The Ash Greninja (Ret)Conspiracy

[Sonic Boom]

From looks alone, AG is like Mega Evolution, but that's just because of the idea that it's a "Mega Evolution" for Ash to keep him from using a Mega Evolution during Kalos.

Mechanically, though? Extremely different and really not the same as a ME. Any Pokemon that can change forms simply has different triggers, but they're not all under the same mechanic to trigger them all. MEs occur when tapping a stone. AG triggers when it gets cocky from defeating one opponent.

Mechanically, Battle Bonding to Ash-Greninja is also a mandatory form shift; once Greninja KOs something, you cannot stop it from going into the Ash state. Mega Stones are at least manually controllable, so you can decide when you want to Mega something, if you even want to at all, as Mega Manectric plays in VGC can attest.

 

[Ignition]

Khu hinted something about AZ's floette for DLC so fingers crossed

Kalos confirmed.

It'd be nice. Kalos is next in line for a VA in Masters and it'd be funny if its first playable appearance was in that.

 

[Sham]

If we could look under the hood at the game engine code, my assumption is that they’re calling the same routine in the code when activating traditional megas, Mega Rayquaza, Mega Diance, and Ash-Greninja. From a code level, all four should be functionally very similar (IE the game engine should be doing the same things), but there would be some different checks and triggers before and after the transformation functions.

From a maintenance standpoint, it wouldn’t make sense to have two different code branches here.

It’s possible that Battle Bond just inherited a bunch of code from Mega Evolution but they’re so dissimilar besides a form change. The functions and commands might have similar aspects like the form but they aren’t that similar. The way the base stats increase and how it’s activated (using moves and something that can’t be manually done via an item like ME) etc probably means it’s easier just making them different things.

Funnily enough the Pokémon closest to its unique circumstances would probably be AZ Floette. GF will just add the form back when XY remakes/Legends: Zygarde happens to capitalize on people missing it.

AZ Floette feels like a fever dream. I haven’t kept up with if the details of the DLC of Paldea are completely revealed but it would be kino if they added it in these games with a possible Kalos connection

 

[AARTX]

The Kalos VA is surely going to have AZ in it so I'm far more excited for him that the fan fic frog being perhaps given to Calem just to confuse him what an Ash is (despite Ash being in the game but not allowed to talk to any other non-Pasio character).

Besides, if Ash gets involved, expect the Kalos VA's story to be far less than stellar just to accommodate Ash just as his two side chapters were really nothing to write home about.

Weren’t they hinting Sina and Dexio though?

I have a feeling they will appear in their forgettable masked variants and as master fairs too LMAO

If they do give battle bond to calem, I doubt they will touch on the form or it’s origins. They’ll just add it in for the sake of having a cool transformation.

 

[cricketlaxwolvesbandy]

THE TURKEY ARMY HATH ARRIVED.
Me on my way to OLM offices to riot about Ash-Greninja being retconned or them giving false promises about Amourshipping:

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

[Spider-Phoenix]

I'm not really sure if the ability change is mostly because of the code because I think there's still pokémon with form changes in the game, aren't there?

Kalos confirmed.

It'd be nice. Kalos is next in line for a VA in Masters and it'd be funny if its first playable appearance was in that.

DeNA could make a lot of money if they pull that one off. Question is if they'll be allowed to.

 

[cricketlaxwolvesbandy]

Ash-Greninja was such an integral part of the anime and now not only did Journeys retcon it from existence, the games changed its Battle Bond ability for the transformation to no longer take affect! As a huge Ash-Greninja fan this is a slap in the face. First Ash-Greninja forever gets remembered as a laughing stock for loosing the Kalos Keague and now its form gets outright DELETED from the game. Even worse, there’s a picture of what clearly is Ash-Greninja in the game (SV) to poke fun at us. To say I am pissed is beyond an understatement. This is a travesty. Game Freak must bring Ash-Greninja back. I will write an email/petition to GF to bring Ash-Greninja back in the games (but mostly the anime)

 

[NPT]

Can we lock this thread please? It outlived its purpose ages ago.

 

[Ignition]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1597063092071981059

Can’t believe Greninja left Ash

 

[mehmeh1]

I'm surprised not even Masters has A-G

 

[Ignition]

I'm surprised not even Masters has A-G

It was found in the code from day 1 iirc. Mega Blaziken was also there and was only just added right before the 3rd anniversary so maybe they’re just waiting.

Let's see...

1) Ash-Greninja is not even used here, despite the fact Masters debuts two Greninja at the same time.
2) Hilariously, Serena is one of those Greninja trainers, despite how Calem was speculated to be the only one worthy of Greninja.
3) Those two trainers actually got to become Champions(?) using Greninja, whereas Ash screwed up even with an allegedly stronger Greninja.

Verdict: AG found dead in a dish.

Poor thing can’t catch a break. As for the Champion thing, the trailer says it’s basically a thing for role model Trainers so I guess it’s a middle ground for the protags to become Champions while also keeping the actual Champions

 

[Pokegirl Fan~]

Let's see...

1) Ash-Greninja is not even used here, despite the fact Masters debuts two Greninja at the same time.
2) Hilariously, Serena is one of those Greninja trainers, despite how Calem was speculated to be the only one worthy of Greninja.
3) Those two trainers actually got to become Champions(?) using Greninja, whereas Ash screwed up even with an allegedly stronger Greninja.

Verdict: AG found dead in a ditch, twice over.

It's been Yamcha'd

 

[Dragonsoldier77]

Lol after people saying greninja is being saved for AG in masters, this just makes the whole retcon situation even funnier.

 

[Dragonsoldier77]

If they really are retconning A-G lock, stop and barrel, what would they gain from that, and why are they doing it?

I mean you tell me.

I never saw a reason for going out of their way to redeaw existing scenes in the anime and then reimagining it with normal greninja in the anime. That’s at least more work than just tracing over the existing scene.

For the games maybe they’re just too lazy to put the a second model for it, but apparantly not lazy enough to still add in battlebond as an ability while also reprograming how it works.

So yeah, i have no idea why they would go to such efforts when just leaving it alone at least gives them something else they can sell.

 

[Speed22]

I mean you tell me.

I never saw a reason for going out of their way to redeaw existing scenes in the anime and then reimagining it with normal greninja in the anime. That’s at least more work than just tracing over the existing scene.

For the games maybe they’re just too lazy to put the a second model for it, but apparantly not lazy enough to still add in battlebond as an ability while also reprograming how it works.

So yeah, i have no idea why they would go to such efforts when just leaving it alone at least gives them something else they can sell.

This is the sort of stuff that makes some believe that certain individuals working on the series have vendettas against certain things. I don't really care if they do at this point tbh, my headcanon is that this is a reference to Y's Greninja.

 

[Ragnarok4]

Let's see...

1) Ash-Greninja is not even used here, despite the fact Masters debuts two Greninja at the same time.
2) Hilariously, Serena is one of those Greninja trainers, despite how Calem was speculated to be the only one worthy of Greninja.
3) Those two trainers actually got to become Champions(?) using Greninja, whereas Ash screwed up even with an allegedly stronger Greninja.

Verdict: AG found dead in a ditch, twice over.

1) Ash-Greninja is not Calem-Greninja, I thought this was obvious, jesus -_-
3) nonsense comparison

 

[Spider-Phoenix]

Well, given they are a tech and support pair respectively, there's still a door open for a strike Ash & Greninja pair thus allowing for a mono Greninja team.

If Charizard can, so does Greninja.