Knuckles the Echidna wasn't much of a silent type. However, being kidnapped from the Chaotix headquarters and sent to this weird place isn't exactly Knuckles' idea of fun. The Echidna looked around his strange room, purple-tinted black eyes shone in a dull lustre with the light provided by the concrete barred window. He did, however, have to admire the dedication required to put him into a concrete-and-steel building without an enterance, that must have taken quite some effort.

Without a warning, a voice resonated around the grey chamber, its gender indeterminate. Little would he want to admit it, he jumped out of fright into unconsciousness at the voice's suddenness.

Blackness. Nothing but the eternal dark.

Then the voice spoke:

Welcome, traveller. You are here, of your will or not, because you're needed. You see, one of the Time Stones have been disturbed. Time has stopped in a large part of our world. You must get it back before it is too late, the stoppage is spreading!

Hmph. Fine, what's the deal with kidnapping me, though?

Would you have accepted otherwise? the voice asked in the tone one might take while answering a question as simple as "what is 1+2?".

I suppose not, but can I at least have more information? the Echidna asked, fixing his hat.

Very well. The Time Stones were created many generations ago, seventy to be exact, because time fluctuations ran rampant. So, our forefathers embedded their powers into four stones, located in the townships of Liban, Columbia, Dunsop, Albion, Lobéké, Zaire, and Yaizu, Yamato. They were protected by the four guardians, Gwilym the Brave of Cambria, Kaspar the Wise of Österreich, Mihovil the Strong of Hrvaška, and Paolo the Good of Etruscia.

Decades, nay, centuries elapsed, the protectors grew weary and so retired, for the new generation to guard. However, some Time Stones were weaponised. The Timekeepers, as they became known, started threatening their lands with time irregularities, with a list of demands in hand.

They could not be battled by the other Keepers, as they could not leave their guard or take it with them. Over time, the corruption spread. The Keepers became a force of moderate evil. However, a sacrifice of ten percent of the quadrant's money would keep them at bay. The final generation of Timekeepers died two hundred years ago. Now, the stones are left unguarded. It's, honestly, fascinating that they haven't been stolen yet.

Now, I move on to our world. Our world is populated with species commonly known under the collective name of Pokémon, a leftover of the Anthropic Era, a time where the world was dominated by a species known as Humans. It is a shortened form of Pocket Monsters, from when we were captured and kept in containers which would convert us into magnetic data and store us in the hard disk of the aforementioned container.

Now, I will test your personality, to determine your worthiness.

The room turned from a dark cell to a monochromatic plasma as Knuckles' vision was flooded with various colours of general nomenclature, otherwise known as reds and oranges.

Sure, go ahead. It then dawned on the Echidna that he'd been awfully level-headed this entire conversation, if you could call it that.

A delinquent is hassling a girl on a busy street! What will you do?

Help! I'm not afraid of anything!

Good . . . A foreign person has started up a conversation with you. To be honest, you don't have a clue what this fellow is saying. How do you reply?

Uh, nijak govorit Deutschen! Skazhite o ano?

( . . . Huh?!) Anyway, A friend brought over something you'd forgotten. How do you thank your friend?

I'd say thanks. You know, like a normal Mobian. Are you questioning me?!

. . . A test is coming up. How do you study for it?

Eh, in all honesty, I'd probably put it off. Who's got the time when I've got a job and a Master Emerald to guard?

( . . . A guardian?) Are there many things you would like to do?

Finish off my mortal enemy, Ivo Robotnik. Go to Australia. Find my joint. So yeah, I guess there are.

(No real point in asking, but . . . ) Are you a cheerful personality?

To which Knuckles spat out his drink, if he had one. No.

Can you focus on something you like?

Yeah, generally. Well, I do forget about many things, though. I can't remember what I've forgotten, though. That's strange.

( . . . Okay?) Can you go into a haunted house?

I am not afraid of ghosts, if you're askin'.

Do you dream of lounging around idly without much excitement?

Yeah I do. Imagine that, a beach scene, there's women on one hand . . .

(Oh my Arceus, he's still talking!)

. . . And I'd get drunk with Mighty and Ray.

(Don't really care.) Do you fall asleep without noticing?

All the bloody time.

(Oh no . . .)Do you like groan-inducing puns?

Okay, so uh, one day, my friends Ray and Mighty, you don't know them . . .

(Arceus damn you, Boss. Why'd I have to get this job instead of being in accounting?!)

. . . and so he said "I'll be ripe back!" Knuckles chortled.

(Groan!)

Do you like to imagine things for your own amusement?

You mean like beating Rouge half to death? Yeah, I guess I do.

(OH ARCEUS, What is THIS?!) Do you like to noisily . . . squeal, enjoy yourself with others?

Uh, I'm a little uncomfortable, mister.

Don't worry, so am I.

No, no, it's not about sex! Get your minds out of the gutter, will ya?!

Oh, sorry Boss.

Oh. Yeah, what he said.

There is a bucket. If you put water in it, how high will you fill it?

Full if possible.

Finally, boy or girl?

Girl. What does it look like?!

(Well, I ought to teach you a lesson! Don't disrespect those in more power than you!)

Hmm... Yes...

The plasmic view dissipates, leaving just the room, with one addition: A... Pokémon, was it? in the middle of the room, combing its fur with its splotched-black right paw. It was a fox, it seemed. Or maybe a dog, he couldn't tell. It had a red bandana around its tan neck fluff and a black bowler hat on its head. Its black eyes met his, and it spoke.

"Very well, you have qualified. Arceus, I need a drink. Anyway, you've shown great courage and hardiness through your answers, yadda yadda, we think you'll do well. Since the protocol Pokémon for those answers was a lizard, I'm going to break the rules a bit and not do that. It just seems cruel."

He checked a small red notebook, flipped the page once, and said "Aha! Here we are, here's a picture if you want to see it." Knuckles took the image, and saw a Pangolin-ish creature. The Echidna nodded and handed the image back to the Pokémon. "Alright," he said, "I'm ready. Although," he added just before the canid left, "Can I keep my hat?"

The possibly-a-fox nodded, his mouth threatening to crack a smile. "Good luck," he said, "you'll need it."

Crack.