rocketralph | Level 12 [Video]

[People probably heard things about you too, Ralph, but Vanellope wouldn't have believed those rumors without evidence. Give the Lake of Rage a chance, man!]

Yeah, right.

[There's another angry puff of smoke from Diet Cola. He has half a mind to boil the entire lake, but he knows better than to play into their hands. Instead, he just trudges off. No more warm body for Vanellope to snuggle up against, no siree.]

Big baby. [It's hard to pull the towel closer around her when she's trying to peel melty-sticky candy out of her bangs. That hadn't been such a great idea, either.] Hey, hand me my hoodie, will you? And some gumdrops!

_{[Ralph rolls his eyes and puffs out a sigh of his own before tromping over and taking the towel from her--fully intending on ruffle-drying that sticky disaster she calls her hair.]}

Kid, I don't know if you've noticed, but food doesn't really make a great fashion accessory. It's supposed to go in your mouth.

[That earns Ralph a whiny yelp, but that and the initial jump are the only signs of resistance from her until his words. She pushes back the towel so she can pout up to her buddy.]

I was going to eat some of the gumdrops, too. But it doesn't matter if it's seen as impractical or weird, because... It's what I have from my game, you know? Like you liking camping and stomping in the woods.

You can take the racer outta Sugar Rush, Ralph, but you can't take the Sugar Rush outta the racer.

_{[The wrecker's shoulders sag. It bums him out big time to be unable to break things and Vanellope had yet to encounter a super fast pokemon to take the place of racing...all she had was her candy.]}

But it's so... unsanitary!

Yeah, n'so are your feet.

[She's less down about it than she would be alone, so her teasing is still cheerful. Sure, she missed racing, but at least she was on an adventure!

Speaking of racing, though...]

Hey, whaddya think about this place? Lake of Rage.

Hey! I wash my feet thankyouverymuch!

_{[He self consciously scuffs one against the grass. Then he hooks his thumbs off his overalls and looks across the lake.]}

Seems like a good spot to spend a week or two. Some folks on the gear were makin' a big deal about this place bein' dangerous but...eh. Nothin' ate you, I think it's fine.

[She pats lightly at his forearm as if to quiet his worries. Just a joke, friend!]

I haven't seen anything dangerous. [Vanellope squints at their surroundings, as if that would make this apparent danger leap out. When nothing does, she shrugs.] What would you think about it if it had more people? And, like, a racing track?

Well it is scenic...kinda muddy though...but if there were a bunch of people out here it wouldn't be half as peaceful.

Hmmn...

[She wiggles her toes into the ground. She hadn't thought of that... After a moment, Vanellope nods.]

Got it! I'll keep looking, then. If I'm gonna be making race courses someplace, it needs to be perfect.

_{[She sure is serious about this racing thing. He can't rightly blame her.]}

I heard there was a popular farm around somewhere with Miltank. I'll bet they have enough land for a race.

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.]

_{[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.]

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.]}

[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.

No, but I see new Pokemon every other day. What, you think you got this place all figured out already, Smarty pants?

Oh come on, Ralph! We've seen a Bidoof, and we've never seen anything with an upside down face! Someone was just probably tryin' to spook you. There's like no way that this place is haunted.

Level 12 [Video]

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