one shot. volkner/ino. lucas/dawn.
Title: Sunyshore Matchmakers
Author: muchenthusiasm
Fandom: Naruto/Pokemon
Pairing: Volkner/Ino... kinda sorta. Lucas/Dawn.
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Dawn asks Ino for some love advice. Thing is, she doesn't know that Ino is working with Volkner to get her and Lucas together, with the help of Flint.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Pokemon~
Notes: Stand-alone one-shot.
"Ino," Dawn said. Ino looked up from her bowl of fruit and granola, her traditional breakfast. "How do you know if you like like somebody?"
A smile crept on Ino's face. "Who's the boy?" She didn't recall Dawn meeting any boys here, since she had been training nonstop. Ino might have messed things up for her, because after she defeated Volkner, he toughened up considerably. But, as Flint so often pointed out, he was in a better mood now.
Dawn blushed. "It - he - no - I -" she sputtered. Ino giggled.
"Fine, you don't have to tell me who it is," Ino said.
"I just want to know if I like him, and if he likes me back," Dawn said, getting redder.
"I can't give you the right or wrong answer," Ino told her. "But tell me how you feel around him." Dawn looked down.
"W-Well - uh," she began. "When I'm around him, my he-heart beats faster than when I'm battling. There are butterflies in my stomach every time he talks because he's just so smart. He's talented and very dedicated to what he does... I admire him for that."
Ino listened to this with a dreamy look on her face. She was reminded of her younger self, crushing on Uchiha Sasuke.
"Ino?" Dawn's voice dragged her back into reality.
"It sounds like you really like him," Ino said, smiling.
"How do I know if he likes me back?" Dawn asked, looking up at her.
"How does he act around you?" Ino asked.
"He cares about me after something bad happens, and... he sometimes goes out of his way to help me," she said.
"Is that normal for him to do?" Ino asked. Could it be Pearl?
"I... yeah," Dawn's face fell.
"The only way you can know for sure is by asking him yourself," Ino told her. "He could feel the same way but is too scared to say anything. I'll clue you in on a secret: guys are just as scared of rejection as girls are."
Dawn nodded. "I'll ask Lucas, then!" She said confidently. Then she covered her mouth, horror in her eyes.
Ino raised an eyebrow. Lucas, huh? "Rowan's bi - slave?" She always forgot to censor herself around Dawn. Dawn nodded slowly.
"Don't worry, Dawn, I won't tell anybody about your crush," Ino said. Dawn glared.
"You better not! I'll hurt you if you do!" Ino giggled.
※※※
The first person Ino told was Volkner. They were kind of going out, kind of not. It was complicated, but Ino had a thing for emotionally retarded boys.
"So what do you want me to do?" Volkner asked.
"Talk to him," Ino said. "Point out all the positives about Dawn. God, sometimes, I swear, you're retarded when it comes to romance."
"Sorry I'm not your dream guy."
"No you aren't." Volkner sighed and rubbed his temples. He couldn't handle Ino right now - not at nine in the morning. It was too early.
"I don't know why you can't just help somebody besides yourself. If this were about Flint -"
"Why do all our conversations end up being about Flint?" Volkner asked, annoyed.
"Because you only do things for him." Ino said, hands on her hips.
"No I don't."
"What!? Yes you do! Reme-"
"Hey, lovebirds." Well speak of the devil. Flint walked in like he owned the place, waving at the two. "What are you guys fighting about this time? I can barely stand the heat in this room." He was the only one who laughed at his joke.
"Ino is being immature about -"
"Volkner won't help me get Dawn and Lucas together," Ino said, cutting him off.
"What? Why not?" Flint asked.
"Because he's being a prude."
"I am not! This is none of our business, anyway," Volkner said. "Just because you want something to happen doesn't mean it will."
"Oh come on, Volkner!" Flint said, nudging him with his elbow. "It sounds like fun!"
"Yeah!" Ino said, nodding. Volkner sighed.
"I guess I have no choice..."
"Damn right you don't," Ino said, jumping in the air. Success! She always got her way with Volkner, the times just varied. But, honestly, if she could get Shikamaru to obey her, Volkner wouldn't be that hard to persuade.
Volkner felt like he'd just agreed to something really, really bad. And, knowing Ino as well as he did, he just had. Ino very rarely had good plans. At least in his mind.
"So what are we going to do?" Flint asked. Ino contemplated for a moment.
"Flint, since you're so high and mighty and with power, go talk to Professor Rowan about sending him over here to do some research," Ino said. Flint nodded and gave a mock-salute. Ino giggled inwardly.
"What about me?" Volkner asked with about as much enthusiasm as a rock. Ino's eye twitched before she answered.
"You're coming with me," Ino said. "We'll regroup back at noon!" She dragged Volkner off to the room she shared with Dawn.
※※※
"Okay, Volkner, when Lucas comes over, go take him to the beach," Ino said. "That's where Dawn and I will be 'training'. Just be thoughtful, like 'Dawn's getting better at using her Pokemon' or 'Is she still the same little girl you remember in Twinleaf?'. You know, stuff like that to get his thoughts focused on Dawn. Don't worry after that - I'll take over."
"And then I can leave?" Volkner asked. Ino glared at him.
"Yes, you can, but there might be a chance I won't ever speak to you again," she said.
"That's a chance I'm willing to take." Ino whacked him over the head with her hand. "Jeez."
"Don't mess this up, Volkner," Ino said. "This is serious. Dawn's happiness is at stake!"
"...Fine," Volkner said. "I'll say everything you told me to, and then I'll leave. Happy?"
"I'm not unhappy," Ino told him, disappointment on her face. "I'll see you at the beach, then." Volkner nodded, pinching the bridge of his nose. It was going to be a long, long day.
※※※
Lucas arrived in Sunyshore at around two. He was excited, both from him being personally invited by Volkner - a gym leader! - and because he knew that Dawn was here. He wanted to know how she was doing. On her Pokedex, of course.
Volkner greeted him with an unemotional 'Hello'. He seemed distracted. Lucas just shrugged it off - he was probably still angry about losing to Ino.
"So, what's this I hear about a new, strange Pokemon?" Lucas asked.
"It's just something we've never seen before," Volkner lied. In all honesty, it was just an East Sea Gastrodon that had some coral stuck to it. Not that Lucas would see it, but that's what Flint had described. "It's at the beach." Lucas nodded.
When they came in view of Ino and Dawn, Lucas' face reddened a little. "O-Oh, I didn't know Dawn would be here."
"Huh?" Volkner asked, lost in his thoughts. "Oh, yeah. She is. She's training still." What did Ino want him to say again? He hadn't really been paying all that much attention to her. "She could use some more training with her Pokemon." ...That didn't sound right.
"That's not very nice, even coming from a Gym Leader," Lucas said, his chest puffed out. "You ought to be saying nicer things about Dawn. She could beat you with one Pokemon, I bet!"
"Uh, yeah," Volkner said. "She's not the same girl that came from Twinleaf, is she? She's definitely matured."
"Hey!" Lucas said, his voice getting louder with his anger. "Are you some kind of pervert? Because I -"
"What? No."
"Then why are you talking about her so -"
"Lucas!" Volkner had never been so relieved to hear Ino's voice. "How weird meeting you here." Wow, she could fake surprise well.
Lucas was still worked up over what Volkner had been saying, but was kind to Ino. "Hi, Ino. How's Monferno?"
"Infernape now, actually," Ino said. "And he's still not minding all the time."
"Oh," he said, looking past Ino to Dawn, who seemed to be hiding her face from him. "I'm going to go talk to Dawn." Ino nodded, then turned to Volkner once he was out of earshot.
"You stupid -" Ino was too angry to finish her sentence. "Thank God I was here to save your ass. What did you say?"
"I thought I was saying what you told me to say," Volkner said, a little scared of the look in Ino's eyes. The fact that he knew she could easily kill a person did not make him feel any better.
"Well you weren't, otherwise Lucas wouldn't have been calling you a pervert!" Ino exclaimed, whacking Volkner on his arm. "Do you ever listen to me when I speak?"
"Not entirely, no," Volkner said. That earned him another whack on the arm.
"Volkner, just leave," Ino said, turning around. Volkner shrugged and turned around.
"What?" Volkner asked when Ino tugged on the back of his shirt. Her mouth was agape and she was pointing at Dawn and Lucas, who were standing close to each other, looking like they were ready for a kiss. Her grip on his shirt tightened the closer they got to each other's mouths and when they finally kissed, Ino beamed.
Volkner had to admit, he felt the slightest warm and fuzzy feeling inside seeing that. Not that he would tell Ino that.
"See? This is why you listen to what I say," Ino said dreamily, pointing to the two. They broke the kiss quickly and reddened at the same time, awkwardly hugging and saying goodbye.
Lucas rushed past with a hurried 'Goodbye', blushing a color Ino hadn't even seen on Dawn. She let go of Volkner's shirt and walked over to Dawn, a proud look on her face.
"Thank you, Ino," she whispered, her fingers lightly touching her lips.
"So I take it he likes you back?" Ino asked, still beaming. Dawn nodded, a stupid grin on her face.
"When are you going to ask Volkner -"
"Whoa there," Ino said. "I'm the one who gives out the love advice, not you. You still have so much to learn." Dawn smirked.
"I know that you two both obviously like each other," she said. "Even Flint knows."
"It's complicated," Ino said firmly. "That's our relationship right now."
"Ino, he -"
"Who gives out the advice?" Ino asked, childishly putting her fingers in her ears and pretending not to hear her. Dawn rolled her eyes.
"You do."
"Exactly. And it's going to stay that way for a long, long time." She looked back to see if Volkner was still there. Her face fell when he wasn't.
"See?" Dawn snickered. "You obviously care about him. Why don't you admit it?"
"Because I don't handle rejection well," Ino said, tugging on Dawn's hat. "C'mon, let's get some dinner and talk about boys."
"Like Volkner?"
"Like Lucas." That shut Dawn up.
Author: muchenthusiasm
Fandom: Naruto/Pokemon
Pairing: Volkner/Ino... kinda sorta. Lucas/Dawn.
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Dawn asks Ino for some love advice. Thing is, she doesn't know that Ino is working with Volkner to get her and Lucas together, with the help of Flint.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Pokemon~
Notes: Stand-alone one-shot.
"Ino," Dawn said. Ino looked up from her bowl of fruit and granola, her traditional breakfast. "How do you know if you like like somebody?"
A smile crept on Ino's face. "Who's the boy?" She didn't recall Dawn meeting any boys here, since she had been training nonstop. Ino might have messed things up for her, because after she defeated Volkner, he toughened up considerably. But, as Flint so often pointed out, he was in a better mood now.
Dawn blushed. "It - he - no - I -" she sputtered. Ino giggled.
"Fine, you don't have to tell me who it is," Ino said.
"I just want to know if I like him, and if he likes me back," Dawn said, getting redder.
"I can't give you the right or wrong answer," Ino told her. "But tell me how you feel around him." Dawn looked down.
"W-Well - uh," she began. "When I'm around him, my he-heart beats faster than when I'm battling. There are butterflies in my stomach every time he talks because he's just so smart. He's talented and very dedicated to what he does... I admire him for that."
Ino listened to this with a dreamy look on her face. She was reminded of her younger self, crushing on Uchiha Sasuke.
"Ino?" Dawn's voice dragged her back into reality.
"It sounds like you really like him," Ino said, smiling.
"How do I know if he likes me back?" Dawn asked, looking up at her.
"How does he act around you?" Ino asked.
"He cares about me after something bad happens, and... he sometimes goes out of his way to help me," she said.
"Is that normal for him to do?" Ino asked. Could it be Pearl?
"I... yeah," Dawn's face fell.
"The only way you can know for sure is by asking him yourself," Ino told her. "He could feel the same way but is too scared to say anything. I'll clue you in on a secret: guys are just as scared of rejection as girls are."
Dawn nodded. "I'll ask Lucas, then!" She said confidently. Then she covered her mouth, horror in her eyes.
Ino raised an eyebrow. Lucas, huh? "Rowan's bi - slave?" She always forgot to censor herself around Dawn. Dawn nodded slowly.
"Don't worry, Dawn, I won't tell anybody about your crush," Ino said. Dawn glared.
"You better not! I'll hurt you if you do!" Ino giggled.
※※※
The first person Ino told was Volkner. They were kind of going out, kind of not. It was complicated, but Ino had a thing for emotionally retarded boys.
"So what do you want me to do?" Volkner asked.
"Talk to him," Ino said. "Point out all the positives about Dawn. God, sometimes, I swear, you're retarded when it comes to romance."
"Sorry I'm not your dream guy."
"No you aren't." Volkner sighed and rubbed his temples. He couldn't handle Ino right now - not at nine in the morning. It was too early.
"I don't know why you can't just help somebody besides yourself. If this were about Flint -"
"Why do all our conversations end up being about Flint?" Volkner asked, annoyed.
"Because you only do things for him." Ino said, hands on her hips.
"No I don't."
"What!? Yes you do! Reme-"
"Hey, lovebirds." Well speak of the devil. Flint walked in like he owned the place, waving at the two. "What are you guys fighting about this time? I can barely stand the heat in this room." He was the only one who laughed at his joke.
"Ino is being immature about -"
"Volkner won't help me get Dawn and Lucas together," Ino said, cutting him off.
"What? Why not?" Flint asked.
"Because he's being a prude."
"I am not! This is none of our business, anyway," Volkner said. "Just because you want something to happen doesn't mean it will."
"Oh come on, Volkner!" Flint said, nudging him with his elbow. "It sounds like fun!"
"Yeah!" Ino said, nodding. Volkner sighed.
"I guess I have no choice..."
"Damn right you don't," Ino said, jumping in the air. Success! She always got her way with Volkner, the times just varied. But, honestly, if she could get Shikamaru to obey her, Volkner wouldn't be that hard to persuade.
Volkner felt like he'd just agreed to something really, really bad. And, knowing Ino as well as he did, he just had. Ino very rarely had good plans. At least in his mind.
"So what are we going to do?" Flint asked. Ino contemplated for a moment.
"Flint, since you're so high and mighty and with power, go talk to Professor Rowan about sending him over here to do some research," Ino said. Flint nodded and gave a mock-salute. Ino giggled inwardly.
"What about me?" Volkner asked with about as much enthusiasm as a rock. Ino's eye twitched before she answered.
"You're coming with me," Ino said. "We'll regroup back at noon!" She dragged Volkner off to the room she shared with Dawn.
※※※
"Okay, Volkner, when Lucas comes over, go take him to the beach," Ino said. "That's where Dawn and I will be 'training'. Just be thoughtful, like 'Dawn's getting better at using her Pokemon' or 'Is she still the same little girl you remember in Twinleaf?'. You know, stuff like that to get his thoughts focused on Dawn. Don't worry after that - I'll take over."
"And then I can leave?" Volkner asked. Ino glared at him.
"Yes, you can, but there might be a chance I won't ever speak to you again," she said.
"That's a chance I'm willing to take." Ino whacked him over the head with her hand. "Jeez."
"Don't mess this up, Volkner," Ino said. "This is serious. Dawn's happiness is at stake!"
"...Fine," Volkner said. "I'll say everything you told me to, and then I'll leave. Happy?"
"I'm not unhappy," Ino told him, disappointment on her face. "I'll see you at the beach, then." Volkner nodded, pinching the bridge of his nose. It was going to be a long, long day.
※※※
Lucas arrived in Sunyshore at around two. He was excited, both from him being personally invited by Volkner - a gym leader! - and because he knew that Dawn was here. He wanted to know how she was doing. On her Pokedex, of course.
Volkner greeted him with an unemotional 'Hello'. He seemed distracted. Lucas just shrugged it off - he was probably still angry about losing to Ino.
"So, what's this I hear about a new, strange Pokemon?" Lucas asked.
"It's just something we've never seen before," Volkner lied. In all honesty, it was just an East Sea Gastrodon that had some coral stuck to it. Not that Lucas would see it, but that's what Flint had described. "It's at the beach." Lucas nodded.
When they came in view of Ino and Dawn, Lucas' face reddened a little. "O-Oh, I didn't know Dawn would be here."
"Huh?" Volkner asked, lost in his thoughts. "Oh, yeah. She is. She's training still." What did Ino want him to say again? He hadn't really been paying all that much attention to her. "She could use some more training with her Pokemon." ...That didn't sound right.
"That's not very nice, even coming from a Gym Leader," Lucas said, his chest puffed out. "You ought to be saying nicer things about Dawn. She could beat you with one Pokemon, I bet!"
"Uh, yeah," Volkner said. "She's not the same girl that came from Twinleaf, is she? She's definitely matured."
"Hey!" Lucas said, his voice getting louder with his anger. "Are you some kind of pervert? Because I -"
"What? No."
"Then why are you talking about her so -"
"Lucas!" Volkner had never been so relieved to hear Ino's voice. "How weird meeting you here." Wow, she could fake surprise well.
Lucas was still worked up over what Volkner had been saying, but was kind to Ino. "Hi, Ino. How's Monferno?"
"Infernape now, actually," Ino said. "And he's still not minding all the time."
"Oh," he said, looking past Ino to Dawn, who seemed to be hiding her face from him. "I'm going to go talk to Dawn." Ino nodded, then turned to Volkner once he was out of earshot.
"You stupid -" Ino was too angry to finish her sentence. "Thank God I was here to save your ass. What did you say?"
"I thought I was saying what you told me to say," Volkner said, a little scared of the look in Ino's eyes. The fact that he knew she could easily kill a person did not make him feel any better.
"Well you weren't, otherwise Lucas wouldn't have been calling you a pervert!" Ino exclaimed, whacking Volkner on his arm. "Do you ever listen to me when I speak?"
"Not entirely, no," Volkner said. That earned him another whack on the arm.
"Volkner, just leave," Ino said, turning around. Volkner shrugged and turned around.
"What?" Volkner asked when Ino tugged on the back of his shirt. Her mouth was agape and she was pointing at Dawn and Lucas, who were standing close to each other, looking like they were ready for a kiss. Her grip on his shirt tightened the closer they got to each other's mouths and when they finally kissed, Ino beamed.
Volkner had to admit, he felt the slightest warm and fuzzy feeling inside seeing that. Not that he would tell Ino that.
"See? This is why you listen to what I say," Ino said dreamily, pointing to the two. They broke the kiss quickly and reddened at the same time, awkwardly hugging and saying goodbye.
Lucas rushed past with a hurried 'Goodbye', blushing a color Ino hadn't even seen on Dawn. She let go of Volkner's shirt and walked over to Dawn, a proud look on her face.
"Thank you, Ino," she whispered, her fingers lightly touching her lips.
"So I take it he likes you back?" Ino asked, still beaming. Dawn nodded, a stupid grin on her face.
"When are you going to ask Volkner -"
"Whoa there," Ino said. "I'm the one who gives out the love advice, not you. You still have so much to learn." Dawn smirked.
"I know that you two both obviously like each other," she said. "Even Flint knows."
"It's complicated," Ino said firmly. "That's our relationship right now."
"Ino, he -"
"Who gives out the advice?" Ino asked, childishly putting her fingers in her ears and pretending not to hear her. Dawn rolled her eyes.
"You do."
"Exactly. And it's going to stay that way for a long, long time." She looked back to see if Volkner was still there. Her face fell when he wasn't.
"See?" Dawn snickered. "You obviously care about him. Why don't you admit it?"
"Because I don't handle rejection well," Ino said, tugging on Dawn's hat. "C'mon, let's get some dinner and talk about boys."
"Like Volkner?"
"Like Lucas." That shut Dawn up.