Pokémon's dastardly Team Rocket trio are the recurring antagonists throughout the original series and beyond. Belonging to an organization that steals other trainer's Pokémon, the iconic Team Rocket members consist of Jessie, James and Meowth. Having made it their mission to capture Ash Ketchum's Pikachu, they consistently devise devious traps and schemes to snatch Pikachu and impress their boss, Giovanni.
Meowth is the humanized Pokémon companion of Jessie and James, but on more than one occasion, Pikachu and Meowth have been known to form an alliance. Although each of them fights for a different cause, their morals align at times. Whether the circumstances call for it or not, Pikachu and Meowth have formed truces in times of distress, mostly in an effort to reunite with their respective "families."
Pokémon: Bound For Trouble - Episode 104
In "Bound For Trouble," Ash and friends decide to rest on an island, only for Team Rocket to disrupt the peace. They set a trap for the trainers, who fall into a pit. Pikachu is captured with a cuff around his waist, which also attaches to Meowth and tethers them together. However, before Team Rocket can take Pikachu to their boss, a Pigeot swoops down and snags Pikachu and Meowth. When Pikachu electrocutes the Pigeot, it drops them in the wilderness.
Pikachu and Meowth argue about their predicament at first; Pikachu threatens to shock Meowth in outrage, Meowth plots to trick Pikachu, but ultimately, they agree to cooperate. When an encounter with a Rhydon endangers them, Meowth freezes, and Pikachu pulls him away before he would be struck. When night falls and the duo gets hungry, they find a single apple on a tree. Pikachu uses Thunderbolt to knock it down, then prepares to eat it all.
However, seeing Meowth’s sadness, Pikachu decides to split the apple. Meowth comments on how they could have been friends had their lives gone differently. He thinks Pikachu should abandon Ash and join Team Rocket, believing the two would make a great team.
Pokémon: Advanced Challenge: A Scare To Remember - Episode 98
"A Scare To Remember" introduces an interesting twist to the Pokémon tale. After another encounter with Team Rocket, Ash loses Pikachu, who hits his head and develops amnesia. Meowth stumbles upon him and takes the opportunity to manipulate the situation, stating that Pikachu is part of Team Rocket. Although this episode is less about genuine friendship and more about turning an accident to one's advantage, Meowth and Pikachu bond over the course of the episode.
As the pair walk along cliff edges and through the forest, Meowth continues to fill Pikachu's head with nonsense. He assures him that he stays by Pikachu's side and is with him constantly. When Meowth almost falls from the cliff, Pikachu grabs him by the tail and pulls him back.
Similar to "Bound For Trouble," Meowth begins to feel hungry, so Pikachu gives him an apple. Meowth is astounded to be on the receiving end of Pikachu's generosity and begins to cry. He splits the apple in half, giving the larger piece to Pikachu and stating that things are better when shared with others.
Pokémon The Series: XY: Dream a Little Dream from Me! - Episode 98
Fast-forwarding to Pokémon The Series: XY, Pikachu and Meowth join forces to help a fellow Pokémon in need. Things get strange when, during the night, Pikachu and Team Rocket’s Meowth wake up thirsty and run into each other on their way to find water. They both express their confusion before meeting up with Squishy, a Pokémon who, like Meowth, can also talk. He tells them that a "giant fireball with a face" is pursuing him and he needs help to escape.
It soon comes to light that the mythical Pokémon, Darkrai, appeared during the night to put Meowth and Pikachu into Squishy's dream. Pikachu and Meowth come to discover that Jessie and James are speaking as if they are Wobbuffet and Inkay respectively, whereas Ash can only talk in Pokémon, and somehow has eyes that look just like Froakie's. Both Meowth and Pikachu panic and flee from their teammates, only to cross paths again.
Squishy reappears and scolds them, stating that the "fire monster" would return. When it does, a Froakie, Diggersby, and Delphox all arrive on the scene to attack it. Before the group can finish the battle, a loud sound is heard, and an alarm clock explodes and awakens everyone, but for a short while, Meowth and Pikachu's mutual respect for other Pokémon forced them to put their differences aside and band together.
Pokémon: The First Movie
Perhaps the most iconic instance in which Pikachu and Meowth make peace is the climax of Pokémon: The First Movie, in which Mewtwo's clones battle against other Pokémon. Both Pikachu and Team Rocket's Meowth are cloned by Mewtwo's machines, but rather than fight against their counterparts for supremacy, they decide that the fighting is senseless. Meowth recovers Pikachu and carries him to safety when he collapses from exhaustion, proving that Meowth does care for Pikachu's health and safety.
When all is said and done, Meowth quotes one of his most famous lines: "We do have a lot in common. The same Earth, the same air, the same sky. Maybe if we started looking at what's the same instead of always looking at what's different, well, who knows?" Although he directs the discussion to his clone, Pikachu is closely listening and clearly resonates with Meowth's point of view. The interaction becomes a metaphor for good and evil joining forces against a common enemy, but it also sends a powerful message of equality and empathy.
