Meowth sits at the start of its evolution line — not yet at full power, but that changes fast. Most trainers push through to Persian as fast as possible. Ghost moves can't touch it, and only a single type hits it super-effectively. Known as the Scratch Cat Pokemon.
Speed and Attack carry most of Meowth's stat budget. Defense's the obvious dump stat. Easy to catch and yields 1 Speed EV. Follows a medium-fast 1M XP curve.
Highly intelligent and prideful, it’s famously difficult to handle—but that’s also a reason for its popularity.
Meowth Weakness
GoodMeowth is weak to Fighting-type moves. On the flip side, it's immune to Ghost-type moves entirely. Just 1 weak spot to worry about, which keeps teambuilding straightforward.
One evolution ahead. Meowth grows into Persian through a straightforward two-stage chain. No compatible partners for breeding via one egg group. Eggs are average hatch time. Evolving adds up to 150 stat points total.
How to Evolve
Breed Meowth easily from the Ground egg group.
For a physical attacker, Meowth wants max Attack and Speed EVs and Life Orb. The Adamant nature tilts toward physical duty, and Technician contributes without taking a move slot.
Best Build
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee uses different battle mechanics.
Competitive build content is not applicable for this game. Select a main series game for builds.
Leveling does the heavy lifting. Meowth picks up Play Rough and Foul Play along the way, building toward a complete offensive set. TMs add coverage across 7 types, but the foundation's already strong by then.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
A few locations for Meowth with decent spawn rates across early-game routes. The sort toggle below swaps between best odds and earliest access, so you can approach it based on where you are in the game.
Best Locations
You can find Meowth through 3 walking and trade encounters at Lv. 7-44. The list is sorted by game progression, so the earliest accessible spots show up first.
Meowth is meant to evolve into Persian. At 290 BST, the stats aren't there for competitive play yet. Pre-evolution Pokemon rarely hold up against fully evolved threats.
Meowth's biggest threats include Machamp (Fighting), all carrying super-effective STAB moves. Only 1 weakness means fewer dedicated counters to worry about.
Meowth can evolve into Persian, Galarian Perrserker, and Alolan Persian depending on the method. Meowth is the base form in a 4-stage evolutionary line.
Technician is what you want on Meowth. Every competitive set worth running is built with that ability in mind. The alternatives (Pickup, Unnerve) work on paper but Technician is what makes Meowth worth using.
Base 90 Speed is workable — faster than some, slower than many. On offense, Meowth is a physical attacker with base 45 Attack. Defensively? Fragile — can't afford to take many hits.
Meowth appears in 21 games, including Yellow, Red & Blue, and Gold & Silver.
Since debuting in Red & Blue, Meowth has appeared in 21 titles over 9 generations. Along the way, it received an Alolan form in Generation 7 and Gigantamax and Galarian forms in Generation 8, keeping it relevant across different competitive metas.
- Gen IY
Yellow - Gen IRBDebut
Red & Blue - Gen IIGS
Gold & Silver - Gen IIC
Crystal - Gen IIIRS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen IIIFRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen IIIE
Emerald - Gen IVPt
Platinum - Gen IVHGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen IVDP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen VBW
Black & White - Gen VB2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen VIXY
X & Y - Gen VIORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen VIIUSUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen VIISMAlolan
Sun & Moon - Gen VIILGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen VIIISwShGigantamaxGalarian
Sword & Shield - Gen VIIIPLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen VIIIBDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen IXSV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen IXLZA
Legends: Z-A