#0052 · Kanto · Generation 1

Meowth

Scratch Cat Pokémon · Normal-type

Meowth is a Normal-type Pokémon, the Scratch Cat Pokémon, number 52 (#0052) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 1 and comes from the Kanto region. It is 0.4 m tall and weighs 4.2 kg.

Meowth is the Scratch Cat Pokémon, a night-prowling hoarder of shiny things with a gold coin on its forehead. It is also the cat that learned to talk in the anime.

How to pronounce Meowth

Meowth is pronounced mee-OWTH. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.

Listen to Meowth said out loud:

In Japanese it is ニャース (Nyarth).

Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.

Lore

Biology

Meowth is a small cream-coloured cat, 0.4 m tall and 4.2 kg, with brown tips on its hind paws and tail, long whiskers, slit pupils and two pointed upper teeth. A gold koban coin sits on its forehead, and it can pull its claws in to creep along silently. Bulbapedia says it is really a quadruped that can also walk on two legs.

Behaviour

Meowth prowls city streets after dark, picking up anything that glitters. The Pokédex says it fights Murkrow over shiny objects and washes its face to keep the coin spotless, and that a gift of a coin can win it over, though the friendship is fickle.

Habitat

Bulbapedia files it as an urban Pokémon, living in towns and cities where it can pick up coins that people drop.

Powers

Its signature move is Pay Day, and Meowth and its evolutions are the only known Pokémon that learn it by levelling up. Its Abilities are Pickup, Technician and the hidden Unnerve. Alolan Meowth is a Dark type and Galarian Meowth a Steel type. Some Kantonian Meowth can Gigantamax, stretching its body and giving its coin a symbol, and use the exclusive G-Max Gold Rush, but a Meowth carrying the Gigantamax Factor cannot evolve. With base Speed 90 it is quick but frail.

Name origin

Meowth may join 'meow' with 'mouth' or 'wealth', the latter a nod to the lucky maneki-neko cat. The Japanese name is Nyarth (ニャース), possibly from nyā, the Japanese cat sound.

Design inspiration

Meowth seems to be based on the maneki-neko, the beckoning lucky cat, which often holds a koban coin like Meowth's, and its colours suggest a Siamese cat. Alolan Meowth appears to be based on pedigree cats once kept by royalty, notably the British Shorthair. These are fan readings.

Evolution notes

Meowth evolves into Persian at level 28, or, if it is an Alolan Meowth, with high friendship. Galarian Meowth evolves into Perrserker at level 28 instead.

In the games

In Sun and Moon an Alolan Meowth swipes at you if you try to sleep in Hapu's bed, dropping an Awakening. Meowth debuted in Generation I; in Scarlet and Violet it is wild in Paldea, and in Legends: Z-A all three forms appear in the Mega Dimension DLC.

In the anime

Team Rocket's Meowth debuted in 'Pokémon Emergency!' and is unlike other Meowth because he speaks human language, which Bulbapedia puts down to his love for a Meowth named Meowzie. His Gigantamax form first appeared in 'From Here to Eternatus!'.

Fun facts

• A pre-evolution called Kōnya seems to have existed for Meowth in the Spaceworld '97 demo: a small kitten wearing a round coin on its forehead.
• The Meowth cloned from Team Rocket's Meowth in Mewtwo Strikes Back was the only clone that refused to fight its original, and it cannot speak because talking was learned behaviour.
• Bulbapedia says Meowth is the only Pokémon with regional forms from more than one region, and the only one with both a regional form and a Gigantamax form.

Sources: Bulbapedia: Meowth (Pokémon) · Serebii: Meowth (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex)

Base stats

• HP: 40
• Attack: 45
• Defense: 35
• Sp. Atk: 40
• Sp. Def: 40
• Speed: 90

Meowth’s base stat total is 290. Its highest stat is Speed.

Type matchups

What is Meowth weak to?

Meowth takes extra damage from Fighting (2×) moves.

It is immune to Ghost moves.

Evolution

How does Meowth evolve?

Meowth evolves into Persian (Level 28; Alolan Meowth: Friendship). Meowth evolves into Perrserker (Galarian Meowth: Level 28).

The whole family: Meowth, Persian, Perrserker.

Forms

• Gigantamax Meowth (Gigantamax): Normal-type, base stat total 290 (HP 40, Attack 45, Defense 35, Sp. Atk 40, Sp. Def 40, Speed 90). Abilities: Pickup, Technician, Unnerve (hidden).
• Alolan Meowth (Alolan form): Dark-type, base stat total 290 (HP 40, Attack 35, Defense 35, Sp. Atk 50, Sp. Def 40, Speed 90). Abilities: Pickup, Technician, Rattled (hidden).
• Galarian Meowth (Galarian form): Steel-type, base stat total 290 (HP 50, Attack 65, Defense 55, Sp. Atk 40, Sp. Def 40, Speed 40). Abilities: Pickup, Tough Claws, Unnerve (hidden).

Abilities

• Pickup: Picks up other Pokémon's used and Flung held items. May also pick up an item after battle.
• Technician: Strengthens moves of 60 base power or less to 1.5× their power.
• Unnerve (hidden ability): Prevents opposing Pokémon from eating held Berries.

Moves

Moves Meowth learns by level up in Scarlet / Violet

TM moves (49)

Meowth can learn 49 moves from TMs in Scarlet / Violet: Take Down, Charm, Fake Tears, Agility, Protect, Thief, Trailblaze, Chilling Water, Facade, Aerial Ace, Snarl, Metal Claw, Swift, Icy Wind, Endure, Sunny Day, Rain Dance, Dig, False Swipe, U-turn, Shadow Claw, Foul Play, Body Slam, Sleep Talk, Seed Bomb, Thunder Wave, Rest, Taunt, Dark Pulse, Power Gem, Gunk Shot, Substitute, Shadow Ball, Hyper Voice, Thunderbolt, Play Rough, Amnesia, Helping Hand, Nasty Plot, Thunder, Tera Blast, Spite, Knock Off, Lash Out, Pain Split, Psych Up, Double-Edge, Endeavor, Throat Chop.

Egg moves (6):Covet, Flail, Hypnosis, Last Resort, Spite, Tail Whip.

Breeding & training

• Gender: 50% male, 50% female.
• Egg groups: Field.
• Egg cycles: 20 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 2,560).
• Catch rate: 255 out of 255.
• Base friendship (Gen 8 onward): 50.
• Growth rate: Medium (1,000,000 experience points to reach level 100).
• Defeating it gives 1 Speed effort value.
• Base experience yield: 58.

Pokédex entries

It washes its face regularly to keep the coin on its forehead spotless. It doesn't get along with Galarian Meowth. (Shield)

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. (Sword)

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, Pikachu!, Let’s Go, Eevee!)

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. (Ultra Moon)

When visiting a junkyard, you may catch sight of it having an intense fight with Murkrow over shiny objects. (Ultra Sun)

It loves shiny things. It often fights with Murkrow over prey they're both trying to catch. (Moon)

Names around the world

Trivia

• Taller than 11% of all Pokémon (0.4 m).
• Heavier than 14% of all Pokémon (4.2 kg).
• Base stat total 290, ranked #892 of 1,025.
• One of 131 Normal-type Pokémon (counting dual types).
• One of 88 yellow Pokémon.
• Number 52 of 151 Pokémon introduced in Generation 1 (Kanto).
• Part of an evolution family of 3 Pokémon.
• Can learn 64 different moves in Scarlet / Violet.
• Catch rate 255: about 33.3% per Poké Ball at full health.
• Has 3 alternate forms.
• Appears in 17 distinct Pokédex entries.

Sources and fact-checking

• Stats, types, abilities, moves, evolutions, forms and Pokédex entries: PokéAPI open game data.
• Lore: written by pokee.si in our own words, researched from Bulbapedia: Meowth (Pokémon), Serebii: Meowth (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex).
• Pronunciation (mee-OWTH): it follows how the English anime, games or official videos say it.

Last checked: 19 October 2026. Every sentence of the lore was checked against Bulbapedia, Serebii and the game data.

Explore

Normal-type Pokémon · Kanto region guide · Pickup ability · Technician ability · Unnerve ability · Compare Meowth · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves

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Gen 1 Normal-type Pokémon · Gen 1 Pokémon list · Yellow Pokémon list · Field egg group · Pokémon that start with M · Cat Pokémon

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