Ash's Greninja
- Ash Greninja redirects here. For the form of Greninja, see List of Pokémon with form differences → Greninja.
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Ash's Greninja (Japanese: サトシのゲッコウガ Satoshi's Gekkouga) was the first Pokémon that Ash caught in the Kalos region, and his forty-third overall.
In the anime
History
Pokémon the Series: XY
At Professor Sycamore's Laboratory
Greninja's early life was first seen in a flashback in Cloudy Fate, Bright Future!. As a Froakie, it hatched from an Egg and initially lived its life alongside other Froakie in a pond. While the other Froakie spent their time playing and dancing, it spent most of its time away from the others training itself. Due to this, it was seen as a disturbance to the group and was attacked. A Nurse Joy healed Froakie and gave it to Professor Sycamore to be given away as a starter Pokémon. It learned that it could only get strong with a Trainer it truly trusted, and thus became very selective of its Trainer. As a result, Froakie had gone through several Trainers, always returning to Sycamore after either leaving them or being returned for being disobedient.
In Kalos, Where Dreams and Adventures Begin!, Froakie first saw Ash when he was kicked out of the Prism Tower. It continued to observe the group until Team Rocket intervened in Ash and Clemont's friendly Pokémon battle. It volunteered to help out by successfully using its Frubbles to counter Jessie's Wobbuffet, but ended up receiving quite a bit of damage during the encounter.
In Lumiose City Pursuit!, Ash decided to take Froakie to Sycamore's lab, where it was treated and restored to full health. Asking about its Trainer, Ash was informed, by Sycamore, that its Trainer had called to give Froakie back.
Later on, Team Rocket attempted to use a ring-type device against Froakie, but the lab's resident Garchomp got caught in it instead, causing her to go on a rampage after the machine malfunctioned. Ash, along with Froakie and his Pikachu, headed out to rescue Garchomp. In order to prevent her from falling down the Prism Tower, Froakie used its Frubbles on Garchomp's feet, and Pikachu broke the device using Iron Tail.
While leaving Professor Sycamore's laboratory the next day, Froakie threw a chunk of its Frubbles in Ash's face in order to get his attention. It motioned to a Poké Ball lying on the ground in front of it, expressing its desire to join his party. When Ash approved, Froakie happily pressed the Poké Ball's button and was caught.
With Ash
In A Battle of Aerial Mobility!, Froakie was introduced to Professor Oak, who was fascinated by the Bubble Frog Pokémon. For most of the subsequent trip on Route 4, Froakie was seen outside of its Poké Ball. After a wild Fletchling took a Berry that Bonnie was going to give to a Dedenne, Froakie stubbornly attempted to fight Fletchling, only to lose. After Ash learned that it was only trying to get payback at Fletchling for making Bonnie sad, he and Froakie challenged Fletchling to one final battle by climbing the rocks to match Fletchling's speed. Although Fletchling escaped from Ash's Poké Ball once, Froakie later defeated it, which ended in both its defeat and catch.
In Kindergarten Chaos!, Froakie battled Penelope's Sylveon and was about to finish Sylveon off when it was infatuated with Attract and defeated with a Draining Kiss. As the group arrived at the kindergarten where Penelope worked, Froakie was left embarrassed by its loss and stood alone while the other Pokémon played with the kindergartners. When Team Rocket appeared and stole Pikachu and Sylveon, Froakie and Randall, one of the children, were accidentally trapped in Team Rocket's truck during the chaos. Later, when Ash entered the truck, the three worked together to break the glass containers holding Pikachu and Sylveon, helping Randall get over his fear of Pokémon in the process. Froakie and Pikachu managed to defeat Team Rocket and sent them blasting off. Afterward, Froakie and Randall gave each other a fist bump as a sign of their new friendship, before the group said goodbye to everyone at the kindergarten.
In A Rush of Ninja Wisdom!, Froakie battled Sanpei's Frogadier. During the battle, Frogadier used Quick Attack and was able to defeat Froakie, who was unable to keep up with Frogadier's moves despite its stubbornness about winning the battler. Impressed by Frogadier's Quick Attack, Ash wanted to teach it to Froakie with the help of Sanpei. However, despite lots of training, Froakie still wasn't able to perfect Quick Attack. Suddenly, Team Rocket attacked the group and caught Pikachu and Frogadier. Thanks to its training, Froakie managed to learn Double Team and used it to free Pikachu and Frogadier. Working with Frogadier, they both used Water Pulse to blast Team Rocket off.
In An Undersea Place to Call Home!, Froakie, in order to save itself and a Skrelp from a whirlpool, jumped on boxes and debris to escape from the whirlpool and reach safety. This gave Ash the idea for the Rock Tomb Climb. In the next episode, Ash used Froakie as his first Pokémon in his Cyllage Gym Battle against Grant. Froakie went up against his Onix. During the battle, Onix used its signature move Rock Tomb, but Froakie used this opportunity to perform Rock Tomb Climb by climbing on the falling rocks. After reaching the top, Froakie used Water Pulse, which dealt major damage to Onix. After narrowly dodging an Iron Tail, it climbed up Onix's large body and defeated it with Water Pulse. Froakie went up against Grant's last Pokémon, Tyrunt, during which Froakie performed Rock Tomb Climb again. However, Tyrunt jumped high and used Draco Meteor, knocking Froakie out.
In The Forest Champion!, Froakie was used to battle a wild Hawlucha Ash had befriended. After an exchange of multiple attacks, Hawlucha used Flying Press, but Froakie countered with Pound at the last minute, causing a collision that knocked out both Pokémon and ended the battle in a draw. Later, Froakie was seen when Ash caught Hawlucha. It would later have a conflict with Hawlucha in Forging Forest Friendships!. In the wake of learning Cut, Ash and Clemont decided to have a battle in which Froakie and Hawlucha battled against Chespin and Bunnelby. Ash commanded Hawlucha to use Karate Chop to counter Bunnelby's Mud Shot, but Froakie used Water Pulse on Bunnelby instead. This angered Hawlucha, who wanted to hit Bunnelby. The dispute later escalated, requiring them to be separated by Ash. In an attempt to defuse the tension, Ash decided to train the two in using a new move called "Super Flying Cut". During the training, Ash was kidnapped by a wild Trevenant, and both Froakie and Hawlucha got separated from the rest of the group in the process. After finding Ash's hat, the two resolved their differences and sought to find their Trainer. After finding him, they battled Team Rocket, overcoming their Pokémon with their new special move and blasting them off. Having a newfound respect for each other, Froakie and Hawlucha gave each other a fist bump, solidifying their new friendship.
In A Stealthy Challenge!, Froakie was training with Ash and Pikachu when Bonnie noticed Sanpei in the water. It went rescued him and his Greninja, who were previously attacked by Saizo and his Barbaracle. After thwarting another attack, the group decided to help Sanpei find a mansion so he could deliver a secret document given to him by his mentor. Eventually, after they and their Trainers were separated from the rest of the group, Froakie and Greninja encountered Saizo once more and had a rematch. However, neither their joint attacks nor the involvement of Pikachu gave them the upper hand. The three are eventually trapped in rocks by Barbaracle's Mud-Slap, which also blinded Pikachu and Greninja. Froakie managed to break free and evolve into a Frogadier; it weakened the Collective Pokémon with its new move Aerial Ace before Saizo fled the battle. After reaching the mansion, it was revealed that Saizo was in fact Sanpei's mentor, who had been testing his student and that the document was actually blank. Frogadier and Greninja had a battle at the end of the episode, but the outcome was unknown.
In The Green, Green Grass Types of Home!, Ash used Frogadier as his third and final Pokémon in his Coumarine Gym Battle against Ramos. Despite being at a type disadvantage, it went up against Weepinbell, which had already defeated Fletchinder and Hawlucha. Frogadier was eventually able to defeat the Flycatcher Pokémon with Aerial Ace, which overcame and destroyed its Grass Knot. Frogadier's next battle is up against Ramos's last Pokémon, his Gogoat. During the battle, Gogoat used Leech Seed on Frogadier, trapping it while draining Frogadier's health and then used Razor Leaf, circling around Frogadier while launching leaves at it. As a result, neither Ash nor Frogadier were able to see Gogoat. Then, Ash remembered the advice that Ramos gave him; that getting flustered would only make matters worse, and that if he kept a level head he'd be able to see the important things. With the advice in mind, Ash had Frogadier listen for the sounds of Gogoat's movements. After getting hit by multiple leaves, it finally managed to sense Gogoat, cut through the Razor Leaf, and did major damage with Aerial Ace before using Double Team. Though the Mount Pokémon took out the copies with Vine Whip, this gave Frogadier an opening. It hit Gogoat with Water Pulse and knocked it out, giving Ash the win and earning him the Plant Badge.
In A Fashionable Battle!, Ash used Frogadier and Hawlucha for his Double Battle against Sawyer. They went up against Sawyer's Treecko and Bagon and won. However, before Ash and Sawyer could continue their battle, they were interrupted by the commotion caused by Valerie's Fashion Show. Later, in Rivals: Today and Tomorrow!, Ash used Frogadier as his third Pokémon in his three-versus-three battle against Sawyer. It went up against Treecko, despite the type disadvantage. During the battle, Treecko suddenly evolved into Grovyle, learning Leaf Blade in the process. Despite this development, however, Frogadier took advantage of smoke, created by the collision of its Water Pulse and Grovyle's Bullet Seed, to get into the air and attack Grovyle with Water Pulse from behind, defeating the Wood Gecko Pokémon. After the battle, both Frogadier and Grovyle were impressed with the other's abilities and developed a rivalry with each other.
In Cloudy Fate, Bright Future!, Frogadier's past was revealed by Olympia, who also predicted it would gain great power. In the next episode, Frogadier was used along with Talonflame in a Double Battle against Olympia's two Meowstic at the Anistar Gym. The two initially had a difficult time dodging their opponents' moves thanks to their Helping Hand-boosted Future Sight and the female Meowstic's Ability Keen Eye. However, Ash came up with a strategy to have Pikachu keep track of the time it took for Future Sight to hit its mark. During an exchange of attacks, Frogadier was paralyzed by the female Meowstic's Thunder Wave. Eventually, it and Talonflame charged at the Meowstic and managed to grab onto them. Thanks to Pikachu, they were able to let them go at the moment Future Sight was executed, causing it to hit Meowstic instead. As Talonflame knocked the female Meowstic out with Flame Charge, Frogadier prepared to defeat the male with Water Pulse. Despite initial difficulties with its paralysis, Frogadier managed to overpower the male Meowstic's Psyshock, thanks to Ash's words of encouragement, and knocked Meowstic out. This gave Ash the victory, earning him the Psychic Badge.
In The Legend of the Ninja Hero!, Frogadier was seen training with Ash and then met up with Sanpei and his Greninja again; they took the group to their hometown, the Ninja Village. Frogadier watched the battle between Sanpei's Greninja and Nihei's Venusaur with great interest and was shocked when Greninja was defeated. Then, Frogadier followed Ash and his friends and saw the shrine dedicated to the Hero Greninja. When the village was attacked, Frogadier and Ash, along with Sanpei and Greninja, chased after the kidnappers of Hanzo, the village elder, but were confronted by Heidayu and his Bisharp.
In the next episode, Frogadier, along with Pikachu and Sanpei's Greninja, began to battle Heidayu's Bisharp. Bisharp easily overcame their combined efforts, but it was defeated due to the intervention of Saizo and his Barbaracle. Later, Frogadier joined Pikachu and Sanpei's Greninja in a rematch with Bisharp, but they still struggled against the Sword Blade Pokémon. While the three Pokémon struggled to stand after being subjected to Bisharp's Snarl, Heidayu ordered Bisharp to finish Pikachu off with Shadow Claw. At the last moment, Frogadier got up and jumped in front of Pikachu to protect him, causing it to evolve into Greninja and learn Water Shuriken. Following its evolution, Greninja was matched with Bisharp due to its new powerful attack. Hearing Ash's words of encouragement, Greninja mysteriously transformed into a new form that would later be known as Ash-Greninja. With its new power, Greninja knocked Bisharp out with a powerful Cut. Afterward, the torrent of water surrounding it dissipated and Greninja reverted to its normal form, leaving Ash confused over what just happened. After the Ninja Army was defeated, Greninja bade Sanpei and his Greninja farewell as Ash and his friends left the village.
In Meeting at Terminus Cave!, Greninja was used by Ash to retrieve Squishy, who was captured by Team Rocket at the time. Greninja quickly retrieved it and returned it to Bonnie. After Squishy defeated Team Flare's Pokémon and ran away, Greninja battled Celosia's Manectric and Bryony's Liepard, who chased after Squishy. During the battle, it transformed into its Ash-Greninja form and easily beat Manectric and Liepard back with its great speed and power, forcing Team Flare to retreat. During the battle, it was shown that Ash and Greninja share each other's pain and exhaustion while Greninja was in its Ash-Greninja form. Afterward, Greninja and Ash fell to their knees in exhaustion.
In A Meeting of Two Journeys!, Greninja was first used to battle Sawyer's Sceptile. It was eventually able to defeat Sceptile with Aerial Ace upon transforming into Ash-Greninja. Its transformation was noticed by Alain, who was passing by. The next day, Alain requested a battle with Greninja, and Ash agreed. During the battle between Greninja and Alain's Charizard, Charizard Mega Evolved, while Greninja again evolved into Ash-Greninja. In the end, Charizard was able to defeat Greninja with Blast Burn.
In The Synchronicity Test!, Clemont developed an invention that would monitor Ash and Greninja's pulse so the group would know more about Greninja's transformation ability. Greninja was sent out to spar with Clemont's Luxray to try and trigger the transformation. Despite multiple attacks being exchanged, the battle was eventually called off since both Pokémon became tired and Greninja's transformation still hadn't taken place. After Alain showed up, he and Ash agreed to have a rematch, with Greninja battling Alain's Charizard once more. During the battle, Charizard Mega Evolved and managed to hit Greninja with a powerful Thunder Punch. This triggered its transformation into Ash-Greninja, and it was able to match Charizard in combat with its increased power. However, the battle was called off when Ash collapsed from exhaustion. When Ash regained consciousness, he realized that he and Greninja would have to be more careful in using the transformation. Thus, he vowed to train harder in order to perfect it.
In Championing a Research Battle!, Ash and his friends met up with Diantha, who battled Ash and Greninja with Gardevoir after hearing of the latter's special power. Eventually, Greninja and Ash reached the point where they could transform into Ash-Greninja. Diantha was impressed by its special form, as Greninja started to gain the upper hand. It was able to keep up with Gardevoir's speed and strike it. Diantha finally had Gardevoir Mega Evolve and repel Greninja's attacks. With their power matched, Ash and Greninja reached Ash-Greninja's final form, and the water veil that surrounded Greninja turned into a massive, back-mounted shuriken, much to everyone's shock. Greninja attacked with its new Water Shuriken, which proved to be stronger against Gardevoir's Shadow Ball. However, before the battle could progress any further, both Greninja and Ash passed out again from exhaustion. As a result, Gardevoir had to fend off Team Rocket while the two regained consciousness. Greninja and Ash soon recovered and vowed to fully master their newfound transformation.
From A Full-Strength Battle Surprise! to Seeing the Forest for the Trees!, Ash and Greninja faced a major personal crisis in being able to perfect the Ash-Greninja form. Ash first started having doubts about himself after Greninja lost to Sawyer's Sceptile during their three-on-three battle, having been unable to transform. Later on, Ash and Greninja finally managed to activate the form during the Gym battle against Wulfric, but despite that, Greninja still lost due to being frozen by Avalugg's attacks. Blaming himself for their loss, Ash decided to leave Greninja at the Pokémon Center and walked off into the Winding Woods alone. It the following episode, Greninja left to look for Ash. With Squishy's help, they reunited during a blizzard and worked together to save a bunch of Spewpa that were trapped on a tree branch hanging above a cliff. As a result, they were able to get their feelings in sync, and Greninja was able to perfect the Ash-Greninja form. Afterward, Ash and Greninja, along with some forest Pokémon, sought shelter in a cave, where the two promised to start over again. Later on, they reunited with the group and returned to the Pokémon Center. There, Greninja showed Ash its Poké Ball and rolled it over to him, just like the time when it was first caught, signifying their resolve to start over again.
In A Real Icebreaker!, Greninja was Ash's final Pokémon during the rematch against Wulfric, and it battled his Abomasnow this time, despite having a severe type disadvantage. During the battle, Greninja proved to hold its own against Abomasnow. As a result, Wulfric revealed his Key Stone and Mega Evolved Abomasnow. Against Mega Abomasnow, Greninja had a much harder time, but after an exchange of attacks, it eventually finished Abomasnow off with a powerful Aerial Ace. This gave Ash the win and earned him his final Kalos Badge, the Iceberg Badge.
In A League of His Own!, Ash used Greninja in the first round of the Lumiose Conference, where it faced Titus's Altaria. Greninja transformed into Ash-Greninja during the battle, shocking the spectators, and defeated Altaria with a single Water Shuriken. In A Riveting Rivalry!, Greninja was used as Ash's final Pokémon in the semifinals. It faced off against Sawyer's Sceptile again, during which both Pokémon transformed into their more powerful forms. Despite Sceptile's attempts to corner Greninja with Frenzy Plant, Greninja was able to dodge every single Frenzy Plant and slice through them using Cut, thanks to its shared senses with Ash and its full trust in him. Greninja fired a massive Water Shuriken while Sceptile countered with Leaf Storm, triggering a large explosion. After the smoke cleared, only Greninja remained standing, giving Ash the win and allowing him to advance to the finals.
In Down to the Fiery Finish!, Greninja was Ash's final Pokémon used in the finals against Alain. After defeating Alain's Bisharp, it faced off against Charizard. After several exchanges of attacks, Ash and Alain had their Pokémon use Water Shuriken and Blast Burn, respectively. As Greninja unleashed all of its power into the attack, its Shuriken grew to massive size and changed to a fiery red-orange color. Both Pokémon fired off their attacks, with both scoring a direct hit on their opponent. Although initially, both Pokémon were still standing, Greninja wasn't able to take the damage and soon fainted, causing Alain to win the Lumiose Conference.
In A Towering Takeover!, Greninja, along with Ash and his other Pokémon, was taken captive at the top of Prism Tower by Lysandre, who intended to use their Bond Phenomenon for his plans. In the next episode, it and Ash were hit by a miniature version of the Team Flare's Mega Evolution energy ray, designed to control them, but they broke free using Bond Phenomenon. After Alain's Charizard broke Ash's other Pokémon free, Greninja, along with everyone else, battled Lysandre's Pyroar and Shiny Mega Gyarados. Later on, Pyroar, Noivern, Hawlucha, and Goodra were defeated; and Malva appeared and decided to fight alongside Ash and Alain.
The battle finally concluded in Rocking Kalos Defenses!, when Greninja and Charizard hit Gyarados with a respective Cut and Dragon Claw, allowing Pikachu to finish the Atrocious Pokémon off with a Thunderbolt. Greninja later helped Serena's Braixen, Steven's Metagross, and Professor Sycamore's Garchomp fight against the Giant Rock. Greninja managed to sense Chespie's location inside the Giant Rock and managed to throw a Water Shuriken into its body, marking the location. It, along with the other Pokémon, was eventually subdued by the Giant Rock's roots but was freed by a combined attack from the Pokémon of all the Kalos Gym Leaders and Diantha. After coming up with a strategy, everyone combined their powers to fend off the Giant Rock's roots, allowing Ash and Alain to reach its center and save Chespie, bringing the creature down. After the resurrection of the Giant Rock, which was now controlled by Lysandre, Greninja, Pikachu, and Alain's Charizard managed to destroy Lysandre's control device, allowing Squishy and Z2 to destroy the Giant Rock.
In Facing the Needs of the Many!, Greninja detected the presence of one of the Giant Rock's remaining roots. After transforming into Ash-Greninja, it was able to see the root's underground source and used Water Shuriken on it, causing the root to wither away. After Xerosic revealed his plans to create Neo-Team Flare and kidnapped Clemont, Ash sent Greninja to follow him. It helped Ash and his friends defeat Xerosic in battle, leading to Xerosic's arrest. However, parts of the Giant Rock still remained. After Squishy appeared and saved Bonnie from another root, it led Greninja and the group to Z2, who requested Greninja to help it and Squishy detect and destroy all of the Giant Rock's remnants. Greninja accepted Z2's request and bid farewell to Ash and his friends. In the following episode, Greninja was seen destroying a root, with Squishy and Z2 watching nearby.
Pokémon Journeys: The Series
In Catching the Aura of Fate!, Greninja reunited with Ash and Pikachu, and accepted its former Trainer's request for help in training Lucario. After quickly defeating Lucario in a sparring match, Greninja witnessed the Aura Pokémon run off in frustration. Greninja found Lucario and offered it some advice in order to strengthen its Aura abilities, showcasing that it needed to be in perfect balance. However, after sensing a cluster of giant roots that was attacking Ash and Goh, Greninja and Lucario went back to help the boys. Greninja and Lucario teamed up to take the roots down through a combination of Water Shuriken and Aura Sphere. Returning to its duty, Greninja bid goodbye to Ash, Goh, and Lucario.
Greninja reappeared in Aim For The Eight!, sensing Lucario as it drew power from its allies' Aura during Ash's battle against Raihan in Galar.
In Whittle While You Work!, Greninja sensed Lucario once again as the Aura Pokémon drew power from its Aura during Ash's battle against Cynthia in the Masters Eight Tournament.
In Partners in Time!, Greninja appeared as a vision to Pikachu during his battle against Leon's Charizard.
In Heroes Unite!, Greninja appeared in a fantasy while Ash reminisced about the Pokémon he'd caught on his journey.
Personality and characteristics
As a Froakie, it was a stubborn, picky Pokémon, displayed by the fact that it had several other Trainers that it refused to listen to, either forcing them to return it to Professor Sycamore or abandoning them and returning to the lab itself. It is also extremely similar to Ash personality wise, as it is not afraid to leap into danger regardless of its own safety and doesn't back down from a fight. It is clear that it recognizes these traits in Ash, hence why it was finally willing to accept being taken into Ash's wing. It also has a sense of honor, as demonstrated when it attacked Fletchling just because it made Bonnie cry. In The Bamboozling Forest!, it is shown to have a good judgment of character, as it became suspicious of Meowth when he pretended to side with it, Pikachu, and Chespin under a temporary truce. Froakie is prone to blushing when praised, as shown when being thanked by Bonnie in A Battle of Aerial Mobility! and Fennekin in The Bamboozling Forest!. As shown in Kindergarten Chaos!, Greninja as a Froakie gets embarrassed when losing in a bad way, such as when it lost because of Attract.
Since evolving into a Frogadier, its personality remained largely the same. It is still shown to be loyal to Ash, as shown when it hugged him after its victory in the Coumarine City Gym battle. Greninja is a responsible Pokémon that can take initiative to protect its friends and allies, as shown in So You're Having a Bad Day!, it volunteered to scout ahead to protect Serena and Chespin after they had gotten separated from the group and defended them from a wild Pangoro. Greninja also appears to be good with younger Pokémon and children. As a Froakie, in addition to challenging Fletchling for making Bonnie cry, it was able to befriend the timid Randall during one of Team Rocket's schemes. As a Frogadier, it can be seen looking after Dedenne in Under the Pledging Tree! while Ash and his friends were preparing gifts for their Pokémon.
Greninja cares deeply for its friends and would go to great lengths to keep them safe from danger, as seen when it took an attack for Talonflame in the Anistar Gym battle against Olympia in All Eyes on the Future!. Greninja has even shown to be the peace maker of the group and is usually the voices of reason whenever there is conflict. Greninja is also very wise, offering advice and encouragement to those who need it, as seen in Catching the Aura of Fate!, when Ash's Lucario had trouble finding balance in its Aura and bond with their Trainer.
Greninja seems to appreciate and respect bravery and selflessness, and as such, aims to be so itself. This is first shown when it took a hit for Pikachu during Team Rocket's attack despite not knowing Pikachu or his Trainer, and then proceeded to help them both in combat. It respects those with these traits, as it does Ash. Greninja was impressed and surprised by Ash's willingness to put himself in danger to help a Garchomp that wasn't his Pokémon and barely knew, and admired this show of self-sacrifice and selflessness to the point Greninja as a Froakie went alongside Ash to face Garchomp. It also showed genuine concern for Ash's safety when Ash jumped off the Prism Tower. A lack of these traits in its previous Trainers may be what caused Greninja to leave them.
Greninja has been shown to enjoy battling, and seems to enjoy the opportunity to fight a strong opponent. Once recognizing Sawyer's Grovyle's strength, it developed a rivalry with it. It also seems to relish at both the thought and the action of defeating a strong opponent, as seen when it grinned before fighting Sawyer's Grovyle, and defeating Grant's Onix.
Greninja's close bond with Ash was also one of his greatest insecurities, as their repeated failure to master the Ash-Greninja form started to weigh heavily on Trainer and Pokémon alike. When Ash left Greninja in the Pokémon center after the loss to Wulfric, out of a sense of guilt for Greninja's injuries, a saddened Greninja gave chase as soon as he recovered. It was revealed Greninja also felt responsible for their loss. After fully synchronizing their feelings to save a Spewpa, however, Ash explained to Greninja why he wanted to become a Pokémon Trainer, and that he saw his Pokémon as his closest friends. After that, Greninja and Ash came to fully understand each other.
Ash-Greninja
Shortly after evolving into Greninja, through its strong bond with Ash, it can call upon a transformation similar to Mega Evolution, where it takes on an appearance resembling its Trainer while being covered in a water veil. In its final form, the water veil moves from around its body to its back and forms an "X" shape, which resemble wings, then the wings form into a small sphere shape of water on the middle of its back with a light blue ring in the middle of it and then grows in size until it forms into a giant shuriken made of water. Its full capabilities were unknown, but it appears to give a significant boost in speed and power. In its completed form, it can rival the power of Mega Evolved Pokémon.
This form comes with a side-effect: whenever Greninja takes damage, the pain is shared with Ash in the same location where Greninja was hurt. Ash is also shown to be able to see from Greninja's point of view and will occasionally mimic Greninja's movements. Ash describes it as feeling like he "became" Greninja. It is revealed by Clemont's device that Ash and Greninja share exactly the same heartbeat while Greninja is in the form and that the form can be accessed when Ash and Greninja's feelings synchronize. If the form is pushed too hard, it is possible for Ash to pass out from the resulting exhaustion and pain.
The term Ash-Greninja (Japanese: サトシゲッコウガ Satoshi-Gekkouga) was officially coined by Bonnie in All Hail the Ice Battlefield!. During the next episode, Ash and Greninja made amends and were able to trigger the transformation at will. By the time of their rematch against Wulfric, Ash and Greninja were able to use the form without passing out, and although they still shared each other's pain, it seemed to be more manageable for Ash to handle. During the Lumiose Conference, it is soon revealed by Professor Sycamore that the transformation Greninja had been going through is known as Bond Phenomenon.
Appearance
- See also: Bond Phenomenon
| As an Egg | As a Froakie | As a Frogadier | As Ash-Greninja |
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Moves used
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| A † shows that the move was used recently, unless all moves fit this case or there are fewer than five known moves. | |||||||
Moves improvised
| Picture | First Used In | Moves Involved | Partnered With |
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Climbing the Walls! | Rock Tomb and Double Team | Grant's Onix |
| Description: Rock Tomb Climb (Japanese: がんせきふうじふうじ Rock Trap Trap) was developed by Ash for his Cyllage Gym battle against Grant. During the battle, Ash knew Froakie would be going up against the Gym Leader's Onix and its powerful Rock Tomb. To that end, Ash taught Froakie how to jump on the projectiles for momentum and use them to get close to Onix for powerful hits. Ash dubbed this technique 'Rock Tomb Climb'. This was inspired by events from An Undersea Place to Call Home!. | |||
 
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Forging Forest Friendships! | Cut and Flying Press | Ash's Hawlucha |
| Description: Super Flying Cut (Japanese: スーパーフライングいあいきり Super Flying Cut) When Hawlucha and Froakie were not getting along, Ash came up with an idea where Hawlucha and Froakie could work together to make a powerful move. Froakie gets on Hawlucha's back, and Hawlucha starts flying. Froakie would jump off of Hawlucha, and use Cut on the target. Then Hawlucha would come down and hit the same target, resulting in major damage. This was mastered during the battle with Team Rocket, resulting in their defeat. | |||
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Championing a Research Battle! | Water Shuriken | None |
| Description: When Greninja is in its perfect Ash-Greninja form, it will throw the shuriken on its back when using Water Shuriken, causing significantly more damage. In A Riveting Rivalry!, the power of this move was increased when Greninja absorbed the clones of its Double Team into the shuriken, causing it to triple in size and do a significant amount more of damage. In Down to the Fiery Finish!, Greninja created another giant Water Shuriken, but this time it was colored orange instead of light blue. | |||
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A Real Icebreaker! | Cut and Ice Punch | Wulfric's Mega Abomasnow |
| Description: When Greninja was battling against Wulfric's Abomasnow, its Cut attack got frozen by Mega Abomasnow's Ice Punch. However, Greninja used the frozen knives as ice skates to skate across the battlefield. | |||
Voice actors
Below are Froakie's speaking voices in Pikachu and Meowth's dream in Dream a Little Dream from Me!.
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Artwork
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| Official artwork from Pokémon the Series: XY |
Official artwork from Pokémon the Series: XY |
Official artwork from Pokémon the Series: XY |
Official artwork from Pokémon the Series: XY |
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| Concept art of Ash-Greninja for Pokémon Sun and Moon | Artwork from "After the story"[1] | Poster for the Japanese version of Pokémon: Aim to Be a Pokémon Master |
In the games
In the core series
Ash's Greninja is featured in the Special Demo Version of Pokémon Sun and Moon. In it, Elio, the player character, is given a Greninja with Ash as his Original Trainer to take care of, met by Ash on October 17, 2013 at level 5 in the Kalos region. It has Hardy nature, 31 IV in Attack, Special Attack, Speed and 20 IV in HP, Defense, Special Defense, 2 EVs in HP, 128 EVs in Attack, 128 EVs in Special Attack, and 252 EVs in Speed. Completing the demo allows the player to transfer the Greninja to the full game, which resets its nature while keeping its IVs and EVs the same.
Like in the anime, this Greninja can transform into Ash-Greninja by defeating a Pokémon in a battle with two or more Pokémon, activating its unique Ability, Battle Bond. Internally, Battle Bond Greninja, before transforming, are treated as an alternate form separate from Greninja with Torrent or Protean. Greninja can only transform in Generation VII; in Generation IX, Battle Bond simply gives stat boosts to Greninja.
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| Moves in bold can be taught again at the Move Reminder as a special move if forgotten. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date received is the date on the system when the gift is picked up from the deliveryman. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| This Pokémon's origin is the same as the language chosen in the demo, regardless of the language of the receiving game. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Artwork
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| Concept art of Ash-Greninja for Pokémon Sun and Moon |
In spin-off games
Pokémon Picross
Greninja appears as a puzzle in Pokémon Picross. It is located in Area 03 and must be unlocked using a password.
Pokémon Shuffle
Greninja appears as a special stage in Pokémon Shuffle.
Pokémon Tretta
Greninja appears in Pokémon Tretta.
| Tretta No. | Name | Type | Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| P | Ash-Greninja (Promotional Tretta) | 
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| Z2-06 | Ash-Greninja (Zygarde Super Power Up, Ash-Greninja Comes Calling) |
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| P | Ash-Greninja (Promotional Tretta) |
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In the manga
Movie adaptations
Greninja appeared in the manga adaptation of the Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction as a Froakie.
It reappeared as a Frogadier in Hoopa and the Clash of Ages.
Moves used
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| A † shows that the move was used recently, unless all moves fit this case or there are fewer than five known moves. | ||||||||||
Pokémon Journeys: The Series
Greninja appeared as Ash-Greninja in a fantasy in Legend? Check! Friends? Check!.
In the TCG
In the Pokémon Trading Card Game, Ash's Greninja in its Ash-Greninja form is featured as a Promotional Pokémon
card.
| Related cards Cards listed with a blue background are only legal to use in the current Expanded format. Cards listed with a green background are legal to use in both the current Standard and Expanded formats. | |||||||
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| Card | Type | English Expansion |
Rarity | # | Japanese Expansion |
Rarity | # |
| Ash-Greninja
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XY Black Star Promos | XY133 | XY-P Promotional cards | 218/XY-P | ||
Trivia
- Greninja's capture as a Froakie marks the first time that Ash catches a starter Pokémon as his first Pokémon in a region.
- Greninja is Ash's only Pokémon to be owned by more than one Trainer before him.
- Greninja is the only Water-type starter Pokémon to have evolved under Ash's ownership.
- Greninja is also the first fully evolved Water-type starter Pokémon owned by a main character.
- As a Froakie, Greninja was also Ash's first Water-type to evolve under his ownership since his Krabby evolved into Kingler in Round One - Begin!, 776 episodes earlier.
- Greninja is also Ash's only Water-type to have evolved twice.
- Greninja is the first of Ash's starter Pokémon to have its Egg revealed on-screen.
- Greninja is the first Pokémon belonging to a main character to change form.
- Out of all Pokémon that have been released by Ash, Greninja:
- In the original Japanese version of Dream a Little Dream from Me!, Frogadier, as a Froakie in a dream, spoke in archaic Japanese, a trope common among ninjas in modern Japanese fiction.
- When Greninja evolved from Frogadier in A Festival of Decisions!, it evolved in a similar situation to when it evolved from Froakie in A Stealthy Challenge!, with Ash's Pikachu and Sanpei's Greninja already hurt by the enemy and laying down in defeat.
- The episode in which Frogadier evolved into Greninja aired in Japan almost exactly a year after the episode in which it evolved from Froakie to Frogadier, with only one day shy of being a full year.
- In the dub of Kindergarten Chaos!, Ash implied that Greninja is male by calling it a "he".
- Greninja, in its Ash-Greninja form, was featured in a 3DS theme.
- Greninja is the only Pokémon Ash caught in Kalos to have never been weak to Ice-type attacks in any stage of its evolution.
- Inversely, Greninja is the only Pokémon Ash caught in Kalos that is weak to Grass-type attacks.
In other languages
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References
Related articles
For more information on this Pokémon's species, see Froakie, Frogadier, and Greninja.
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This article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of Pokémon animation. |
