Stephen Yggdrasil

**Stephen Yggdrasil** is the name of a powerful trainer hailing from the Slateport City of the tropical paradise known as the Hoenn region. Having started his journey with a Torchic he named Phoenix and a Froakie named Jiraiya, Stephen set out to become one of the greatest trainers in the double battle format. Stephen also possesses a rare Mega Ring he wears on his right ring finger along with a Blazikenite to mega evolve Phoenix into Mega Blaziken, and Jiraiya would eventually reveal that it had the Battle Bond ability that lets it become Ash-Greninja. Stephen is currently considered on of the Yonkō.

## Background

Stephen was born to parents of different regions. Like him, his mother was born and raised in the Hoenn region. Stephen's father was born in the Kalos and would journey to Hoenn during his span as a pokémon trainer. While there, he met and fell in love with Stephen's mother and thus their eventual union into marriage and birth of their first child Stephen.

Stephen himself would eventually want to become a pokémon trainer. When he said this, his parents opted to get pokémon for their son's journey. Stephen's mother got him a Torchic from a reputable breeder as she always noticed her sons fascination with the chick pokémon. Stephen's father, who left his team at home on his parent's ranch to defend them, had learned his Greninja from his journey, who was a female one, had eggs with a strange Greninja, and thus had one of the Froakie of his old partner brought to the Hoenn region for his son to help him and keep him connected to his Kalos heritage.

Stephen accepted both pokémon with joy as he started his journey. Through various trials and challenges, he overcame the gyms of Hoenn. In the process, his Torchic, named Phoenix by him, evolved into a Combusken and then again into a Blaziken. Froakie, who he named Jiraiya, would also evolve into Frogadier and then again into Greninja.

Throughout this journey, Stephen would eventually be gifted a Mega Ring by his uncle from his father's side, who saw Stephen's bond with Phoenix as powerful and enduring, along with a Blazikenite to mega evolve Phoenix. Further, Jiraiya seemed to inherit the strange ability Battle Bond from his father, which allows him to become Ash-Greninja, a sort of natural mega evolution from a basic analysis.

## Equipment

### Blazikenite

With this Mega Stone, Stephen can equip it to his Blaziken, Phoenix, and allow it to mega evolve into Mega Blaziken on a whim. Stephen has the stone fastened to Phoenix's right arm as an armband of sorts.

### Mega Necklace

To use mega evolution, Stephen equipped his Key Stone on to a chain that he wears as a necklace. So long as his pokémon is holding the proper mega stone, Stephen can mega evolve it with his necklace.

### Pokédex

With this device, Stephen can scan pokémon he comes across to gain information on them. Stephen often uses this to discover a pokémon's typing so that way he can send out the best pokémon he has to deal with the wild or captured threat. He also uses it to keep track of his own pokémon's moves.

## Trivia

* While in the games Greninja must defeat a pokémon to activate Battle Bond, Stephen's usage of it is the same as the anime usage of it for Ash Ketchum and his Greninja.