Seeing Natsui take the men down, Mr. Stone and Kuroda walked over.
"These people... they must be Team Aqua," Mr. Stone said. "I can't believe they managed to sneak in here. Mr. Natsui, thank you for stepping in. If you hadn't been here, we would have suffered a terrible loss today!"
In a short time, Natsui had saved Devon Corporation from both Team Magma and Team Aqua. How could Mr. Stone not be moved?
He knew this wasn't just a simple victory. By doing this, Natsui was making enemies of two dangerous organizations. He was inviting huge trouble and putting himself on their radar.
"Don't mention it." Natsui shook his head. "Since I was here, I couldn't just stand by and watch."
Although he said that, Natsui sighed inwardly.
He wasn't afraid of Team Magma or Team Aqua. He had the International Police backing him and plenty of strong Pokémon. What could they do?
He was just lamenting the poor security of these large corporations.
Whether it was Silph Co. in Kanto or Devon Corp. here, these giant companies had security, but they seemed unprepared. They only focused on the main entrance, and their internal protection was clearly not careful enough.
Just then, the elevator at the end of the hall lit up. The doors opened, and a dozen security guards ran out, stopping behind Kuroda.
"You guys!" Kuroda yelled. "You're too slow! If Mr. Natsui hadn't been here, they would have escaped!"
The guards looked pained. It wasn't their fault. After hearing the alarm, they had come immediately. But the Devon building was huge. It took time to assemble and get to this floor.
In fact, only four or five minutes had passed. Their response was already fast.
Natsui also spoke up. "Mr. Kuroda, please calm down. It's not their fault. Who would have thought Team Aqua would be inside the building? I just happened to be nearby. If I had been anywhere else, I couldn't have caught them so quickly."
Hearing Natsui, the security staff looked at him gratefully. They didn't know who this young man was, but they saw he had caught the intruders. Now, he was defending them instead of taking credit.
Even Kuroda's expression softened. His anger faded slightly, but he still glared at the guards. "Regardless, letting Team Aqua sneak in is a serious failure of your duty! After this, I want a report from every one of you!"
Writing reports was a headache, but it was better than losing their jobs. The men nodded as if granted amnesty. They quickly moved forward to tie up the Team Aqua grunts. Kuroda stepped forward and retrieved the stolen culture fluid from their bags.
Just then, the elevator doors opened again. A young man strode out anxiously.
"Father, Mr. Kuroda, what happened!?"
Hearing the voice, Natsui turned. He saw a young man about his own age, wearing a well-tailored suit. He had blue-gray, medium-length hair, refined features, and fair skin, looking like a noble prince.
Seeing the young man, Kuroda was startled, then quickly asked, "Young Master Steven, why are you here?"
Steven?
Natsui knew who Steven was, but only from the anime and games. Hearing this was the actual, popular Steven, he looked him over in surprise.
He remembered now: Steven was Mr. Stone's son.
Sure enough, Mr. Stone smiled and said to Natsui, "Mr. Natsui, let me introduce you. This is my son, Steven Stone. He's also a Trainer. You're around the same age, you should have a lot to talk about!"
He waved Steven over and said to him, "This is Mr. Natsui, the champion of both the Kanto and Johto leagues!"
"Natsui?" Steven looked at him, paused for a moment, then walked forward with a warm smile and offered his hand. "Even though I'm in Hoenn, I've heard your name. I know you're a very strong Trainer. I've always wanted to meet you!"
Steven was a true heir to a massive fortune, but he was incredibly well-mannered. He didn't have any of the stereotypes people associated with the super-rich.
Seeing him in person, Natsui's first impression was that he was an extremely cultivated person.
No wonder he was so popular in the anime and games.
Natsui shook his hand. Steven was a bit shorter than him, but seemed more "slender and well-proportioned."
"Mr. Steven, you're too kind," Natsui said. "Actually, I'm the one who should say I've 'long heard of your great name'!"
Natsui wasn't just saying that. In the anime and games, Steven's name was extremely famous. He was a very important character.
But Steven didn't understand Natsui's hidden meaning and just thought he was being polite.
After they greeted each other, Mr. Stone said, "Although this is my first time meeting Mr. Natsui, he has already helped us twice today!"
"Oh?" Steven had just arrived and didn't know what was going on. "What do you mean?"
Kuroda quickly told him about the Team Magma robbery and the Team Aqua theft.
Hearing this, Steven felt even more grateful to Natsui, and his gaze became friendlier.
"I can't believe all that happened..." He looked at Natsui again and said, "Since you helped my father and Mr. Kuroda, you are my friend. If you ever run into trouble, please feel free to find me!"
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