"Doctor, the Pearl of the Sea in the museum was destroyed just now. Confirmed: Toxic Nightmare has been released ahead of schedule!" Inside a research facility on David Island, a refined-looking man of twenty-seven or twenty-eight sat at a computer, wearing a lab coat and gold-rimmed glasses. His fingers flew across the keyboard, and footage of the museum soon appeared on a massive screen. As the image locked on and zoomed in, it settled on the shattered Pearl of the Sea lying on the floor.
"Hm?" A dry voice rang out as a short, stout, older man with graying hair approached him, also wearing glasses and a lab coat. He tapped a few keys, shifting the image downward to reveal a blue dome of light with three people lying inside.
"Isn't that woman Cynthia, the Sinnoh Champion?" Another man in his twenties walked over, dressed in the same research attire. His silver hair stood straight up, lending him a rebellious air. A wicked grin spread across his face. "Doctor, things might have strayed from the plan, but if we can poison a regional Champion to death, Nightmare won't have gone to waste!"
"And not just a regional Champion. That man's identity and standing are no less impressive than Cynthia's. We've hit the jackpot this time!" The refined-looking man produced a gleaming scalpel from somewhere and deftly spun it between his fingers.
"Do you think it's that simple? The power of Aura is still holding, and that Roserade is still treating them. Nightmare won't kill them!" A vicious gleam flashed in the doctor's eyes, but he quickly concealed it. "The Pearl of the Sea breaking ahead of time has disrupted my plans. We need to prepare another viable approach. We also have to keep the police from tracing this back here..."