One of the hottest gaming apps of 2016 was Pokémon Go. Millions of people took their smartphones and tablets out into their communities, hunting down elusive Pokémon. Gyms in public locations brought people together in unique ways. For the first couple of weeks after its release, reports of children with sore legs from all their walking filled the news.
Cubone is one of the Pokémon that can be caught in Pokémon Go. He’s been a character that has been involved with the Pokémon storylines for over 20 years. In the Cubone Kangaskhan theory, it is believed that there is an alternative evolutionary path for this Pokémon.
It’s a story that involves grief, loss, and revenge. There are also many unanswered questions. For example: how could Cubone evolve into a Pokémon that is not known to evolve into or from another Pokémon?
And could Pokémon Go be the answer to all of these questions? After all, in the Pokémon cannon, it is very possible that the mobile game is chronologically the very first story to be told in the Pokémon universe.
Why Does Cubone Actually Wear a Skull on Its Head?
If you look at the description of Cubone, he is called the “lonely” Pokémon. In Gen I, the Pokedex even describes Cubone as wearing the skull of its deceased mother on its head in order for it to disguise its true identity.
Because of this, in the past 20 years, a number of theories have been offered as to why Cubone wears a skull. In most cannons, the Pokedex entry for this Pokémon references how its mother happened to pass away. What is not explained is why every Cubone mother is not in the game. In the latest version of Pokémon, the Pokedex states that Cubone will evolve when it comes to grips with its grief over the loss of its mother.
Under the standard evolutionary cycle for Cubone, it will evolve into Marowak. In Alola, Cubone can also evolve into Alolan Marowak.
In the Cubone Kangaskhan theory, there is an alternate evolution which includes Kangaskhan. If a mother Kangaskhan passes away while her young Pokémon is still in its pouch, then the theory is that the youngster would use the skull of the mother in order to protect itself while out in the wild. This, in essence is what Cubone does.
Eventually, Cubone would then evolve into a Marowak, which at some point would then allow it to evolve into Kangaskhan.
There is evidence to support this idea in previous Pokémon cannon. In Red and Blue, there is a gaming glitch which allows users to catch a Pokémon named ‘M. This Pokémon looks a lot like a Marowak. If you catch ‘M and level it up, eventually it evolves into Kangaskhan.
The recent release of Sun and Moon offers more potential evidence for this theory as well. When you’re out in the wild and need help, you can put out a call and a family member from that Pokémon will arrive. If you’re playing as Pikachu, for example, you might receive help from another Pikachu or a Raichu.
Who comes for help when you put out the call as Cubone? Kangaskhan.
Regional Evidence to Support the Cubone Kangaskhan Theory
In the Pokémon games, there are various ways that certain families of Pokémon are similar to each other. One of the ways is through regional influence. For Cubone and Marowak, their regional influence is Australia. This is why they learn the move “Bonemerang.” Kangaskhan is also based on this regional influence.
In looking at the anime entries for Kangaskhan, there is also a close similarity to the story of Cubone. Here’s an example from Episode 34.
Kangaskhan, a parent Pokémon. Once approaching extinction, they are now protected by law and inhabit the Safari Zone. Approach with extreme caution… They will attack viciously and without warning if they feel their young are threatened in any way.
There is also trophy information from Super Smash Brothers for the Wii U which supports the Cubone Kangaskhan theory as well. When Kangaskhan evolves through Mega Evolve using Kangaskhanite, the trophy information states that the baby hops out and is ready to help defend its mother.
If the Theory Is True, Why Doesn’t Cubone Evolve into Kangaskhan?
No one really knows for certain why the cannon was changed within the game to remove the evolutionary cycle of Cubone into Kangaskhan through Marowak, but the belief is that the Cubone story was considered to be too traumatic to include in what was intended to be a children’s game.
After all, the mass murder of every Cubone mother is a bit of a grim tale.
Yet Cubone and Kangaskhan are found together in almost every game. In Gen II, they were both found in the rock tunnel only. In Gen 5, they’re on Route 15. Even when you compare the Pokémon Wikia images of a young Kangaskhan to Cubone, the images are virtually identical.
So why does Cubone evolve into Marowak instead of Kangaskhan within the cannon of the game? It is because of the forced change of the lifestyle of this Pokémon. Instead of growing up with its mother, it is forced out into the wild to fend for itself. The only way to do so is to use one of its mother’s bones to fend off attacks. This stops the natural evolutionary cycle and inserts a “mutated” one in its place.
The structure of the game has also changed from the days of Red and Blue to today’s Pokémon Go or Sun and Moon. Held items also help to create evolutions in the modern game, but it is entirely possible that the coding for this was included in the earlier versions as well. If you were able to catch a baby Kangaskhan, then if you held one of the bones, in theory you would then be able to evolve the baby Kangaskhan into Cubone and follow the alternative evolution path.
What Does This Mean for Pokémon Cannon?
The Cubone Kangaskhan theory is often hinted at within the Pokémon cannon, but it has never really been confirmed. Much of the evidence seems to support this 20-year-old fan theory, however, especially when information from other sources is also included.
What we can say is that there is definitely a history between Cubone, Marowak, and Kangaskhan that is tied together for nearly an entire generation of Pokémon games, anime, and other stories. Whether you believe that the bones are a family rite of passage into adulthood or there is a tale that is grimmer and based on revenge, one thing is for certain: Pokémon will continue to offer intriguing stories.
Even if they make your legs hurt in trying to unlock them.