An Impostor
Episode 17: Part 2

"Sir, where are we going?" Max asked as the man lead him and Aria down the hallway inside of the Devon Corporation.

But he completely ignored his question. "Can I see your Pokenav?" He asked.

"Uh, sure I guess." He hands it to him as the man examines it.

"Oh I see, you spilled your drink inside of here, haven't you?"

Max nods.

"So there is a way it can be fix right?" Aria asked.

The man nods as they walked into a room. There were scientist inside as they glanced at the trio. The man placed his finger to his lips to tell him to keep quiet. "I think that Kennedy guy is still following me around, don't say a word." He said.

A woman chuckled, holding a clipboard in her hands. "Not again." She said, shaking her head.

A man stood up from his stool. "Well, you always know this is a safe place to hide." He said.

"Could you take a look at this Pokenav? It shorted out and I need a quick repair job." He asked.

"No problem, I'll fix it Mister President." The man said, taking the Pokenav as he examined it.

Aria and Max looked confused. "President?" They said in unison.

"That's right, this man is the president of the Devon Corporation." The woman explained.

"But he tends to get himself in trouble with his assistant Kennedy from time to time." The man added.

"Why can't a president do what he wants?" Max asked.

"Well, that's just how things are around here." The president said. "But call me Mr. Stone."

When Mr. Stone finished explaining to them what they worked on at the Devon Corporation, he showed Aria and Max around, showing off a few of the devices they had created...or some that didn't work. But it still had them interested in their work.

"Is it all right if our friends can come here to see some of this?" Aria asked, glancing at Mr. Stone.

"Well, why not?" He said. "They came come."

Aria heard Max cheer as she smiled down at him. Max reminded her so much of Ash.

"Mister President!"

The trio comes to a stop once they noticed that man from before running over to them. It was Kennedy. "I've been looking all over for you. You should be back in your office, sir. You have several appointments." He said.

"It looks like I've been caught." Mr. Stone said.

"But he's the boss." Max said, catching Kennedy's attention.

"Kennedy I would like you to meet my friends Max and Aria."

The two bowed their head down as a respectful greeting. "Hello, sir." Max said.

"It's nice to meet you." Aria added.

"It's a pleasure to meet you two. I'm the president's assistant." Kennedy said.

"So that's why you were chasing Mr. Stone a while ago." Aria said. "You were just trying to get him back to work."

Kennedy nods in response.

"For a minute we thought you were some kind of robber." Max said, shaking his head.

"Kennedy, would you mind running to the Pokemon Center to find their friends and bring them back here for a little tour, huh?" Mr. Stone asked.

"Sir, of course I wouldn't." Kennedy said before leave the trio.

"Well, how about we continue our tour?" Mr. Stone suggested.

Max and Aria agreed before they went back into the lab and the he explained what certain machines run what. But when Aria and Max were distracted, Mr. Stone noticed something odd about one of the professors. He was wearing black sunglasses and he seemed to have something in his pockets. The mysterious professor left the lab as Aria and Max notice he was staring at the door.

"What's wrong?" Aria asked.

"It's nothing, but how about we take a walk." Mr. Stone said before they walked out of the lab.

But Aria noticed that wherever they were going was where the same exact place as the odd professor.

"Where are we going?" Max asked.

"Quiet Max," Mr. Stone said in a whisper. "We're following that guy." He said, eyeing the professor.

Aria looked at him. "How come?" She asked in a whisper.

"I know all of the faces of my employees, but I haven't seen him before."

Aria looked at the mysterious professor as her eyes narrow slightly. They continued to follow him as they almost reached the roof. Taking a staircase to the roof. But Max tripped which could be heard by the professor. He looks back, seeing that he was being followed as he ran up the stairs.

"Hey! Stop!" Aria demanded, reaching for two of her poke balls. "Houndoom, Absol, chase after him!" She said as her pokemon appeared, chasing the man up the stairs.

Aria turned to Max and helped him up. "Sorry." He apologized.

"It's alright, Max. You actually helped out." Mr. Stone said. Max looked confused as he continued. "His running away shows that he doesn't belong here."

"Let's hurry then!" Aria said as they ran up the stairs.

Mr. Stone then took out his phone and started to call Kennedy.

"It's me. Max, Aria, and I are chasing a suspicious wearing one of our white lab coats. He's now heading up to the roof." He said.

Kennedy spoke to him, but Aria or Max couldn't hear what he was saying.

"We'll meet you on the roof then." He said before he put the phone away.

The trio quickly caught up to Aria's pokemon as the run up another set of stairs. When they reached the roof, they see that the impostor couldn't go anywhere. Aria faces lit up with a smile as she realized it was Ash, May, Brock, and Kennedy who stopped them.

"Are you guys alright?" May and Ash asked at the same time.

"Yeah!" Aria replied as her pokemon stood in front of her. "Give us back what you stole from their lab!"

The impostor huffed, taking out a poke ball as a large pokemon appeared in front of Aria's pokemon.

"What's that pokemon?"

"Crawdaunt, the Rogue Pokémon. Crawdaunt are short-tempered, and quick to challenge opponents to battle. It is said that no other Pokémon can live in areas inhabited by Crawdaunt."

Aria's eyes narrow as she put away her pokedex.

"Crawdaunt, use Crabhammer!" The impostor commanded.

Crawdaunt nods, as it charge towards Aria's pokemon.

"Evade it!" She said to them as they quickly dodged it. "Absol use Night Slash!"

Her pokemon nods as it quickly lunged at Crawdaunt. But the pokemon only attacked back. Aria gasped when she realized Absol's attack failed.

"Absol!" She exclaimed.

"Pikachu, let's help her out!" Ash said as the electric mouse jumped off his shoulder. "Quick attack!" He said.

Pikachu runs in quickly, tackling into the pokemon as he knocked it down. The impostor told his pokemon to use Crabhammer once again. Pikachu's attack didn't even have an affect on Crawdaunt just like Absol. Aria gasped in shock when she saw Houndoom get wiped out by Crawdaunt's attack.

"Houndoom, return!" She said as she returned it to the poke ball. Aria grits her teeth together, "Absol use- huh?" She turns her attention to the footsteps she heard running up the stairs they took to catch the impostor. Everyone else noticed them as well.

"Team Rocket!" Ash cried, a glare went straight to them.

Before they could start their motto, they tense up when they heard Officer Jenny shout to them. But Aria turned her attention back to the impostor as she noticed that he had returned his pokemon to the poke ball as he rushed to a box with a rocket propelled glider inside of it. He turns it on and started to glide away.

"Oh no you don't! Ivysaur, use Vine Whip to take back what he stole!" Aria said as she called out her partner. Ivysaur's attack when straight for the impostor as he quickly went into his pockets and got back whatever he stole. The impostor managed to get away, but at least she got back what he stole. "Good work! We've got them back!" She praised her partner as Ivysaur handed her two small capsules with strange orange substance inside.

The impostor scowled under his breath as he didn't bother to go back for them. They watched him disappear as Aria handed Mr. Stone the stolen parts.

"Thanks Aria, we appreciate you and your friends for helping out." He said.

"Save your thanks, we still have Team Rocket to—" That was when she noticed something fly through the sky as Aria laughed awkwardly, realizing it was Team Rocket who got hit by Pikachu's Thunderbolt. "Hehe. Never mind then."

"But who was that guy?" Ash asked.

"I have an idea." Officer Jenny said. "Since he was using a Crawdaunt, my guess is that he is a member of Team Aqua."

"Team Aqua?" Max questioned.

"Yes. Here in the Hoenn region there are two organizations that cause trouble. There's Team Aqua, and there's Team Magma." She said. "We'll set up a police line around the city, so he won't be getting away."

"Team Aqua and Team Magma..." Aria murmurs under her breath.

Later that day, the others went to spend the rest of the their day at a restaurant and Mr. Stones gladly offered to pay for the whole thing. Mr. Stone, Max, and Aria sat on one side of the table, while Ash, May, and Brock sat on the other side.

"Thank you for all of your help." Mr. Stone said. "You've saved us from losing an important part of our research project."

"Thanks, but your real heroes are Max and Aria." Ash said.

Aria and Max laugh awkwardly as Aria drank some of the juice she had with her.

"Adventures are about being young. You know, my son Steven is traveling around the world, you like you all. Right now he's on Dewford Island."

"Huh, Dewford Island?" Brock questioned.

"I'm sure you'll all have a good time on Dewford Island. But, if there's a problem, ask for Steven." Mr. Stone said.

"Thanks Mr. Stone." Ash thanked with a quick nod.

"Also, I have a special request." He added.

"Special request?" May asked.

"Right, you see..." Mr. Stone glanced at Aria who had just set down her glass of juice. "I was wondering if you could challenge my son to a battle when you see him." He said. "I've noticed how similar you two fight, so I was thinking maybe the two of you could have one."

Aria thought to herself for a moment.

If what he says is really true, then I can't turn away a favor like that...

"I'l do it." She said wit ha sharp nod.

"That's the spirit, sis." Ash encouraged.

"Thanks Ash. But if he's powerful then I'll have to train before we go to meet him." She said smiling.

"Hey Max, can I see the Pokenav?" May asked.

Max and Aria tense up when May asked for the device.

"Uh-I..." Before Max could say that it was broken, he felt something tap against his knee as he looked down. It was the Pokenav. He glanced at Mr. Stone who didn't bother to look at him and Max took the Pokenav as he turned it on. Aria and Max smile brightly as they saw it was working like it normally did.

"Here you go! It's not broken at all or anything!" Max blurted out, handing the Pokenav to his sister.

"Broken?" She inquired, but she shrugged it off as she took it. "Thank you!"

As the three got distracted by the Pokenav, Aria and Max turn to Mr. Stone.

"Thank you for helping us." Aria said.

"It was my pleasure. Just make sure you don't make a mistake like that again." He said.

"Okay! I promise!" Max said with a sharp nod.