Greninja
Longalingua yīnyǐng
Overview
Greninja have long been known not only for their grace and power, but for their association with the legendary Chinese secret police. The yīnyǐng qīngwā were a paramilitary group that in various dynasties served as palace guards, imperial spies, mercenaries, customs agents, and assassins in and around China. At their height in the Song Dynasty the yīnyǐng qīngwā were said to have agents in every port and major city from the Red Sea to Japan and control the local and national politics of most of Asia. Even after their formal dissolution in the early 20th Century, the yīnyǐng qīngwā has lived on in the popular imagination, appearing in many movies set in Asia and rumored by conspiracy theorists to be behind every major event on the continent.
Actual greninja are known for their stealth and precision, which is why they were the pokémon of choice in the early years of the yīnyǐng qīngwā. They eventually fell out of favor with the more secretive sides of the organization as the species had become too closely linked to them, making them a liability on secretive missions. Greninja retained some popularity as a partner for members in less secretive positions such as customs inspectors and bankers.
Greninja are shy and somewhat more difficult to care for than the average starter pokémon. They will never be terribly social, but this should not be mistaken for a lack of loyalty. Greninja are devoted partners that will keep their trainer safe at great personal cost if the need arises. They are a good alternative starter for trainers looking to train amphibians or dark-types who don't mind having teammates that won't cuddle with them.
Physiology
Froakie and frogadier are classified as pure water-types. Greninja is classified as a dual water- and dark-type. Changes in typing upon evolution are disfavored, especially if there is not a clear physiological change to justify it such as the development of wings or venom sacs. The current typing is still well supported in the scientific community. Greninja hunt approach combat very differently from their pre-evolutions. They are masters at blending into shadows and often use dark-type attacks and underhanded tricks in combat. Froakie and frogadier are more straightforward hunters with more vulnerability to telepathy and difficulty melting into shadow.
Froakie are tree frogs with light blue skin. This gives them a superficial resemblance to croagunk and mudkip, species that predators are much less likely to attack due to their venom and overprotective parents, respectively. A pair of large brow-ridge horns adorn the head. These contain froakie's extremely large eyes. The large eyes help them see in dim light and intimidate predators. The brow ridge discourages biting the head. Froakie are known to coat their back and neck in a layer of bubbles with very high surface tension. These make blunt force attacks on the pokémon ineffective, although they are still vulnerable to piercing blows from teeth and claws.
Frogadier are counter-shaded with a dark blue back and a light blue stomach. The horns now slant backwards from the eyes to protect the neck. Frogadier have developed long, webbed feet. These can be extended so that the digits are splayed 220 degrees apart to form fans. Frogadier and greninja can glide between trees using these fans.
Greninja have almost entirely dark blue or black skin save a small patch of yellow on the abdomen for counter-shading. Greninja's horns are composed of four interlocking bone plates to make it difficult for predators to fit their jaws around greninja and to provide some defense against slashes towards the head or neck. The tongue has grown to be nearly half their body length. It is sticky and prehensile, allowing greninja to catch insects out of the air with a single tongue swipe or to grab onto or trip opponents. It can also be used to strike eyes and induce temporary or permanent blindness. The tongue can also be used as an addition limb when climbing or gliding. When not in use greninja often wrap the tongue around their neck as the mouth and throat are only barely large enough to enclose it. The tongue prevents greninja from having anything resembling incisors, forcing them to swallow food whole.
Greninja live for an average of six years in the wild. Captive specimens can live for up to twenty-eight years. Female greninja typically grow to be five to six feet long. Males are usually between four and five feet long. Females can weigh up to 140 pounds.
Behavior
Wild greninja are solitary pokémon that prefer to live high in the treetops of moist tropical forests. They are carnivores known to hunt small bird, insect, and mammal pokémon. This is accomplished primarily through throwing water shurikens at pokémon above them on a tree, then catching the prey as they fall. Greninja prefer not to go near the forest floor where larger predators live. If they fail to catch their prey they will leave it for the scavengers below. Greninja's aversion to the forest floor is also why they glide between trees whenever possible.
Frogadier practice similar tactics by coating a hard object, such as a nut or rock, with a bubble. Their control of the bubble lets them throw the object at speeds of up to sixty miles per hour and accurately strike foes 100 feet away. As with greninja they prefer to hunt things higher on the tree than them to avoid trips to the forest floor.
Froakie are far less arboreal than greninja and frogadier. They primarily live in and around shallow ponds on the forest floor. Their preferred hunting method is creating a stream of bubbles to trap insects, at which point their hydrokinesis can be used to recall the bubbles and eat anything captured. Froakie also use bubble armor for defense. When threatened they depend upon their armor to protect them long enough to get to the water. Froakie have few defenses against aquatic carnivores and prefer to stay on land whenever possible. Unlike their evolutions, froakie are diurnal and prefer to hunt during the warmest parts of the day when predators are often resting. Outside of these hours they hide in thickets of dense foliage.
All three stages are solitary pokémon. They have little need to coordinate hunting. Large groups simply make it harder to find good hiding spots. Loyalty arose through extensive captive breeding in China. Truly wild greninja in Southeast Asia are not particularly easy to bond with. Feral populations around the globe are usually descended from the domesticated greninja and adapt well to being around humans. Wild froakie may even seek them out for protection.
Husbandry
No stage of the evolutionary line is particularly fond of water. They are still amphibians with relatively thin skin that need to stay moist to survive. In their native range this is a non-issue because of the humid air and frequent rain. Greninja only go to the surface to swim and rehydrate during the driest times of the year. Thankfully, Alola has a similar climate. Greninja and froagdier do not require pools, although they should still be given access to twice-daily misting through a machine or a simple spray bottle. Froakie should be given regular access to a shallow dechlorinated swimming pool with places to hide. They are extremely reluctant to use community pools at Pokémon Centers. Center staff will usually be willing to fill a small children's pool with dechlorinated water for them.
Froakie are quite capable of hunting for themselves when insects are abundant. This is a form of enrichment, lowers food costs, and makes property owners and other travelers happy. Froakie are even used as a form of pest control in some parts of the world. Wild froagadier and greninja hunt bug-types, birds, and small arboreal mammals and reptiles. In captivity greninja are happy to accept insect mixes. They enjoy puzzles and novel containers that require manipulation with their tongue to obtain food. Frogadier will accept insect mixes but prefer larger chunks of food, such as whole or partial carterpie carcasses or artificial or real meat dishes. Frogadier's tongue is not as useful as greninja's for scooping up large quantities of insects at once.
All three stages are reclusive. Froakie are usually fine being stored in habitat or stasis balls for hours at a time as they provide protection. As long as dietary, exercise, and enrichment needs are met the pokémon will not object to being stored in their ball. They even see them as desirable during periods of travel. Frogadier and greninja are often more skeptical of their balls but will still accept habitat balls during the day.
Greninja are unlikely to be social with teammates. This can pose a challenge as they are reasonably intelligent nocturnal pokémon unlikely to socialize. As a result they may require additional enrichment such as frequent rotation of toys or changes in environment. At night they prefer to have a sheltered area to use as a base for exploration. Climbing structures and food puzzles are their preferred enrichment and can keep them busy for most of the night. Television or computer programs playing footage of prey are often a good way to distract predators while their trainer sleeps. Frogadier and greninja are likely to damage them with rocks or water shurikens, respectively. Devices playing ambient rainforest sounds are less likely to be destroyed. If screen-based enrichment must be used it should be placed on the floor. Frogadier and greninja will pay attention to prey beneath them but are unlikely to strike it.
All three stages can grow to tolerate most pokémon. After initial introductions they are unlikely to attack teammates either. Make sure to closely monitor them for the first few hours after meeting a teammate, especially a potential prey species, to make sure nothing occurs. After this they can be left unsupervised.
Greninja do not require much in the way of direct socialization. However, they will bond with their trainer much faster with regular time outside the pokéball. Like cats they will often linger on the periphery of a space. They do not want to be touched. Sometimes they might appreciate coordinated training and play through target practice games where a frisbee or other object is launched and the pokémon must try to destroy it with a shuriken or rock. Froakie can try to capture gently tossed objects in a bubble. Frogadier and greninja will likely destroy whatever they hit so less valuable projectiles like rocks are preferable to expensive toys. The line are often much more fond of their trainer than they appear to be. A lack of conventional affection should not be mistaken for a lack of loyalty.
Illness
In temperate and subtropical areas hypothermia and dehydration are the line's main health problems. as long as the skin remains warm and moist this should not be an issue in Alola. Greninja, like many amphibians, breathe through their skin. The oils on human skin can interfere with their breathing or cause irritation. Greninja should only be touched with amphibian safe gloves. Ideally, they should not be touched at all. The line do not need or want physical affection.
With proper environments and care funguses are their most common ailment. These can usually be readily seen as a patch of discoloration on the skin. The pokémon should be taken to a veterinarian immediately to ensure the proper regimen of medication is taken before it spreads. Greninja are not particularly common in Alola but most Pokémon Center veterinarians know the basics of amphibian skin care.
Greninja sometimes downplay injuries. After any battle in which they sustain damage they should be taken to a Pokémon Center or given a thorough health exam to look for injuries. Greninja are relatively fragile and care should be taken to insure that injuries sustained heal properly. They should not be battled with until all wounds are fully healed and a qualified veterinarian has given the go-ahead.
Evolution
Froakie gradually evolve into frogadier over the course of four to seven months. The formal demarcation line is the first gliding flight. Frogadier flash evolve into greninja after a certain number and caliber of hunts have been achieved. In the wild this occurs around the second birthday. In captivity it can occur less than four months after their first evolution.
Rumors have long swirled around Asia about a permanent or mega evolution for greninja. These stem from The Tales of Hui Nícháng, a Fourteenth Century novel about the ambiguously historical founder of the yīnyǐng qīngwā. Hui Nícháng, according to the story, was raised by greninja in the forests of Vietnam. At one point she takes in an injured froakie and raises it as her partner. Their bond grew to the point where yīnyǐng qīngwā became her brother in all things. Towards the end of the story she merges her soul with her partner, causing him to become engulfed in a flash of light and emerge with an uncanny resemblance to his trainer's usual attire. Attempts to replicate this over the centuries have failed. There are anecdotes of legendary warriors, shadowy assassins, or isolated monks gaining this power, but none of these records can be reliably verified. Often these rumors only began to circulate decades or even centuries after the subject's death. The general secrecy of the yīnyǐng qīngwā means that it is not impossible they knew how to mega evolve a greninja. If the information ever existed it has not resurfaced in the century since the organization's collapse.
Battle
Greninja are agile pokémon with powerful water shurikens. The attack's power derives from the sharpness of the water's edge and the speed of rotation rather than the power of the throw. These shurikens are sharp enough to split and tear through muscles and tendons until they hit bone. Greninja can accurately throw them at targets moving up to eighty miles per hour at a distance of fifty feet or hit a stationary target five hundred feet away. A well-placed water shuriken can take down many frailer pokémon in a single strike.
Greninja see usage at even the highest echelons of competitive play, but there are real drawbacks that keep them from being more common. Water shurikens are sharp and can cut most materials, but they tend to collapse shortly after making contact with their target. This means they tend to produce cuts no more than three or four inches deep. This can be devastating to bipeds and smaller pokémon. A steelix might not notice, if the shuriken can pierce the hide at all. The attack's dependence on sharpness means that a well-timed protect can block it without wasting much energy. It is also unlikely to seriously disrupt ghosts. As a water- and dark-type greninja can compensate for bad matchups against ghost and mineral pokémon with normal attacks, but without their shurikens greninja have middling power for a competitive pokémon. The sheer versatility of attacks they can learn is useful but can only go so far against the average tank or wall. Type coverage primarily helps with pokémon of moderate bulk. These pokémon can usually be knocked out of a fight by a water shuriken, anyways.
Greninja have no armor save for their tongue. Their bones are frailer by competitive standards and, like most amphibians, even surface damage can result in serious injuries. Substitute, double team, protect, shadow sneak, and spikes can keep greninja from getting hit. While their climbing and gliding speeds are impressive on flat terrain greninja can barely exceed twenty miles per hour. This leaves them unable to avoid many counter attacks without the use of a move. Any attack that lands will probably knock them out of commission. Even weaker homing attacks like shock wave or swift can sometimes do the trick. If the round goes on for longer than a minute, greninja will probably lose the war of attrition. In the wild they are nocturnal ambush predators that strike prey from a distance without being seen. This translates poorly to flat, open arenas where both sides know they are in a fight. The power of the shuriken gives them a niche for teams that need a way to deal with other speedsters but they are not powerful enough overall to be a competitive mainstay.
On the island challenge, where most foes are frailer and less experienced, greninja can thrive. They can inflict critical damage to many totems by striking their wings or joints, putting them on the backfoot for the rest of the fight. Many totem arenas also feature uneven elevation and ways for them to maneuver other than running on a flat surface. They may even be able to power through a hit or two. Trainers who want to start with greninja may consider going through the islands in an unorthodox order. Froakie and frogadier do well against Olivia and Hapu. Most of Hala's final team members are unable to reliably hit greninja and are bipeds vulnerable to a shuriken to the achilles tendon. If Hapu or Olivia are fought last their bulky final teams will be able to handle shurikens. The sandstorms both kahunas are prone to setting up can irritate greninja's skin.
Froakie and frogadier have crude armor in their bubbles. This will not save them from piercing attacks or any really powerful hits, but in the early and middle stages of the island challenge it sets them apart from their almost entirely unarmored foes. The bubbles are excellent at blunting the weaker tackles or punches that many young pokémon rely upon to deal damage. They will gradually become less useful until they evolve and gain access to water shurikens. Both stages are relatively speedy and are best used by keeping a distance and landing projectiles when possible.
Acquisition
As arboreal amphibians greninja thrive in spaces that are warm and humid with available insects and plenty of vertical space. They have become common in Exeggutor Island, Akala Rainforests National Preserve, and portions of Poni Meadow and Poni Wilds. The latter has cliff walls, tropical foliage, and an abundance of insects, allowing greninja to live on the cliff surfaces or in the tall grass. Froakie and frogadier can be captured with a Class I license. Greninja can be captured with a Class II. All three stages can be purchased or adopted with a Class I license as captive specimens are ordinarily docile. There is currently a near-total ban on imports in an effort to slow or stop population growth, but there are many breeders on Akala and Ula'Ula who breed froakie as alternative starters. A tame froakie can sell for as much as $1,200. Trainers who want to capture a froakie can find them in dense foliage around waterways, especially in tropical forest environments. Frogadier and greninja are difficult to capture due to their arboreal lifestyle.
Breeding
Greninja mate at the start of the wet season. Males croak and bellow to attract the attention of females. When one approaches they will begin a ritual of gliding between trees while performing acrobatic feats or sniping prey while in midair. The female may join in. If she stays long enough she will signal interest and land on a tree for mating to begin. After a twenty-day gestation period the female will lay a clutch of eggs on the underside of a leaf. Neither parent will have any further involvement with their offspring.
Captive breeding outside of the tropics requires cycling seasons from dry to wet with a gradual increase in humidity and temperature. The enclosure should have sufficient room to glide in. While greninja are perfectly comfortable living alone they will tolerate small mixed-sex groups year-round. Greninja are not defensive of their eggs. They can and should be removed to an incubation chamber to ensure they are not accidentally harmed. Captive greninja have shown some willingness to train froakie and frogadier, even if these behaviors are never seen in the wild. They do not care if their mentee is their own offspring or not.
Greninja can reliably crossbreed with toxicroak. More distant relatives can be mated with but the greninja are often reluctant due to the perceived lax of athleticism in their mate. The few documented cases have generally occurred when both frogs (or toads) are members of a competitive battling team and have a healthy respect for each other.
Relatives
Wild greninja (L. longalingua) live in Southeast Asia. Feral greninja have been introduced to Southern Europe, Brazil, the Everglades, Alola, the Congo, and, briefly, Madagascar. An eradication campaign on the island managed to wipe out the population in 1977 after they had caused the local prosimian population to decline. A similar campaign has been attempted twice on Akala to protect the endangered passimian. Both attempts succeeded at temporarily curtailing the population before it eventually rebounded. The DNR is currently focusing their efforts on eradicating the Poni populations as they are less well established and the lessons learned during the campaign can hopefully be applied on Akala and Ula'Ula.
Compared to their captive and feral relatives, truly wild greninja have much weaker shurikens and less control over the shadows. They do not bond well with humans and will typically hide as soon as they become aware of one nearby. Wild greninja are slightly smaller than their domesticated counterparts. They also need to retreat to water to rest and rehydrate during the day due to their thinner skin.