Episode Stats:

Japanese Episode AG 017: "Debon Kooporeeshon! Akua-Dan no Kage!!"

("Devon Corporation! The Shadow of the Aqua-Dan!!")

American Episode 289: "Stairway to Devon"
Orchid-Hakase Pokémon Lecture:  Happiness
Pokémon Dare Da?  None (Japanese), Slugma (American)
Japanese Air Date: March 20th, 2003
American Air Date:  January 17th, 2004
Important Characters:  Tsuwabuki (simply known as "the president" in the dub), Koroda (Kennedy), Daigo (Steven)
Important Places:  Muro Town (Dewford Town)

Now that Satoshi has his first Gym Badge, he is eager to move on to the next gym.  However, his friends want to tour the city a little more before leaving, so everyone goes his separate way.  After Masato accidentally spills his drink on the PokeNavi, causing it to malfunction, the young boy wanders around the city as he worries about what Haruka will say when she finds out.  Eventually, he runs into Tsuwabuki, the president of the Devon Corporation, and is told that the company can fix his PokeNavi.  As Masato is given a tour of the company, a shadowy figure steals two bio-capsules that are to be used in a project to resurrect ancient pokemon.  A chase ensues that ends on the company's rooftop, where the thief attacks with his Shizarigaa.  After his pokemon holds off all the humans on the roof, the thief begins to make his escape on a rocket-propelled hang glider.  The Rocket-Dan, who had been chased to the rooftop by the company's security guard, jumps the thief and retrieves the capsules before they are blasted off.  The thief, who Junsa suspects is part of the Aqua-Dan, makes his escape, but everyone is happy that the capsules have been returned.  Later, Tsuwabuki gives Masato his repaired PokeNavi and tells the group that his son, Daigo, is traveling around Muro Town, so Satoshi-tachi prepare for their next adventure!

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Thoughts
Isn't it weird how, throughout the entire Pocket Monsters anime, they never once mentioned the Silph Company?  Y'know, the big company in the video games that's in charge of making all the trainer items in the Kanto and Jouto regions?  It's a pretty big omission on the part of the anime producers, so I was kinda surprised when the Houen equivalent, the Devon Corporation, was included in the show.  I thought it gave a nice summary of the corporation, and it was nice that they gave Masato a goal (to be a Gym Leader someday) and foreshadowed the group's meeting with Daigo.

Since 4Kids kept a bunch of music in the last episode, I guess they figured that they could do the opposite this time, because they kept almost none of the Japanese music in this episode.  I counted three pieces of music total, which is the lowest that it's been for quite a while.  The president's dubbed voice is a little annoying, but since this is likely the only episode we'll ever see him in, I'm not going to get too upset about it. 

As far as edits go...we have one very pointless edit and one edit that's just plain over-cautious.  And a few more time cuts just to make up for the lack of time cuts in the last episode.  I've decided not to continue listing that the episodes are zoomed-in anymore; just assume it's a universal edit and know that you'll be told when an episode isn't cropped. 

Cut--1 second
The opening shot of the episode is shortened by a second.

Paint Edit
The Monster Ball design on Satoshi's badge case is replaced with a rectangle just like it was in Episode AG 003. 

I still don't see why they changed the case's symbol (it's the exact same symbol that Haruka has on the bandana that she wears in every episode) but at least they're being consistent with it.

Cut--1 second
A second is cut from the panning shot right after the title screen.

Cut--2 seconds
The establishing shot of the Devon Corporation (right after the scene where Haruka talks about buying new swimsuits) has a second cut from it.  Then, the very next shot (showing the building's entrance) is shortened by another second.

Cut--1 second
Right after the "Who's that Pokémon?" commercial break, the first second of the Aqua-Dan member walking up the stairs is cut.

Paint Edit
In this shot, Musashi's skirt was made longer for the English version.

I'm not too surprised, but at the same time, it seems weird that 4Kids would start censoring her skirt NOW.  I mean, we've seen some much more scandalous shots of Musashi in the past go unaltered, so why are they cracking down on this sort of thing now?

Cut--1 second
And, like every other episode in this series, the final second of the TO BE CONTINUED... screen is cut.

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