Moves
With Technician and STAB factored in, Meowth's Fake Out hits a Base Power of 90, making it the strongest Fake Out in LC. This can deal a hefty chunk of damage to a foe without them being able to do anything back. Feint is more reliable than Fake Out, as it works on any turn; it goes through Protect and is still boosted by STAB and Technician. However, Feint is weaker and doesn't have the flinch bonus that Fake Out does. Return is an option for more power, OHKOing Alolan Vulpix, 2HKOing Staryu, and 2HKOing offensive variants of Vullaby after Stealth Rock. If you want to take full advantage of Meowth's power, you can run Double-Edge; it OHKOes Life Orb Staryu, and Fake Out + Double-Edge KOes Ponyta. However, this wears down Meowth very quickly in tandem with Life Orb recoil. Water Pulse is an incredibly important move, KOing Dwebble and Onix after their Sturdy has been broken. It also KOes other leads like Drilbur after a Fake Out. Aerial Ace is Meowth's best way of hitting Fighting-types; Fake Out into an Aerial Ace KOes Mienfoo. Knock Off is an option, letting Meowth remove items and soften up its foes. It also hits Ghost-types that otherwise wall Meowth like Gastly and Pumpkaboo. Finally, U-turn lets Meowth do damage while switching and gain momentum, especially due to its great Speed.
Set Details
19 HP IVs should be run to minimize Life Orb recoil to only 1 HP per turn. A Hasty nature allows Meowth to reach its maximum Speed at 19, outspeeding most of the unboosted metagame and Speed tying with Ponyta, Abra, and Staryu. 36 Special Attack EVs net the Water Pulse KO on Archen after a Fake Out. The combination of Technician and Life Orb boosts Meowth's power; Fake Out, Feint, Water Pulse, and Aerial Ace are all boosted by Technician. 36 Special Defense EVs let Meowth take Alolan Grimer's Fire Blast.
Usage Tips
Meowth is an excellent anti-lead that is able to beat Mienfoo and Onix, so leading with it is often a safe choice. If possible, try to scout whether the Onix is Weak Armor or Sturdy, as using Fake Out on the former is counterproductive. Don't switch Meowth in on attacks if you can, however, as it is very frail and best suited to come in after a slow U-turn or as a revenge killer. Feint should be played to its strengths; for example, use it against common Protect users like Carvanha. Keep Meowth healthy throughout the match, as its ability to reliably deal high amounts of damage is valuable mid- and late-game. If your team struggles against a certain sweeper, preserve Meowth so it can deal a large chunk of damage with its Fake Out and Feint. If you're running U-turn or Knock Off, be sure to use them on predicted switches to keep up momentum.
Team Options
Meowth is best suited for hyper offensive teams that struggle to break through setup sweepers. Fighting-type checks are incredibly helpful to Meowth. Pokemon like Snubbull and Mudbray can threaten Timburr and Croagunk, respectively. Slow, bulky Pokemon with moves like Volt Switch and U-turn help Meowth get in safely, which Meowth highly appreciates thanks to its low bulk. Examples include Mienfoo, Chinchou, and Magnemite. It's also very helpful to run a Pokemon that covers whatever weakness Meowth has from its missing coverage; for example, if you run U-turn over Aerial Ace, use a Fighting-type check like Spritzee. If you're not running Knock Off, Meowth appreciates Knock Off support; without Eviolite, few Pokemon can take Meowth's STAB priority combination. Mienfoo and Pawniard both offer good Knock Off support. Pursuit trappers like Pawniard and Alolan Grimer can remove Ghost-types that otherwise wall Meowth. Since Meowth is heavily walled by Pawniard, Pawniard checks like Mienfoo, Ponyta, and Timburr can help alleviate this weakness. Meowth appreciates entry hazard support to make Fake Out and Feint's KO chance higher. Pokemon like Onix, Archen, and Pawniard can set up Stealth Rock. Finally, other Normal-types like Doduo and Bunnelby share checks with Meowth, allowing them to all wear down their checks together.