For trainers venturing into the Paldea region in Pokémon Violet, understanding how to equip their Pokémon with the best moves is crucial. If you’re aiming to teach your Greninja the move Bubble, you’re in the right place. While Greninja’s move learning process in Violet differs from previous games, acquiring Bubble for this Water/Dark-type ninja Pokémon is still achievable.
This guide will delve into the specifics of how Greninja can learn Bubble in Pokémon Violet, ensuring your team is well-equipped for battles in this expansive open-world RPG. We will cover the evolutionary line, move inheritance, and other potential methods to obtain this classic Water-type move.
Understanding Greninja’s Movepool in Pokémon Violet
Greninja, the final evolution of Froakie, is a popular choice among trainers due to its speed and versatile movepool. However, in Pokémon Violet, Greninja itself does not directly learn Bubble through leveling up. Instead, Bubble is a move primarily learned by its pre-evolution, Froakie.
Froakie, the Water-type starter Pokémon from the Kalos region, learns Bubble naturally as it grows. This is the key to getting Bubble on your Greninja in Pokémon Violet.
Froakie Learns Bubble by Leveling Up
The most straightforward way to get Bubble is to catch or obtain a Froakie and train it. Froakie learns Bubble very early in its level progression.
Specifically, Froakie learns Bubble at Level 5 and again at Level 8 in Pokémon Violet. This means as soon as you have a Froakie, it won’t take long before it naturally learns this move.
Froakie starts with moves like Growl, but quickly progresses to learn Bubble as you train it.
Evolving Froakie to Greninja
Once your Froakie knows Bubble, you can evolve it through its evolutionary stages to eventually obtain a Greninja that knows Bubble. Froakie evolves into Frogadier at level 16, and then Frogadier evolves into Greninja at level 36.
Greninja is known for its swift movements and powerful Water-type attacks like Water Shuriken.
Crucially, when Froakie evolves into Frogadier and then Greninja, the learned moves are carried over. Therefore, if your Froakie knew Bubble before evolving, Frogadier and subsequently Greninja will also know Bubble.
Can Greninja Relearn Bubble?
If for some reason your Greninja does not know Bubble, or if you accidentally replaced it with another move, you can utilize the Move Reminder feature in Pokémon Violet.
Move Reminders are NPCs found in Pokémon Centers across the Paldea region. They allow your Pokémon to remember moves they have previously learned through leveling up. Since Bubble is a move learned by Froakie through level up, and carried through evolution, the Move Reminder can help Greninja relearn Bubble if needed.
Look for Move Reminders in Pokémon Centers to help your Greninja remember Bubble or other forgotten moves.
Why Teach Greninja Bubble?
While Greninja learns more powerful Water-type moves later on, Bubble can be a useful move, especially in the early to mid-game stages of Pokémon Violet.
- Early Game STAB: As a Water-type move, Bubble benefits from the Same Type Attack Bonus (STAB) when used by Greninja (or its pre-evolutions). This means it deals 1.5x more damage, making it a reasonably powerful attack early in the game.
- Low Level Accessibility: Learning Bubble at a low level like Level 5 for Froakie means you have access to a Water-type attack very early on. This is beneficial for tackling early game challenges and Gym Leaders.
- Status Condition: Bubble has a 10% chance to lower the target’s Speed stat. While not guaranteed, this Speed reduction can be strategically advantageous in battles, especially against faster opponents.
Optimizing Greninja’s Moveset in Pokémon Violet
While Bubble is a decent early game move, as you progress in Pokémon Violet, you’ll want to consider more powerful and strategic moves for Greninja. Greninja has access to a wide array of moves through leveling up, TMs, and potentially move tutors (depending on future game updates or if referring to past games for movepool context).
Some strong Water-type moves for Greninja in Violet to consider as alternatives or additions to Bubble include:
- Water Shuriken: Greninja’s signature move, a multi-strike Water-type attack.
- Surf/Hydro Pump: Powerful Special Water-type attacks obtainable via TM or level up in some Pokémon games (move availability can vary in Violet).
- Scald: A Special Water-type move that has a chance to burn the target.
Furthermore, Greninja’s Dark-typing opens up access to powerful Dark-type moves like Night Slash and Dark Pulse, providing excellent type coverage.
Conclusion: Bubble and Greninja in Pokémon Violet
To summarize, while Greninja doesn’t directly learn Bubble by leveling up in Pokémon Violet, its pre-evolution Froakie does at very early levels. By evolving a Froakie that knows Bubble, you can ensure your Greninja also has this move. If needed, the Move Reminder in Pokémon Centers can assist Greninja in relearning Bubble.
Greninja, the Ninja Pokémon, is a valuable asset to any team in Pokémon Violet.
While Bubble may be outclassed by stronger moves later in the game, it serves as a solid early-game Water-type attack for Froakie and can be carried forward to Greninja. Experiment with different moves and find the best moveset to make your Greninja a formidable force in Pokémon Violet!
