POTW Pokémon of the Week #46: Kangaskhan

SirOni · May 13, 2017

In the World of Pokémon, there lives a vast number and variety of amazing creatures to befriend and collect. Every week, we will be focusing on a single one of these Pokémon or evolutionary line and talking about what makes it special. This week's Pokémon of choice Kangaskhan!

There since the very beginning of the franchise Kangaskhan is a powerful single stage Normal-type Pokémon. It is a nurturing Pokémon that cautiously watch over their young. When they feels they are in a safe environment Kangaskhan will let their young out of their pouches to play. Kangaskhan will remain with their child until it has reached three years of age. They take many precautions with their children even sleeping while standing to avoid the possibility of crushing them. Kangaskhan will become enraged if they see anything approach their unaccompanied young and violently attack the trespasser. The species is known to have almost gone extinct due to over-hunting. Kangaskhan are now mostly found in areas like the Safari Zone due to conservation efforts with a few wild populations in Kalos and Alola. There are also wild groups in Kanto and Unova which are believed to have escaped from nearby containment areas. Curiously, some of Kangaskhan’s Pokédex entries use the phrase “the female” as if to imply there are male Kangaskhan in existence. Kangaskhan’s ever-present baby is another matter of intrigue surrounding this Pokémon. Its creation and life outside of childhood are shrouded in mystery. This is only made worse with known inconsistencies between gameplay and Pokédex lore. That fact that in-game Kangaskhan always hatch with joeys in pouch has lead to countless jokes and wild theories.

After generations of insignificance in the grand scheme of Pokémon Kangaskhan finally got her time in the spotlight with the introduction of Mega Evolution. As Mega Kangaskhan the mother remains unchanged with all the energy of Mega Evolving is channeled into the child making it grow in size and power. This Mega Evolution is a literal double team allowing it to perform two consecutive moves in the same turn. When it was revealed at the Pokémon World Championships in Vancouver the audience absolutely erupted with excitement as well as awe with the explanation of Parental Bond. This occasion was extra special as it is one of the few times a new Pokémon or form has been made public without being leaked prior to its official reveal. Soon after players got their hands on Mega Kangaskhan they came to know its fierce power and potential. Setting off a move twice in the same turn even if the second has less power than the first proved to be a recipe for devastation. Fake Outs took almost half the foe’s HP, Power-Up Punches became damaging Swords Dance, and Seismic Toss deals full damage with each strike! Not only did this lead to restrictions in its use in competitive communities but it even prompted a response from people at Gamefreak admitting that perhaps Mega Kangaskhan is a bit too much. In Generation VII the second strike from Parental Bond had its power lowered to a quarter of the first strike in an attempt to reign it in. Even with that nerf though Mega Kangaskhan still proves to be a force to be reckoned with all because of its secondary effect abuse. Wait, what happened to the Power-Up Punch TM?

Also Happy Mother’s Day everyone whichever day it is for you!

Here are some questions to consider to get conversation rolling. You don't have to answer all of them or any of them in your post as long as you're staying on topic and within global forum rules.
-Do you like or dislike this Pokémon? Why?
-How is this Pokémon in-game?
-How is this Pokémon in competitive play? Are there any interesting strategies you like to use for them?
-Do you like this Pokémon's representation in the anime? Are there any moments or qualities in particular you enjoy/dislike?
-How do you think this Pokémon would interact with our world?
-If given the power to, would you change anything about this Pokémon and if so, what would you change?
-Just what is the deal with Kangaskhan’s baby? Do you have any theories about it?
-What do you think about Mega Kangaskhan? Do you think it’s a good application of Mega Evolution?
-Would you like to see another reveal like Mega Kangaskhan where it wasn’t leaked beforehand?
If you have any suggestions for Pokémon you'd like to discuss in the future just leave your ideas at the bottom of your post. Make sure you give your thoughts about the current Pokémon first!

Previous Pokémon of the Week:

BorgyDudeMan · May 14, 2017

Well, I like Mega Kangaskhan's ability more than it's design. It was quite broken due to the fact it can hit twice in one turn (with the second attack having half the strength of the first attack). It feels so ingenious!

Zexy · May 14, 2017

-Do you like or dislike this Pokémon? Why?
Yes, nice design and concept, then Mega Evolution made it good too!
-How is this Pokémon in-game?
In the older games it wasn't good. With Mega Evolution it's great.
-How is this Pokémon in competitive play? Are there any interesting strategies you like to use for them?
Just use Mega Kangashkan to hit hard. It has Fake Out and Power-Up Punch that are great too.
-Do you like this Pokémon's representation in the anime? Are there any moments or qualities in particular you enjoy/dislike?
I only remember one filler episode from early Kanto, it was nice there.
-How do you think this Pokémon would interact with our world?
Pretty much what we think of kangaroos in our world, except that some people would be poaching for them as Mega Kangashkan is too good

-If given the power to, would you change anything about this Pokémon and if so, what would you change?
Better stats.
... Ground-type, part of the Cubone line. More below.
-Just what is the deal with Kangaskhan’s baby? Do you have any theories about it?
I like the Cubone theory and would add a twist to it. Introducing Kangaskid!

Kangaskid -> Level up without a Kangashkan in the party while holding Skull -> Cubone -> branched evolution; regular Marowak at Level 28, not at night in Alola and maybe a few other places; Alolan Marowak at Level 28 at night in Alola and maybe a few other places + If a Kangaskid that isn't holding an item is in the party and a Kangashkan isn't in the party when this evolution happens, the Kangaskid get to hold a Skull; Kangashkan for females only via some other method.

... I know it won't ever happen

-What do you think about Mega Kangaskhan? Do you think it’s a good application of Mega Evolution?
One of the best. It really changed what the Pokemon is all about.
-Would you like to see another reveal like Mega Kangaskhan where it wasn’t leaked beforehand?
Sure.

Camille · Jul 13, 2021

I somewhat like Kangaskhan, although I sure can see why she is hated by many, as she looks more like a dinosaur than a kangaroo. I like her movepool, too, with moves like Double-Edge, Hammer Arm, Drain Punch, Stomping Tantrum, Crunch, the elemental punches, and priority attacks in Fake Out and Sucker Punch. She is no slouch when it comes to field moves, either, as she can learn Cut, Strength, Rock Smash, Rock Climb, Surf and Whirlpool. Even though Mega Kangaskhan was overpowered, it still was needed, as standard Kangaskhan has never been amazing in battle, and I liked how Seismic Toss was still strong even with the nerf to Parental Bond, as difficult as it was to get it onto Kangaskhan in the Generation III games.

POTW Pokémon of the Week #46: Kangaskhan

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