Another Kangaskhan question sorry it’s my favourite! Is it true that it is actually the baby that “mega evolves” and not the mom? I’ve heard this theory from a few different people and it got me curious.

Quite all right, anonymous. I thoroughly enjoy answering questions from curious readers.

That said, to answer yours, while I’ve jokingly said in the past that neither of them do (although it is true that kangaskhanite’s effects are questionable at best, as you give it to the mother, not the child), this is essentially how it works, yes. Researchers are not completely certain about the exact chronal mechanics behind it, but essentially, the joey temporarily ages to the point where it’s just short of the right age to leave its mother’s pouch permanently. Then, it leaps from the pouch and fights alongside her. The mother, meanwhile, remains unchanged throughout the entire process.