[Video] [Action for New Bark Town]

[rocketralph]

_{[There is a cough from off-camera as Ralph tries to steady his Poke'Gear. His hands are shaking and the view of New Bark is one the people of Johto have seen hundreds of times by now. A shiny Growlithe with enormous eyebrows bounds into the frame and yaps excitedly.]}

Ahehm! Aheherhum! Is this thing on? Heya ah...hello! Hi. Hello there. My name is...Do-Right Ralph. And I'm...new here.

_{[The Growlithe on-screen stops bounding around and tilts his head. His bushy tail stops wagging.]}

The handbook that everybody gets said I should probably introduce myself! So! Hello! Uhm...

_{[A nervous cough.]}

This is my starter. Carter. Does anybody have any...


.....


..........


...tips?


_{[Suddenly a Snubbull with a big red bow on one ear toddles into frame leading a fat Sandshrew by the paw. The Snubbull is waving around at all the sighs and chattering excitedly.]}

STEVE BOSSY NO! GET OUT OF THE SHOT! You're ruining it!

_{[The duo jumps in alarm and Bossy wheels around and bristles as much as something without any fur can bristle, chattering several poke'profanities at her trainer. Steve, meanwhile, just looks hurt.]}

Oh...oh, no, Steve. I didn't mean to yell. You're perfect, you're beautiful, you two go have a good time.....ah, nuts.

_{[Ralph finally flips the 'gear around to reveal himself. It's the same old Ralph, not some newbie--but there are some changes! For one, he isn't wearing his overalls. The boy's gotten himself a RIGHT AND PROPER PAIR OF JEANS. For another he's wearing a shirt advertising the TM Brick Break. There's a green bandanna around his neck and Nelly, his Slurpuff, is stuck to his shoulder. She isn't officially part of the outfit, she's just kind of there.]}

Aw, who am I kiddin'? I was never cut-out to be an actor.

_{[He scrubs the back of his head. Great. Now he's gotta explain himself. Ralph sets his jaw and loses the bashful look in favor of a stern one.]}

But I am serious about the Do-Right bit. I don't wanna hear Wreck-It any more! I'm not gonna wreck anything else if I can help it! Unless it is in a designated wrecking area. And I'm gettin' paid. That'd be kinda nice actually...

ANYWAY!

I guess...I guess what I wanted to say with this video and this get-up is I'm startin' over. I have a confession to make. Since day one of my being here, I've been part of a certain organization because I believed that's all I was good for. I let people tell me that for thirty long years back in my own world and I just let it keep on happenin' here. I tried to fight it at first, y'know? New world, new rules...but eventually I let the same old voices get me down. I wish...I wish I could apologize individually to every person I've hurt or stolen from. Pokemon aren't just things. And I know wishin' isn't going to get anything done. All I can do is promise from here on out things are gonna be different.

If anyone who's known me all these years feels differently about me now...well...I can't blame you.

_{[Steve, Bossy, and Carter move into the frame behind Ralph.]}

But if a numbskull like me can eventually figure out that you decide what kinda role you play in the world, I think anybody can.

Thanks for listnin' I guess.

_{[He quickly raises a finger.]}

And don't try to arrest me! I've already done my time, thanks!

Comments

video;

[cardboard_boss]

[Do-It-Right-Ralph? Interesting name. The guy did have a nice Pokémon though; a Growlithe. Snake had one himself before it evolved into an Arcanine.]

Won't ask why people call you Wreck-It. Nice Pokémon though.

video;

[rocketralph]

Thanks! They're a good bunch.

_{[His eyes slide toward the Sandshrew, his actual starter.]}

Mostly a good bunch. We'll see how it goes.

audio!

[11121_assumption]

...You can't fight who you were made to be. People keep saying you can, but they don't understand. It will come back to you.

audio!

[rocketralph]

_{[Ralph's voice is gentle rather than confrontational.]}

That's the exact sort of thing folks told me back home, but it's just not true. You gotta listen to the people who really care about you. They won't steer you wrong.

Video

[meowbel]

Now that's the kind of spirit we need around here! I'm not really sure what kind of stuff you did but I'm sure that a lot of people are willing to give you a second chance!

I know I sure would!

video

[rocketralph]

Aw, hey thanks, kid!

_{[He didn't expect such a genuine response from the poke'void.]}

[video]

[captainash]

Of course Steve is perfect and beautiful. What else could she be?

[Oh, wait, there was more to that video.]

If people decide to cut ties with you because you've chosen to change your life for the better and come clean about your past mistakes, they're not worth it. If you can make an effort, so can they.

[video]

[rocketralph]

Ahah, yeah, she's a good Pokemon. I gotta earn the badges so I get the honor of having her battle for me.

_{[Ralph is PLENTY HAPPY to talk about his team instead of his past life of crime. However that comes up anyway and he tugs at the bandanna around his neck.]}

I dunno, I don't think it's fair to just expect people to accept me after tellin' 'em I straight up stole Pokemon and hurt folks.

[Video]

[agent3]

["Certain organization"? All Thida can think of are the Skulls everyone fought on Halloween, and she's pretty sure she'd remember fighting a giant guy like Ralph. For her, she's listening very carefully to what's been said, letting it roll around in her mind as she tries to figure out what to comment on, but on his end, there's a solid half a minute of an unfamiliar girl looking at him with a tilted head and puzzled expression before she says anything.]

Got a...sparkle dog?

[Yes. This is the most important thing in the video.]

[Video]

[rocketralph]

<sub>[Ralph waits. And waits, his anxiety growing as this unfamiliar girl stares him down. Is he about to receive a verbal asskicking of some sort???]

[But then.]</sub>

Uh...

_{[He glances back at Carter who is sitting proudly with his paws together like a little statue. And sparkling.]}

Oh, yeah. I guess he is pretty sparkly. Some Pokemon do that.

[Video]

[tearsofademon]

[well he doesn't really know you well, even if he's seen you here or there

but breaking free of a life of only being good for wrecking things... for destruction... he can get behind that.]

Sounds like a good path to take. Good luck with it.

[he means that sincerely]

[Video]

[rocketralph]

Thanks! Man. Everyone's been so encouraging. I was kinda expecting to be tarred and feathered t'be honest.

[video]

[journalname]

[Hello, similarly-large human!

I can't say I know what you're talking about, but that is a wonderful sentiment! I wish you luck with it.

[video]

[rocketralph]

_{[Santa??? Is that you?]}

Thanks, I'm gonna need it. Luckily I've got a lot of friends who are gonna help me out.

video;

[shiro2hero]

... I keep hearing this place is some kind of a new start for a lot of people. Hope that works out for you too.

[Sure, he doesn't know this guy. But if anyone is making an effort like that to do better, then... why not wish them luck?]

Looks like you've got a lot of company there.

video;

[rocketralph]

Thanks...And ahah, yeah. They've stuck with me through a lot. Some of 'em even have even been to the moon and back with me.

Lookin' forward to catching some more now that I'm walkin' the right route.

[video]

[exeggutorhead]

[He'd been wondering where Ralph had gone to! He'd known the big guy hadn't disappeared on them (he'd checked), but he'd certainly missed seeing him around the circus. For all they got off on a pretty bad foot, Ralph was his friend now.]

[And also an ex-Rocket. Huh. THAT was new information...but it's not like it's something that would change someone like Envy's opinion. Ralph never stole from him or probably anyone he knew, so no big deal! More important than that is the also-new fact that Ralph had felt like he'd been stuck there--something Envy can understand entirely too well.]

[It's hard for a bad guy to change their stripes. And even harder for them to decide they want to try.]

There's nothing quite like the freedom to do what you want, is there?

[video]

[rocketralph]

_{[For a moment, Ralph bites his lip. Here was a familiar face. He lets out a breath he didn't realize he was holding when Envy doesn't disown him.]}

You can say that again.

[Video]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[AT FIRST, Heather was seriously not sure WHO Ralph thought he was fooling, and was going to reply kind of incredulously-- but then he ditches the act. And BOY HOWDY what a reveal. He was in Team Rocket this WHOLE TIME?]

[Heather is apparently either the most unobservant person ever, or Ralph was actually doing a pretty damn good job of hiding the fact that he was a 'bad guy'.]</sub>

--... well, uh... wow.

That's rough, dude.

But hey, good for you.

You're absolutely right, you know.

I'm proud of ya.

[Video]

[rocketralph]

Birdo! Hey, I-

...thanks. I'm sorry, Heather. There's another thing I'd been meanin' to talk to ya about but it's a little bit harder to do a whole video broadcast on. But part of the reason I decided to do this whole reset thing is...you were right. Th' whole time, you were right.

[Text]

[garbagechild]

<sub>[When Ralph went missing, Wrath... didn't really WANT to entertain the possibility that there had been any substance to those dangerous opinions the wrecker had been throwing around earlier.]

[But he can't ignore this.]

[>8'< DAMMIT RALPH HE TRIED TO GIVE YOU A CHANCE]</sub>

TRAYTR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Video]

[rocketralph]

_{[Ralph squints in attempts to count all those exclamation points. He rolls his eyes.]}

Wrath. Wrath, come on.

video

[zoomied]

Sounds like you're real determined to make a change!

Good luck, Do-Right Ralph. I'll be cheering for you. I'm pretty sure your buddies feel the same!

video

[rocketralph]

_{[A new face! Ralph breaks into a huge grin at her encouragment.]}

Thanks. I'm gonna need it!

Video

[a_sin_for_him]

I'm still so proud of you, Ralph.

You and Carter both.

[Oh god, that's a surge of emotions, alright. The pleasant and positive ones, but still. She's been supportive of Ralph's new beginning since he first brought the idea to her, and she's so pleased with how he's pursuing it. It's such a hard thing, to]

Shall I send you a new journey gift basket?

[That's offered in a more teasing tone.]

video

[rocketralph]

_{[The ex-wrecker breaks into a huge grin.]}

You know I can't say no!

Video

[coolskeleton_95]

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU'RE LIVING PROOF OF AN IDEAL I HOLD VERY CLOSE TO MY METAPHORICAL HEART! ANYONE CAN BE GOOD IF THEY JUST TRY! NYEH-HEH-HEH!!!!

[He's so, so, happy for you, bro!!!]

Video

[rocketralph]

_{[Ralph has to make a quick volume adjustment on his Poke'Gear but he doesn't dial back his smile at all.]}

I'm gonna do my best!

video;

[pipers_son]

Cheers, Ralph.

[lookit that proud smile]

video;

[rocketralph]

_{[Ralph's own smile is sort of wobbly.]}

Thanks, boss.