IL034: The Kangaskhan Kid

The Kangaskhan Kid is the 34th episode in the Indigo League season.

Synopsis
Ash, Misty, and Brock think they are in the Safari Zone. Ash sees a Chansey and tries to catch it, but it turns out that it's just Ranger Jenny in a Chansey suit. She arrests Ash for poaching and she takes them to the station. She tells them they are in a Pokémon Preservation Area where it's illegal to catch the Pokémon.

Ash tells Officer Jenny that he didn't know, so she lets him off with a warning. They see poachers on the map in the station and ask if they can come along with Jenny to help catch the poachers. She lets them go and they find it is Team Rocket trying to get the Kangaskhan. They fire a rocket at the Kangaskhan and they get scared. They run in fear and the jeep Ash and his friends are riding in has to swerve away for safety. The jeep is safe, but all of the Kangaskhan are trapped in a net. Jessie throws a Poké Ball at a Kangaskhan, but its deflected by a boomerang. A kid suddenly appears, yells at Team Rocket, and cuts the net free. The Kangaskhan send Team Rocket blasting off.

The kid jumps into the pouch off the biggest Kangaskhan. A helicopter lands and two adults come out of it, saying that they heard their missing son was in the area. They all go back to the station and the adults tell them that they heard their missing son Tommy was living in the area. Ash and his friends leave in the jeep to look for the baby Kangaskhan that should having been in the pouch Tommy was riding in. They find it and discover it is hurt. They give it a Super Potion to heal it.

Tommy sees this and thinks they are hurting the baby Kangaskhan. He asks them if they are people or Pokémon. Misty tells them that they are people. Tommy's parents run over and talk with Tommy. His father hits him on the head with a piece of wood, hoping that his memory of his parents will come back. Tommy remembers his mother and his father is about to hit Tommy on the head with the wood again when Misty takes it away saying, "One memory at a time!" Officer Jenny gets a warning that there's more poachers and Tommy runs to help the Kangaskhan.

They find a robotic Kangaskhan Team Rocket made pretending to be hurt so the other Kangaskhan will help it. The Kangaskhan walk over to it, but their leader tries to stop them. They ignore their leader and all the Kangaskhan are hit by tranquilizers. The leader tries to hurt the robotic Kangaskhan, but is hit also.

Ash brings out Bulbasaur and Squirtle. They use Vine Whip and Skull Bash, but it doesn't work. Team Rocket is about to attack, but the Kangaskhan break free. Tommy uses his boomerang and Charmander sets the gasoline in the robot on fire. Though the robot is on fire, it still works.

The helicopter comes in and crashes into the robot Kangaskhan. Team Rocket goes blasting off and Tommy starts crying, thinking his parents have died. His parents have survived and they say they will live in the preserve with Tommy.

The episode ends with Tommy, his parents, and the baby Kangaskhan in the leader Kangaskhan's pouch waving goodbye to Ash and his friends.

Debuts
Humans Pokémon
 * Tomo
 * Bellsprout
 * Vileplume
 * Kangaskhan

Trivia

 * This episode's storyline is loosely based on Tarzan the Ape Man.
 * In the Japanese version When Ash and the Gang encounter Tommy, the gag of Misty telling Tommy to apologize was changed for the overseas dubbed English version. In the original Japanese version, Tommy spaces out and stares at Misty's breasts, and she asks "What's up?" then Tommy said "Can I drink from your breast?" She gets very angry, and hits him, and says "How dare you say that?" For the overseas dubbed English version, the shot of Misty's breasts was cut, and he asks "You people or Pokémon?" She gets very angry, hits him and says "I'm a person, you creep!" However she still blushes in the English version.
 * The "Who's that Pokémon?" in this episode is Kangaskhan.

Quotes

 * Tommy: "They Pokémon or peoples?"
 * Tommy's mom gasps
 * Misty: "They're peoples. I mean people."