Outside Ecruteak City.
Within the dense forest between Goldenrod City and Ecruteak City.
A man with short light-blue hair, dressed in a white suit with a fiery red "R" emblazoned on his chest, stood with one hand behind his back and a communicator in the other, a faint smile on his face.
A Hypno followed at his side.
Quite a few people dressed in the black uniforms of Team Rocket's elite operatives moved about nearby.
They could be seen rounding up and apprehending a group of people dressed in all manner of clothing.
"Lord Apollo, not one escaped. We caught them all."
A Team Rocket captain who looked like a squad leader approached the man and spoke respectfully.
This man was Apollo, Team Rocket's overall commander in the Johto Region and the foremost of the Four Generals.
However, he was currently communicating with an important figure, so he merely waved his hand dismissively.
"Boss, you heard that, right?"
"Mm."
A calm response came through the phone.
"Suicune has already left. These people have some nerve. Aren't they worried about Ho-Oh's retaliation? It doesn't exactly have a forgiving temperament. The situation on the other two sides doesn't seem too promising either," Apollo muttered.
So that was why.
The reason Suicune had appeared unharmed in Ecruteak City was because Giovanni had Apollo lend it assistance.
Hearing Apollo complain about Ho-Oh's temperament, Giovanni could not help but chuckle softly.
"Enough," Giovanni said flatly.
"Still, Boss, I think this sort of thing would have been better left to Athena. I prefer grander scenes."
Apollo was absolutely loyal to Giovanni, and Giovanni trusted him absolutely.
Thus, their exchanges were fairly casual.
As he spoke, he also looked toward Ecruteak City.
Even from this great distance, they could still sense the immense blaze there.
"Ecruteak City