s in a name?
Meowth's English name is about as simple as names get: 'meow', the sound every cat makes, finished with a '-th' that echoes its Japanese name, Nyarth. That ending may also slip in 'mouth' – fitting for a species with one very famous talker – or 'wealth', a sly nod to the coin-carrying lucky cat it's modelled on. The Japanese ニャース (Nyāsu, trademarked as Nyarth) comes from ニャー (nyā), Japanese for 'meow'. Most other languages follow the cat's lead too: it's Miaouss in French (from miaou, perhaps with ouste – 'shoo!' – and a hissing '-ss'), Mauzi in German (from miau, mauzen, 'to meow', and Mieze, a pet word for a pussycat), 나옹 Naong in Korean, 喵喵 Miāomiāo in Chinese and Miyav in Turkish – meows, every one of them.
Design origins
Meowth is modelled on the maneki-neko, the 'beckoning cat' figurine that raises a paw in shops and restaurants across Japan to invite good fortune – complete with the gold koban coin those lucky cats so often hold, worn here right on its forehead. Its cream coat with darker tips suggests a Siamese cat, and its Japanese category, bakeneko, points to the shape-shifting 'monster cats' of Japanese folklore. Game Freak seems to have toyed with giving it a baby form: the Gold and Silver demo shown at Spaceworld in 1997 included Kōnya, a tiny kitten with a round coin on its forehead, which never made it into the finished games. The regional forms take their cues from real breeds. Alolan Meowth, the descendant of royal pets, resembles a pampered pedigree – in particular the British Blue variety of the British Shorthair – while bearded, iron-hard Galarian Meowth seems to draw on hardy northern cats such as the Norwegian Forest cat or the European wildcat, with more than a hint of Viking about it. Gigantamax Meowth's ridiculously stretched body looks like a nod to the internet's 'Longcat' meme, and the symbol on its giant coin may be a calligraphic form of the kanji 大, meaning 'big'.
Names around the world
| Language | Name | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ニャース Nyarth | From ニャー nyā (meow) |
| French | Miaouss | From miaou (meow), and possibly ouste (shoo) and -ss (a hissing sound) |
| Spanish | Meowth | Same as the English name |
| German | Mauzi | From miau (meow), and possibly mauzen (to meow) and Mieze (pussycat) |
| Italian | Meowth | Same as the English name |
| Korean | 나옹 Naong | From a corruption of 야옹 yaong (meow) |
| Chinese (Mandarin) | 喵喵 Miāomiāo | From 喵 miāo (meow) |
| Chinese (Cantonese) | 喵喵 Mēumēu | From 喵 mīu (meow); before Sun & Moon it was known as 喵喵怪 Mēumēugwaai, adding 怪 gwaai (monster) |
| Portuguese (Brazil) | Meowth | Same as the English name |
| Hebrew | מיאו Miau | From מיאו miau (meow) |
| Hindi | म्याउथ Meowth | Transcription of the English name |
| Russian | Мяут Myaut | Transcription of the English name |
| Thai | เนียส Niat | Transcription of the Japanese name |
| Turkish | Miyav | From miyav (meow) |
| Lithuanian | Miau | From miau (meow) |
| Polish | Meowth | Same as the English name, but pronounced 'Miau' (meow) in the Polish dub |
| Vietnamese | Nyasu | Transcription of the Japanese name |
Did you know?
- Kantonian, Alolan and Galarian Meowth are Normal, Dark and Steel types respectively – yet every one of them is weak to Fighting-type moves.
- Meowth and Mankey are mirror images: both are Generation I Pokémon that evolve at level 28 into a Pokémon whose name starts with 'P', and they swap places as version exclusives – Meowth in Blue, Silver, SoulSilver and Let's Go, Eevee!, Mankey in Red, Gold, HeartGold and Let's Go, Pikachu!
- The pairing continues in Black 2 and White 2: Yancy trades her Meowth to male players, while Curtis trades a Mankey to female players.
- Meowth may once have been meant to get a baby form: the Gold and Silver demo shown at Spaceworld 1997 featured Kōnya, a kitten-like Pokémon with a round coin on its forehead that never made the final games.
- Fittingly for a coin-loving cat, Meowth has appeared on real money: in 2001 the Pacific island nation of Niue issued a commemorative $1 silver coin featuring Meowth.
- Although Meowth is usually shown standing on two legs, HeartGold and SoulSilver show it walking on all fours when it follows you around.
- In Pokémon Yellow, Jessie and James use a Meowth in every battle against you, but unlike its anime counterpart it travels in a Poké Ball and can only make cat noises.
- A Dark-type Meowth existed long before Alola: the Trading Card Game's Meowth δ from POP Series 5 was Dark-type nearly a decade before Alolan Meowth debuted in Sun and Moon.
- Kantonian and Galarian Meowth don't get along. In Sword and Shield, a Trainer at Turffield Stadium will swap your Galarian Meowth for a Kantonian Meowth nicknamed Cash (Koban in Japanese), holding a Sitrus Berry.
- G-Max Gold Rush scatters 100 Pokémon Dollars per level of the user with each hit, and the payout grows with every use in a row, up to 99,999 in a single battle (though Max Raid Battles pay out nothing). Its Japanese name, Kyodai Koban, means 'gigantic koban'.
- In 2012 and 2013, Japanese, Korean and Italian players of Black 2 and White 2 could receive Team Rocket's Meowth as an event Pokémon, knowing Fury Swipes, Sing, Nasty Plot and Snatch and holding a Smoke Ball.
09Quizzes, archive & further reading
More Meowth
Test yourself
Professor Oak's Kanto Quiz: BeginnerProfessor Oak has a few questions before you set foot in the tall grass. How well do you know the region where it all began?Take the quiz →
Who's That Pokémon? Kanto: BeginnerIt's the classic challenge! Can you name these original 151 Pokémon from their silhouettes alone?Take the quiz →
Indigo League Anime: IntermediateGrab your cap and set off on Ash's very first adventure. How much do you remember from the Indigo League days?Take the quiz →
Mewtwo Strikes Back: BeginnerThe film that brought Pokémon to cinemas everywhere! How well do you remember Pokémon: The First Movie?Take the quiz →Professor Oak's Kanto Quiz: IntermediateYou've got your badges, but does Professor Oak think you're ready for the Indigo Plateau? Dig deeper into Red, Blue, FireRed, LeafGreen and Let's Go.Take the quiz →
Pokémon TCG: IntermediateShuffle up and draw! From the very first booster packs to the digital age, how well do you know the Pokémon Trading Card Game?Take the quiz →From the archive: Gengar’s Online Pokédex
Before this page, Pokémon Dungeon was home to Gengar’s Online Pokédex, the classic fan Pokédex for Red, Blue, Yellow, Gold, Silver & Crystal by Curtis Alumbaugh (Gengar) with Ian Alumbaugh (Haunter). Its Meowth entry is preserved in full, with its original art, moves and locations.
Further reading
Pokémon and all related names, artwork, sprites, screenshots and card images are © Nintendo, Creatures Inc., GAME FREAK inc. and The Pokémon Company, used here for fan commentary. Images via the Bulbagarden Archives. Page updated 29 October 2026.