After defeating Chaos Sonic, Sonic and Nine steal the three Paradox Shards and try to escape from New Yoke City, as they race to bring the shards to Ghost Hill.
Tropes:
- Big Damn Heroes: Rusty Rose and Black Rose show up to cover Sonic and Nine right after the latter two are shot down by the Chaos Council.
- Cliffhanger: The episode ends with the Chaos Council about to invade Ghost Hill, with Sonic and Shadow being forced to keep their army of robots at bay in order to buy Nine enough time to rebuild the Paradox Prism.
- Exact Words: When Nine attempts to tell Sonic about what he has in The Grim, Sonic quickly agrees to go, but he adds that they have to go to Ghost Hill first. However, Sonic never clarifies that he wants Ghost Hill or Green Hill fixed. This would lead to his and Nine’s fight in the next episode, as Sonic refused to keep his word when the time came.
- Foreshadowing:
- Nine repeatedly hints that he's up to something in The Grim, while Sonic wants Green Hill restored but doesn’t mention this. This sets up their conflict and eventual falling-out in the following episode.
- Mangey is seen curiously examining a lever mechanism when Sonic and Nine speed by. This is the first hint that he's just as good with machinery as his counterparts, despite being a Wild Child.
- Although Thorn Rose fails to notice her counterparts while fighting Eggforcers, the other Roses seeing her in action strongly hints at a future meeting.
- Hypocrite: Dr. Deep calls Rusty Rose a traitor when she and Black Rose (aboard the Kraken) intercept the Yolkamotive. He can actually thank himself for that, having spearheaded the Chaos Council's desertion of her back in No Place.
- Insistent Terminology: When Sonic introduces Nine to Thorn Rose as "Tails Nine", Nine states that it's "just Nine". Sonic doesn't repeat the same mistake when introducing Nine to Shadow.
- Leave Him to Me!: As Knuckles the Dread is about to stop Sonic and Nine from leaving with the shards, Renegade Knucks appear to fight his pirate counterpart, allowing the duo to escape.
- Mythology Gag: When Nine meets Shadow, he notes that, while he can tell he's not a parallel version of Sonic, the pair look similar enough to pass as twins. Sonic and Shadow's physical resemblance - and particularly, characters mistaking Shadow for Sonic at first glance—was a major plot point and Running Gag in Shadow's introductory game.
- Never the Selves Shall Meet: Subverted with the foxes and Roses:
- Nine briefly encounters Mangey and Sails as he and Sonic struggle to access the void, but this does no worse than astonish them; Sails even smiles and waves as his counterpart and Sonic speed off again. Nine later comes across Prime!Tails as well and finds his cheerfulness bothersome, but again, nothing else comes of it.
- While chasing the Chaos Council's forces through Boscage Maze, Rusty Rose and Black Rose witness Thorn Rose in action, although she doesn't notice them in turn. The former two are amazed by their counterpart's combat prowess, with Black Rose visibly Squeeing before the scene cuts away.
- Tempting Fate:
- As Sonic and Nine, while flying the latter's spaceship, are about to escape New Yoke through one of the portals, Sonic boasts that "nothing's gonna stop us now". Not even five seconds later their ship is taken down by a missile.
- Sonic doesn't learn his lesson, boasting to Shadow at the end of the episode that everything is almost over and that "we did it". Cue the Chaos Council emerging in Ghost Hill.
- Ultimate Lifeform: Shadow explains to Nine that he is the Ultimate Lifeform after taking offense to the fox's remark that he and Sonic are anything alike.
