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"Dad, come on!" You exclaimed, burying your face into your hands as you sat on the grass outside of the dojo. You felt embarrassment lighting up your cheeks, your stomach dropped into your stomach as you thought of him , but you refused to allow your father to get that sort of win. Composing yourself with a sigh, you glanced your y/e/c orbs back upon the screen in front of you. "I'm in my twenties, do you really think we should be talking guys?"
"I haven't seen you since you left for Galar, Y/N," your father teased, his red eyes with a glint of mischief in them. "What kind of father would I be if I didn't ask? Well, uh, anyways- how's your team doing? Are you planning on staying away from Ula'ula forever?"
"Does someone miss me, or do you miss having me pre-challenge your challengers?" You teased right back, a smirk against your lips.
With a hearty sigh, Nanu replied, "Maybe a little of both. I was thinking I would actually come out and see you, scare your boyfriend, and catch a new pokemon to spice the trial up with."
"For the last time, Dad, I don't-," you started, before you noticed that your father was smirking and pointing somewhere clearly behind you.
"You can't tell me that's not your boyfriend," he teased, causing your face to pale. "I mean, Y/N/N, I know you."
Behind you stood an absolutely flustered Avery, blue eyes wide with the tiniest hint of blush against his cheeks as he seemed to be mumbling to himself. At the time, both of you were completely silent, and you couldn't find the words to yell at your father some more about how Avery wasn't dating you. Absol bounded over to Avery while the two of you had been silent, asking to be pet.
Finally, the words slipped past your lips as you glared back at the screen. "Are you done embarrassing me for the day, Dad?" You spoke curtly, though your cheeks hot with blush gave your father exactly the satisfaction he needed from his pushing. "I'm sure it's late over there. Say hi to Ace for me."
"Yeah, yeah," Nanu replied with a chuckle. "She misses you, too."
Relief filled you for a brief moment as you allowed a sigh to escape your lips, tucking away your rotom phone. For a moment, you completely had forgotten that Avery had still been standing behind you, Absol beside you as it nuzzled into your side. Once you had remembered that tidbit, you found yourself glancing back, meeting still slightly stunned blue eyes.
"I-" you started, your voice cracking in your own fluster. Biting your lip, you tried to think of any possible way to explain your father's actions. Up until 18, you lived with your father on Ula'ula when you weren't traveling, and he did know you well. With the worst crush on the blonde haired male, you found yourself short for explanation. "I'm sorry about my father, he's uh, I don't know how to explain that…"
Avery scoffed, though a slight tint of blush still lit his cheeks as he pushed his glasses up his nose. "No harm done," he said with a facade clear. "I wouldn't have come out to find you if I knew you were on the phone." After a brief pause, he continued, trying to act as if the question he spoke hadn't bugged him either way. "You're not thinking of going back to Ula'ula soon, are you?"
Standing to your feet, you brushed yourself off as you shook your head. "Not yet," you replied, a smile stretched against your lips. "Did you need me for something?"
He started mumbling to himself for a moment, a conflicted expression against his face as he seemed to be contemplating what he actually needed you for. "Why didn’t you deny what your father said?" He said finally, catching you off guard.
Perplexed, you raised an eyebrow as you tried to read Avery's expression. "I already told him earlier that I didn't have a boyfriend," you said in a relaxed tone. "He just saw you and decided to embarrass me more. There was no point in giving into it."
"But he said," he started, perplexed as he glanced between you and the ground.
"That you were my type," you finished, an eyebrow raised as you could feel a tightness in your heart. "But, I mean, he's basing that solely on appearance. He doesn't know how interesting you are, nor how passionate of a trainer you are. He may be a Kahuna, but not even he can look at someone and predict any of that."
By this point, Avery found two options presented to him. Either, he could simply teleport once more, running off to attempt to tackle this at another point in time, or… He took the alternative route, pressing his lips to yours as you were about to start denying all of the things that spilled from your tongue.
Heart fluttering in your chest, you nearly were knocked off balance as Absol pushed you closer to Avery, catching yourself by wrapping your arms around his neck. Mouth dry, you were lost for words as the two of you separated, his forehead rested against your own. Though your y/e/c gaze did not leave his cerulean orbs, you found nothing better than to simply blush a deeper shade than an ember.
"I- uh," he found himself lost as he wanted to crawl back into his shell, shut you out once more as he realized what he had done. With one foul swoop, he was detached from you, saying his signature phrase. "Avery, teleport!" As he began to run, you managed to catch his wrist.
Forcing the words from your lips, you could barely even look at the handsome blond. "Avery, I really like you," you said softly. "And I was hoping that maybe we could-."
"You'd really want to be with someone who always loses to you?" He countered shyly, his blue eyes turned to the ground in defeat.
"Avery, you're a passionate trainer," you replied. "You're going to make an amazing gym leader, and I would love to see that happen by your side."
A smile stretched across his face as he moved back to embrace you, this time tenderly wrapping his arms around your waist as he rested his head against your shoulder. "I'm going to beat you one day," he hummed into your shoulder. "Don’t think me being your boyfriend voids the fact that I'm your rival."
"I wouldn't have it any other way," you replied softly, closing your eyes as you held him close.