Japanese Title: The Evil Nyarth is an Alolan Nyarth!?
Original Airdate: February 15, 2018
US Airdate: July 23, 2018
This Alolan Meowth is hatching a cunning plan.
An Alolan Meowth stumbles across Team Rocket. The Meowth we know, however, smells a rat. What trick does this Alolan form have planned for Jessie and James...and Team Rocket as a whole?
This episode contains examples of the following tropes:
- The Comically Serious: After Jessie berates Mimikyu for ruining their scheme, it turns away in a childish sulk.
- Disaster Dominoes: In what seemed to be their first battle with Alolan Meowth, NOTHING goes right for Team Rocket. Mareanie jumps on James immediately, while Mimikyu attacks and inadvertently frees a trapped Pikachu. Alolan Meowth at this point quickly figures they're on the losing end and leaves them to take their beating alone.
- Drowning My Sorrows: When Meowth sees that Jessie won’t even realize who she’s talking to after Alolan Meowth is put in his position, he heads to Oranguru’s place.
- End-of-Episode Silliness: In the Japanese ending, we find out how Alolan Meowth got to Team Rocket HQ by itself: it stole Meowth's money to buy a plane ticket to Kanto.
- Friendly Enemy: The bartender Oranguru lets Meowth drown his sorrows at his bar. Meowth is openly touched when Oranguru gives him a drink on the house.
- I'll Tell You When I've Had Enough!: Oranguru tells Meowth that he's had enough Pinap Juice.
- I Warned You: A jaded Meowth retorts this when Jessie and James finally realise Alolan Meowth isn't dependable.
- Karma Houdini: Alolan Meowth gets away with trolling Meowth and evades a beating from the twerps for helping steal Pikachu. It then bails on Jessie and James (and steals Meowth's money) to take residence in Team Rocket HQ, where it mocks them via video phone.
- Near-Death Experience: One of the tricks Alolan Meowth plays on Meowth is to tip back Mimikyu, exposing his true form once more to Meowth. Four lives down, five to go...
- Not-So-Harmless Villain: Alolan Meowth proves to be a dangerous battler, with Jessie and James having planned ahead to trap the twerps and Pikachu. Ash, Kiawe and Sophocles actually have to use a good load of their Pokemon's abilities to undo their scheme, even if it goes downhill when they finally catch up with them.
- Pyrrhic Victory; Alolan Meowth heads over to Team Rocket HQ, leading Giovanni and Matori to think Jessie and James brought it to them. Despite getting their boss' praise for seemingly managing to send him a Pokemon for once, the trio are too miffed about Alolan Meowth's treachery to appreciate it.
- The Rival: After Giovanni's congratulatory call, Alolan Meowth calls Team Rocket, and tells them that it will one day take Persian's place on Giovanni's lap. This upsets Meowth to no end.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Alolan Meowth bails on Team Rocket before they are defeated, catching onto their usual chances against the twerps.
