Pokemon GO Ash Greninja: Possible debut and mechanics explored

Pokemon GO recently had the Froakie Community Day event. While players were able to enjoy a lot of interesting bonuses during its run, the best out of them all was the addition of the Water Shuriken and the Hydro Cannon to Greninja’s move pool. A critter that was living in the shadows for so long will finally be able to make a splash in Pokemon GO.

A lot of fans were hoping that Ash Greninja would also make its debut in the game during the Froakie Community Day event. But sadly, that was far from what Niantic had planned. If this is the first time you are hearing about this Pokemon, you have come to the right place to clear all your queries about this unique creature.

In this article, we will walk you through everything you need to know about Ash Greninja and its arrival in Pokemon GO in the future.

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Everything you need to know about Ash Greninja in Pokemon GO

What is Ash Greninja?

Ash Greninja as seen in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Ash is one of the most iconic characters in the Pokemon franchise. His Greninja was given a unique mechanic that was seen only once in the universe, and it is undoubtedly one of the coolest things that The Pokemon Company ever came up with.

The concept of Ash Greninja originated when Professor Augustine Sycamore from the Kalos region gave a Froakie to Ash in the X and Y series. Ash went on to have countless adventures with this Pokemon, evolving it into Frogadier and eventually into Greninja. Thus, he developed a strong bond with this creature.

As their bond grew stronger over time, both Ash and his Greninja managed to unlock a form that is known as Ash Greninja. It is not a Mega, Primal, or Gigantamax forme, but feels more like a fusion where Ash and Greninja's bodies look almost identical. It does not mean that the trainer becomes a Pokemon, but the animation involved with this mechanic looks like they have fused into one being.

This was the only time this event was observed in the main series and it came to be known as the Bond Phenomenon. So, the prime force that drives Ash Greninja is friendship.

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Will Ash Greninja come to Pokemon GO?

Ash Greninja as seen in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

If Ash Greninja ever makes it into this game, it will instantly become the best Water-type Raid attacker. It will dethrone Primal Kyogre and become the hardest-hitting Water-type critter as it will do 24.88 Damage Per Second (DPS). That is four points higher than what the latter does. Considering that Ash Greninja is neither a Mega nor a Primal Evolution, it is insane how powerful this Pokemon can be.

While it will not have the highest DPS in the game, it will be a massive threat in Pokemon GO PvP, especially in the Master League. Given that Water Shuriken, Hydro Cannon, and Night Slash are already helping Greninja to make waves in the Great and Ultra Leagues, its alternate forme would destroy the meta.

Now that you know how amazing this creature can be, a question that begs to be answered is how will Niantic implement Ash Greninja in Pokemon GO.

The Bond Phenomenon feels a lot like building synergy with a Buddy in Pokemon GO. While it is not the same thing, it is a close second. Since Ash is not a part of this game, it is hard to say if Niantic will ever bring this creature to GO. But we did see Ash Greninja in Pokemon Sun and Moon, and there is no Ash in that game.

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When will Ash Greninja come to Pokemon GO?

Greninja in a battle (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Judging from everything we talked about so far, we can expect Niantic to implement this creature into Pokemon GO as a reward for growing our friendship with Greninja while walking with it as our Buddy. Since it is not a Mega or Primal evolution, it is hard for this creature to be featured in raids.

Since Ash received his Froakie in Kalos, maybe we will see Ash Greninja debut in GO during the Kalos Tour. Like many unique creatures such as Diancie, Shaymin, Keldeo, and the like, Ash Greninja might be obtainable through Special Researches or even through Paid Researches, but that is all speculation at this moment.

But one thing can be said for sure, and that is the fact that Ash Greninja will be a beast if and when it gets introduced to trainers in this game. As stated before, no other Water-type creature can even contest it for the #1 spot, and it will completely overhaul the Pokemon GO PvP metagame.