Regarding meowths coin (and in a way persians pearl/gem) what should be done if they are lost? will any coin replacement do? are they naturally created from the meowth? if not how does the move pay day work? sorry for all the questions bill but its been puzzeling me for a while.

Quite all right! Many of these are indeed related, and they’re common questions one may have when they first get into raising meowth.

Regarding the first question, you’ll want to take your meowth to the pokémon center immediately. The coin is actually attached to its head, so if you notice that it’s missing, it’s either been torn off, or worse—it’s inside. Neither situation would be pleasant for the meowth (although for some reason, they’re less likely to notice the latter). Keep in mind that an embedded or ingrown coin isn’t deadly; it can just be painful, not to mention it opens a meowth up to infection.

With that in mind, unfortunately, you can’t really replace a meowth’s coin, and yes, the coin is actually created by the meowth itself, from birth. It’s really a false coin, if we’re being accurate—a little like a fingernail made of a metallic organic substance that just so happens to take the shape of a coin, but its bed is actually part of the skull. It’s only supposed to come off when a meowth is nearing evolution, as the coin bed is replaced by a jewel bed in preparation for growing out a persian jewel.

As for Pay Day, rest assured it doesn’t actually rely on the coin for use, although the coin is thought to be the means by which a meowth (or persian) channels this ability. Think of it as a lightning rod for the elemental energy needed to work. In actuality, though, meowth (or persian) simply channels their energies into normal elemental blasts that, in mid-air, convert into solid matter to form charms similar to the coins on their heads. These coins aren’t actually associated with any particular denomination (although they will always look strikingly similar to the money of a meowth’s home region, save for the lack of a date), but they can be collected and sold in the same way nuggets or star pieces can.

Or at least, that’s the legal way to do it. A lot of trainers either don’t realize it’s not actually money or do and attempt to use it as actual money anyway, to mixed results. As meowth coins are generally sold on a 1:1 basis (that is, they actually do have the same value as whatever amount of money they look like, even if they aren’t, themselves, actual money), eagle-eyed shopkeepers may offer to buy the coins or simply take the coins with a warning, depending on the age of the trainer. Stricter shopkeepers dealing with older trainers who should know better may attempt to accuse such a trainer of using counterfeit money. So, really, it’s important to know that Pay Day coins aren’t actually coins and must be traded for real money, not used immediately.

The Meowth Line

bills-pokedex:

Meowth
The Scratch Cat Pokémon
Type: Normal
Official Registration #: 52
Entry: A small, nocturnal, cat-like pokémon with an affinity for shiny, round objects. Ancient civilizations within the Orange and Sevii Islands worshipped meowth as a deity due to its association with cat-like god of the home, harvest, and wealth. This may seem curious unless one does further digging to the actual origins of the cat deity to find that it had originally been a god of the hunt, judgment, and executions, which is more in line with meowth’s carnivorous diet and vicious hunting methods. While the reason behind the switch is still a mystery to scholars, there are two noteworthy theories. First, the god was also the symbol of the Orange and Seviian royal bloodlines, which may have sought the god’s blessing when it came to siring new and prosperous heirs. Second and more likely, it’s more profitable to run a temple dedicated to childbearing and all the things that come before it than executions, and the pokémon that can understand human speech and use Pay Day when it’s pleased with your temple generally agrees.

Persian
The Classy Cat Pokémon
Type: Normal
Official Registration #: 53
Entry: The evolved form of meowth, by battle experience. Evolution graces this pokémon with an immense amount of sophisticated beauty, including silken, golden fur, a sleek body, and the agility of a panther. Unfortunately, evolution has also granted the persian species a streak of fickle meanness, a set of sharp claws, and the expectation that it will continue to be worshipped like a god. In light of all this, it becomes rather understandable that the ancient peoples of the Orange and Sevii Islands originally conceived of a persian-like god of execution and the throne.

Meowth (Alola form)
The Scratch Cat Pokémon
Type: Dark
Official Registration #: 52
Entry: This cat-like pokémon is by no means native to the region of Alola. Rather, it was brought in from Kanto as prized pets of and gifts from wealthy Kantonian merchants, and their cuteness and intelligence captured the hearts of Alolan natives instantly. Over the decades following, the breeders of Alola hand-picked the most popular and sought-after traits among Alola’s meowth enthusiast community in order to breed “custom” meowth until Alolan meowth formed an entirely new breed consisting of prideful, capricious, crafty, often violent, and yet still strangely adorable meowth. Or, in other words, the Alolans bred a cat.

Persian (Alola form)
The Classy Cat Pokémon
Type: Dark
Official Registration #: 53
Entry: The evolved form of Alolan meowth, as a result of a heightened sense of happiness. As a result of vigorous breeding, the Alolan variation of persian boasts fur as soft as velvet, a large and apparently exceedingly adorable head … and a vicious temper that’s focused on everything and anyone that it deems to be beneath it, which is to say everything and anyone. In other words, the Alolans bred a larger cat.

Why do Alolan persian look so different to regular persian? Especially since the meowth look the same…

I know several meowth maniacs who would be delighted to hear you say that last part.

In all seriousness, it’s just because you can control quite a bit when breeding, and Alolan meowth were bred specifically to produce a persian with those specific characteristics. The meowth stage looks similar to the standard meowth, however, simply because most Alolan breeders still think it’s cute and wanted to maintain that house cat-like cuteness through to its persian stage.

Hi, Bill, I have a question regarding my Alolan Meowth. She’s not being very cooperative with me and sometimes, she’ll even scratch me. Is there something I can do to make her more docile?

Alolan meowth can be even more fickle and difficult to work with than standard meowth, as the Alolan breed are specifically domestic in nature (and thus more used to pampering). However, there are small steps you might be able to take to help you, anonymous.

First, if she attempts to scratch you, give her a firm “no.” Conversely, if she cooperates with you, be sure to reward her with a favored treat.

Second, get to know her a bit more. Rather than simply pet her, pay attention to her body language and understand that what may feel comfortable or pleasant to one meowth may not feel the same way to another. Figure out what works for your meowth and work with her to make her feel safe and comfortable with you.

Third and lastly, if all else fails, bribing usually works. Most Alolan meowth like shiny objects, so giving her a coin might temporarily satisfy her.

Best of luck, anonymous!