The Bizarre Case of Mega Kangaskhan

Kangaskhan is a Pokémon that was, until relatively recently, forgotten. Its concept was interesting: a Normal-type marsupial with its young "child" in tow, ready to witness its mother participate in battles. Even in Generation I, Kangaskhan was listed as "Under-Used," where it-- for the most part-- remained for its competitive life before falling into "Never-Used" during Generation V. Generation VI has been exceptionally kind to Kangaskhan, perhaps even to a fault. She was given a Mega Evolution with huge offensive capabilities; each move Kangaskhan uses hits twice, because, after five generations of simply observing, Kangaskhan's "child" has come to battle as a rather fearsome opponent.

You might be wondering: why is this so strange? Plenty of Pokémon from Generation I were given massive upgrades with Generation VI, from the introduction of Fairy types to Mega Evolutions which may be less than fair in terms of power boosts.

Kangaskhan in Gen 1 (Yellow). (From http://pokemondb.net/sprites/kangaskhan.)

Don't get me wrong; I've always been fond of Kangaskhan! Ever since I first saw her design at roughly the age of eight or nine, I found her adorable and impressive, even if just in design. Kangaskhan's inclusion of her child in her battling career is unlike any other Pokémon in existence, and it should make sense that an ability like Parental Bond is put into place in order to better harness this potential. So, what's the problem?

Kangaskhan is a member of the Uber tier and banned alongside Mega Blaziken (and occasionally Mega Gengar) in a large percentage of tournaments.

I suppose we were expecting it with Blaziken, as that fiery chicken/martial artist has been a member of the Uber tier since Generation 5 due to possessing Speed Boost. (Even before this, it was fairly powerful.) Gengar gaining the ability to use Dazzling Gleam alongside its collection of Ghost- and Poison-type moves makes it a feasible threat, especially with the boosted power granted by Mega Evolving. Kangaskhan transformed from a Pokémon that was stuck among various other Normal-types in a category the average competitive battler disregarded, into one of the most deadly powerhouses in the Generation 6 metagame overnight. (And it didn't need help from a Ditto!) Parental Bond is Kangaskhan's Speed Boost; and, like Blaziken, it gains this ability as soon as it Mega Evolves. Kangaskhan's child hops out of its pouch and readies itself for combat, copying its mother's moves exactly...and hitting the opponent again. While its attacks have their power decreased by 50%, the fact that Mega Kangaskhan does 150% damage with every attack is frightening enough. Combine this with STAB and/or moves that hit more than once, and the once-forgotten marsupial mother becomes a sweeper capable of downing half a Trainer's team in no time flat.

Is it wonderful? Yes. Is it frightening? Yes. Should it be banned? Yes. Should we start to hate Mega Kangaskhan with a passion? No.
It's true; Mega Kangaskhan is very, very powerful. (It does have an Attack stat of 125!) It can be a particular pain in Doubles, and still a valid tormentor in Singles. The fact that a Pokémon once forgotten by the competitive world can become so powerful so quickly is amazing, and sort of inspiring. Even before it could Mega Evolve, Kangaskhan could still function well in battle. Those who love it dearly can still use it without Mega Evolution, and those who paid it no mind can dabble in the Uber-ranked power of mother and child.

Battle on, Kangaskhan. Battle on. (From officialnintendomagazine.co.uk.)