#fake chaos emeralds

[sparkles-rule-4eva]

I know dozens of people have redrawn this but does that deter me from redrawing it as well? Nah

Honestly it took me replaying the scene like 3-4 times and then reading wikis to actually understand what was happening here. Then my brain officially exploded.

(SPOILER ALERT-----

And with what happened in the most recent IDW comics I actually have hope we'll see him again :D)

[yellowvixen]

i think shadow "overloading" on chaos energy from the fake emeralds may be uh. similar to one of sonic's forms ;)

[feralratmax]

Shadow the hedgehog <3

I love the fact he canonically likes Sabrina carpenter, so silly :P

I don’t have anything to say about this piece… for once drawing was refreshing and fun! (rare occasion)

So… I guess this is your sign to draw shadow!

[themetalvirus]

"sonic and shadow are evenly matched" lol. lmao even.

[artzee534]

(translation: How I love when they make these comparisons between the two pairs.... So similar and always with that possibility of things repeating themselves....I do see Tails doing the Maria thing to protect Sonic. Could this be why Shadow doesn't like spending time with the brothers so much? That he sees himself and the person he loved so much? Who will he see her in the most? Sonic? And that's why he can't tolerate him, or in Tails? Those eyes full of hope that remind him of many things.)

A while ago, I had an idea where Sonic turns into Dark Sonic for a bit when he thought Eggman killed Tails.

His dark form would be activated with fake emeralds that Eggman made and experimented with. By the end of the story, Tails turns Super and proves that he can protect himself and Sonic. Sonic understands Shadow more now, with what he did out of grief for Maria.

Hace un año, tuve una idea en la que Sonic se convierte en Dark Sonic durante un rato cuando pensaba que Eggman había matado a Tails.

Su forma oscura se activaría con esmeraldas falsas que Eggman hizo y con las que experimentó.

Al final de la historia, Tails se convierte en Super y demuestra que puede protegerse a sí mismo y a Sonic. Sonic entiende más a Shadow ahora, con lo que hizo por pena por María.

[sonknuxadow]

for the most part i think powerscaling sonic characters is pointless and theres no objective answer to most questions of who is stronger or who would beat who in a fight because the truth is that the answer to those questions will always be determined by what works best for the story being told . however. it does kinda bug me when shadow is portrayed as significantly more powerful than all the other characters and people (whether it be official writers or people in the sonic fandom) act like none of the other characters stand a chance against him in a fight or whatever because thats just demonstrably not true. i mean yeah hes the ultimate lifeform but that doesnt mean everyone else is weak and powerless compared to him

[hadesknockedupintheunderworld]

Okay I just need to say that I knew I'd like this Tailstube as soon as I saw the thumbnail (after all, I am a Sonadails enjoyer, and Tails is literally in the middle of them in the thumbnail)

But I think probably something that stood out the most to me when I watched it was just

The hints that Shadow and Tails have a relationship outside of Sonic??

The first thing that tipped me off to this was that not only did Tails convince Shadow to join in on his show, he also convinced him to stick around to its natural end?? You know, Shadow. The guy you can't force to do anything and frequently will just dip if he's bored or doesn't want to be there. But even while Sonic was annoying him and he made it clear he wanted the "interview" over with, he still never made a move to chaos control out of there because of any of this.

And the second thing that tipped me off was this:

When Shadow is both confused and annoyed at Sonic, he chooses to complain to Tails about Sonic. And so Tails steps in to try to "explain" what Sonic meant by what he said (i.e he told Shadow something much nicer in the interest of getting them to be on better terms). The fact that he looks to Tails to complain to about Tails' own best friend and possibly even to explain that which he does not understand in a social context tells me just how highly he regards Tails. And since both Shadow and Sonic are being childish here, it's amusing to see Tails regarded as something closer to a trusted figure with more power here.

From an objective analysis standpoint, of course this means they have their own friendship. And this is a prospect I enjoy (The idea that Tails and Shadow are good friends)! It actually means a lot to me that Tails could form a frienship or bond with Shadow outside of the context of Sonic (in terms of who initiates it and for what reason it's initiated).

But, my friends, from a biased standpoint, I'm shipping trash. And to me this Tailstube was a fun show for Sonadails fans. Honestly, Tails staging this episode to get Sonic and Shadow to talk and "bury the hatchet", as well as how he acts during the show, read a lot to me personally like a guy trying to get his two boyfriends (who happen to be rivals) to get on better terms, if not just tolerate each other. I quite like the idea of Tails dating both of these idiots and just trying to get them to play nice when they're all together (although frankly I think the ideal scenario for Tails in my biased reading is that Sonic and Shadow get together as well).

This is also not to mention the dynamics showcased here! Sonic and Tails as best friends, with Sonic assuming that he and Tails were gonna talk shit about Shadow behind his back, and Tails trying to get him to play nicer. Shadow and Tails as friends, with Tails trying to convince him why he and Sonic are in the perfect position to become friends and helping him out socially, and with Shadow choosing to do something he doesn't want to because of Tails, as well as looking to Tails to complain to when Sonic is annoying him or when he doesn't understand something. And then there's Sonic and Shadow. In short, their relationship in this episode reminded me a lot of the dynamic I plotted out for that Sonadow post I wrote up where the two just beat the crap out of each other. In slightly longer terms, I find interesting how Mr. Flynn maintained Sonic and Shadow's dynamic during SA2 (with Sonic bothering Shadow and trying to fight him, while Shadow is just annoyed that Sonic won't leave him alone) while also showing the audience that they are rivals. And in longer terms...Sonic was clearly seeking a fight during this episode. And the facial expression, the mocking, his tone of voice, it doesn’t really matter whether or not he actually dislikes Shadow and believes they could never be friends. He's trying to annoy Shadow and goad him into a fight because he wants to fight Shadow so badly it makes him look stupid. And we can tell by how he expresses his confusion to Tails that Shadow is just not getting this. To him Sonic is just being annoying and confusing. Sonic is targeting him specifically, and Shadow shoots back with his own words. And so it's also pointed that Shadow reciprocates/actually decides to fight Sonic when Sonic specifically challenges him. He doesn't respond to Sonic trying to goad him on, but when Sonic challenges him specifically he's much more interested in opposing him.

Anyways guys I love Shadow and Tails having a soft on the side relationship while Sonic flirts by convincing Shadow to fight him somehow😂💖

[official-sonic-team]

ok shadow generations: 7/10

like. it’s fine.

but i genuinely feel like it’s didn’t do anything new or interesting. “black doom tries to fuck with shadow” okay we did that in shadow 2005 already. “shadow learns to not be angry and tries to get over maria” Literally Done In Every Single Game He’s In. like this didn’t really do that much for shadows character himself it just rehashes stuff done earlier.

the black doom powers weren’t that interesting in my opinion? they were too similar to things shadow can already do like the spears. the wings were cool. but most were just kinda lame. also somewhat disappointed there wasn’t much of like…….. a corrupting force behind these powers? like yeah it seems to hurt but beyond that they’re not playing real mind games with shadow. like i thought he was going to have to fight off the affects of it since black doom was said to want to take over shadows body AND mind? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

the stages they used were really odd to me? why did they put sonic frontiers in when that’s 1) not a place shadow has been 2) takes place AFTER generations? also genuinely hated mephiles’s inclusion i feel like it relegated him as a “shadow” villain and not a “sonic” villain, plus shadow didn’t even remember him???? like yeah Mephiles was an iconic part of shadows 2006 storyline but since that got erased from time and shadow doesn’t remember it it feels stupid. metal overlord also felt a bit odd? i can kinda get it bc shadow and metal sonic have kinda a relationship and heroes was the game shadow was reintroduced in but i feel like they could have done better. was fully expecting infinite or emerl to be involved (especially since emerl IS important to shadows character) but they were no where to be seen. also odd that they didn’t use a stage from shadow 2005 really? like yeah the space colony ark but no westopolis?

the graphics were really pretty though the level designs were fantastic. and it was nice learning more about maria and solidifying her having an illness. gerald was fine but i don’t think they did much with him.

im REALLY hoping that this will mark the end of shadow stories revolving around maria because we’ve beaten SA2 like a dead horse already. shadow can HAVE interesting storylines beyond her (like 06! Sonic battle technically!!!). so hopefully we’re finally done exploring SA2 adjacent lore because i really think we keep disservicing the original game the more we do this. and it keeps getting stale the more shadow goes through the exact same arc.

[taffydragonblog]

the sonic movie crew has been busy

[skyarly]

Wonder what would happen if sonic was given all of those funky magic gems in the series at once. I'm talkin chaos emeralds, time stones, chaos gems, the paradox prism, all of em. He'd be like Super Duper Sonic it'd be awesome

[wereh0gz]

The issue of all time

[cynicallyscorned]

the reason cynic will never get a light super form... while it has a lot to do with the fact that he’s just that torn up inside and it’s not something so easily remedied, it’s also because i think that him learning to come to terms with who he is and finding PEACE with it is a lot more meaningful than rewarding him with a normal super state. his super form is part of his identity! it may be scary and destructive, it may be sad... but that’s still a part of him. and it’s still a part of sonic. him learning to sit with those awful feelings he experiences when he’s in this state... and learning to go ‘it’s okay. it’s okay that i’m like this. and this time, i won’t hurt anyone because of it.’ is so!!! bark bark bark bark.

he can learn to control it.... he can learn to be okay with it! he can learn to be okay with himself. 

but, it will take a lot of work.

[infizero]

still crazy as fuck that sonic was able to use chaos control with a fake chaos emerald. like 1) how the fuck did he even do that and 2) HE HADNT EVEN USED CHAOS CONTROL BEFORE HE'D ONLY SEEN SHADOW DO IT

[carolinanadeau]

now I own my holy quadrinity of autographs... now my true power will be unlocked

[chaosspear]

happy disability pride!

you ever think about how shadow the hedgehog is actually so disabled actually. or maybe its the shadow that exists in my head. but listen. like i'll be first to say its like obviously a very fantastical disability but like think about it. "I was created overflowing with chaos energy but because its something i live off of (a condition rare and unique to myself) and a result of my body functioning differently my condition can leave me quickly exhausting myself and even hurting myself when unchecked. to handle and control this i have to wear these inhibitors at almost all times for my own health" okay so basically thats your disability and those are your aids.

ABLEDS THIS POST IS SURROUNDED BY AN ELECTRIC FENCE

[sonadowwiki]

The Intimate Relationship Between Sonic and Shadow

In the ending scene for Sonic Adventure 2 in Japanese, Sonic sadly says on his own as he looks out to Earth from the ARK: "疲れた... きゅうきょくせいめいたいか?" Which translates to: "Worn-out... Ultimate Lifeform?"

疲れた = Worn-out

きゅうきょく = Ultimate

せいめいたい = Lifeform

Though there are no subtitles for this scene, if you listen closely, you can hear Sonic say: "tsukareta," which means worn-out like you're exhausted. Sonic asks this sadly to himself as he looks down before he is interrupted. After brushing his sorrow aside so that it's not seen by others, before Sonic leaves the ARK, he says: "Adiós, Shadow the Hedgehog..." which means good-bye in Spanish.

This scene doesn't get translated correctly in English and the true meaning of this scene was lost in translation.

If we think back to previous scenes in the game, when Sonic was shot out of the ARK in a capsule, he was able to use a fake Chaos Emerald to Chaos Control into the ARK before it exploded. How Sonic got back into the ARK after defeating the BioLizard could have been the same or he flew back with what little energy he had left. Before Sonic told Shadow about how he used a fake Emerald to Chaos Control out of the capsule, Shadow watched as the capsule exploded and said to himself that it ended up that Sonic was an ordinary hedgehog after all due to thinking he died in the explosion. After seeing Sonic again and he was told how he escaped the explosion, it surprised and intrigued Shadow.

This scene can be seen as a parallel to not only when Shadow was also shot out of a capsule by Maria, but also the ending credits when Sonic looked out of the ARK while he waited to see if Shadow would also do the same as him and Chaos Control into the ARK after the battle. Once he saw that he wasn't going to appear, Sonic became extremely saddened and realized that Shadow was too tired to Chaos Control back and make a surprise appearance. But even if Sonic knew that Shadow might have not made it beforehand when giving his limiter to Rouge, he still hung onto a small sliver of hope that he would make a surprising comeback like he did.

With this knowledge, the ending lines saying for heroes to rest easy makes more sense since Sonic states that Shadow was too tired/worn-out. An image of Shadow even appears after the phrase to show that the words were for Shadow.

Another scene to take into account is the time they both turned Super. When they turned Super, it can be assumed that the Chaos Emeralds connected the two in a way that can only be seen with one's heart. This can be assumed because it was only after they turned Super together that the two became extremely concerned for one another (in the battle with the Final Hazard), fought as one, were in sync, looked out for each other, saw each other in high regard, and believed/trusted in one another with all their heart. Perhaps at that moment they turned Super, their hearts were connected and they both saw each other as equals and for who they are inside. It's possible that their hearts were so connected that when Shadow heard Maria's voice while they were Super, Sonic could have heard her too through Shadow. This can be assumed due to the slight turn of Sonic's head as if he's listening and how he waited until she was done talking to tell Shadow that now was the moment to use Chaos Control together.

At that moment when Shadow decided to help, perhaps the Chaos Emeralds helped Sonic understand who and what type of person Shadow was because even if he was manipulated to destroy the world at first, Shadow was willing to sacrifice himself to save the very people he thought deserved to suffer. And with that, Sonic gained a newfound respect and care for Shadow since he saw what a pure and good person he was deep down. This was the case so much so that the Emeralds responded in kind with their miracles and accepted in making Shadow Super as well.

Another thing to take into account is how after this game, it makes more sense as to why Sonic constantly looks for Shadow or tries to get his attention. Because Sonic saw Shadow seemingly die once despite seeing how capable and strong he is by being an equal to him in Sonic Adventure 2, he looks out for Shadow to make sure that it doesn't happen again like it was mentioned in the Sonic x Shadow 2021 July Calendar Story.

"Only the [moon] overlooking the bustling city seemed to be watching over that shadow forever and ever."

This can also explain why the two constantly rival each other at times since Sonic could be checking on Shadow's well-being, just like Shadow watches over Sonic's (Sonic Colors DS, Sonic Forces, Team Sonic Racing, Sonic x Shadow 2021 July Calendar Story).

[Sonic Colors DS - Asteroid Coaster Mission 1]

[Sonic Colors DS - Asteroid Coaster Completing Mission 1]

[Sonic Colors DS - Shadow worried for Sonic's well-being after completing the mission]

[Sonic Colors DS - Asteroid Coaster Mission 2]

[Sonic Forces - Shadow Protects Sonic at Sunset Heights]

[Sonic Forces Episode Shadow - Shadow concerned for Sonic's safety]

[Team Sonic Racing - Shadow saw that Sonic was capable after racing him, so he says that he can join him in defeating Eggman]

[Sonic x Shadow 2021 July Calendar Story - Shadow tests Sonic but also tries to get him away from joining him in his mission]

[Sonic doesn't listen or adhere to Shadow's wishes and goes to find what Shadow could be doing in order to help him]

[Both work together in sync to neutralize the bomb threat]

It has been stated and shown that Sonic and Shadow are the ones who understand each other the most. Though the both of them understand each other the most since their fight together as Supers in Sonic Adventure 2 and understand that they're capable, they both still look out for each other because of that understanding and care for one another. Perhaps it is due to the event of when they turned Super together, that they share an intimate relationship with each other as stated in the Sonic x Shadow 2021 July Calendar Story. And from that event, also gained understanding, respect and care that formed from the events; from the Chaos Emeralds' miracle. At that moment, the Chaos Emeralds responded to Sonic and Shadow's wishes, which proves that both their thoughts, hopes and wishes were the same. Therefore, it is then that Sonic and Shadow knew for sure, that the other was like himself and that they both shared the same vision and beliefs. The Emeralds created a miracle and it is through that miracle their relationship was formed; their relationship is a miracle.

[Sonic x Shadow 2021 July Calendar Story - Bottom Description]

[Sonic x Shadow 2021 July Calendar Story]

[Explanation of the phrase "懐に入って来られる稀有（けう）な関係" used in the Sonic x Shadow 2021 July Calendar Story Description that states their relationship is intimate]

After Shadow defeated the BioLizard with Sonic, in Japanese, Shadow asks if "this is enough" before falling to Earth and giving up/deciding to rest. Because Shadow ended up giving up and did not return to the ARK, along with Sonic being able to use a fake Chaos Emerald to do Chaos Control, perhaps that's why Shadow always thinks that he is below in capability to Sonic who never gives up and is capable of doing more than him, despite also knowing that they are equal in strength and speed.

Perhaps what Shadow finds himself inferior with is from thinking that he is not as good of a person as Sonic since he has made mistakes or didn't have the same drive as him. Therefore, perhaps that is why Shadow always tries to test to see if Sonic is up to par or is strong enough to take care of himself so that he stays safe and continues being alive as that good person. This also explains why Shadow was so concerned for Sonic in Sonic Forces when Infinite was going to go hurt Sonic. If Shadow couldn't take Infinite on despite being Sonic's equal and knowing that, that's why Shadow got concerned for Sonic's safety. It can be assumed that perhaps one of Shadow's missions in life is keeping Sonic safe or alive since he is a good person and someone he cares about deep down.

[Sonic x Shadow 2021 July Calendar Story]

[Sonic Colors DS - Shadow implies that he leaves it to Sonic since he believes that Sonic can do better, even if they are of equal strength and speed]

But despite always checking up on one another, they don't only test each other's strengths when meeting each other. Sometimes, they seem to also play, like in Team Sonic Racing. This can be implied since Shadow said to Sonic that he didn't have time to play with him/entertain him/have the spare time/to be concerned for his well-being at the time due to having an important mission to uphold with Emerl. But perhaps even when they play, they still test each other's strengths in a certain manner, like with their driving skills in Team Sonic Racing.

[Sonic Battle - English]

[Team Sonic Racing - Sonic went to talk to Shadow and when asked about him, he laughs a little as he implies that he got Shadow to play with him through racing (which was on his top priority to think of since he mentioned that before what he learned about Eggman)]

[Team Sonic Racing]

There are times that Shadow tries to steer Sonic into the right direction of defeating the main threat, but he still in a way, gives Sonic a choice and Sonic readily accepts like in Sonic Colors DS when he tells Sonic to go fight Eggman and in Team Sonic Racing when he reminds Sonic about the main objective in defeating Eggman. Sonic also does this for Shadow, such as in Shadow the Hedgehog 2005 where Sonic tries to steer Shadow onto the path of good when he lost his memories. Even at the end, Sonic was willing to protect Shadow and the world by asking for the Chaos Emeralds from Shadow, though Shadow ended up being able to defeat Black Doom on his own despite not remembering everything.

[Sonic Colors DS - Shadow reminds Sonic to take care of Eggman]

[Team Sonic Racing - Shadow reminds Sonic about the threat of Eggman, even if he wants to play]

The both of them make up a whole like two sides of the same coin. Sonic and Shadow know this, but it is Shadow who is not ready to close that gap between them since he still sees himself as inferior to Sonic. But even so, Sonic continues to watch over Shadow, talk to him and wait for him until Shadow also accepts that he is the same as himself, that they're equal and that they can be on the same level/stage together as one. This is also why Sonic hints to Shadow that he is already his equal and is also a good person too in the Sonic x Shadow 2021 July Calendar Story. So when Shadow still tries to shy away or run away from being unable to accept that, Sonic gets disappointed, but he still continues to wait for him, watch over him and help him come to accept that he doesn't have to think of himself as an inferior to himself.