Boss fantasy
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The boss fantasy (Japanese: ニャース妄想 Nyarth delusion) is a segment in the Pokémon anime in which Meowth thinks of practical uses for the Pokémon being focused on in the current episode. Through this, the Giovanni in Meowth's imagination rewards Team Rocket for their generosity, which gives Jessie and James the motivation to go through with their next plan.
The segment debuted in Bye Bye Butterfree!, but became regular only after The Kecleon Caper, appearing as often as the motto and blast offs during the Hoenn saga. The segment appeared less often in Diamond & Pearl series. Due to the trio shifting to a more serious tone, the boss fantasies did not appear in the Best Wishes series, though they made a return in Awakening the Sleeping Giant! after an absence of 172 episodes.
It can be noted that the Giovanni in such fantasies almost always says he will reward "Meowth and his friends" for bringing (Pokémon so and so) instead of "Jessie, James and Meowth" or a variation of that. This can be attributed to the fact that Meowth is usually the one who dreams up these fantasies, and his ego causes him to imagine Giovanni rewarding him first, then his friends. In one episode, James finishes off the fantasy, where he imagines Giovanni saying "James and his friends" instead. Occasionally, Meowth will imagine Giovanni in chibi form while in others, Meowth will imagine Giovanni with a muscle-covered body.
On rare occasions, the fantasy will not pan out to plan and Giovanni's unhappiness encourages the trio to do something else instead.
The reality however, is that since Giovanni's behavior in these fantasies are solely based around Meowth's opinion on how he would react, they don't reflect Giovanni's true personality since the trio remain unaware of his personal dislike towards them. On most occasions, Meowth is so overconfident with these fantasies that he doesn't realize that his plans are generally flawed and wouldn't actually work, usually due to Giovanni's desire for only strong Pokémon.
Maddie Blaustein said that the boss fantasies were one of her favorite parts of her role as Meowth.
List of boss fantasies
Episode | Item/Pokémon | Use |
---|---|---|
Bye Bye Butterfree! | Butterfree | Meowth being in the Boss's lap (with Persian being down in the dumps). |
Bound for Trouble | Pikachu | Meowth in the boss's lap, being his favorite Pokémon, after singlehandedly bringing Pikachu to Giovanni. |
The Kecleon Caper | Kecleon | Captured for the jewelry box it swallowed, to impress Giovanni with the rarity of the Pokémon and the value of the jewels. |
The Corsola Caper | Corsola | To make Giovanni's estate look beautiful and pink. |
Whichever Way the Wind Blows | Bellossom | To cheer him up when he wakes up. |
EP250* | Jynx, Swinub and Piloswine | Jynx will kiss Giovanni when he wakes up, Swinub will brush his hair, Piloswine will blanch the floor. |
Just Add Water | Mantine, Qwilfish, Lanturn | To swim with Giovanni in his pool in the morning. |
Here's Lookin' at You, Elekid | Elekid, Larvitar | Elekid will power an electric razor and a hair dryer and Larvitar will show his sincere loyalty. |
Tree's a Crowd | Treecko | To wake Giovanni up by rubbing his nose with its tail and to massage him |
The Lotad Lowdown | Lotad | To bring water to Giovanni for washing in the morning right in the bed |
Which Wurmple's Which? | Wurmple | To provide thread for sewing |
Seeing is Believing | Seedot | To help Giovanni with his morning exercises |
Now That's Flower Power! | Bluk Berries | To make Giovanni's hair look perfect.
This is the first time a negative effect appears in Meowth's fantasy scene (Giovanni's mouth becomes black from Bluk Berry juice), though only James mentions it verbally. |
Jump for Joy | Shiftry | To fan Giovanni with leaves on arms |
A Poké-BLOCK Party! | Whismur | To serve as an alarm clock and a lunch bell |
Watt's with Wattson? | Voltorb and Magnemite | Voltorb will wake Giovanni up with a slight zap and Magnemite will provide him free electricity |
What You Seed is What You Get | Watermelons | To slake Giovanni's thirst when he is in a desert |
Love at First Flight | Volbeat and Illumise | Entertain Giovanni while he's doing his work. |
Let Bagons be Bagons | Bagon | To crack coconuts for Giovanni when he will be (1) wandering in a jungle or (2) flying a helicopter. The thought about helicopter came to Meowth when Bagon told him that he wanted to learn to fly. It is the first time two fantasies appear in one episode. |
I Feel Skitty! | Skitty | Make Giovanni happy early in the morning. |
Maxxed Out | Surskit | Lift his spirit when it's cloudy. |
Game Winning Assist! | Numel | Warm Giovanni |
Poetry Commotion! | Torkoal | To light Giovanni's barbecue grill and candles. |
Delcatty Got Your Tongue? | Skitty and Delcatty | Giovanni will simply be happy to own both. |
Take the Lombre Home | Lombre | To fill its lilypad with water to use as a sink |
True Blue Swablu | Swablu | Act as his pillow and make him fall asleep by using Sing |
Exploud and Clear! | Exploud | Act as an alarm clock |
Go Go Ludicolo! | Ludicolo | Entertainment for when he wakes up and to lighten his spirits |
Love, Petalburg Style! | Slakoth, Vigoroth and Slaking | Vigoroth to wake him up, and Slakoth and Slaking to help him relax after a long day's work |
A Six Pack Attack! | Kanto and Hoenn starter Pokémon | To remind him of his early days as a Pokémon Trainer |
Pearls are a Spoink's Best Friend | Spoink | To make a crown |
Lights, Camerupt, Action! | Movie projector and Camerupt | To watch his favorite films on the big screen and ride Camerupt in the moonlight |
The Garden of Eatin' | Snorlax | To put the Boss on its shoulder so he can see the sunrise |
Judgment Day! | Ivysaur, Charmeleon and Wartortle | To remember himself the nice era |
Clamperl of Wisdom | The blue pearl | To make a crown or a ring |
Spoink, Clamperl, and the blue pearl | To use as a stylish crown (Spoink and the blue pearl, the reasoning for capturing Clamperl is not addressed) | |
The Relicanth Really Can | Sunken treasure | To buy him sparkling furniture for his bedroom |
The Evolutionary War | Huntail and Gorebyss | To allow him to go 'extreme surfing' |
Training Wreck | A physically fit Team Rocket | To use as bodyguards |
It's Still Rocket Roll to Me! | A rocket ship | To inspire him and allow him to explore outer space |
Solid as a Solrock | Lunatone and Solrock | To shine light on him in a dark street, making him dance happily |
Where's Armaldo? | Prehistoric Pokémon | To awaken his wild side |
Once in a Mawile | Mawile | Entertainment with its ribbon dancing skills/A living fan by the use of its back jaw/ Using said back jaw as a cushion to rest his weary head on |
Lombre | Waking up to see its loamy face in the morning...or maybe walking out to the pool to see its...no. Maybe a staring contest? | |
Beg, Burrow, and Steal | Trapinch | Crack a walnut |
Absol-ute Disaster | Absol | Make him angry when he is brushing his teeth |
Do I Hear a Ralts? | Ralts | To stop thieves from stealing his things and putting him back to sleep after |
Showdown At Linoone | Linoone | Make gifts to the Boss thanks to his ability Pickup |
Date Expectations | Donphan | If he went bowling with it, then he would get a strike every time... if it didn't destroy the bowling alley. Or he could use it for transportation... if he didn't mind leaving all of his belongings behind. Or he could use it to get a massage... if he didn't mind being flattened. |
Less is Morrison | Beldum | Massager |
Like a Meowth to a Flame! | Moltres's flame | Source of fire |
Numero Uno, Articuno | Articuno | To cool Giovanni off after he has collapsed, barely dressed, from the blazing heat. |
Rough, Tough, Jigglypuff | Jigglypuff | To be used as a decoration, exercise ball and sleep aid. |
On Cloud Arcanine | Arcanine | To keep Giovanni warm at night. |
Sitting Psyduck! | Psyduck | Make Giovanni happy he has a brain and non-webbed toes, and to make his mind go blank when he has a brain freeze. |
Odd Pokémon Out! | Tropius | To provide Giovanni with shade and fresh fruit from its neck. |
Pokémon Ranger - Deoxys Crisis | Deoxys | To travel in space |
All That Glitters is Not Golden! | Golden Sudowoodo | It will make Giovanni happy by matching his golden house, clothes, and bathtub. |
Grating Spaces | Pokémon of the Pewter Gym | Geodude will massage him, other Pokémon will keep him company |
Aipom and Circumstance | A crown | For Giovanni to 1) wear in bed, 2) fill with water to use as a sink, and 3) use in a curling game. |
Strategy Tomorrow, Comedy Tonight! | Chatot | To "quote" everything Giovanni says; to wish him a good morning, tell one-sided jokes, and help him berate grunts. |
Overjoyed! | Chansey | To box with Giovanni, and treat his injuries when it beats him up. |
Like It or Lup It! | Ludicolo | Playing music for him while he's waking up in the morning, as well as during a work-out ("shaking his boss booty"). |
A Staravia is Born! | Bird Pokémon | The boss is flying in the air, sitting on a chair strapped to a bunch of Flying-type Pokémon. |
Leave It To Brocko! | Nuzleaf | To make the Boss think that money don't buy him happiness, so he will give all his money to the trio. |
A Gruff Act to Follow! | Fossil Pokémon | Giovanni is using the revived Fossil Pokémon to take over Sinnoh, with him sobbing in happiness. |
Drifloon on the Wind! | Ampharos | Calm the boss down when he is having nightmares. |
Some Enchanted Sweetening | Enchanted Honey | He runs through the desert in a speedo, covered in Enchanted Honey. Then the wild Pokémon come and lick and rub against him.* |
All Dressed Up With Somewhere To Go! | Brock's egg | To provide good sleeps to the boss thanks to the warm presence of the egg. |
Buizel Your Way Out of This! | Buizel | To save his life when he's out yachting during a storm and his boat capsizes. |
An Elite Meet and Greet | Lucian's Bronzong | Um... Dancing? A hat? A paper weight? A door knocker? Nah, there's no way Giovanni would like an extremely rare Pokémon owned by a member of the Elite Four. |
Steamboat Willies! | All of the twerps' Pokémon | To be playmates |
Mass Hip-Po-Sis! | Hippopotas | Get his golf ball out of a sand trap and making a beach |
Bibarel Gnaws Best! | Machamp and Machoke | Build a giant stone castle |
Hot Springing a Leak! | Hot Spring | For Giovanni to be relaxed |
Bells are Singing! | Francesca's Chingling | Alarm clock |
Pika and Goliath! | Ash's Thunder Stone | For Giovanni to hold on before getting Ash's Pikachu |
Fighting Fear with Fear | Gligar | Gligar will shield Giovanni's eyes from the rising sun in the morning, so that he doesn't wake up and miss the best part of his dream. |
A Lean Mean Team Rocket Machine! | Mew, Riolu, Celebi, Milotic and Shieldon | Examples of rare Pokémon that can be caught for the boss. |
Hold the Phione! | Phione | For good luck, winning sweepstakes that he enters. |
Stealing the Conversation! | Chatot | To give Giovanni a confidence boost by asking it loaded questions, which Chatot will mimic. |
The Lonely Snover! | Snover | To give Giovanni Snover Berries for breakfast, thereby inspiring him to open a snow-cone business. |
Battling a Cute Drama! | Cherubi | To charm and relax Giovanni after a hard day of making a 'zillion dollars'. |
Promoting Healthy Tangrowth! | Tangrowth | To use Absorb to cure Giovanni's insomnia. |
A Rivalry to Gible On! | Gible | To play in the water with Giovanni and "help him find his inner Boss." |
Try for the Family Stone! | Mismagius | To cast a spell that will make Giovanni happy. |
The Fleeing Tower of Sunyshore! | Sunyshore Tower | To provide headquarters with warm floors (that the boss will want to sleep on), stoves and hot baths. |
Pokémon Ranger: Heatran Rescue! | Heatran | To be used as a grill, a sauna heater and a fireplace. |
An Elite Coverup! | Magby | To help Giovanni light his barbecue and birthday candles. Also, to light the Team Rocket headquarters in the event of a blackout. |
Dealing With a Fierce Double Ditto Drama! | Narissa's Ditto 1 and 2 | To help Giovanni catch legendary Pokémon like Giratina and Regigigas. |
Four Roads Diverged in a Pokémon Port! | Kenny's Floatzel | When Giovanni can't sleep at night, Floatzel can give him its floatation sac to use as a pillow (Meowth doesn't consider the fact that Floatzel can't actually remove the sac from its body). |
Awakening the Sleeping Giant! | Poké Flute | To gather an army of Snorlax. |
This episode article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of Pokémon animation. |