A/N: mmmh so, I know the few people following me are mainly waiting for an update to "Sneaking Right Up To Your Heart", and it is in the works, I swear! I've been awfully busy between university and art commissions sadly, so time to write is always down to zero. Hopefully this summer I'll get some time to regularly update!
However, I must admit during this time I started obsessing less with Team Magma/Aqua and more with Team Rocket, specifically the Executives and the Ariana/Giovanni/Silver/Mars family... Also my current OTP is Ariana/Archer, so I must satisfy this need, it's such an unpopular yet beautiful pairing!
And so, this was born! I plan to make it around 30 chapters long, so it will be a long ride!
It will also include Team Magma/Aqua and Team Galactic in some chapters, and hopefully have some variety like drama, comedy, romance, family fluff...I really hope you'll enjoy it!
Sadly first chapter is very short due to having still uni exams, but I'll make it up, promise!

"So, Ari, what are you gonna do at the end of highschool?"

The redhead forced her gaze away from the school's yard, cherry trees in full bloom despite the unforgiving war tearing Johto apart since a couple years.
She sighed as she looked annoyingly at her friend, her round face resting on her hand: "Archer, please, I've told you so many times how much that pet name irks me."
"Don't you try ignoring my question," kept inquiring the boy: "you know graduation is soon. What do you plan doing after that, in times such as this? Will you go back to Sinnoh? Or will you join your older brother to Hoenn?"
Ariana mused on the question for a while, before shrugging: "I don't know. What about you, you must be surely know what to do of yourself since you keep pushing for my plans."
He touched her hand, holding it for a moment. "Don't be silly. You know I have as much plans as you do. And you also know I 'push' you so much because what you're gonna do, I'm going to myself."
Chuckling, she interwined her fingers to his: "I see. This relationship must really be something serious then, isn't it?"
A knowing smile.
"You should know better"

Their lips met, not for the first time, and yet could make their hearts flutter each and every time.

"Look if it isn't the two lovebirds!"

...a flutter that a certain purple-haired idiot could crush with a jagged hammer each and every time.

Archer rubbed his temples, looking away as to hide the slight red tinting his cheeks, as Ariana was turning red herself, but of rage -as usual; the girl was an overreactive ticking bomb ready to explode at any random second.
"What's that for?" mocked Petrel smiling at the readhead's glare, seemingly naive.
"Nothing, I just wish some people knew better about others' right to privacy."
"The school's library is a public place, milady."
"Well, then...wait, what are you even doing here?! You're too old to still attend high school aren't you...?"

The older friend just avoided the question, turning his gaze from Ariana to a very-focused-on-his-paperwork Archer.
"I didn't mean to, but I think I've overheard you two talking about future plans? So what's up?"
Archer mumbled a 'nothing', his pen never detaching from the paper.

"Well," Ariana chimed in, her chest inflating with pride as the anger vanished as quick as it went: "the only thing sure for now is that I will graduate with grades better than Archer's!"
"As if," he only muttered back, eyes still focused but a light smirk on his lips.

Petrel looked at both, seemingly amused. "So you're telling me after your bloody fight to who gets better grades -as usual- you've got no clue on what to do? Well, I know you two are both pretty rich kids, but there's still a war out there, and you gotta be prepared."
Ariana seemed to start to get irked again, as she hastily grabbed her pen to do her paperwork as well: "Goodness, Petrel, you sound like my father! What do you care about, it's not like you have much of a plan, do you?"

The purple-haired guy smirked, as he rummaged in his pockets.

"The key to survival in war, my friends, is to side with the strongest."
The business card he was now holding was pitch black with a bright red 'R' on it.