Why Did Ash Ketchum Release His Best Pokemon Greninja

Why Did Ash Ketchum Release His Best Pokemon Greninja?

Apr 10, 2024Shopify API

Wondering Why Did Ash Ketchum release his best Pokemon Greninja? 

Ash Ketchum is the protagonist of the Pokemon series which is our all time favorite franchise. Pokemon is the abbreviation for Pocket Monsters and it started off as a video game and later developed into one of the largest franchises known to mankind. 

The Pokemon anime series introduced us to the fantasy world of Pokemon where humans are seeking to acquire Pokemons. 

Ash Ketchum being the protagonist was able to get hold of a wide collection of Pokemon, namely 77 distinct Pokemon. He has caught, trained, traded off, and also released a fair share of Pokemon in his life. 

One such Pokemon which he released was Greninja which was one of the best Pokemon on Ash’s roster. So why did Ash release Greninja and why’s it the best Pokemon he had? We’ve answered all your questions down below so hang on and keep reading.

Why Did Ash Ketchum Release His Best Pokemon Greninja?

Ash released Greninja to protect Kalos from evil roots. Greninja chose to remain as guardian, showing their strong bond. Ash prioritized Greninja's duty, demonstrating his growth. This move kept the story fresh and allowed Ash to encounter new Pokemon. Despite the release, the future remains open for potential reunions.

Why Did Ash Ketchum Release His Best Pokemon Greninja?

Ash Ketchum's release of his beloved Greninja in the Pokemon XY series was a bittersweet moment for fans and sparked much discussion about its reasons. Here's a breakdown of the key factors behind this decision:

Protecting Kalos: The primary reason for Greninja's release was its crucial role in protecting the Kalos region.

After defeating Team Flare, it was revealed that remnants of the villainous organization's evil influence remained, taking the form of possessed roots threatening the region.

Greninja, with its unique ability to sense life force within objects, was best suited to locate and eliminate these threats.

Zygarde, the legendary Pokemon tasked with maintaining balance, recognized Greninja's importance and requested its assistance.

Greninja's Choice: While Ash initially intended for Greninja to return to his team after its mission, Greninja ultimately chose to remain in Kalos as its guardian. This decision reflects the strong bond between Ash and Greninja, where they both recognized the importance of Greninja's duty and respected each other's wishes.

Ash's Growth: Ash's decision to release Greninja showcases his maturity and understanding of a Pokemon's individual needs and aspirations. He prioritizes Greninja's happiness and purpose over his personal desire to have it on his team. This decision demonstrates Ash's growth from a young trainer solely focused on winning to a compassionate leader who prioritizes the well-being of his Pokemon.

Plot Development: While the emotional impact of Greninja's departure was significant, it also served a narrative purpose. It allowed Ash to encounter new Pokemon in the Alola region and further develop his skills as a trainer. It also kept the storyline fresh and prevented Ash from relying solely on his strongest Pokemon.

Open-ended Future: Despite Greninja's official release, the anime leaves the door open for potential reunions. Ash expresses his hope to see Greninja again, and Greninja acknowledges their bond will remain strong despite their physical separation. This leaves fans hopeful for future encounters and potentially temporary rejoins of the iconic duo.

In conclusion, Ash's decision to release Greninja was a complex one driven by various factors, including the protection of Kalos, Greninja's individual choice, Ash's personal growth, plot development, and the possibility of future reunions.

While bittersweet, this moment highlights the remarkable bond between Ash and Greninja and serves as a powerful reminder that sometimes, letting go is the best way to support a loved one's journey.sharemore_vert

Relationship Between Ash and Greninja

As we mentioned before, Greninja was a very reserved and lonely Pokemon when it was in its Froakie form. As a result, most of the Froakie Pokemon used to pick on him and harm him badly. 

Froakie liked to train alone and had very high standards as to how its trainer should be. It in fact altered between several trainers as it deemed them to be unworthy. 

He resided in Professor Sycamore’s lab when he turned down several trainers and that’s where he finally met Ash.

Froakie trusted Ash and witnessed how Ash treated him kindly. This led him to grow attached to Ash and they developed a profound bond throughout their journeys. Only with Ash, Froakie was able to evolve into Frogadier and later evolved into Greninja. 

After its evolution, Greninja used the Battle Bond technique to transform into Ash-Greninja, an ability not many Froakies could achieve.

This resulted in Greninja achieving outstanding abilities and making it one of the strongest Pokemon owned by Ash.

In addition, it also proves that Greninja and Ash had a deep and understanding relationship which led them to achieve well in battles and in life.

The Pokemon: Greninja

Greninja is a Water/ Dark-type of Pokemon. It is the last evolution stage of the Froakie which was a Water-type Pokemon from the region of Kalos. Greninja was first introduced in the Generation VI series. 

Greninja has the appearance of a frog and has a strong resemblance to Toxicroak. It also has the appearance of a ninja and thus the name Greninja. Greninja’s original Japanese name is Gekkouga. 

Greninja is dark blue in color and it has a very long tongue like a toad which is wrapped around its neck like a pink scarf. Its feet are like a frog and it has a mixture of colors like dark blue, white, and yellow. 

Greninja’s first form was called Froakie which was Level 16 and later evolved into Frogadier. Its final evolution form is called Greninja which evolved from Level 36 Frogadier. 

Evolution of Greninja From Froaki

   Froakie                                      Frogadier                                   Greninja

Froakie looks like a baby frog in light blue color and has a collection of white, frothy bubbles that covers its neck like a scarf which is referred to as Frubbles. It had very large yellow eyes and it has frubbles on its nose. 

Meanwhile, Frogadier looks like a much grown version of a frog. Its eyes have gotten a bit narrower and the limbs are all grown. It has a mixture of two colors such as dark blue and cyan. 

Besides its appearance, Greninja as Froakie was a tough and arrogant Pokemon who liked to train alone.

He never preferred to be with his own kind and would always train by himself. This led the other Froakies to mock and hurt him. Froakie wanted to find a talented trainer so that he could evolve and put his skills to good use.

However, most trainers failed to live up to Froakie’s standards and hence he left them. 

When Greninja met Ash, he instantly connected to him and knew he was the ideal trainer for him. He witnessed how Ash was kind to all Pokemon and how brave he was during battles which impressed Greninja. 

Greninja possesses an impressive set of prowess and it possessed a hidden ability which was later revealed to be another form of Greninja which is Ash’s Greninja.

Powers of Greninja

Since Greninja is one of the strongest Pokemon let’s take a look at their strengths and abilities. Greninja possesses powers that are identical to a ninja and it has a large set of prowess. 

It uses the Torrent to unleash any water-type attacks. It also has the ability of hydrokinesis which lets it turn water into any weapon it desires such as knives and stars that are extremely sharp.

It can blow bubbles at its opponents which slows them down. Its iconic attack is the secret ninja attack which allows Greninja to release water swords at its opponents. Greninja’s tongue has the ability to inflict paralysis on its enemies by just licking them. 

Greninja can also copy the exact movements of its opponents and attack them in an instant. It can sneak quickly behind its opponent like a ninja shadow. In addition, Greninja can create several copies of itself to confuse the opponent during battles. 

Greninja’s hidden ability to be able to transform into its trainer’s form is known as the Bond Phenomenon. This ability allows the Greninja to match with their trainers and evolve into a powerful form. Only a few Greninjas were able to do it and Ash’s Greninja was one of them. 

This form lets the Greninja to reach higher levels of power and gain immense speed. It also boosts its Water Shuriken power which can be used during close combats. Ash’s Greninja is the only starter Pokemon that’d likely fall into the legendary Pokemon category due to its incredible stats. 

Why Did Ash Ketchum Release His Best Pokemon: FAQs

Why did Greninja leave Ash?

Greninja was one of the best and most devout Pokemon to Ash and he released Greninja which was quite an alarming moment for most Pokemon enthusiasts. Ash decided to leave Greninja during their quest to destroy Giant Rock and Greninja was requested by Zygarde to stay and annihilate Giant Rock from its roots.

Does Ash still own Greninja?

Ash released one of his favorite Pokemon, Greninja when they were on a quest in the Kalos region. Greninja was released to help Zygarde destroy the possessed region of the Giant rock and its roots. Greninja was helpful during their quest because it can detect living things inside the roots. Hence, Ash doesn’t own Greninja currently.

Will Greninja return to Ash?

Ash released Greninja with an intention to allow it to assist Zygarde to destroy the venomous roots of the Giant Rock. It’s too soon to come to a conclusion if Greninja will return to Ash as it has to carry out an important mission. However, Greninja probably might return to Ash after the roots of the Giant Rock are completely destroyed.

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