To think he would run into Team Magma here.
Just like Team Rocket, which was deeply rooted in Kanto and Johto, Team Magma had immense power in Hoenn. They were in a constant, fierce rivalry with another organization, Team Aqua. The only group that could deal with them was the even larger International Police.
Their strength might not match Team Rocket's, but in the Hoenn region, Team Magma and Team Aqua were the dominant powers.
Seeing its Houndoom captured, the other two Team Magma grunts frowned and released their own Pokémon.
Unsurprisingly, just like their uniform, their Pokémon were also Houndoom.
However, unlike normal Houndoom, these Pokémon wore armor on their bodies and heads. It not only made them look fiercer but also offered some protection.
The two Houndoom charged at Natsui from the left and right.
Besides Gengar, Natsui only had his newly caught Torchic by his side. Its strength was definitely not enough to fight such vicious-looking Houndoom.
Even so, it ruffled its feathers and did its best, spitting an Ember at the Houndoom.
But the Houndoom just dodged the weak flame with a simple turn and continued their attack.
But Torchic wasn't the only one guarding Natsui. Seeing these two "dark dogs" use a pincer tactic, Gengar glanced left and right. It unleashed a Dark Pulse from its body. The attack, like a black wave, instantly swept over the two Houndoom.
Including the one Gengar was holding, all three Pokémon were hit hard. They flew backward and landed in front of the three Team Magma grunts.
Defeating two Pokémon in a single blow... the thousand-year-old Gengar was terrifying.
"So... so strong!!"
The Devon Corporation employee was stunned. The three Team Magma grunts' faces also changed drastically.
What kind of power was this?
Even Team Magma's top admins probably couldn't knock out a Houndoom in one hit, right?
Could this person be as strong as their leader?
Seeing their Houndoom defeated, the three grunts were about to reach for their second Poké Balls. But Gengar gave them no chance. On Natsui's command, it used Hypnosis, putting all three of them to sleep.
Seeing this, the Devon employee cautiously walked over.
He expressed his sincere gratitude to Natsui. "Thank you so much..."
"It was nothing." Natsui shook his head and said with a smile, "Quick, check if anything is missing."
Reminded by Natsui, the employee snapped back to reality. He quickly grabbed his briefcase and checked it carefully.
While he was checking, Natsui turned his head away.
He didn't ask what was in the briefcase that was so important Team Magma would rob someone in broad daylight.
For him, anything other than a Master Ball—whether it was important documents, secret data, or something else—couldn't spark his interest.
After a moment, the man let out a long breath of relief.
Luckily, Team Magma had only just stolen it. They hadn't had time to take anything or tamper with it. Aside from some damage to the outside of the briefcase, nothing was lost.
Looking at Natsui, he said gratefully, "Thankfully, everything is intact. I can't express my gratitude. Oh, right, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Kuroda, and I'm the secretary to Mr. Stone, the president of Devon Corporation."
Secretary?
That surprised Natsui.
He thought he was just a regular employee, not a secretary.
Devon Corporation was no small company. Although it had just been a small iron-mining company a few years ago, it had now grown to rival giants like Silph Co.
Most of the products they made were for Pokémon Trainers. They had even developed new kinds of Poké Balls. He had also heard they were researching fossil restoration, and with great success.
In recent years, they had even developed a machine that used magma as fuel, which had pushed the company's fame to its peak.
Natsui waved his hand. "You're too kind. I think anyone with the ability would have helped in this situation."
Natsui found a rope and tied up the three Team Magma grunts. He then called the police.
It wasn't long before Officer Jenny arrived with several police cars. They woke the unconscious men and loaded them into the cars.
The incident should have been over for Natsui. But after Kuroda gave his statement, he found Natsui again.
He bowed low. "I have already reported this to the president. To thank you, the president has specifically instructed me to invite you to the company as our guest."
Natsui didn't want to impose, but Kuroda was very insistent. Since it was a request from the president, Natsui and Erika discussed it and agreed to visit Devon Corporation.
The gym was there anyway. Challenging it a little earlier or later made no difference.
They entered Rustboro City. On the way to the company, Kuroda gave them an overview of Devon, giving Natsui and Erika a better understanding.
"I see." Erika nodded. "So the Devon Corporation headquarters is right here in Rustboro City?"
Even as far away as Kanto, Devon's products were everywhere in Celadon City. She had heard the company's name before but didn't expect its headquarters to be here.
As they spoke, they arrived on the street in front of the Devon headquarters.
From a distance, Natsui could see a massive skyscraper. Looking up, it had to be over sixty stories, at least 260 meters tall. The exterior was grand, with sunlight shining off the bright glass. There was even a huge fountain spraying water at the entrance.
The Devon tower was, without a doubt, the tallest building in all of Rustboro City.
Honestly, Natsui was shocked by Devon's wealth. It had been a small company just a few years ago, but it had grown to this scale in such a short time. It was amazing.
They walked into the magnificent, high-tech lobby. Kuroda led them to an express elevator, which took them straight to the president's office on the top floor. There, they met the man in charge of Devon Corporation—President Stone.
Mr. Stone, the president, was the head of the company.
His full name was Mr. Stone. Despite his silver hair, he wasn't that old, perhaps in his fifties. He seemed well-maintained, with bright eyes and a healthy complexion.
Mr. Stone was sitting in his spacious, open office. When he saw Kuroda lead Natsui and Erika in, he immediately stood up to greet them.
"Let me introduce myself. I am Mr. Stone, the president of this company. Welcome to Devon. And thank you for helping Kuroda get those documents back. On behalf of Devon Corporation, I sincerely thank you for your help."
Before Natsui could speak, Kuroda at his side began to complain. "This is all because you were running around, insisting on going to the city to play with those kids! I had to bring the documents to find you. Otherwise, this never would have happened!"
Kuroda's tone was sharp, almost scolding. But surprisingly, Mr. Stone just laughed, not minding at all.
It seemed he was used to it.
Normally, the relationship between a president and a secretary was one of absolute authority. A secretary had to carry out the president's orders without question. But what Natsui was seeing was a real eye-opener.
"Oh, don't worry about it." Mr. Stone waved his hand dismissively. "Weren't they recovered? As long as everyone is safe, it's fine!"
Seeing Mr. Stone act this way, Kuroda could only sigh, seeming helpless against his boss's whims.
Although they had just met, Natsui could already tell that this Mr. Stone had no airs about him at all.
It was incredible. No wonder Devon Corporation had risen so quickly.
When Mr. Stone's gaze fell on him, Natsui nodded. "Mr. Stone, hello. I'm Natsui, a Pokémon Trainer."
Erika also curtsied gracefully. "I'm Erika."
Hearing the name, Mr. Stone and Kuroda both paused.
"Natsui?" Mr. Stone asked. "Could you be the young man who helped Silph Co. retake their building from Team Rocket in Kanto, and who also won two league championships?"
People like Mr. Stone might not watch Pokémon battles, but they would definitely be familiar with the name Natsui. They received intel on every major event in the world.
"Yes, that's me."
"What a coincidence." Seeing Natsui nod, Mr. Stone could only marvel at how small the world was. "No wonder you have such strength and could so easily retrieve the documents from Team Magma. You're truly a promising young man."
Even Kuroda was shocked that the person who had saved him was a Pokémon League Champion.
After learning Natsui's identity, both men became even more enthusiastic. Mr. Stone led Natsui and Erika on a tour of Devon, where they saw the revolutionary technology the company was working on: Pokémon fossil restoration.
In a huge laboratory, a complex machine was on display. This was the fossil restoration machine that Devon prided itself on, capable of reviving extinct Pokémon.
It was incredible technology, allowing people to see ancient Pokémon that had long since vanished. It was an extremely important contribution, both for Trainers and for society.
Of course, the technology wasn't fully mature yet. It couldn't revive fossils on a large scale, and the cost was extremely high. But successful experiments had already proven it was possible.
Just as Natsui was marveling at Devon's technology, an alarm suddenly blared. Before they could react, several people in blue-and-white-striped uniforms ran out of an adjacent research lab, heading for the floor-to-ceiling windows.
"What!?"
Mr. Stone and Kuroda were clearly confused by the sudden event. Like the other researchers, they just stood there, stunned.
But Natsui was already moving, running toward the men.
Because of the earlier incident with Team Magma, he was prepared. He recognized them at a glance: they were members of Team Aqua, Team Magma's famous rivals.
He didn't know what bad luck Devon had today. They were robbed by Team Magma outside, and now infiltrated by Team Aqua inside.
And by the looks of it, even though the alarm had sounded, Team Aqua had already succeeded.
If Natsui didn't know the two teams hated each other, he would have thought they had planned this.
The Team Aqua grunts had jet-pack-like devices on their backs. Escaping through the window was clearly their planned route.
If Natsui hadn't been here, they might have gotten away with it. But now that he was, how could he let them leave?
As he ran, Natsui took a Poké Ball from his belt and released his Gardevoir.
Thanks to their telepathy, Gardevoir knew what to do without Natsui saying a word. It used Psychic, creating a barrier in front of the Team Aqua members.
Caught off guard, the grunts slammed head-first into the invisible barrier. The collision left them dazed. They had just managed to stand up when they heard footsteps. They looked back and saw a handsome young man and a Gardevoir standing behind them.
"Damn it!"
The grunts looked at the situation, then touched the Psychic barrier behind them. They knew if they delayed, Devon's security team would reach this floor and surround them, and people would be waiting outside.
It wouldn't be easy to escape then.
But to leave now, they had to get past this man. They clearly had to defeat his Gardevoir.
Natsui glanced at the waists of the men. They each had a pouch that was bulging. He could see a few vials of amber-colored liquid. They had clearly stolen something important from the lab.
Kuroda ran after Natsui. He also saw the vials and turned pale. "Mr. Natsui, those are the fluids we produce at our company! They are valuable agents essential for reviving fossil Pokémon! We can't let them take them away! Please help us get them back!"
This was the second time today Kuroda had asked Natsui to stop these criminals.
It was safe to say, if Natsui hadn't been here, Devon Corporation would have suffered a terrible loss.
But now...
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