The clock is ticking on Pokémon players’ only chance to obtain Ash-Greninja

There aren’t many times in which the Pokémon anime has directly crossed over with main series games from the franchise, but one of the most notable times will no longer be accessible to players if they don’t act quickly.

The shutdown of the Nintendo eShop on 3DS and Wii U is set to take place on March 27, thus ending support for purchasing items digitally on the systems. One of the titles that will be made unavailable that directly impacts Pokémon fans is the demo for Pokémon Sun and Moon where, upon completion, players could obtain a Greninja capable of turning into the anime-featured Ash-Greninja that could be sent to the full game upon release.

Only Greninja with the Battle Bond ability is capable of transforming into Ash-Greninja upon defeating a Pokémon in Pokémon Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon. This ability currently cannot be passed to any other Greninja or previous creatures in the evolutionary line. The demo for the first of the Generation VII titles is, to this day, the only way to get a Greninja with this ability, and one of the few places where players can continue to see this form in action.

Though this special Greninja can be transferred into Pokémon HOME and, eventually, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, the Battle Bond ability has been completely changed in the most recent titles, retconning Ash-Greninja in the process. Upon defeating a Pokémon, the Greninja with Battle Bond will no longer transform into Ash-Greninja, but rather boost its own Attack, Special Attack, and Speed by one rank each, once per battle.

Therefore, the only way players can continue to use this powerful form of Greninja is within the Alola region. Players must act quickly if they don’t already have this Greninja since the demo for Pokémon Sun and Moon will no longer be available to download starting on March 27, thus removing Ash-Greninja’s availability from the games forever.