It's a relaxing day on the beach for Sonic and his friends. Sonic and Amy are just lounging under the shade of an umbrella while Sticks and Knuckles are enjoying a game of volleyball. Sticks remarks that she finally is stress-free for the first time in awhile until Tails' arrival startles her and throws her into battle-readiness mode. Tails shows up pushing along something hidden underneath a sheet, claiming it's his greatest work to date. He pulls off the sheet and introduces the gang to "UT", or "Universal Translator"; a robot that is capable of converting any communication into something understandable by its owner. Although Sonic and friends are at first unimpressed, Tails demonstrates by having the robot translate the communication between a mother bird and its chicks. This grabs some attention and Knuckles stands up to praise the device.
Upon hearing this, the robot responds with "Didn't see that one coming" as if it were translating Knuckles, even though he wasn't speaking in a foreign language. This confuses Knuckles and he remarks the robot is still talking, to which the robot "translates" to "I thought this thing only translates birds". Tails then explains that because Knuckles isn't speaking a different language, the robot is taking what Knuckles said and parsing out his actual thoughts based on how he was saying it (to which UT "translates" that Tails didn't realize the robot was able to do that but he'll accept credit for it anyway). Amy enters the discussion only for UT to extrapolate her actual thoughts, which aren't nearly as pleasant. Sticks finds herself paranoid of the device and accuses it of reading minds. UT just repeats her words since she's saying what she's thinking, which drives her crazy and makes her want to destroy the robot.
As UT continues to say the real sentiments behind everyone's words, it becomes clear that the robot is making everyone uncomfortable and Amy says it'd be best to turn it off before it reveals something too "sensitive". Tails flips off the robot's power just before it was about to expose Amy's honest thoughts (which had something to do with how she viewed her relationship with Sonic). All the while a small flying robot called the Flybot had been observing the team's interaction with UT and relaying its video feed to Dr. Eggman's lair. Eggman hatches a scheme to create an identical robot to UT that will say whatever Eggman wants it to, believing that he'll be able to incite the group against one another. Divided, they will be that much easier to topple. Eggman laughs gleefully at his evil plan (joined by Orbot and Cubot but he quickly shuts them up).
That night, Tails laments to UT that his attempt to show off his creation had gone so over so poorly (UT "translates" his words, which leads Tails to think he's in a conversation with the robot until he realizes what's going on and turns it off). As Tails falls asleep, Orbot and Cubot sneak into his house and switch his robot with the one prepared by Dr. Eggman. Tails stirs but doesn't pay the disruption any mind and the two successfully abscond into the night with Tails' invention.
The following morning everyone is back on the beach but Tails shows up with "UT" and gets dirty looks. Tails tries to reassure everyone that he's aware of what happened the other day but Sonic interrupts him and says that things would be better with UT off. However just as he does, UT butts in with "Amy Rose is a big dope!" Offended, Amy challenges Sonic but Sonic denies that was what he was thinking. The scene cuts to a video feed back in Eggman's lair, where Eggman is speaking into a microphone, which is transmitting through the robot. Sonic tries to blame UT but Knuckles is skeptical, which results in UT saying "I'm stupid...and...um...I'm ugly too, but not as ugly as Sticks!" Infuriated Sticks leaps onto Knuckles and starts beating him senseless.
Eggman revels in his success in dividing Sonic's group while the real UT rolls in. It begins to "translate" Eggman's words, which only amount to egotistical self-praise. Eggman, not the most modest type, shuts off the video feed so he, Orbot, and Cubot can just listen to UT "compliment" Eggman's genius. Back at the beach Amy and Sonic are still arguing, Knuckles is confused that the robot said "I'm stupid" when supposedly translating his thoughts, and Sticks dives back into her fear of the "robo-apocalypse" (which only gets blank stares from her cohorts). Tails surmises that these "thoughts" are uncharacteristically mean-spirited and thinks the robot might be malfunctioning. He pops open the access panel where he unexpectedly finds a remote speaker branded with Eggman's logo. Now aware of what was going on, Tails rips out the speaker and tries to break up the argument by pointing out that the robot was a fake. Everyone stops fighting but when Tails tries to rally the team to save his robot from Eggman, no one joins in because they still think even the real UT isn't good for their team's friendship. Tails sets out for Eggman's lair on his own to rescue UT.
At Dr. Eggman's secret island lair, Tails sneaks in around the perimeter. A roving Moto Bug senses something and goes to investigate but Tails whacks it with a wrench and disables it before pressing on. Inside the lair, Eggman is sharing a cake with his newest "friend", UT. UT speaks Eggman's thoughts that the cake is beautiful and that no one would sit on it, which Tails promptly does by entering through the roof window (UT translates his one-liner that landing in the cake probably crippled his credibility, which earns him a shutoff from Tails). Tails demands that Eggman return his robot but isn't prepared when Eggman asks him what he'll do if he doesn't. Eggman's security robots swarm Tails as he asks why Tails is alone. Tails says he's not there to fight and just wants to get his robot back, saying he's willing to negotiate the release of the robot by offering his services as Eggman's lab assistant. Eggman agrees to the terms and asks Orbot to prepare a contract for Tails' services.
Eggman realizes once Sonic and company are aware that Tails is at the island base they'll come looking for him but Tails says he prepared for that. Tails uses UT's recording function to send a message back to Sonic saying that he's willingly working at Eggman's side and is happy and not to mount a rescue. Tails sends it back to the beach, where everyone is just lazing around. Knuckles acts like they found the robot (even though no one was doing anything) while Sticks says they should just junk the thing and pretend like nothing happened (but the rest of the group gives her a disapproving stare). UT automatically begins to play back the recording with a holographic projector. Everyone is shocked at the revelation Tails seemingly abandoned them for their enemy but UT, who was also listening as the recording played back, translates Tails' words and reveals he was thinking the exact opposite of what he said! Everyone is impressed at Tails' creative application of UT's thought translation function and Sonic says it's time for the rescue operation.
Over at Eggman's lair Tails's assistant job sees him doing all the things Eggman doesn't want to do himself (like plugging things into faulty and dangerous outlets). The security system goes off and Eggman sees Tails's friends invading the island. Eggman heads out front to deal with things personally with Tails at his side. Sonic says that they're there to free Tails but Eggman argues that Tails willingly signed himself over to Eggman via contract. However just at that moment Orbot shows up with the unsigned contract he had drafted, which means Tails was never bound to Eggman during his tenure and simply walks over to Sonic's side. Eggman reveals he always has a contingency and activates a monstrous cycloptic robot called the Mega with tank treads and giant arms that is assisted by a platoon of Bee Bots. Amy tries to charge the Mega but is knocked off her feet by the Mega's large fist. Sonic snatches Amy off the ground before the Mega can swing its other hand down and squash the hedgehog girl. Relieved, Sonic remarks it was a close call and UT translates it as "I care about your well-being", which Amy appreciates.
Sonic, Knuckles, and Sticks attempt to assault the Mega but none of them can get past its thick armor plating. Eggman orders Tails to prime the photon bombs but Tails just gives him a sarcastic look. Remembering that the assistant deal was never inked he does so himself. The Mega's chest cavity opens and three glowing spheres launch onto the battlefield. The first one lands in front of Tails and blows up, knocking him back onto UT and nearly over the edge of the island's cliff. The second bomb lands in between Knuckles and Amy and blows Amy away to be caught by Sonic. Sonic calls out to Sticks to throw the last bomb towards Knuckles, who uses a volleyball-style spike to drive the bomb into the Mega's eye. It blows up, throwing the Mega backwards over the cliff and into the ocean. Eggman and Orbot retreat into the lair in frustration over the defeat.
Tails thanks his friends for the rescue and Knuckles responds that UT played a big role too. Sonic agrees and says they'll be bringing the robot along for future adventures. Sticks says she also agrees but UT exposes that she was actually thinking of destroying the robot. Irritated, she does just that by throwing it over the cliff, claiming it was a necessary measure.
Tropes featured in the episode:
- Berserk Button: Thinking Knuckles called her ugly, Sticks attacks him.
- Blatant Lies: Eggman claims that there is a pretty even win/loss ratio between him and Team Sonic, but even he sounds skeptical on some level. Tails says he's willing to pretend this is true just to move the conversation along.
- Didn't Think This Through: This exchange occurs between Tails and Dr. Eggman when the former confronts the latter;
- Forced into Evil: Tails after he offers his services to Eggman in exchange for UT's freedom. It turns out to be an effective Xanatos Gambit however.
- Forgot About the Mind Reader: UT essentially works as such, due to being able to translate people's sentences into what they actually think. The team come to loathe UT due to acting like The Stool Pigeon whenever they are being insincere.
- I Meant to Do That: Tails shows U.T.'s ability to retranslate any phrase to what the speaker actually thinks as if he'd always intended it to do that. Of course, U.T. instantly proves him wrong.U.T.: I didn't intend for it to do that, but I will gladly accept full credit.
- Laugh with Me!: Inverted when Orbot and Cubot try to get in on Eggman's Evil Laugh:Eggman: Don't laugh with me— you're ruining it!
- No-Respect Guy: Orbot, despite his loyal service to Eggman, is not his Number Two as he assumed. It's closer to Number 347.
- Refuse to Rescue the Disliked: Sonic, Knuckles, Amy, and Sticks all refuse to rescue U.T. because all it ever did was make them argue, thus leaving Tails to rescue it all by himself.
- Ship Tease: Tails shuts off U.T. before Amy's crush on Sonic can be fully revealed, though Sonic himself is rather interested in hearing what the little was gonna say. Sonic later saves Amy from being crushed.Sonic: That was close.
U.T.: I care about your well-being. - Sitcom Arch-Nemesis: Sticks has a exceptional hatred for UT, so much that she still wants to trash the thing after it proves it's worth (and does it too).
- Super Window Jump: Tails breaks in through a skylight to rescue UT from Dr. Eggman. Unfortunately, the awesomeness of the entry is immediately ruined when he lands on Eggman's cake.
