Ash Greninja redirects here. For the form of Greninja, seeGreninja (Pokémon) → Form data.

Ash's Greninja サトシのゲッコウガSatoshi's Gekkouga

Ash's Greninja

Egg obtained in Prior toKalos, Where Dreams and Adventures Begin! Hatches in Prior toKalos, Where Dreams and Adventures Begin! Caught in Lumiose City Pursuit! Hatched at Kalos(Caught inLumiose City) Evolves in A Stealthy Challenge! A Festival of Decisions! Gender Male[1] Ability Battle Bond (Games only)[2] Nature Hardy (Games only)[2] Released in Facing the Needs of the Many! Current location Kalos

→ → → This Pokémon spentan unknown number of episodes in itsEgg,51 episodes asFroakie, and48 episodes asFrogadier.

Voice actor Japanese English As Froakie Yūji Ueda Billy Bob Thompson As Frogadier Yūji Ueda Billy Bob Thompson As Greninja Yūji Ueda Billy Bob Thompson

Ash's Greninja (Japanese:サトシのゲッコウガSatoshi's Gekkouga) was the firstPokémon thatAshcaught in theKalosregion, and his forty-fourth overall.

In animation

History

Pokémon the Series: XY

At Professor Sycamore's Laboratory

Greninja's early life was first seen in a flashback inCloudy Fate, Bright Future!. As a Froakie, it hatched from anEgg and initially lived its life alongside otherFroakie 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. ANurse Joy healed Froakie and gave it toProfessor Sycamore to be given away as afirst partner Pokémon. It learned that it could only get strong with aTrainer 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 beingdisobedient.

InKalos, Where Dreams and Adventures Begin!, Froakie first saw Ash when he was kicked out of thePrism Tower. It continued to observe the group untilTeam Rocket intervened in Ash andClemont's friendly Pokémon battle. It volunteered to help out by successfully using its Frubbles to counterJessie's Wobbuffet, but ended up receiving quite a bit of damage during the encounter.

InLumiose 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 residentGarchomp got caught in it instead, causing her to go on a rampage after the machine malfunctioned. Ash, along with Froakie and hisPikachu, 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 usingIron 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 aPoké 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 wascaught.

With Ash

InA Battle of Aerial Mobility!, Froakie was introduced toProfessor Oak, who was fascinated by the Bubble Frog Pokémon. For most of the subsequent trip onRoute 4, Froakie was seen outside of its Poké Ball. After a wildFletchling took aBerry thatBonnie was going to give to aDedenne, 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.

InKindergarten Chaos!, Froakie battledPenelope'sSylveon and was about to finish Sylveon off when it was infatuated withAttract and defeated with aDraining 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 andRandall, 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.

InA Rush of Ninja Wisdom!, Froakie battledSanpei's Frogadier. During the battle, Frogadier usedQuick 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 ofSanpei. 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 learnDouble Team and used it to free Pikachu and Frogadier. Working with Frogadier, they both used Water Pulse to blast Team Rocket off.

InAn Undersea Place to Call Home!, Froakie, in order to save itself and aSkrelp 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. Inthe next episode, Ash used Froakie as his first Pokémon in hisCyllage Gym Battle againstGrant. Froakie went up against hisOnix. During the battle, Onix used its signature moveRock 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 usedDraco Meteor, knocking Froakie out.

InThe Forest Champion!, Froakie was used to battle a wildHawlucha Ash had befriended. After an exchange of multiple attacks, Hawlucha usedFlying 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 inForging Forest Friendships!. In the wake of learningCut, Ash and Clemont decided to have a battle in which Froakie and Hawlucha battled againstChespin andBunnelby. Ash commanded Hawlucha to useKarate Chop to counter Bunnelby'sMud 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 wildTrevenant, and both Froakie and Hawlucha got separated from the rest of the group in the process. After findingAsh'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.

InA Stealthy Challenge!, Froakie was training with Ash and Pikachu when Bonnie noticed Sanpei in the water. It went rescued him and hisGreninja, who were previously attacked bySaizo and hisBarbaracle. 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'sMud-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 moveAerial 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.

InThe Green, Green Grass Types of Home!, Ash used Frogadier as his third and final Pokémon in hisCoumarine Gym Battle againstRamos. Despite being at a type disadvantage, it went up againstWeepinbell, which had already defeated Fletchinder and Hawlucha. Frogadier was eventually able to defeat the Flycatcher Pokémon with Aerial Ace, which overcame and destroyed itsGrass Knot. Frogadier's next battle is up against Ramos's last Pokémon, hisGogoat. During the battle, Gogoat usedLeech Seed on Frogadier, trapping it while draining Frogadier's health and then usedRazor 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 thePlant Badge.

InA Fashionable Battle!, Ash used Frogadier and Hawlucha for hisDouble Battle againstSawyer. They went up againstSawyer's Treecko andBagon and won. However, before Ash and Sawyer could continue their battle, they were interrupted by the commotion caused byValerie's Fashion Show. Later, inRivals: Today and Tomorrow!, Ash used Frogadier as his third Pokémon in his three-versus-three battle against Sawyer. It went up againstTreecko, despite the type disadvantage. During the battle, Treecko suddenly evolved intoGrovyle, learningLeaf 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.

InCloudy Fate, Bright Future!, Frogadier's past was revealed byOlympia, who also predicted it would gain great power. Inthe next episode, Frogadier was used along with Talonflame in aDouble Battle againstOlympia's twoMeowstic at the Anistar Gym. The two initially had a difficult time dodging their opponents' moves thanks to theirHelping Hand-boostedFuture Sight and the female Meowstic's AbilityKeen 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 wasparalyzed by the female Meowstic'sThunder 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 thePsychic Badge.

InThe 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, theNinja Village. Frogadier watched the battle between Sanpei's Greninja andNihei'sVenusaur 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 ofHanzo, the village elder, but were confronted byHeidayu and hisBisharp.

Inthe 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'sSnarl, 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 learnWater 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 asAsh-Greninja (サトシゲッコウガSatoshi-Gekkouga). 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.

InMeeting at Terminus Cave!, Greninja was used by Ash to retrieveSquishy, who was captured by Team Rocket at the time. Greninja quickly retrieved it and returned it to Bonnie. After Squishy defeatedTeam Flare's Pokémon and ran away, Greninja battledCelosia'sManectric andBryony'sLiepard, 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.

InA 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 byAlain, who was passing by. The next day, Alain requested a battle with Greninja, and Ash agreed. During the battle between Greninja andAlain's Charizard, CharizardMega Evolved, while Greninja again evolved into Ash-Greninja. In the end, Charizard was able to defeat Greninja withBlast Burn.

InThe 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 withClemont'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.

InChampioning a Research Battle!, Ash and his friends met up withDiantha, who battled Ash and Greninja withGardevoir 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'sShadow 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.

FromA Full-Strength Battle Surprise! toSeeing 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 againstWulfric, but despite that, Greninja still lost due to being frozen byAvalugg's attacks. Blaming himself for their loss, Ash decided to leave Greninja at thePokémon Center and walked off into theWinding Woods alone. Itthe following episode, Greninja left to look for Ash. With Squishy's help, they reunited during a blizzard and worked together to save a bunch ofSpewpa 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.

InA Real Icebreaker!, Greninja was Ash's final Pokémon during the rematch against Wulfric, and it battled hisAbomasnow this time, despite having a severe type disadvantage. During the battle, Greninja proved to hold its own against Abomasnow. As a result, Wulfric revealed hisKey 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 finalKalos Badge, theIceberg Badge.

InA League of His Own!, Ash used Greninja in the first round of theLumiose Conference, where it facedTitus'sAltaria. Greninja transformed into Ash-Greninja during the battle, shocking the spectators, and defeated Altaria with a single Water Shuriken. InA 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 withFrenzy 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.

InDown 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.

InA Towering Takeover!, Greninja, along with Ash and his other Pokémon, was taken captive at the top of Prism Tower byLysandre, who intended to use theirBond Phenomenon for his plans. Inthe 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, battledLysandre's Pyroar andShiny MegaGyarados.Later on, Pyroar, Noivern, Hawlucha, and Goodra were defeated; andMalva appeared and decided to fight alongside Ash and Alain.

The battle finally concluded inRocking 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 helpedSerena's Braixen,Steven's Metagross, and Professor Sycamore's Garchomp fight against theGiant Rock. Greninja managed to senseChespie'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 andZ2 to destroy the Giant Rock.

InFacing 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 usedWater Shuriken on it, causing the root to wither away. AfterXerosic revealed his plans to create Neo-Team Flare and kidnappedClemont, 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. AfterSquishy appeared and savedBonnie from another root, it led Greninja and the group toZ2, 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. Inthe following episode, Greninja was seen destroying a root, with Squishy and Z2 watching nearby.

Pokémon Journeys: The Series

InCatching the Aura of Fate!, Greninja reunited with Ash and Pikachu, and accepted its former Trainer's request for help in trainingLucario. 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 itsAura abilities, showcasing that it needed to be in perfect balance. However, after sensing a cluster of giant roots that was attacking Ash andGoh, 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 andAura Sphere. Returning to its duty, Greninja bid goodbye to Ash, Goh, and Lucario.

Greninja reappeared inAim For The Eight!, sensing Lucario as it drew power from its allies' Aura during Ash's battle againstRaihan inGalar. InWhittle While You Work!, Greninja sensed Lucario once again as the Aura Pokémon drew power from its Aura during Ash's battle againstCynthia in theMasters Eight Tournament.

InPartners in Time!, Greninja appeared as a vision to Pikachu during his battle againstLeon's Charizard.

InHeroes Unite!, Greninja appeared in a fantasy while Ash reminisced about the Pokémon he'd caught on his journey.

InThe Same Moon, Now and Forever!, Greninja appeared in a flashback as Frogadier.

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 attackedFletchling just because it madeBonnie cry. InThe 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, andChespin under a temporary truce. Froakie is prone to blushing when praised, as shown when being thanked by Bonnie inA Battle of Aerial Mobility! andFennekin inThe Bamboozling Forest!. As shown inKindergarten 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 inSo You're Having a Bad Day!, it volunteered to scout ahead to protectSerena and Chespin after they had gotten separated from the group and defended them from a wildPangoro. 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 timidRandall during one ofTeam Rocket's schemes. As a Frogadier, it can be seen looking afterDedenne inUnder 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 forTalonflame in theAnistar Gym battle againstOlympia inAll 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 inCatching the Aura of Fate!, whenAsh's Lucario had trouble finding balance in itsAura 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.

Appearance

See also:Bond Phenomenon

As anEgg	As aFroakie	As aFrogadier	As Ash-Greninja

Moves used

Using Cut as a Froakie Using Aerial Ace as Ash-Greninja	Move First Used In Water Pulse Kalos, Where Dreams and Adventures Begin! Bubble A Battle of Aerial Mobility! Pound An Appetite for Battle! Double Team † A Rush of Ninja Wisdom! Cut † Forging Forest Friendships! Aerial Ace † A Stealthy Challenge! Water Shuriken † A Festival of Decisions!
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
	Climbing the Walls!	Rock Tomb andDouble Team	Grant'sOnix
	Description:Rock Tomb Climb (Japanese:がんせきふうじふうじRock Trap Trap) was developed by Ash for hisCyllage Gym battle againstGrant. During the battle, Ash knew Froakie would be going up against the Gym Leader'sOnix and its powerfulRock 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 fromAn Undersea Place to Call Home!.
	Forging Forest Friendships!	Cut andFlying 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) WhenHawlucha 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 useCut on the target. Then Hawlucha would come down and hit the same target, resulting in major damage. This was mastered during the battle withTeam Rocket, resulting in their defeat.
	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. InA Riveting Rivalry!, the power of this move was increased when Greninja absorbed the clones of itsDouble Team into the shuriken, causing it to triple in size and do a significant amount more of damage. InDown to the Fiery Finish!, Greninja created another giant Water Shuriken, but this time it was colored orange instead of light blue.
	A Real Icebreaker!	Cut andIce Punch	Wulfric'sMegaAbomasnow
	Description: When Greninja was battling againstWulfric'sAbomasnow, its Cut attack got frozen by Mega Abomasnow'sIce Punch. However, Greninja used the frozen knives as ice skates to skate across the battlefield.

Voice actors

Below are Froakie's speaking voices inPikachu andMeowth's dream inDream a Little Dream from Me!.

Artwork

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
Official artwork from Pokémon the Series: XY	Companion Artwork for the Ash, Pikachu & GreninjaG.E.M. Figurine	Artwork from "After the story"[3]	Poster for Pokémon: To Be a Pokémon Master

In the games

In the core series

Ash's Greninja is featured in theSpecial Demo Version ofPokémon Sun and Moon. In it,Elio, theplayer character, is given a Greninja with Ash as hisOriginal Trainer to take care of, met by Ash onOctober 17, 2013 at level 5 in theAlolaregion. It has Hardynature, 31IV in Attack, Special Attack, Speed and 20IV in HP, Defense, Special Defense, 2EVs 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 inPokémon the Series, this Greninja can transform intoAsh-Greninja by defeating a Pokémon in a battle with two or more Pokémon, activating its uniqueAbility,Battle Bond. Internally, Battle Bond Greninja, before transforming, are treated as an alternate form separate from Greninja withTorrent orProtean. Greninja can only transform inGeneration VII; inGeneration IX, Battle Bond simply gives stat boosts to Greninja.

#0658 Greninja Battle Bond Greninja ♂ Level 36 (met at level 5) Type: Ability: Battle Bond Held item: None	ID: 131017 OT: サトシ Ash Sacha 지우 Satoshi Met: the Alola region (fateful encounter) Nature: Random Ribbon: Souvenir Ribbon
Water Shuriken Water Special Aerial Ace Flying Physical Double Team Normal Status Night Slash Dark Physical
Games Method Region Location Duration SM hide all Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon Special Demo Version November 18, 2016 to March 27, 2023
Moves inbold can be taught again at theMove 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.

In spin-off games

Pokémon Picross

Greninja appears as a puzzle inPokémon Picross. It is located inArea 03 and must be unlocked using apassword.

Pokémon Shuffle

Greninja appears as a special stage inPokémon Shuffle.

Pokémon Tretta

Greninja appears inPokémon Tretta.

Tretta No.	Name	Type	Class
P	Ash-Greninja (Promotional Tretta)		—
Z2-06	Ash-Greninja (Zygarde Super Power Up, Ash-Greninja Comes Calling)
P	Ash-Greninja (Promotional Tretta)		—

Artwork

Artwork for the "Here comes Ash-Greninja!"Nintendo 3DS theme	Concept art ofAsh-Greninja forPokémon Sun and Moon

In the manga

Movie adaptations

Greninja appeared in the manga adaptation of theDiancie and the Cocoon of Destruction as a Froakie.

It reappeared as a Frogadier inHoopa and the Clash of Ages.

Moves used

Using Water Pulse	Move First Used In Water Pulse Hoopa and the Clash of Ages
A† shows that the move was used recently, unless all moves fit this case or there are fewer than five known moves.

Pokémon Journeys

Greninja appeared as Ash-Greninja in a fantasy inLegend? Check! Friends? Check!.

In the TCG

In thePokémon Trading Card Game, Ash's Greninja in its Ash-Greninja form is featured as aPromotionalPokémon card.

Related cards Cards listed with ablue background are only legal to use in the currentExpanded format. Cards listed with agreen background are legal to use in both the currentStandard andExpanded formats.
Card	Type	English Expansion	Rarity	#	Japanese Expansion	Rarity	#
Ash-Greninja		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 afirst partner Pokémon as his firstPokémon in aregion.
  • Greninja is also the first of Ash's first regional catches that is not a dual-typeNormal/Flying Pokémon sinceHeracross, as well as the only one of his first series catches that isn't a Flying-type in any of its Evolutions.
• Greninja is Ash's only Pokémon to be owned by more than one Trainer before him.
• Greninja, as a Frogadier, never lost a singlebattle.
• Greninja is the onlyWater-typefirst partner Pokémon to haveevolved under Ash's ownership.
  • Greninja is also the first fully evolved Water-type first partner Pokémon owned by a main character.
  • As a Froakie, Greninja was also Ash's first Water-type to evolve under his ownership since hisKrabby evolved intoKingler inRound One - Begin!, 776 episodes earlier.
  • Greninja is also Ash's only Water-type to have evolved twice.
• Greninja is the first of Ash's first partner Pokémon to have its Egg revealed on-screen.
• Greninja is the first Pokémon belonging to a main character to changeform.
• Out of all Pokémon that have beenreleased by Ash, Greninja:
  • Is the only one to be a first partner Pokémon.
  • Is the first one to physically appear outside of theseries it was released in, as well as the only one that was caught and released outside of the original series with this distinction.
  • Has spent the most amount of time on histeam before being released, lasting for 137 episodes.
• In the original Japanese version ofDream 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 inA Festival of Decisions!, it evolved in a similar situation to when it evolved from Froakie inA Stealthy Challenge!, withAsh's Pikachu andSanpei'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 ofKindergarten Chaos!, Ash implied that Greninja is male by calling it a "he".
• Greninja is the only Pokémon Ash caught inKalos to have never been weak toIce-type attacks in any stage of its Evolution.
  • Inversely, Greninja is the only Pokémon Ash caught in Kalos that does not resistGrass-type attacks.
• Greninja's transformation into its Ash-Greninja form marked the debut of the form, as it would not appear in the games until the release ofPokémon Sun and Moon, almost a year later.

In other languages

Ash-Greninja

References

Related articles

For more information on this Pokémon's species, seeFroakie,Frogadier, andGreninja.

Ash'sPokémon
On hand:	Pikachu
Traveling with:	Rotom Phone
WithProfessor Oak/In rotation:	Pidgeot	Bulbasaur	Charizard	Kingler	Muk	Tauros (×30)
	Snorlax	Heracross	Bayleef	Quilava	Totodile	Noctowl
	Donphan	Swellow	Sceptile	Corphish	Torkoal	Glalie
	Staraptor	Torterra	Infernape	Buizel	Gliscor	Gible
	Unfezant	Oshawott	Pignite	Snivy	Scraggy	Leavanny
	Palpitoad	Boldore	Krookodile	Talonflame	Hawlucha	Noivern
	Dragonite	Gengar	Lucario	Sirfetch'd	Dracovish
WithKukui andBurnet/In rotation:	Rowlet	Lycanroc	Incineroar	Melmetal
Athome:	Mr. Mime
In training:	Squirtle	Primeape
Released:	Butterfree	Lapras	Larvitar	Greninja	Goodra	Solgaleo
	Naganadel
Temporarily owned:	Seaking	Buzzwole	Stakataka	Pheromosa	Rowlet
Traded away:	Raticate	Aipom
Given away:	Beedrill
Traveled with:	Haunter	Azelf	Meowth	Meloetta	Rotom Pokédex	Latias
I Choose You! trilogy only:	Pikachu	Ekans	Sentret
EToP only:	Pikachu	Fearow	Oddish	Mankey	Slowpoke
Newspaper Strip only:	Starmie	Clefairy
For a list of Pokémon Ash has temporarily owned, used, or commanded, seehere

This article is part ofProject Anime, aBulbapedia project that covers all aspects ofPokémon animation.

• Ash's Pokémon
• Event-exclusive Pokémon
• Sycamore's Pokémon
• Released Pokémon
• Animated series Pokémon hatched from Eggs
• Male characters (Pokémon)