PokéBase - Pokémon Q&A
4 votes
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good question. seeing how pikachu was there since the very beginning, it only makes sense they'd have a bond just as strong too. maybe charizard and sceptile as well. i personally think it might've been an excuse to have a pokemon similar to a mega on Ash's team.
Plot twist: Ash secretly hates Pikachu and only uses it because it's OP
It actually does have something to do with Greninja specifically. It's not JUST Ash + Greninja or Ash + Pikachu, or else other trainers with very strong bonds with their Pokémon would be able to achieve fusion as well. As see in one of the Ninja Village episodes, this Greninja fusion has happened before, a long long time ago. "Ash-Greninja" is just the name Bonnie gave the transformation because Greninja happened to look like Ash. (From a design standpoint it WAS designed to look like Ash to make it marketable, but according to lore it is just a coincidence.)

I don't know if this is satisfying enough for an answer so I made it a comment.

5 Answers

10 votes

While both Greninja and Pikachu are both Ash's most bonded partner Pokemon, Pikachu seems more like his best friend while Greninja is extremely determined.

Pikachu has been with Ash from the start. He was Ash's best friend and one of his most OP Pokemon. So you ask "why dont they fuse". Its probably because they've never been in a situation for pikachu to be so determined in winning, he's just sharing his ambitions with Ash that Ash can be a Pokemon Master. Yes, there are times he is determined and even when badly damaged still tries to battle, but compare that with Greninja. He is serious about battling and you might as well see it in their eyes they won't stop till the end. So with Greninja's determination to not lose has given him a sort of way in those other shows that when you get so angry (or maybe other feelings) you change form to be stronger than before.

Edit:

It actually does have something to do with Greninja specifically. It's not JUST Ash + Greninja or Ash + Pikachu, or else other trainers with very strong bonds with their Pokémon would be able to achieve fusion as well. As see in one of the Ninja Village episodes, this Greninja fusion has happened before, a long long time ago. "Ash-Greninja" is just the name Bonnie gave the transformation because Greninja happened to look like Ash. (From a design standpoint it WAS designed to look like Ash to make it marketable, but according to lore it is just a coincidence.)
commented 10 hours ago by Toucanadian

Credits for the quote above to Toucanadian

Hope I Helped!

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2 votes

I think one of the reasons Pikachu didn't bond with Ash (and Greninja did) is something related to evolution. Of course, Pokémon can't Mega-Evolve unless they are in their final evolved form, like a Kirlia can't Mega-Evolve because it's not yet a Gardevoir, or a Gallade. Greninja's power is said to be similar to Mega-Evolution - almost exactly the same. Pikachu, as some may know, chose not to evolve, even when presented with a Thunder Stone. Could this have an effect in the bond evolution?

Another reason might be the fact that there are already plenty of episodes that show Ash and Pikachu's powerful bond. And of course, Pikachu is already incredibly over-powered. Ash-Greninja might have merely been because the screenwriters didn't want to lengthen Pikachu's unfair power.

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Then what about serena's fenekin who evolved into delphox i think they have a strong bond but why didn't it mega evolve
serena's fenekin didnt evolve into a delphox
1 vote

Its the bond phenomenon that allow Pokemon and trainer to become one when the bond of trust between them is at it's limit in this case ash and greninja.
It's very rare and only Pokemon who possess a special latent skill can access the bond phenomenon.
Greninja has the latent skill but not pikachu which is the reason why ash and greninja can fuse and not ash and pikachu.

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0 votes

Pikachu didn't like Ash at first, Froakie did.

After the episode "Greninja's Goodbye" (I think thats what its called?), Ash releases Greninja.

Or thats what everyone thought.

He actually sent Greninja to someone else, including to sun and moon.

Hope this helps!

-Sylveon fan 030

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0 votes

A strong bond between the trainer and Pokemon is indeed needed for activating Battle Bond. But that isn't it. Many of Ash's Pokemon like Pikachu, Charizard, and Infernape has a very strong bond with Ash. But they aren't ninjas. We know that ninjas possess special and mysterious powers and Greninja is the only Pokemon known to have this bond phenomenon. So I'm pretty sure that it has something to do with a ninja's special powers. Also, this Battle Bond thingy was supposed to be a replacement for Mega Evolution in the anime since the writers didn't plan to give Ash a Mega Evolution and Battle Bond probably has something to do with Mega Evolution since the way Greninja transforms to Ash-Greninja is similar to Mega Evolution transformation in many ways. If any other of Ash's Pokemon should be capable of Battle Bond it should be Infernape since it's the closest thing to a ninja. Battle Bond has to be a secret ninja power that only the most hardworking Greninja can achieve since only two Greninjas have been able to do it up to date and it requires a strong bond between trainer and Pokemon.

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