Meowth, the Big Mouth

Meowth, the Big Mouth
ISBN:	0439154170
Published:	April 2000
Publisher:	Scholastic
Author:	Bill Michaels
Preceded By:	Surf's Up, Pikachu! (Pokémon Junior)
Succeeded By:	Save Our Squirtle!

Meowth, the Big Mouth is a Pokémon Junior book and is 47 pages in length. It is the second book in the series.

Plot

Spoiler warning: this article may contain major plot or ending details.

This book follows the plot of the anime episode, Go West Young Meowth.

Ash, Pikachu, Misty and Brock are all staying at Delia's house. Ash and Pikachu are doing exercises as part of their Pokémon training when a mailman delivers a letter to Delia's Mr. Mime. Ash and his friends open the letter to find that it's an invitation, inviting them to Hollywood to see the Pokémon film Pokémon in Love, which they had been involved in making. At first Ash is reluctant to go and would rather stay at home and continue his training, but eventually his friends convince him to come along.

Jessie, James and Meowth of Team Rocket had also heard about the Pokémon movie, and followed Ash and his friends to Hollywood. Jessie and James discuss excitedly their plan to become famous movie stars. Meowth is not so happy about being in Hollywood, and reflects on his past there. When Meowth was young, he was homeless without friends or family. He was so hungry, he tried to eat a pile of baseballs belonging to Camp Pokéhearst, a summer camp for children. A camp counselor caught him and hung him from a tree branch, and there Meowth cried himself to sleep. Later he wakes up to the light of an outdoor movie screen. The campers were watching a film called That Darn Meowth! about a family with a pet Meowth. They gave it food like ice cream and fried chicken. Meowth decided to move to Hollywood where movies were made in hope that he would find a family there.

Meanwhile Ash, Misty and Brock arrive in Hollywood, however it is not as glamorous as they expected. They find the movie theater, which looks old and run-down. The director bursts out of the building and leads Ash and his friends inside. Jessie and James are talking to Meowth, asking him why he never mentioned living in Hollywood before. Meowth explains that he likes to keep these things private, and then takes to the streets on his own to reflect on his arrival in Hollywood. When he first arrived in Hollywood, Meowth did not find the loving family he'd expected. Instead, he was chased away by shop owners and he was forced to steal scraps of food to survive.

One day, a Persian approached him and offered him food. Meowth was so grateful he decided to join Persian's gang of Meowth. He then thinks about the first time he saw Meowzie, sitting on a windowsill across the street. Meowth was determined to meet the beautiful Pokémon. Meowzie however, rejected Meowth explaining that her rich owner could buy her anything she wanted, and that Meowth had nothing to offer her. Not yet ready to give up on Meowzie, Meowth decided that if he were more like a human then Meowzie would like him. He started walking on two legs, and listened to a girls' spelling class in order to learn how to speak. He spent hours learning to speak with help of an alphabet book. Meowth went to meet Meowzie a second time. He showed her how he learned to walk and talk like a human, but she still wasn't interested, claiming that he had just become a freak.

Heartbroken, Meowth decided to join Team Rocket in the hope he would become rich and famous. Meowth continues to walk the streets alone when he is confronted by the Persian leader of his old gang, who wants him to return to the group. Meowth refuses, telling Persian he is a member of Team Rocket now. To Meowth's surprise, Meowzie steps forward from the rest of the gang. She explains that her owner ran out of money and had to abandon her on the streets, where Persian took her in and gave her food. Meowth asks Meowzie to come with him, however the wild Pokémon gang doesn't want her to leave, and surrounds Meowth ready to attack. Jessie and James then appear to help their friend out and send their Arbok and Weezing to protect him. Meowth and Persian lunge at each other but missed, however Persian hurts itself when it lands. Meowzie runs past Meowth to tend to Persian's wounds, explaining how it wouldn't be right to leave Persian after it took her in and gave her a home. Jessie and James comfort Meowth and remind him that he still has them as a family.

Back at the movie theater, Ash and his friends had just finished watching the movie. They complain to the director that none of them made an appearance in the movie, with the director rebutting that his movie was only about Pokémon. Suddenly Team Rocket appear on stage. After doing a quick dance, they disappear just as quickly without causing any trouble. Ash and his friends decide to return back to Pallet Town to continue on their journey towards the Pokémon League.

Blurb

Meowth's true Hollywood tale
Meowth is different from all other Pokémon. It belongs to Team Rocket. And it can speak like humans! How did it learn? Here is Meowth's story, straight from the Pokémon's "big mouth"!

Major Events

• Meowth learns to talk.

Pokémon Debuts

• Meowzie

Characters

Humans

• Ash
• Misty
• Brock
• Jessie
• James
• Cleavon Schpielbunk*

Pokémon

• Pikachu (Ash's)
• Meowth (Team Rocket)
• Togepi (Misty's)
• Mr. Mime (Delia's)
• Meowzie
• Persian

Trivia

Errors

• Throughout the book, Meowzie is misspelled as "Meowzy".

Pokémon Junior Surf's Up, Pikachu! • Meowth, the Big Mouth • Save Our Squirtle! • Bulbasaur's Bad Day • Two of a Kind • Raichu Shows Off Nidoran's New Friend • A Pokémon Snow-Down • Snorlax Takes a Stand • Good-Bye, Lapras • Bellossom's Big Battle The Snubbull Blues • Hoothoot's Haunted Forest • Pichu's Apple Company • The Wobbuffet Village

This book article is part of Project Merchandise, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on all Pokémon toys, dolls, books, and collectible merchandise.