What if Pikachu and Meowth did evolve?

[Srebak]

I know that it's pretty much been established that Pikachu and Team Rocket's Meowth aren't likely to evolve. But, just for the sake of argument: what would happen if they did? How would that effect things? And I mean within the show, not in terms of media and merchandise.

Here's my take on things:

In Pikachu's case, becoming a Raichu would probably mean no more rides on Ash's shoulders, he'd just be too big. Aside from that, i don't see much of a need for a change in battle style; Raichu might be too big to ride on Ash's shoulder, but i don't think he'd be large enough for his mass to effect his speed and maneuverability, at least not by much.

In Meowth's case, one has to ask: if he evolved, would he still be able to talk? But aside from that, if Meowth evolved into a Persian, he'd probably be strong enough, and gain enough new abilities, to engage Ash and company in battle himself more, instead of just hiding behind super-weapons and/or Jessie and James' Pokemon. However, knowing Meowth, his evolution would most likely cause him to be more obnoxious than before.


Anyone have anything they want to add?

 

[Life]

Ignoring everything outside of the anime, there are only two things that come to my mind if Pikachu were to evolve. The first, as you already said, is that Raichu would probably not be able to ride on Ash's shoulder. The second is that the writers would be showing just how much they don't care about Pikachu's feelings.

I believe there have been two episodes that went over Pikachu's wishes on not wanting to evolve and wanting to get stronger without needing to evolve, and it would be such a slap in the face to him if the writers ever did decide to have him evolve. I wouldn't buy it if Pikachu somehow had a "change of heart" because we all know that would just be a blatant excuse for having him evolve. Not to mention there is really no need to have him evolve. Just as some fans would be pleased, others would be displeased. And let's not even get started about how it would make him stronger.

We all know that the strength of Ash's team depends solely on the plot and the writers' decisions as how much progress Ash should make. By the time Ash arrives in the next region of his travels, Raichu would be reset to the level that the writers deem worthy. While Pikachu would receive a boost in power if he did evolve, it would a) be temporary, and b) unnecessary as there are other ways to get stronger than to evolve.

If I have the energy later I'll edit this and talk about Meowth evolving.

 

[Osprey]

I really can't see Meowth evolving, even less so than Pikachu. Over the years, that cat's pretty much developed into a human-like character. He's essentially a midget that acts as a Pokemon translator and occasionally pulls out Fury Swipes; otherwise, his behavior is too human. I mean, he often operates the mechas and whatnot that Team Rocket uses. Can you imagine a quadruped Persian filling the same role? I certainly can't. Besides, Meowth once mentioned he despised Persian, didn't he? He certainly did mention he didn't know how to use Pay Day because he didn't care enough for honing his skills, so I really doubt he'd evolve, since evolution has everything to do with increased skills and power.

As for Pikachu, after several episodes showing that Pikachu doesn't want to evolve and that such a form change was a "bad" thing to "force" upon a Pokemon, I'd doubt they'd retcon those statements. Pikachu is also the face of the franchise, and as much as I despise that spotlight-stealing rat, there's no doubt that it'll never be replaced. Besides, Pikachu gets to fill in both the "overpowered Rocket launcher" and the "underdog winner/loser" roles simultaneously. Does that mean its performance is all over the place and unpredictable? Yeah. But is it ever gonna change? Of course not.

Meowth and Pikachu fill certain niches in their present forms, and I don't think that'll change. Ever.

EDIT: actually, I can. I remember this one character from Pokemon Adventures named Yellow. Among other weird powers, she could make her Pokemon evolve temporarily, but devolve later. Yellow, kind of like the anime, didn't usually let her Pokemon evolve if she could help it. If the show did something like that- where Pikachu temporarily evolves into Raichu to go all final-form crazy in a final showdown- I think it would troll everyone who thought it would actually evolve, but I think it'd work. Of course, when I say "final showdown", it has to be a concluding battle of epic proportions.

 

[CrystaI]

EDIT: actually, I can. I remember this one character from Pokemon Adventures named Yellow. Among other weird powers, she could make her Pokemon evolve temporarily, but devolve later. Yellow, kind of like the anime, didn't usually let her Pokemon evolve if she could help it. If the show did something like that- where Pikachu temporarily evolves into Raichu to go all final-form crazy in a final showdown- I think it would troll everyone who thought it would actually evolve, but I think it'd work. Of course, when I say "final showdown", it has to be a concluding battle of epic proportions.

These are all incorrect statements.

Yellow has the power to heal Pokemon and read the thought of Pokemon by placing her hand on the Pokemon. On the other hand, she dislike evolution because she said the evolved Pokemon doesn't feel like the same Pokemon which she befriended with. She even crying out loud when her Rattata evolved into Raticate.

Her Pokemon never evolve only until the last showdown between Lance, where she doesn't possess Red's Pokedex anymore, hence she is unable to "cancel" the evolution. All her Pokemon evolved normally to the final stage due to the battle experience accumulated along her journey.

I doubt you even had read the Pokemon Special/Adventure manga.


Edit: BTW, the Pokemon that can evolve temporary within the entire Pokemon Special/Adventure manga series is only one single Eevee possessed by Red, which was an experimental Pokemon having its evolution power manipulated by Team Rocket. It loses this temporary evolution power when it naturally evolved into Espeon.

 

[Almonds]

One of the positive factors of Pika evolving would be a longer tail and much more impressive Iron Tail attacks. Also, Raichu has access to moves like Hyper Beam, moves only fully evolved pokemon can use. He'd get a more diverse movepool. That, and the fact Raichu would make Ash look more intimidating. I mean, walking around with a small Pikachu on your shoulder and having a large Raichu by your side gives a different image of the trainer. It's like imagining Ash with Charizard, only smaller in size.

 

[Muur]

Well it would be different that's for sure.

Meowth hates Persian so he'd hate himself, prolly get depressed. A talking Persian would look weird.

Meanwhile Pikachu is more marketable and like, he's beaten many Raichus. He'd be slower or whatever.

 

[garrison-san]

He certainly did mention he didn't know how to use Pay Day because he didn't care enough for honing his skills, so I really doubt he'd evolve, since evolution has everything to do with increased skills and power.

Not sure what the exact wording in the original was, but in the dub he said that he couldn't learn Pay Day because he used up so much "energy" (and later "smarts") learning how to talk and walk upright. Clearly we're to assume that learning those skills came at the expense of learning certain battling skills. It might be a standard case of pokemon having strictly limited capabilities (although the anime didn't exactly care much about the four-move limit at the time), or maybe Meowth somehow physically damaged himself with the stress of having to learn abilities which did not come naturally to him. Or maybe it's just an excuse to keep the TRio impoverished.

Were Meowth to evolve into a Persian, then I think he'd certainly lose the ability to walk upright. Persian really doesn't look like it has the bodily proportions to be bipedal. He might not lose his ability to talk altogether, but getting used to his newly-shaped mouth might make it a challenge for a while.

He'd be slower or whatever.

Not really. Surge's Raichu had that particular problem because Surge evolved it before it had a chance to learn Agility, so it couldn't keep up when Pikachu gave himself a speed boost. It had nothing to do with Raichu being inherently slower as a species. In the games, Raichu is actually faster, and why shouldn't he be? He may look a bit bulkier, but he's actually got big, powerful hind legs, unlike Pikachu.

 

[Snivysaur]

This is a topic i have put a good deal of thought into recently. As we ( presumably ) all know, evolution is considered to be the pokemon equivalent of maturing, and in some cases, the pokemon under goes personality changes of varying extremes, ash's charizard being the obvious example here. While pikachu's reason for refusing evolution up to this point has been to get stronger as it is, i personally think it might have something to do with his bond with ash. Maybe when ash begins to mature and grow not only as a trainer, but as an individual, perhaps pikachu will rethink his decision so as to continue to grow along side his trainer.

I understand this is not the best theory, and it is only my take on it, but i think it has some potential, so long as both ash and pikachu get the needed character development. With the way the XY series is progressing, ash does seem to be maturing atleast somewhat, so i'm taking that to mean ash is heading in the right direction for this to work, though by no means will it necessarily happen. This would be best if the anime were actually coming into the home stretch, and beginning to come to it's conclusion,as far as ash is concerned. The moral here would be that in order to grow stronger, you have to be willing to grow up.

 

[Pinball Wizard]

Meowth hates Persian so he'd hate himself, prolly get depressed.

It's been a while since I've watched the anime, but did Meowth hate all Persian, or just Giovanni's Persian? And even then, wasn't it only because Giovanni favoured the Persian over him? I would think he'd love to become a Persian. But maybe I'm mis-remembering.

There's literally no point for Pikachu to evolve. I can't even picture it happening. He's pretty much the mascot Pokémon for the anime, he clearly doesn't want to evolve (as established), and he's already ridiculously overpowered anyway, so you don't even have that argument. My answer to "What if Pikachu evolved" would be "the apocalypse".

Now Meowth on the other hand is a Pokémon I could honestly see having a pretty interesting story arc if he evolved. As I said before, he's jealous of Giovanni's Persian (as far as I remember), so for him to evolve into a Persian himself would create an interesting scenario, I think. Becoming the Pokémon he's always resented, but also somewhat looked up to. What would the relationship with Jessie and James turn out to be? Would he want to become a Meowth again? It opens up a well of possibilities.

Of course, like Pikachu, there's no way it would actually happen, but I could at least see it going somewhere interesting. Pikachu evolving would just be a flat-out mistake, IMO.

 

[Shadao]

Meowth's girlfriend had chosen his former leader Persian over him, despite the fact that he had beaten the leader in single combat, in Go West, Young Meowth. There was also that moment in the Paras episode where the Meowth was declined the chance to work as medicine mascot because he's "a hero needed elsewhere" while the old lady rubs the salt in the wound by making Persian the new mascot. Yeah, it's safe to say that Meowth hates all Persian alike, and will never evolve because of his experience with them.

 

[Boshi234]

Theoretically if Meowth evolved if guess he would be a talking Persian since he taught himself how to talk and I think they will never do it since Meowth is used for comic relief just like Jessie and James. Now on Ash's Pikachu evolving into a Raichu...I highly doubt it since Pikachu was offered a Thunder Stone to evolve but he refused because if my memory serves me right, fighting in Lt. Surge gym against his Raichu. I somewhat analyzed it a bit more and thought: If Meowth evolved he could still walk with his two back limbs like he does right now since this behavior is abnormal from normal Meowth and Persian populations ergo apparently unique to this specimen (Team Rocket's Meowth).

 

[Muur]

Theoretically if Meowth evolved if guess he would be a talking Persian since he taught himself how to talk and I think they will never do it since Meowth is used for comic relief just like Jessie and James. Now on Ash's Pikachu evolving into a Raichu...I highly doubt it since Pikachu was offered a Thunder Stone to evolve but he refused because if my memory serves me right, fighting in Lt. Surge gym against his Raichu. I somewhat analyzed it a bit more and thought: If Meowth evolved he could still walk with his two back limbs like he does right now since this behavior is abnormal from normal Meowth and Persian populations ergo apparently unique to this specimen (Team Rocket's Meowth).

Tyson's Moewth also walked on two legs

and a Persian walking like Meowth would be hilarious. I need to see this.

 

[garrison-san]

I somewhat analyzed it a bit more and thought: If Meowth evolved he could still walk with his two back limbs like he does right now since this behavior is abnormal from normal Meowth and Persian populations ergo apparently unique to this specimen (Team Rocket's Meowth).

Problem is that he learned to walk as a Meowth. Persian's bodily proportions are pretty different, so the ability wouldn't transfer so easily. Persian's limbs and torso are longer and stockier, and its hind feet don't seem quite so big in proportion to the rest of its body.

 

[Pokemaster97]

A talking Persian walking on two legs would quite possibly be one of the most disturbing things that has been ever shown Pokemon. Anyway, I really can't see either of these Pokemon evolving. If they did end up evolving, I'd be undermining the values that they established with Pikachu and how he rather work hard the way he is rather than evolve.

 

[Gabo2oo]

Meowth hates Persian so he'd hate himself, prolly get depressed.

It's been a while since I've watched the anime, but did Meowth hate all Persian, or just Giovanni's Persian? And even then, wasn't it only because Giovanni favoured the Persian over him? I would think he'd love to become a Persian. But maybe I'm mis-remembering.

You're right in part. As far as I remember, Meowth never stated he hates Persian as a species. But... the thing is that he has only had bad experiences with every single Persian he has seen in the series. Giovanni's Persian, Cassandra's Persian from The Problem with Paras, the Persian Meowzie decided to stay with... all of them are staying with people Meowth has a crush on so we've never seen Meowth not disliking a Persian.

 

[CrashBash]

An interesting concept. Whilst I think Meowth would no longer walk on two legs if he was a Persian (practicality purposes, after all), I can't help but think he'd still maintain his ability to talk.

But maybe in a deeper voice? Since that seems to be the natural thing...

 

[Misty-Moo]

Big cats can "stand" on their hind legs -

Spoiler

so Meowth could if he became a Persian. However, they are a metre tall at the shoulder (about the size of a large Cougar) so he would stand at least two metres tall - pretty intimidating

 

[garrison-san]

Big cats can "stand" on their hind legs -

Spoiler

so Meowth could if he became a Persian. However, they are a metre tall at the shoulder (about the size of a large Cougar) so he would stand at least two metres tall - pretty intimidating

In fairness, that leopard is visibly sitting on its backside for additional support. Any "walking" would likely involve a lot of painful and undignified bottom shuffling. ;p

 

[Perpetual_Phoenix]

I can't see Meowth evloving and walking on two legs still as a Persian.

Pikachu would never evlove since Pokemon would lose it's iconic mascot.

 

[Misty-Moo]

Big cats can "stand" on their hind legs -

Spoiler

so Meowth could if he became a Persian. However, they are a metre tall at the shoulder (about the size of a large Cougar) so he would stand at least two metres tall - pretty intimidating

In fairness, that leopard is visibly sitting on its backside for additional support. Any "walking" would likely involve a lot of painful and undignified bottom shuffling. ;p

Well, yes, but it's "standing" just like a small cat -

Spoiler

So, using cartoon logic, if Meowth (a small cat-like Pokemon) can walk in its hind legs, so could a Persian