Level 15 [Video]

[rocketralph]

_{[Ralph isn't beating around the bush today. The feed flicks on to show his huge, angry face, his brick-shaped brows scrunched up in frustration.]}

Okay, so, any a' you seen a disgusting little wolf boy with long black hair, sharp teeth, and purple eyes? Kinda looks like a mobile pile of garbage? He's been missing for about a week and he's not answering his 'gear even though his number's still in service and I know he hasn't been home because there are still french fries on the floor and--

_{[He stops himself and scrubs at the back of his head.]}

Anybody know if he's alright?

Comments

[rocketralph]

_{[Blanca the Ampharos flashes a greeting and Ralph just grunts.]}

S'fine. C'mon, I didn't want to go to records alone. Afraid it might seem weird.

_{[Also because he is not really viewed as somebody who is smart enough to check records and folks might think something was up big time.]}

[grapeeater]

It's fine. I go to records to file my reports a lot.

[And... well. It's good to know where to find information if he has to, even if he's still technically just a Grunt. He gestures for Ralph to follow him.]

[rocketralph]

_{[The brick wall turns and away they go. He doesn't look at the receptionist as they pass her and his Pokemon keep up well enough.]}

I hear if you get knocked out by a wild Pokemon, you wake up in the Pokemon Center. You'd think that'd be something he'd wanna tell everybody about but so far, I haven't heard so much as a peep.

[grapeeater]

I haven't heard that either.

[He keeps his posture straight so that he's not questioned, and heads over to the files. At least they're in order...]

[Wrath... Wrath... oh, there. The file with papers that look like they've been chewed.]

Hm... it looks like he hasn't submitted a report in a while... which doesn't surprise me from him, but it doesn't look like there's been any in the past week or so.

[rocketralph]

Hmf.

_{[He hangs a thumb off his overalls and frowns at the files.]}

Well...at least now we know where he isn't.

_{[He's quiet a while longer. Blanca just stands between them and looks worriedly up at his trainer's newest friend.]}

If you were a disgusting wolf boy, where would you go?

[grapeeater]

... Somewhere with food?

[He's never really been able to get inside Wrath's head very well.]

[rocketralph]

_{[Well, he's not wrong.]}

Let's start checking the dumpsters, then.

[grapeeater]

[He wrinkles his nose, but... but this is about finding Wrath. He can brave a dumpster.]

Sure. Lead the way.

[He's not totally sure if he knows where the dumpster is.]

[rocketralph]

<sub>[DUMPSTER MONTAGE!!!]

[Wrath isn't in the main garbage heap behind the HQ. He isn't behind any of the nearby restaurants, the poke'chow factory, the local play park, or even in the sewers. By the time they come back to the base, Ralph is exhausted, grumpy, and more worried than ever.]</sub>

I'm ready to call it a day. He's made it this long, he can hold out one more day while everyone gets their act together.

[grapeeater]

[He tries to stay back as much as he can, but he's... dealing with it. He doesn't like the stench that's clinging to him, and he's going to have to find another change of clothes because these might need to just be burnt.]

[But he's also exhausted, and frustrated, and the whole situation is pulling on emotions he'd wanted to push away. But he promised he'd look out for Wrath, right?]

[... He failed at that, too.]

Yeah. He'll turn up. People can't die here, right? So if the absolute worst happens, we'll probably find him at a Pokemon Center.

[Not that he wants that, but...]

[rocketralph]

<sub>[It may be the truth but...it's still grim to think about. Ralph shudders all over. Thirty years the mantra 'if you die outside your game, you don't regenerate' has been drilled into his head. They're all strangers to this game.]

[It just aint natural!]</sub>

Yeah...

[grapeeater]

... We'll keep looking, but we won't be that effective if we're tired and hungry.

[... He's hungry, at least.]