Devon Corporation

After obtaining the Stone Badge, the gang took a break inside the Pokemon Center. Ash had contacted Prof. Oak to ask him how his new Hoenn Pokemon were and May was planning a shopping trip in the city. Brock and Tomo were looking through the guidebook together to see where they need to go next. Max was spending time with Zigzagoon, Linoone, Poochyena and Shroomish.

"Guys, when I'm old enough to be a proper Pokemon trainer, we will challenge gyms and collect badges just like Ash." He said. "But we are traveling on a journey now, we will capture some more Pokemon friends okay?"

His Pokemon nodded to say yes. Max had already planned on what to do on this journey; his plan was to capture more Pokemon for himself, especially normal-type Pokemon and learn whatever he can about being a Pokemon trainer.

"The truth is, my dream is to take my dad's place as the new leader of the Petalburg Gym." Max said. "So let's get strong together to make my dreams come true."

Tomo was checking out his Pokenav, but it didn't seem to work; when he tried to push the button to turn it on it wouldn't work.

"Are the batteries dead?" Brock asked.

"No the batteries are fine, but I don't know what's wrong." Tomo answered.

Ash, who had just ended his conversation, heard the commotion.

"Hey what's going on?" He asked.

"My Pokenav isn't working." Tomo said. "It doesn't turn on when I press the button."

Ash took a look at it.

"The Pokenav must be jammed then." He said. "Don't worry Tomo, I know what we can do about it. When Prof. Oak gave me the Pokenav's, he told me that they were made by a company called the Devon Corporation and the company is here in Rustboro City so we can go there and see if we can get it fixed."

"Okay." Tomo said.

Max wanted to go to the Devon Corporation with Ash and Tomo too and he agreed to let Max accompany them.

"Okay Ash." Brock said. "You, Max and Tomo go to the Devon Corporation and I'll meet you two there when I'm done with my shopping."

"I'll meet you there as well." May said. "I want to do some shopping myself."

So Brock and May went shopping while Ash, Tomo and Max headed to the Devon Corporation.

The Devon Corporation building was the biggest building in Rustboro City, and Ash, Tomo and Max found it with very little difficulty.

"Wow, what a big building." Max said, surprised by how magnificent the Devon Corporation was.

"I read on the computer that the Devon Corporation is famous for making the Pokenav and other things." Ash noted.

"Cool, I hope we get to see some of the things they make here." Max said.

"Yeah, but first we need to check and see if Tomo's Pokenav can be fixed." Ash said.

So the boys went inside the building and asked the lady at the reception desk if they could get Tomo's Pokenav fixed.

"I'm sorry boys." The lady said. "But we don't do repairs here."

"What? You're kidding?" Ash exclaimed in shock.

"So now what do we do?" Tomo asked.

Before Tomo's question could be answered, an elderly man in a suit and a male security guard came up to the boys.

"Is there a problem here?" The security guard asked.

Ash informed them that Tomo's Pokenav wasn't working.

"We think the button is jammed, so we came here to try and get it fixed." Ash said.

"May I look at the Pokenav please?" The man in the suit asked.

Tomo gave the man his Pokenav.

"Yes this Pokenav is jammed." The man said. "But we can easily get it fixed."

"Really? Thank you." Tomo said.

The man revealed himself to be Mr. Stone, the president of the Devon Corporation.

"How about I show you around the place while you get your Pokenav fixed." He said.

Ash, Tomo and Max were delighted and they immediately accepted the offer. Ash then informed the security guard about his friends May and Brock.

"They said that they would meet us here after they were finished shopping." Ash said.

"I understand." The security guard replied. "I'll tell them where you are when they arrive."

So Mr. Stone gave Ash, Max and Tomo a tour of the Devon Corporation.

"I must ask sir." Max said. "What do you create here aside from the Pokenav?"

"All sorts of different inventions." Mr. Stone replied.

He explained that they made different Poke Balls, medicines and inventions.

"What inventions do you have?" Tomo asked.

"Well one of our inventions is a Pokemon producer." Mr. Stone answered. "That machine brings a Pokemon fossil back to life."

"Really?" Ash asked. "That's cool because Cinnabar Island in Kanto has a lab that brings a Pokemon fossil back to life. My friend Brock went there to have his Kabuto and Omanyte back to life from their fossils."

"Wow that's so cool." Max said. "I'll have to ask him about that."

Mr. Stone also told the boys that they had created a Pokemon Dream Projector, which makes a visual projection of Pokemon, a Pokemon Transformer, which turns people into Pokemon and a Pokemon Speaker, which allows communication with Pokemon.

"None of them work yet." Mr. Stone said. "But we are still working on them to succeed."

"This is one amazing building." Max said.

Meanwhile May and Brock had finished their shopping by now and had arrived at the Devon Corporation. The security guard met up with them and told them that they were with the president at the moment.

"So we'll wait here until Ash, Tomo and Max get back then." Brock suggested.

Just then an Officer Jenny entered the building. She informed the security guard that there was a report of a thief somewhere in Rustboro City and she feared that he might steal something from the Devon Corporation.

"I better let the president know immediately." The security guard said.

He and Officer Jenny went to tell the president and Brock and May followed them.

Meanwhile Mr. Stone, Ash, Tomo and Max were following someone in a lab coat. Mr. Stone said he knew each of his employees and this man was not one of them.

"I have to admit." Ash whispered. "Something about that guy doesn't feel right."

"That's the reason we're following him." Mr. Stone said.

They followed the man all the way up some stairs, which led to the roof of the building. Suddenly Max tripped causing the man to notice their presence and run up the stairs quick.

"That guy's probably a thief." Ash said.

He, Max, Tomo and Mr. Stone ran after him. Mr. Stone contacted the security guard on his mobile phone and told him what was going on. The security guard had just gotten word that a sample from the Pokemon producer machine was stolen, so there was a chance the man was responsible for the theft.

"I know a shortcut to the roof." The security guard told Officer Jenny, May and Brock and they headed to the shortcut.

Right now the man had made it to the roof and Ash, Max, Tomo and Mr. Stone quickly caught up with him.

"The game's up!" Mr. Stone shouted. "Now give back the sample you've stolen!"

"Not a chance." The man smirked, and released a big lobster-like Pokemon from a Poke Ball.

"That's a Crawdaunt." Max said. "A water/dark type Pokemon."

Ash released Latias and told it to use Thunderbolt on Crawdaunt and it was fried. The man returned Crawdaunt to the Poke Ball, but he wasn't ready to give up yet. He had a rocket propelled glider with him and was about to get away by using the glider.

"I don't think so!" Ash shouted.

He used his psychic power to immobilize the man. Tomo informed Max and Mr. Stone that Ash possessed psychic powers and the two were surprised he had that kind of power. Just then the security guard, Officer Jenny, May and Brock came onto the roof and saw what Ash was doing. May was left speechless when she discovered Ash had psychic powers.

Officer Jenny called her men and they arrested the man and returned the sample that he had stolen.

"That man is a member of Team Aqua." Officer Jenny said.

She informed the gang about the two criminal organizations active in the Hoenn Region.

"Odds are they're as bad as Team Rocket from my home region Kanto." Ash muttered.

"Yes they are." Officer Jenny confirmed this. "And if you kids ever see them please contact me immediately."

"We will." Brock said.

That evening the gang had dinner with Mr. Stone.

"I was speechless when I discovered you had psychic powers Ash." Mr. Stone said.

"Well the truth is I had a ancestor with psychic powers named Celeste and I ended up inheriting her powers." Ash explained the source of his psychic power.

"That was cool when you did that." Max said. "What else can you do?"

"I can communicate with my psychic type Pokemon using telepathy and create barriers to protect me if I'm under attack." Ash said. "I've been practicing my psychic power ever since I realized that I had it."

"Well you are an amazing kid Ash." Mr. Stone said.

He told the gang about his son Steven Stone, who was also traveling on a journey.

"Right now he's at Dewford Town."

"Dewford Town?" Ash asked. "Hey that's where I'm going to obtain my second gym badge."

"Well if you are, then give Steven my regards while you're there." Mr. Stone said.

"We will." Ash remarked.

Mr. Stone gave Tomo's Pokenav which was now working again back to him, so Tomo was happy now.

That night...

Tomo, Max, May and Brock were asleep. Ash on the other hand was communicating with Mewtwo. Ever since Officer Jenny told him about Team Aqua and Team Magma, Ash had the feeling that he and the others might end up seeing them again.

"Be on your guard with Team Aqua and Team Magma Mewtwo." Ash said. "I get the feeling that these two criminal organizations will be up to something bad."

"I understand Ash." Mewtwo said. "And contact me whenever you hear more about them."

"I will." Ash replied.

Ash of course had no idea what Team Aqua and Team Magma were like, but he knew that he had to be on his guard; especially since he and his friends had to deal with Team Rocket frequently. But all he could think of now was continuing the journey in the Hoenn Region.