"There's something I need to tell you. People have been operating around Cianwood City lately, wearing black uniforms. They're not Team Rocket."
Kijō stepped out of the Gym and stood on the steps, his voice lowered so only the three of them could hear.
Lin Hao said nothing, waiting for him to continue. "Half a month ago, I was out on a night run past the cliffs in the North District and saw three people." Kijō folded his arms and leaned against the doorframe. "Their uniforms were black and gray with blue trim, and they had a G emblem on their chests." May tightened her grip on her phone inside her pocket.
"They were moving things in the cave beneath the cliffs." Kijō glanced at Lin Hao. "I had Lucario sense them with Aura. There were extremely powerful energy fluctuations coming from those crates."
"Didn't you report it to the League?" May couldn't help asking.
"I did." Kijō shrugged. "The League said they'd investigate. I never heard anything after that."
Lin Hao pulled his hand out of his pocket. "Cliff Cave, the one to the north?"
"Right. Head down the seaside cliffs, and there's an old shipping channel that leads inside." Kijō paused. "I wasn't going to get involved, but after seeing your Charizard just now, you're no ordinary challenger."
"I'm just an ordinary challenger."
Kijō shot him a sidelong glance, clearly unconvinced. "Whatever you say." He took a business card from his vest pocket and handed it over. "Karen, my senior fellow student, is one of Johto's Elite Four. If you run into trouble, you can contact her."
Lin Hao took the card and glanced at it. It read "Dark-type Elite Four-Karen," with a phone number and a League internal extension listed side by side. He slipped it into