If you're using this for in-game, then it depends on the game. Pickup is the best option in FRLG because it's the only option. In HGSS, a technician Meowth will evolve into a technician Persian, and a pickup Meowth will evolve into a limber Persian. A technician Persian can use a technician-boosted faint attack whenever you want, and a limber Persian can only use its ability when the opponent happens to have a paralyzing move, so technician is more useful in HGSS. In SMUSM, a pickup Meowth will evolve into a fur coat Persian, and fur coat and technician are both good abilities, so I tried asking for help on Smogon.
I'd say it depends on whether you want extra bulk or to have more power. Technician is obviously the most useful ability before evolving, as you don't even have access to Fur coat then and a Technician boosted STAB Bite is very powerful early on. But it won't take long until technician bite is underpowered thanks to Alolan Meowth and persians low attack stats, so if you wanna use Alolan persian in the late game, I'd recommend putting Fur coat on it, so it can better use some more utility moves before going down.
Keep in mind that Persian doesn't get access to many good special moves until very late into the game, like it doesn't get Dark Pulse until level 55, and that's only if you keep meowth unevolved until then. You can get the TM for Dark Pulse on Poni coast, but that's far into the post game.
So this is why pickup is the better ability in SMUSM. Also, pickups are lighter and easier to drive than regular trucks.
If you already beat the main storyline and now you want to do some item farming, then you should use pickup because technician doesn't give you items.
Okay, now this part is about competitive battling. This is one of the very, very rare situations where a team building problem is easier to solve when it's in a competitive context. Pickup is situational. Technician is not situational. Therefore pickup is bad and technician is good.
