The Kangaskhan Kid – Pokémon Season 1, Episode 34

Filler / stand-alone episodeFillerKangaskhan debut

The Kangaskhan Kid is the 34th episode of Pokémon: Indigo League, the first season of the Pokémon anime, and the 34th episode of the English dub overall (Japanese episode 34, Bulbapedia code EP034). It first aired in Japan on 18 November 1997 and in the United States on 22 October 1998. It falls within the season’s Fuchsia, the Safari Zone & the Pokémon Shock stretch (EP28–EP38).

Synopsis · Major Events · Trivia · Dub Changes · All episodes

Synopsis

This time Ash and his friends arrive at the real Safari Zone, but at a small protected part of it which still counts as a Pokemon reserve. As they are about to start catching Pokemon an Officer Jenny disguised as a Chansey, wielding an assault rifle jumps out of the bushes and arrests them for poaching!

She takes the group to her outpost and explains that its still part of the reserve, after they explain that they didn’t know she lets them off but another Poacher Alert is sounded on her systems and she with Ash and Gang in tow heads off to check it out. They arrive at a field filled with Kangaskhan just in time to see Team Rocket getting ready to poach them, Team Rocket startle the Kangaskhan with explosions who then charge at Ash & the gang, unknowingly charging into one of Team Rockets nets.

Jennys jeep is burned out and they’re unable to get to the Kangaskhan in good time to save them, Jessie tries to capture the first Kangaskhan and her Pokéball is knocked out of the way by a Boomerang thrown by some kid in a tree. He frees the Kangaskhans who surround and attack Team Rocket, giving them a pounding and then sending them blasting off again. The kid then jumps into the pouch of the largest Kangaskhan and they all go back into the woods. Shortly after a Helicopter arrives a couple arrive, with the gentleman introducing himself as the father of a kid who got lost in the Safari Zone when they visited years ago. They searched for years but couldn’t find him, and after hearing reports he has been seen with a pack of Kangaskhan they’re back to look for him, this time enlisting the help of Ash, Misty, Brock and Ranger Jenny.

As they set out to find it they find an injured baby Kangaskhan on it’s own. Brock starts to treat the injured Kangaskhan when Tommy appears and throws a Boomerang which proceeds to hit Ash in the face, Tommys parents catch up and start trying to explain to Tommy who they are. Tommy starts to remember, but rejects the idea that the Kangaskhan he knows as his parents aren’t truly his parents, his father promptly hits him with a plank of wood which seems to kickstart his memory and he finally remembers. Ranger Jenny arrives and asks for the groups help against Kangaskhan Poachers, Tommy rushes off ahead through the trees.

Team Rocket use a big mechanical Kangaskhan and make the noises of an injured Kangaskhan to attract the group, before hitting them all with tranquilisers. Tommy arrives first and Team Rocket start to attack him but then Ash and Co also arrive and engage them! TR’s Mechanical Kanga is then set alight, but isn’t beaten and it begins to chase Jenny and the group. A helicopter appears, flown by Tommy’s parents who fly into the mechanical Kanga to save Tommy and the group, everyone assumes then dead and Tommy begins to cry. His parents arise from the wreckage dressed like Tommy and tell him they’ve decided to join him and his Kangaskhan family and live in the wild to help protect them. Our heroes say goodbye, journey on, eager for more adventures and more new Pokémon.

Major Events

• Debut: Kangaskhan. Working dub title “Son of Kangaskhan”.

Pokémon making their anime debut

• Kangaskhan#0115 · EP034

Trivia

• The screenplay is by Junki Takegami.
• This is a stand-alone episode: it can be skipped without losing the thread of the Kanto story.

Changes in the English Dub

• 2-s zoom on Misty’s chest cut (freeze-frame)
• 必殺パンチ sign erased
• A breastfeeding joke becomes “remember Papa?”
• Papa “became a star” becomes a parachute joke
• Misty’s chest gag rewritten (“I’m a person, you creep!”)
• Dub ending: the Kanto Pokérap (Thursday segment)

Part of our Pokémon: Indigo League guide. Browse every season of the Pokémon anime.