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Can I Breed Ash-Greninja? The Definitive Guide

The short answer is: No, you cannot breed Ash-Greninja. Ash-Greninja is a special form tied to a specific event in the Pokémon Sun and Moon games and their respective demos, and this form’s unique mechanic prevents it from passing down to offspring through breeding. Let’s dive deeper into why this is the case and explore some related aspects of Greninja’s breeding capabilities.

Why Ash-Greninja is Unbreedable

The key factor that makes Ash-Greninja unbreedable lies in its Battle Bond ability. This ability, unique to the Greninja obtained from the Pokémon Sun and Moon Special Demo, is what allows it to transform into Ash-Greninja during battles after defeating an opponent. This mechanism essentially replaces Greninja’s standard ability, making it a unique form.

Here’s a breakdown of the core reasons:

Battle Bond Ability: The Battle Bond ability, the catalyst for the Ash-Greninja transformation, cannot be passed down through breeding. Even if you could hypothetically breed an Ash-Greninja (which you can’t), the resulting offspring would inherit a standard ability like Torrent or Protean, not Battle Bond.
Event-Exclusive Status: Ash-Greninja is a gift Pokémon, obtainable only through a specific event. Event Pokémon often have special characteristics that prevent them from being bred, maintaining their uniqueness and value. This exclusivity helps preserve the integrity of the event itself.
No Battle Bond Froakie: Froakie, the base form of Greninja, is incapable of possessing the Battle Bond ability. Even if you tried some hypothetical workaround, you will always get a Froakie with either Torrent or Protean.

Essentially, breeding mechanics in Pokémon games are designed to prevent the duplication of exclusive or unique characteristics. Ash-Greninja falls squarely into this category, ensuring its special status is maintained.

Greninja’s Breedability with Protean

While Ash-Greninja itself is unbreedable, regular Greninja, particularly those with the Protean ability, can be bred in games like Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. This distinction is crucial. When a Greninja with Protean is bred with a Ditto, or another compatible Pokémon from the Water 1 Egg Group, it will produce a Froakie. This Froakie will inherit either Torrent or Protean as its ability, and can then be trained up into a standard Greninja.

Breeding with Ditto

Ditto plays a significant role in Pokémon breeding due to its ability to breed with almost any Pokémon. If you’re aiming to breed a Greninja for better stats (IVs) or a specific nature, using Ditto is the easiest way to produce Froakie eggs. Ditto is effectively a wild card in the breeding game, letting you access more breeding combinations than normally possible.

Understanding Egg Groups

Understanding Egg Groups is essential for breeding. Greninja belongs to the Water 1 Egg Group, meaning it can breed with other Pokémon in this group. Knowing which Pokémon belong to this group expands your options and allows for more diverse breeding strategies.

Scarlet and Violet Implications

In Pokémon Scarlet & Violet, Greninja is obtainable through specific events (such as the 7-Star Tera Raid Battle), and these Greninja, with the Protean ability, can be bred. This allows you to obtain Froakie and Frogadier in these games, despite them not being naturally available in the Paldea region.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are some frequently asked questions to further clarify the topic of breeding Ash-Greninja and related breeding aspects:

Can I breed the 7-Star Greninja from Pokémon Scarlet & Violet? Yes, you can breed the Greninja obtained from the 7-Star Tera Raid Event in Pokémon Scarlet & Violet, since it has the Protean ability instead of Battle Bond. This allows you to breed it with a Ditto or another compatible Pokémon.
Can Ash-Greninja be shiny? The Ash-Greninja obtained from the Pokémon Sun and Moon Special Demo technically can have a shiny flag; however, the game mechanics are rigged to change one of the characteristics after the transfer making it impossible.
Why won’t my Ditto and Greninja breed? If your Ditto and Greninja are not breeding, it may be due to several reasons: the most common reason is that the Pokemon hate each other. The only time that Ditto absolutely will not produce an egg is when the message is “They prefer to play with other pokémon”. If you’re getting any other message, an egg will eventually happen, it just might take a bit. Ensure both Pokémon are healthy and happy within the game mechanics, and keep them at the Day-Care Center.
Can Greninja and Cinderace breed? No, Greninja and Cinderace cannot breed. They do not share the same Egg Group. Greninja is in the Water 1 Egg Group, while Cinderace is in the Field Egg Group. To breed, Pokémon need to share at least one common Egg Group.
Can you breed a Froakie with Battle Bond? No, you will never get a Battle Bond Froakie by breeding. Froakie can only possess the abilities Torrent or Protean. Battle Bond is exclusive to the Ash-Greninja obtained from the Pokémon Sun and Moon Special Demo.
Why was Ash-Greninja removed from Scarlet and Violet? Ash-Greninja wasn’t “removed” from Scarlet and Violet. It has only appeared in Pokémon Sun & Moon and its Ultra versions. Although Greninja is available in Scarlet and Violet through Tera Raids, it does not have the Battle Bond ability that triggers the Ash-Greninja transformation.
Can Ash-Greninja be sent to Ultra Sun? Yes, Ash-Greninja can be transferred from the Pokémon Sun and Moon Special Demo to Pokémon Sun or Moon. From there, it can be traded to Ultra Sun or Ultra Moon. Keep in mind that once you transfer Greninja from the Special Demo, you cannot transfer another one to the same game, even after trading it to Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon.
How do I claim Ash-Greninja in Pokémon Sun? To claim Ash-Greninja in Pokémon Sun, you must first download the Pokémon Sun and Moon Special Demo. Complete the demo by defeating Team Skull Admin Plumeria. Then, speak with Professor Kukui at the Pokémon Center to transfer your Greninja to your full copy of Pokémon Sun.
Why is shiny Greninja banned? Shiny Greninja itself isn’t inherently banned. However, during the OR/AS meta, Greninja became banned for being too over-centralizing, gaining new moves that allowed it to diversify its moveset to get around its checks and counters, and outspeeding several Pokémon.
Is Ash Charizard stronger than Greninja? Determining whether Ash’s Charizard or Greninja is stronger is subjective and depends on the context. Both are exceptionally powerful Pokémon. However, if one had to give the top spot, it would have to be Charizard who has earned the right to be called Ash’s strongest Pokémon.
Did Greninja fuse with Ash? While Greninja didn’t technically “fuse” with Ash, they were able to temporarily link their consciousnesses during battle. This unique connection allowed Greninja to transform into Ash-Greninja, resembling Ash and sharing a deeper level of coordination.
What breeding group is Greninja in? Greninja belongs to the Water 1 Egg Group. This means it can breed with other Pokémon that are also classified under the Water 1 Egg Group.
Can you breed Greninja with Ditto in Scarlet? Yes, in both Scarlet and Violet, you can breed Greninja with a Ditto. This will result in players receiving a level one Froakie. This is how you can obtain Froakie and Frogadier in these games.
Can you get Ash’s Greninja more than once? You can transfer Ash-Greninja multiple times, but only each game cartridge can have one Ash-Greninja each.
Is Battle Bond Greninja Breedable? No, Battle Bond Greninja cannot breed. This is because the Battle Bond ability is unique and cannot be passed down to offspring. This restriction helps maintain the exclusivity of the Ash-Greninja form.

Conclusion

In conclusion, while breeding Ash-Greninja is impossible, you can still breed regular Greninja to obtain Froakie and Frogadier with the standard abilities Torrent or Protean. Understanding the mechanics of Pokémon breeding, egg groups, and the specific limitations of special Pokémon like Ash-Greninja can greatly enhance your breeding endeavors. Breeding is a key part of the Pokémon experience and helps players further explore team compositions and strategies.

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Can I breed ash Greninja?