Author's Note: The first recap will begin shortly, but let's rephrase how it's going to be structured - the recap will be inspired by Sonic Adventure 2's recap scenes, with just one character going over the previous chapter. Since the Sonic Twitter is taking some inspiration from the Adventure games in recent memory, this couldn't have come at a better time. So let's get right into it.
(Sonic Adventure 2 - Character/Story Select)
I'm Sonic! Sonic the Hedgehog!
Some tanuki named Dodon Pa gave Tails, Knuckles and I some weird invitation to a strange race tournament out of nowhere. Must be a mistake, but it isn't. He seems like a really nice guy to hang out with.
A bunch of my friends were concerned that this guy might be up to some tricks. Better keep my eye on him to make sure.
Whatever this weird racing tournament is, It's a lot of fun on my part! This is my time to shine!
(/)
CHAPTER 1: A MYSTERIOUS INVITE
Act I: II - An Introduction to Tinkering
[THE CHAOTIX DETECTIVE AGENCY, STATION SQUARE]
Largely untouchable from the rears of Dodon Pa's tournemant until now, the Chaotix were inside the agency, Vector and Charmy crowding around the computer monitor that stood its abode on the hardened wooden desk below its lowest extremity. Espio meanwhile was slanted against a large locker cabinet housing the documentation and paperwork of the agency lifespan. Vector opened up a page containing vital details of the tanuki's mysterious tournament, heading for a looksie alongside the flight member. His website beaconed the monitor with bouts of color, questioning the reality of the agency boss.
"Say, has Dodon Pa's website always been this colorful?"
"Face it, Vector." Espio lay with his eyes closed, the locker providing his favorite resting spot to recharge his ninjutsu. "Dodon Pa is just a mystery to us. We aim not to trust his loyalty."
His displeasure regarding the tanuki was concealed within his soul; his true purpose wasn't keen on the idea of helping Dodon Pa, but at the same time, his colleagues at the agency needed some help. Vector opened up a page as he responded back, this time in a concerned tone, more deeply loyal to the business rather than danger.
"We have to find out what this guy is planning." The crocodile merely assured him. "This is an investigation we need to carry out."
This doubt only grow more irate as Vector's words became clear to him. The chameleon snapped back at the boss as a result.
"Investigation or not, what about the money?! That's not in the priority this time! That's something we're used to!"
"We can have change if we want, Espio! Everything can't be about the money all of the time! That'll put us on a downward spiral and make us out to be a greedy corporation!"
"Fair point." Espio's anger simmered down dramatically. "But whatever happens to you boss, I am willing to help."
"Hey! What about me!" Charmy bellowed, the chameleon playing the safe cards and sidelining a kid like Charmy.
"You're too young to understand how this race works, Charmy!" Vector hesitated. "And Espio, you don't even know how to drive a car, let alone help me in a team!"
"I may not know how to drive a car, boss." He snickered. "But there's other roles that become my clear possibility."
"Oh yeah! Like what?!"
"I'm positive that there are a number of roles supporting the racers' drive to victory, no pun intended."
Vector blinked, an expression of awkward consideration seeped through Espio's judgement that apprised the agency boss his task was suffice for him to saunter along. He really didn't have a choice. There could be only 2 possible outcomes that met his demands at a time like this. Charmy was dumbfounded too, the bee pondering on the situation, and on Vector's incoming gesture.
"So what's it going to be then, boss?" Charmy asked.
"Uh, gimme a minute here, Charmy." The crocodile placed one hand upon his head, destined to find a solution, even if that meant sacrificing what he loved doing. That option stemmed a higher leaf than expected. This only made him veer towards that outcome.
"So..." Espio awaited.
"This is nuts, but I have to do it! Espio, Charmy, I'm closing up the agency to go at it alone! Espy, I'm counting on you to fill yourself in!". He strided towards the door, the two other detectives gazing.
"Roger!" The chameleon nodded.
"What about me?!" Charmy wailed, the young bee racing to the boss.
"You're too young to be out in a stranger's tournament, Charmy! I'll let Vanilla know she'll be looking after you! I'm expecting Espio to follow if he hasn't found a job that assists me!"
Vector was no more behind the doors to the agency, as he was in streets of Station Square right now.
"Besides, Charmy. You can go bother Vanilla if you like." The smirk was painted alongside the chameleon's face.
"O-kay, what about you?"
"I've got some business to take up, I'm going to speak to Dodon Pa about what will be best for me."
"You got it!" The bee grinned.
Without hesitation, both Espio and Charmy exited the Chaotix Dectevie Agency for Seaside Hill - the supposed next location that the tanuki will be located. They had no idea if he was going to be there; it was probably just a guess to them among Vector's freelance work filled in by this tournament.
[WHALE LAGOON WAREHOUSE, SEASIDE HILL]
Team Sonic and Team Rose walked with Dodon Pa towards many of the large garages the teams will be occupying throughout this tournament. Eager to know more about what this guy foretold, the blue hedgehog sprung up a nice little chat with the tanuki about the limitations of the races. His gestures only accounted mere concern upon the other mobians however.
"So, about these races, Dodon Pa. I'd say the first race went off without a hitch, whadd'ya say?"
"Hohohoho!" The tanuki chuckled, leading the group. "Optimism is what makes me ambitious to put on a marvelous show like this, dear hedgehog. I see you are enjoying it."
"Oh, you betcha I am!" The blue blur winked at him.
"But..." The host precariously worded this response. "You simply cannot be okay with just racing. All of it will make your vehicle wear and tear."
"Oh...uhmm..."
"Like I said earlier, my friend, there are dozens of garages scattered around the careful selection of race tracks planned. This is one of them."
"What about the fuel, Dodon Pa?" Tails queried, gaining experience from the stable fuel within the Tornado.
"Oh! Thanks for reminding me, fox boy! The team mechanics will sort that out for you, don't worry!"
"Just who is our team mechanic going to be?" Knuckles asked, as he walked with Big.
Dodon Pa halted, the pack ultimately followed. The tanuki retracted to the group, particularly Knuckles. The teams could see the large garage behind the host.
"Oh! I've already chosen the mechanic for Team Sonic! Somebody that is brave, courage and a great team leader that'll be the strongest out of any team!"
"Yeah, because it's Sonic, what do you expect?" Big churned out, Amy silently rolling her eyes.
"Yeah, about that." The pink hedgehog followed up with a question concerning of her own team's merits. "If Sonic's team has one, could this mean all of us will have one too?"
"Hmm... perhaps." Dodon Pa considered. "The next step for me to find a mechanic for your team, Amy."
"That is, if I trust you enough."
"What is there to trust?"
Amy flustered, her mild anger intensed inside a protected bubble that seeped very little to hide her true emotions towards the tanuki. The host turned around, the shiny tinted walls of the Seaside Hill garage perched around the Whale Lagoon track, like it owed to being the primary course of Seaside Hill. This is topped off with a steel roof of black adorned with solar panels and an additional floor overlooking said roof, again covered by the same features. Amy, Tails and Big stood and glanced at the structure in admiration, almost forgetting that they've signed to Dodon Pa's contract. The tanuki moved forward around the side of the structure with the keys in tow. Sonic and the gang attended his curious bout, perceiving his duty as caretaker of these garages also. That was his sub-role. Dodon Pa unlocked the back door that lead into the garage, the only way in currently with the large, steel garage doors supposedly locked.
"Here you go! Take a peek inside and see what you think!". The tanuki stepped aside.
The group fed the capacity, admiring what was around them. Shelves upon shelves of essentials appropriate for vehicle management lay like a store shelf in a retail business. Rows of wheel parts of all colors lined the reachable, bottom shelves. The black tires were piled in a corner. Buckets full of colored paint accompanied the top shelves. A work station was to the side of said layers of shelving, several monitors encompassing them with a single keyboard. To the right stood another work station, this time with handy mechanical tools to help maintain the racers' cars. All of these features were tucked away from the large open space in the center, usable for placing said cars inside for maintenance. Dodon Pa walked over to the group as he showcased.
"Welcome to the Seaside Hill garage!" He inaugurated. "This will be used for the Whale Lagoon, Ocean View and Lost Palace tracks around the area!"
"Whoa! This is amazing, Dodon Pa!" Tails admired with inspiration.
"There's so much stuff in here to occupy our mechanics!" Amy responded. "It's crazy to think how much time and effort went into putting this all together!"
"Like, what's the purpose of having these team mechanics?" Knuckles pondered, facing the sagacious raccoon dog.
"Oh. Having a team mechanic and your side can benefit the outcome of my races. Hohohoho!"
"Wait, your races?" The pink hedgehog came forward.
"Don't forget that I am the one specifically to put on this marvelous show. Where would I be now compared to when I first thought of this smart choice?"
"Yeah, can we learn more about what these 'mechanics' do?" Sonic eagerly asked.
"They are responsible for handling the fuel of your vehicles, determining if they hold sufficient capacity to out-stand even a single race." The tanuki explained. "They have the power to replace your tires with better and fancy additions that you previously wouldn't have had before. They can also paint different features of your cars and fix what needs fixing to make yours stand out amongst the competitors."
Dodon Pa strolled to the work station housing multiple, high-tech monitors.
"Your team mechanics can also communicate with other mechanics granted they are not in Seaside Hill or in this garage. I've sent a nifty cable that hooks up the other garages on Earth. They can also play some tunes with the built-in radio that I installed inside."
"Cool!" Tails exuberated, clenching his fists with bent elbows.
"There's only one mechanic at the moment." He reminded, laying the perfect entrance for somebody to walk out of the large storage room. It was Sally Acorn, undoubtedly garnering immense surprise from the six racers. "Ah! Here she is now!"
"Sally?! You're a team mechanic?!" Tails unforeseeded the probability.
"I wanted to volunteer with Dodon Pa's racing tournaments by applying for this role. I figure that if I keep your cars in good condition, you'll be good to win the gold." The chipmunk explained.
"She was the first mechanic to help with the race, conveniently, she was the first one that wanted to help me. That is surely a good deed to behold. Hohohoho."
"Yeah, and-" Sonic let his left index drape off his chin rest his wrist on the waist. "-If you're here to support us, who's looking after Knothole?"
"I left Antoine and Rotor in charge of the occupation while Bunnie, Nicole and I watch these series of races."
Dodon Pa flew upwards for a while to explain Sally's role.
"As I stated alone with Sally, her job is to fix anything that needs upgrading if required. All of the gadgets are kept inside of this garage to help her use them to her advantage. She is after all, a greatest assets to the team."
"I can make or break a team just by fixing some little pieces of the handy-work that you've set me." Sally added, nodding in the process.
"That is precisely correct, orange chipmunk. I'm glad somebody did their research into this. I'd would want to expect more from other mechanics soon to come."
The tanuki controlled his mobile towards the small door from the back of the garage, granting his conclusion.
"I must take my leave, make sure to be nice to Sally and make her feel welcome to her new job. Hohohoho!"
And with that, the host was no more seen within the garage, Sally, among with the six racers glanced his sudden fading view that questions needed to be answered about the guy.
"Dodon Pa seems like a really nice guy." The chipmunk giggled.
"Yeah- that's the question." Amy walked over to her. "Do you have any form of concerns over him, by any chance?"
"No. I just met him. He's just a character, that's all. He's the perfect mobian to build another friendship on."
"I trust him, Sally." The blue hedgehog stepped up. "Amy's got beef with the dude. Tails and Knuckles have it too, but I keep their spirits up."
"If you're our team mechanic, then who has Team Rose got?" Tails asked in curiosity.
"I can't promise you anything, honestly. But I know exactly who Amy, Big and Omochao got." Sally unfolded her arms, allowing them to freely roam with her body language. "But it's a surprise until the next interlude."
"Oh, alright then." Sonic understood, giving Sally an immediate thumbs up that entered his conclusion from the garage, signalling the other racers to follow. "C,mon guys! We better get ready for Dodon Pa! He may be needing us really soon!"
And with that, they trailed behind the hedgehog, leaving Sally to wish them luck. She stared around the garage and walked around, familiarizing herself with this job role she sought before her. Nothing got in the way of their exit from the Seaside Hill garage, the energetic scenery encompassing their position lived up to its denotation. This is where they will racing next according to Dodon Pa. But where? After a short while, Amy brings up the familiar theory behind the tanuki's purpose to hold the tournament in the first place.
(Team Sonic Racing - Meeting Team Rose/Pre-Race)
"I'm telling you guys. Something about this whole setup seems rotten to me!". She theorized, all eyes glanced at her. "What kind of person appears out of nowhere and has a bunch of strangers compete in a crazy, dangerous race?"
"I agree!" Tails believed. "This has all the makings of an Eggman plot! These super sophisticated vehicles, this mysterious competition... I just bet he and the Doctor are buddies!"
Dodon Pa, not far from where the racers were standing, flew over amid hearing the mention of the word 'plot' addressed.
"I think he's nice." Big answered. "Just look at this pretty car he's letting me drive."
"If you think your car is pretty now, my fine feline, just wait until you unlock the Cosmetic Mods." The tanuki stated.
All of the racers, excluding Big grew confused. What did he mean by 'Cosmetics'?
"Why can't I do it now?"
"I'm sure you'll figure it out. Explore the map, play side races and collect Hidden Keys." Dodon Pa informed the exposition. "Oh, the things you'll discover. The potentially dangerous things! Hohohoho."
"Okay." The purple cat walked away, his excitement in spotting his favorite Froggy car in the distance enlightened him to start heading down for the race to start. He was already making his way toward Whale Lagoon in hopes of enticing Amy and Omochao to follow, Team Sonic included. I guess they had no choice but to abide to this strange tanuki.
(/)
However, as they were about to head down, Sonic could hear familiar voices behind him. He turned around, a few mobian friends catching their breath upon his direction. A cyan hedgehog named Donutsteel, and a grey lemur known as Tangle. They both stopped to pant for air, the racers recognizing them as allies.
"Hey Tangle! Donutsteel! Long time no see!" Sonic gave a thumbs up in presentation.
"I didn't miss anything?" Donutsteel stood upright to face the main hero. He sported a beige belly, much like Sonic and Amy, but with a balanced mixture of orange and green shoes with grey soles. His quills were akin to the blue hedgehog too. The only other contrast was the black sunglasses Donusteel sported on his forehead. This was the same mobian whom spectated the first race. He was beside Tangle, bearing a short-sleeved black bodysuit with orange stripes down the side behind a yellow sleeve-less top. Her shoes were of detailed yellow hi-tops with white laces and soles, black details near the bottom of said shoes, and orange cuffs near the top. Her hands were covered by finger-less black gloves made of black sportstape and orange backings, with yellows sportapes attached around her forearms.
"Not at all! We're just gearing up for the second race!"
"Oh, good." Tangle caught her breath, soon following the cyan hedgehog to face Sonic. That familiar face wearing respect and aspiration coaxed the blue hedgehog to avoid frowning, as did the receiver. Shortly, Cream strolled over to the racers holding Vanilla's hand, alongside the chao companions - Cheese and Chocola.
"Hey Cream! How's it going?" The blue blur greeted with veneration.
"Hello Mr. Sonic!" The rabbit answered, smiling.
"What brings you here, Cream?" Donutsteel asked, curios that a little girl like her would become interested in this type of thing.
"I saw the tanuki on TV and thought about coming along to spectate! I even brought Chocola along to accompany Cheese!".
Vanilla closed her eyes briefly, silently giggling.
"We're here to wish you good luck on the next race!"
"We will do now that you're here to cheer us on, Cream." Amy winked at her best friend, the rabbit choosing both her and Big to respond the same. Omochao also gave a positive outcome.
"I figured that. Hey uh... Cream, do you want to take part? I don't mind." The robotic chao granted a possibility, but Cream had other ideas.
"I'm good, thank you by the way, Omochao." Cream backed down with maturity. "I wanted to watch you guys race instead."
"Huh, that's an amazing gesture you're giving us, Cream." Sonic gently knelt down and patted the six year old's head. He returned back to his position. "I haven't seen you in a while, Vanilla. How are you doing?"
"Lovely, thanks for asking!" She answered before she took note of Donutsteel and Tangle's appearances. "I'm assuming these mobians are your friends, right?"
"Yep! We were a team not long ago regarding the whole Resistance thing. Basically saved the whole world one time when Eggman took control of the entire planet."
"Alot has happened since the restoration!" Cream finished the sentence, mentored by the very hero of saviors.
"Tangle the Lemur!" The aforementioned lemur pointed to herself.
"Call me Donutsteel." The cyan hedgehog nodded to Vanilla.
"I'm very pleased to meet you too
"Same!"
"Everybody is watching the tournament." Cream stated. "Ever since he sponsored that ad on TV, it attracted more and more people to watch."
"That just makes my suspicion around him even more fascinatingly strange." Amy pondered, her perception on Dodon Pa stuck to her mind.
"What do you mean, Amy?"
"Something about him just doesn't add up to me."
"I have the same feeling too." Tails added, resting his index on his chin. "You really sure he's not up to any more tricks?"
"If you define 'tricks', that is."
"The less talking about Dodon's mystery and more racing, the better." Sonic concluded, turning away from the group and staring in the direction of the course ahead. "The race is about to start, and Big's already down there waiting."
"I'll think about his deeds later!" Amy waved to Cream ahead of her departure. "Have fun watching me and Sonic compete for the gold."
"There's only one winner, and he starts with an 'S'"
"Good luck out there!" Cream waved with exhilaration and joyous, Vanilla smiling with silent giggles.
"Now, Cream. We better get down to the stands so we can watch." Her mother gently instructed.
"Right!" Both of them headed moderately behind the racers for the stands that lay aside the track. Previously, they held a blind judgement that bewildered them. Now they know that Sonic and Amy were part of the tournament, along with their respective teams. Tangle and Donutsteel were already seated awaiting the race, rushing to grab their positions after meeting up with Sonic.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Dodon Pa's Tournament - Sonic the Hedgehog, Knuckles the Echidna, Tails Miles Prower, Amy Rose, Big the Cat, Omochao.
Team Mechanics - Sally Acorn.
I updated some things in this chapter that I will replace in the previous chapter for consistency. You may be wondering - who was that mysterious mobian at the end of the last chapter? Well, that's for you to figure out... In the meantime, I hope you all enjoyed this shorter chapter. There's going to be more world-building in the next chapter, after the second race, including who the 2nd team mechanic is. There is also another thing that I included - the addition of two music tracks playing within a single scene. Those will be applied to the actual game cutscenes only to avoid further confusion, but I may just sneak some into the original scenes of this fanfic. There will be references stated at the end of chapters that they appear in. Have a great day and take care.
Please Review.