>>19610428Aqua is a bit more transparent front for a pirate organization that stand to gain from the increase of sea space in the region. Hoenn, being roughly 50% water and made of island chains is already rather dependent on maritime trade, an increased sea furthers that dependence which means increased ship traffick for Aqua to prey on, and the ability to summon storms to assist in raiding ships is invaluable. Aqua tries to seize the submarine part from Devon Corp early on, and later assaults the Slateport marine museum and Capt. Stern in order to get information on the submarine. Later on they combat Magma more proactively then Magma does them (Magma, being basically a business, is not as used to raids as the pirate Aqua are), and head them off to prevent the awakening of Groudon. They take the assault on Mt. Pyre before Magma as well, and not only jack the submarine from Slateport (having experience as pirates), but are able to effectively pilot it back to their hideout (showing skill with a variety of watercraft, as pirates) which is based off the shores of Lilycove and is much like a pirate fortress, even with the boss's quarters with the loot (the Master Ball and a Nugget).
Aqua is always a step ahead of Magma because of dominance in the water-based region and the fact that as pirates its much easier for them to get around compared to the business groups.
It is possible Magma never attacks Devon (in Sapphire and Emerald) because Devon is one of the members of the zaibatsu. Steven is either unaware (in Ruby and Emerald) or complicit and secretly working against Aqua with a front of being an amateur rock collector (in Sapphire).
Both Aqua and Magma put up the front of being environmental fundie groups with goals that ring true of radical idiotic cults ("Expand the sea!" "Expand the land!") in order to shroud their true intentions.
