All About The Top Cat, Rocket's Meowth!

[Meowth's Number One Fan]

So I can say I'm a pretty big fan of this character to a potentially concerning degree, so I'd love to share that and see if others are as passionate about him as I am. Can be about any form of him really, his anime form, his manga form, even Pokémon Yellow. But I'd love to hear about head canons, opinions on him, ship ideas, AUs, whatever really! I just need an excuse to gush about this character before I explode into confetti. Discussion on Meowth in general (as in aside from the Team Rocket one) is okay too, I don't mind! I'll probably periodically post here and yap about him regardless.

 

[NumberOneSpinelApologist]

I think we can all agree that Meowth is the best character in the Ash anime
/ j we probably can't all agree, but idk I just find him more memorable than others. The episode in which his backstory is explained was very relatable and stayed with me for a long Time even though I have not watched this anime in years.
Constantly trying to change in order to be accepted but then being called a weirdo anyway...kind of queer coded tbh

 

[Meowth's Number One Fan]

I like Meowth as a species and as a member of Team Rocket. Some notable things I like are:

1. When characters in-universe point out that he can talk and are impressed by it. To the point where Hunter J thought he was valuable enough to poach.
2. Meowth looks cute and cool in a variety of outfits. I'm particularly fond of the times he has been dressed as a clown, as Kirlia and as a secret agent.
3. I like when he translates what other pokemon are saying.
4. I like the shiny coin on his head. It was funny when Beheeyem tried to forcefully remove it.

I always found it odd that he wasn't considered prize worthy of Team Rocket but I know I'm pretty late to that observation. I guess when kids are just walking around with Giratinas they caught in an ultra ball some of the awe fades away from uncommon encounters.

 

[Meowth's Number One Fan]

I think we can all agree that Meowth is the best character in the Ash anime
/ j we probably can't all agree, but idk I just find him more memorable than others. The episode in which his backstory is explained was very relatable and stayed with me for a long Time even though I have not watched this anime in years.
Constantly trying to change in order to be accepted but then being called a weirdo anyway...kind of queer coded tbh

Truth Nuke on the first part. But I believe Meowth's backstory directly inspired Maddie to come out so it's not surprising it got that interpretation! I do find it funny though that Meowth had to learn to walk upright just for it to get retconned into all Meowths just walking upright now lol. But I don't mind, I actually like that Maddie voiced other Meowths too, since it implied that if they also learned to speak like a human they'd have the cute Brooklyn accent as well.

 

[rimley]

I really like meowth is not only just a good third to Jessie and James but I enjoy how he really sometimes is just the common sense of the trio- until he's not and he's goofing off with James LOL! I like to imagine in the end after all is said and done he does stop chasing his original goal of outsting the boss's Persian and he comes to fully accept his coolest family with Jessie and James.

 

[Meowth's Number One Fan]

I really like meowth is not only just a good third to Jessie and James but I enjoy how he really sometimes is just the common sense of the trio- until he's not and he's goofing off with James LOL! I like to imagine in the end after all is said and done he does stop chasing his original goal of outsting the boss's Persian and he comes to fully accept his coolest family with Jessie and James.

I think so too! I imagine retirement would come out of a change of heart rather than them getting sick of it or Ash getting too far or something.

In my head I think them succeeding for once would be what actually makes them realize it's not something they really want. Like, I could see Meowth handing over Pikachu and feeling guilt after seeing him used as a battery or something and drawing a line when seeing he's beginning to look like Peakychu. And from there switching sides to return him to Ash and after that, retiring. In my own lore that's effectively how I made them settle down.

You mentioned him goofing off with James and it reminded me of Maddie saying Meowth would definitely choose him over Jessie if the two had a falling out. I need to get caught up on these dynamics though, I have a LOT of anime to chow down on still.

 

[Meowth's Number One Fan]

Hewwoooo, Meowth Spouse here again. It's no secret I self ship with this guy and honestly I have no idea where I am going with this I just wanna ramble. I don't wanna clutter all the forums with various threads on my self ship or my Meowth lore or whatever else so I'm dumping it all here.

One thing I find so cute is that he's a romantic and very sentimental cat despite his wise guy demeanor. I don't think he'd be the type to forget anniversaries and if he did I could see him getting all worked up and flustered about it, looking to swipe a gift or something. Like, the idea of him retiring from being a bad guy but going back to stealing specifically for a special gift is weirdly charming. And despite his tone deafness when singing I could honestly listen to his cheesy guitar love songs all day. It's funny cause I've been eating tuna salad sandwiches lately and it's embarrassing to say every time I make one I think of Meowth and the idea of sharing one with him. I'd share a gazillion things with him though, like I have an interest in tobacco and I think cigars would be super fitting for him, and Morgana proves my point! I don't really like seafood (Tuna and Pollock aside) but I do like cooking and would adore the opportunity to cook whatever seafood he likes. Honestly I'd have to make sure I don't become a pushover in that hypothetical reality lmao.

As for lore stuff, in my own personal Pokéworld, Meowth and friends followed Ash's crew for basically all of Ash's teen years. I like the idea of it being 1 year for each gen, so by Galar, Ash would have been around 18. In the setting, sometime after he turns 18, Rocket manages to succeed in their plans to capture of Pikachu but the gang come to regret it after seeing his ill treatment (I brought up the concept in another thread that I imagine Pikachu would have been used like a giant battery and temporarily gain a Peakychu-esque appearance) and eventually pull off a big heist, a final job if you will, to rescue him and return him to Ash. From there the trio would retire but I haven't thought of when exactly Meowth meets my mary sue trainer sona or how that romance even blossoms, but I discussed a bit of that in another thread.

I wonder if he could get into video games or something, and if so I wonder what kinds he would like. He's got engineering prowess so maybe that kind of problem solving would make him gravitate towards games like Satisfactory or Mindustry. I think my life would be complete if I was able to do Black Ops Zombies with Meowth, Jessie, and James or get to watch them figure out Minecraft. But hobbies in general I find interesting as a concept. He seems to like writing/playing music, though I'm sure there is more stuff he'd enjoy. Like, it'd be funny to watch a mafia or gangster film with him and watch him nod along at whatever accuracies there are or shake his head at errors.

Anyway that's all for now

FORTNITE ADD MEOWTH AS A SIDEKICK COMPANION IN THE GAME AND MY LIFE IS YOURSSSSSS.

 

[Meowth's Number One Fan]

Intro: This is an attempt to dissect Meowth a bit, this of course will be a biased view with various interpretations of him and his life that others might disagree with. I welcome discussion regardless if anyone agrees or disagrees, and I leave this here to potentially help others who want a peek into Meowth for their own writings or creative works. This is created with the Indigo League in mind as well as Pokémon Chronicles. I haven't watched much yet beyond that so this might get outdated or updated with revisions when more is explored in the future.

Backstory: As a kitten he was abandoned in a box, no parents, no friends, no anybody. He was a typical starving cat who got into trouble thieving for food before he eventually traveled to Hollywood in search of a better life (As in better food). It was there he joined a street gang of Meowths run by a Persian who survived by stealing from food joints. This was a somewhat stable lifestyle but he yearned for love and felt unfulfilled. Eventually he fell for a Meowth named Meowzie. She rejected him, claiming only humans could provide for someone like her and that he was a lowly street cat. He then became determined to become human and spent months learning to walk and talk. After becoming proficient at it he attempted to impress her, though this backfired as she told him he was now worse, instead of just being poor, he was poor and a freak. This fueled a fire in Meowth and he became determined to become successful out of spite. He left his gang and joined Team Rocket, hoping to climb the ranks and become the top cat. Eager to please, he attempted to do tasks for Giovanni but got sent out to be a field agent with Jessie and James (Since Giovanni quickly grew annoyed of him). It's from there his main story begins.

Dissection: Meowth grew up with nothing, his childhood consisted of fighting for survival. His existence relied on the generosity of humans yet they gave him none. To survive he had to band together with his ilk, that being other Meowths, who were stuck in the same predicament he found himself in. He's directly told that to be human is to be able to provide and so he attempts to become one. Meowzie even gives a slight implication that Pokémon are beneath humans, as humans are the ones that can take care of Pokémon and decide the fate of one. In fact this observation rings true for Meowzie, as her human master eventually abandons her and resigns her to a life in the muck with the Meowths she thought she was above. Meowth is shown time and time again that its humans who have power in this world. I have no doubt this contributed to his fixation of Giovanni, a powerful man who he perceives as someone who can "take care" of him, Jessie, and James.

But now he finds himself in a hard place. He will never be a human, no matter how much he walks and talks. Humans will never see him as an equal, he will always be a "talking Pokémon." On the other end though, he's essentially turned his back on Poké-kind. He's not a Pokémon that belongs to Team Rocket, he's a MEMBER of Team Rocket. He participates in the capture and trafficking of those who might have considered him brethren. To Pokémon, he's a dandified cat who parades around in his self assured superiority over them, for he is man, and they are not. A cat who's seen the struggle they all go through and instead of rising above it, participates in it when he's on the other end. He's trapped between two worlds who will now always see him as something foreign, an alien of sorts.

It's easy to demonize Meowth's careless and jerkish nature to Ash and friends, who are all just kids, but to him that's what survival is, to take what is not yours. He comes up with large scale schemes to take from hoards of people but none of the people he's stealing from would have cared if he starved or not, so why should he care about them? They didn't need to fight tooth and nail growing up, they were humans, they were not chased out of any restaurants, or homes. They wake up and have breakfast and live their lives regardless if they have a pet or not. Meowth never got a handout. And while he himself might be a Pokémon, it's clear he views himself above the rest. He orders Ekans and Koffing to do his bidding when separated from Jessie and James because they're Pokémon. He even forgets he's a Pokémon sometimes because of how imbedded he is in his perceived identity.

That being said, it doesn't seem that Meowth has any actual ill will towards humans as a species, at least not consciously. But I believe this upbringing has rooted itself deep in his subconscious, and while he may not be able to put it into words, explains his villainous behaviors. Jessie and James are people who see him as an equal, and he sees them the same way. They all boss each other around, but they are adamant that they are all friends. Jessie and James' relationship with Meowth is not like Ash's with Pikachu. As much as Ash attempts to give agency to Pikachu, Pikachu is still his. He tells Pikachu what to do, Pikachu listens. If he doesn't, it comes off as defiant rather than simple disagreement, there is a sense of authority to Ash. Meowth is not Jessie's, nor is he James'.

So what to make of this. Well, I think it's clear Meowth is insecure about his place in the world, more so than his two partners. His desire for wealth and power is not just out of spite to Meowzie, but as a wanting of respect. His fantasies are of being taken care of and having to want for and worry for nothing. But not just that, but acceptance. Acceptance from powerful people whos opinions mean something. Because what did the opinions of street cats like him mean? What did it matter? They were all down there.

I don't think Meowth cares for the real Giovanni, just an idealized version he has in his head of a human that is truly caring and compassionate to those who do right by him. He's envious, but not of the boss's wealth and power funny enough. Despite making it his life goal to strike it big. Instead, his envy is directed at Giovanni's Persian. Meowth wants to be adored, he wants to be loved and to love others. I think Meowth has to fight against being a good person sometimes. He has a heart, and clearly cares for both people and Pokémon. He is racked by guilt at times and despite larping as a villain, he is extremely sentimental. He cries often (Though for comedic effect I will admit), and gets easily flustered. He likes the idea of being a super hero and being loved for that, especially by kids. He's able to make Pokémon friends and become part of a community if he really wants to, and has shown happiness when in one.

Well, easy fix then right? Jessie and James love him so why not settle down with them. But even when they claim they want to, he insists on staying bad guys. Well that's the thing, to him, it's not enough. To be a person is to be successful, scraping by is not success. Not only that, but he's convinced himself that its in his nature to steal, it's how he's always gotten by, so why fight that? Meowth fights himself on what can truly make him happy because he's still chasing a flawed perspective.

Meowth's insecure about being a Pokémon. He's insecure about being unsuccessful. He's insecure about being a human. He's insecure about a lot of things. He's a cute little cat and I love him.