Elisabeth Fiorelli was a striking woman, beautiful like the rare antiques that littered Girard's shop: each one had a story, hidden and secret, extractable only after a great deal of patience and effort. Girard wasn't entirely sure why he wanted to know who Elisa really was beneath her carefully curated personas, but there was just something about the woman that intrigued him. Perhaps it was because BARNABY FINCH spoke highly of her, or maybe it was merely that Girard was fond of the banter he had come to expect from her. An intellectual pursuit, really, not unlike an ongoing, extended chess match. The more he learned about her, the closer he got to a checkmate.[break][break]
In the end, however, loyalty was not something one handed out like raffle tickets, a select few winners based solely on the luck of the draw. Girard was a perfectionist, and Rocket's success at a Hoenn takeover depended a great deal on who was in power, a group that needed to be carefully curated based on only the highest of standards. Kanto had not been the success some thought it had - violent oppression didn't promote progress and a beaten-down citizenry didn't make for good subjects.[break][break]
People needed to love their leaders.[break][break]
"No apologies necessary," Girard assured her. "I appreciate you - and your Pokémon - coming out on a cold night to drink with me." The sentiment was sincere. He held up his glass in salute, then took a sip. "Can I order you a drink?"

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Girard chuckled at her assumption that he might be trying to bribe her. Most of the time, it was not necessarily the wrong assumption to make: he was the sort of man who negotiated with buyers and sellers on the regular. If he wanted something, he knew how to turn the tides in his favor.[break][break]
But tonight, the only thing he wanted was to show this woman a good time.[break][break]
A soft clink sounded as he met Elisa's glass with his own, taking her up on the toast. Her Kalosian made her sound softer, more genuine. It was her first language, he knew, but he could not decide if it suited her. He could imagine it suiting a past version of her, someone untainted by both the passage of time, the disappointments of various failed relationships, and the realities of being an admin of the world's most notorious criminal organization.[break][break]
"If you find it hard to vivre de l’air du temps," His own Kalosian was excellent, a requirement for most Galarians through secondary school, "Then perhaps we should look to the past or the future instead." Amber eyes shone in the low light of the bar. "I'll go first. I am grateful to have spent a considerable amount of time getting to know you this past year, Miss Fiorelli." It was flirtatiously stated, but only subtly so - after all, it was not a lie.

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Girard's expression sobered at her words. She was right to look to the future, now that they even had one. Despite all odds, Hoenn had not been annihilated by the recent meteor. It was at the behest of a legendary Pokémon that they had all been saved. It was like some sort of fairy tale...too fantastical to be true. But here they were - living, breathing, drinking. The world had moved on.[break][break]
What came next? There were whispers of a worse apocalypse, a new threat on the horizon. Out of the frying pan and into the fire, or so the saying went. Girard would leave that to the experts. Rocket had scientists who would figure out ways to prevent it, he was sure. In the meantime, he would look to profit off the newly discovered Tera crystals and the Paldean Pokémon appearing in Hoenn due to rifts in the fabric of space-time.[break][break]
Chaos benefits the quick-witted. Survival was one thing; turning a difficult situation into an advantageous one was entirely another.[break][break]
"Well, with the future in mind - what do you hope to accomplish in the coming year?" He asked his companion.

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"I would be inclined to agree," he rumbled softly, raising his glass once more."Though I would caution the use of extraneous force. A conqueror that is not beloved by the subjects she wishes to conquer would find herself on the summit of a rather flimsy mountain of power." His smile was enigmatic, his amber eyes more curious that challenging.[break][break]
After a moment's pause, he seemed to decide something. There are many ways to appeal to the masses. Was his friend BARNABY FINCH not a master at such a thing? Perhaps Elisabeth was someone who could find a nerve and yank on it. The public had much to be concerned about as of late. The League was losing favor, but would the people of Hoenn choose to follow a criminal enterprise instead? Perhaps. If said organization knew how to position themselves.[break][break]
Kanto had been a messy affair.[break][break]
"To conquering," he acquiesced, decisively downing the remainder of his drink.

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