rocketralph | Level 12 [Video]

I'm not entirely sure that would end well.

You don't know this guy.

_{[... And of course, she's also not totally sure she wants to subject Henry to the trauma of CAMPING directly after their father figure disappeared. ... But then again, it might be healthier than moping in the hotel room they'd shared with Harry for following weeks until Heather challenged Pryce.]}

Oh, no, that's...I don't know what that is. It looked like this place, only...square-er. Don't worry about it.

Well, whatever you decide, let me know so I can be on the look out for ya instead of wading in the lake after Vanellope. You turn around and zip, she's gone.

There is?

[Not that she actually knows what a Miltank...is... Tanks were cool, though.]

You think they'd let me use the area? I mean, could get busy. Who doesn't wanna be in a race?

Can't hurt to ask, can it?

_{[Ralph's never actually BEEN on a farm but...they're supposed to be spacious, right?]}

I'm gonna get us a fire goin' before it starts to get dark.

[Vanellope nods and starts to softly hum what sounds like a slightly-modified Sugar Rush theme as she tries to get Diet Cola's attention again. Even if nothing was certain, just starting to get on the right track had her back in high spirits.]

I'll get the grump to help you out. He can't ignore me for too long or Smooths starts t'yell at him.

[Just as expected, the Numel slowly starts making his way back, stomping his stubby legs all the while.]

Hey, I got Cubchoo-shaped marshmallows in Mahogany! They're like little ice bears, I guess. Can we use 'em? Can we?

_{[Ralph has already wandered over to the treeline to scoop up some handfuls of kindling.]}

On the condition that you don't put 'em in your hair! We'll find you some candy-shaped hair clips or somethin'. My treat if only to save my sanity.

[Vanellope gives the most over-exaggerated eyeroll in existence.]

They're for cooking on the fire, stinkbrain! And I'm not stopping the hair candy!

[Not today, anyway. Maybe if they found some truly fantastic clips.]

Vanellope? She's that little kid with the candy barrettes, right?

_{[She hasn't talked to her much, but she's aware that the little punk had fallen into cahoots with Wren at the party. Which she thinks is adorable and worrying at the same time.]}

Sounds like you've already had the pleasure.

_{[You hear that? That's sarcasm.]}

And that's actual candy. It's disgusting.

_{[Ralph just makes a primitive grunting sound and gives up for the time being. He drops the pile of kindling and gestures to Vanellope's pokemon.]}

C'mon, Stumpy, come do your thing.

[The Numel gives Ralph a flat look as his trainer ducks into her small, shabby tent, sighing out another puff of smoke before spitting an Ember towards the kindling. Even with how wet the land around the Lake of Rage was, the materials Ralph gathered are dry enough that they catch easily. Duty done, Diet Cola settles on a patch of grass not too far from the flames in case he's needed again.

Vanellope returns shortly, having switched out her swimsuit for summery pajamas and tied her hair back with a fresh piece of licorice. Only a few chalky candy hearts have taken the place of her usual assortment of toppings -- whether or not that's her attempt at a peace treaty on the issue is hard to say -- and she cheerily brandishes the bag of white and blue Cubchoo marshmallows.]

Got 'em! And I brought the chocolate and cracker things, too. Oooh, s'gonna be a feast tonight...

_{[By the time Vanellope returns, Ralph has dragged over a couple of logs for them to sit on. He looks up from pushing the embers around with a long stick.]}

Now we're campin'. We got a lake, a fire, and marshmallows.

_{[He offers Vanellope a stick and holds his hand out for a couple of marshmallows.]}

We even got a haunted forest to tie the whole thing together.

_{[Or so says Envy.]}

[She gives Ralph an amused smirk while handing him the marshmallows.]

Yeah, right. You don't actually believe any of that, do you? [With a shake of her head, Vanellope skewers her own candy Cubchoos and starts brandishing the stick over the fire.] You see anything spooky over here? Nah. This place is great!

[Which might be mostly because it seemed to make Ralph happy and she liked it when her friend was happy, but you know what that's good enough.]

Yeah, she and my crow ended up being partners in crime at the prom. Which probably actually kept Wren more out of trouble than in it, so, win-win.

_{[Cute kid, honestly. She kind of reminds Heather of her own eight-year-old self.]}

Wouldn't take you for the kind of guy who'd hang out with a squirt like that, though.

Yeah? That's surprising. Maybe they should hang out more.

_{[And at that, Ralph has to shrug a little, unseen, and admit that Heather's right. He's not great with kids. Or...with many people, actually.]}

We're from the same arcade. She says we knew each other but I don't remember anything about that.

_{[His voice grows a little lower. He didn't like the idea of thinking of his code as scrambled.]}

There are ghost-types, y'know.

_{[He pokes one of the colorful little bears onto the end of his own stick and scoots closer to the fire.]}

Somebody told me some pretty creepy things happen around this lake. That there's a monster Bidoof shuffling around in the woods somewhere.

_{[Sonic, Ralph's Bidoof, stops gnawing on a branch and looks around worridly.]}

They say it disappears and reappears without a trace and it's face is upside down.

Well I sure haven't seen any. Not around here, anyway.

[The explanation only gets some laughter out of the young girl.]

No offense to Sonic or anything, but a monster Bidoof is what has 'em all worked up? You could rearrange that thing's face to be rightside up again. Ka-pow!

[With her free hand, Vanellope punches at the air in front of her, then she raises the marshmallow to inspect it. After some careful scrutiny, it goes back over the fire.]

You've been goofing around in the water all day. It coulda been watching you this whole time!

_{[Meanwhile Sonic puts his paws to his cheeks. He doesn't want his face rearranged!]}

I'll bet when he touches you...your face turns upside down!

_{[Something in the woods behind them snapped.]}

Oh, really? Yeah, that happens sometimes.

People show up from the same place, but different times.

It's even happened to m-- ... well. It happens.

_{[She'd almost said 'me'. But thoughts of Harry Mason's first arrival in Johto had come rushing back and she'd felt her throat close up threateningly.]}

_{[He scratches his head.]}

Yeah? Well, I'm glad it's not just me...She thought I was playin' some kinda mean game when we finally bumped into each other.

Yeah, no, it happens a lot, actually. It can get kinda confusing for people who don't realize what's up.

I knew a guy who met his adopted daughter from the future and was... really weirded out by it.

_{[Poor Phoenix. She couldn't honestly remember how much time he'd ended up spending with Trucy before she left, but it probably hadn't been enough to smooth over the awkwardness properly.]}

[She glances over her shoulder before quickly dismissing it away as a wild pokemon -- a normal wild pokemon, and not these silly hauntings everyone was crazy about. Instead, she smirks over to Ralph.]

You seen anyone with an upside down face before? 'cause I sure haven't.

Wow, talk about an awkward family reunion.

_{[And here he thought FRIENDS from the future were jarring.]}

Square?

[ Snake is trying to imagine it, but it's not working out very well. ] So like... Square trees? Square water?

Level 12 [Video]

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