Get your Ash-Greninja in Pokémon before the 3DS eShop closes
As-Greninjaalso known as Battle against Bond Greninja, is a Special Event Pokémon that you can only get one through an Event Distribution. This distribution is done through the demo version of Pokémon Sun And Moon.
Please note that if you do not download the programs we list below before the Nintendo 3DS eShop closes on March 27, 2023, then you can no longer get Ash-Greninja.
To do this, you need at least the Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon special demo version. You will also need a copy of either one Pokémon Sun or Moon, whether it’s a physical or downloaded copy. If you plan on moving the Greninja to later-gen games, you’ll also need Pokemon Bank.
Once you have all of this stuff, you’re done. You can put off downloading the actual Greninja once you’ve downloaded the demo, but we recommend getting it all out of the way. We list below the steps to actually get the Ash-Greninja.
How to obtain and transfer Ash-Greninja
- Start the Pokémon demo. You immediately get the Greninja to play the demo with.
- Complete the demo. This requires you to beat the Team Skull grunts, get to Ten Carat Hill, complete the dragon trial, and defeat Plumeria in battle.
- After completing the demo, talk to Professor Kukui, who is now hanging around the Pokémon Center. Tell him you want to send the Greninja to the full game. You may need to restart the game after saving for Kukui to appear in the Pokémon Center.
- Claim your Ash-Greninja from a mysterious gift attendant, who will be standing next to Nurse Joy in an in-game Pokémon Center where you also sent the Pokémon.
If you’re trying to get Ash-Greninja in a later generation game, you’ll need to use Pokémon Bank to transfer it from Pokémon Sun And Moon.
Please note that Greninja is not available to transfer to pokemon sword And Shield. It will be transferred to at some point Pokémon Scarlet And purpleonce the full Pokémon Home integration is added.
What’s different about Ash-Greninja?
Ash-Greninja is a direct reference to the Pokémon anime, and this demo is the only way to get it. In particular, the Ash-Greninja has the Battle Bond ability, which boosts its stats and transforms into an Ash-like form after knocking out a Pokémon with it.
It gets a cute little animation and physical shape-shifting when Battle Bond is activated in generation seven Pokémon games, but based on datamines, there are no records of Ash-Greninja’s physical appearance in generation nine games. However, it will still get a stat boost.
Ash-Greninja also cannot breed, so it is no longer made.