“And that's how we got one of the Chaos Emeralds!” Ivo said, holding his phone in front of him and Motey, so Sara could see the both of them on camera, “We'll have that hedgehog in no time!” “Awesome, Ivo!” Sara cheered, “You're amazing! ...you and Motey... both are, I mean... heh heh. So! Where's the next Emerald, anyway?” “See for yourself!” Motey said, carefully grabbing the camera with her metallic pincers – which she was really starting to get the hang of – and turned it to show off their surroundings. On the screen, Sara saw the glitzy, neon-lit amusement park, Spring Yard Zone. The place was full of tourists and families, happily jumping around on springs, pinball flippers, and other bouncy surfaces. “Aw, man!” Sara said, “You guys are in Spring Yard Zone? That place is so much fun! Majorly jealous.” “Yeah, Ivo, this place looks great!” Motey said, “I wanna try the bounce-pads!” “Focus, Motey!” Ivo said, walking past the rides, ignoring the merch stalls, and even averting his eyes from the park's mascot, Springy the Springman. “I love a good carnival as much as the next brilliant scientist! But our one and only priority right now is tracking down Sonic and the Chaos Emeralds!” “Aw, okay,” Motey said, rolling behind Ivo – and then she crashed into Ivo, who'd stopped suddenly. “...Ivo?” Ivo stood there, his eyes transfixed on a carnival game, and – more importantly - a shelf full of prizes. “...Hey, Sara,” Ivo spoke into his phone, “Apropos of nothing, who's your favorite Champion the Fighters character?” “Huh?” Sara paused, “Syrup the Cat. Why?” “No reason,” Ivo said, “Anyway, Motey and I need to get back to Emerald-hunting, but I'll call you back!” “Kay!” Sara grinned, “Give 'em trouble, Ivo!” Click. Ivo hung up, and approached the game booth. “Hurray! Hurray! Hurray, folks!” a suited, hat-wearing weasel waved a cane with a showman's flair, trying to entice guests to his game, “Here's your chance to test your strength! Swing the hammer with all your might, and if ya manage to hit the bell, you'll win a prize! C'mon, c'mon, who's strong enough to win big tonight, folks?!” “Ho ho!” Ivo laughed, “I'll play!” “Ivo!” Motey said, “I thought we didn't have time for this...” “Motey, look,” Ivo said, pointing to the prize stand, “They have collectible plushies from Champion the Fighters! Sara loves that game! I've gotta bring back a souvenir for her... aaaand all my other friends too of course, hohoho.” Motey narrowed her eyes at Ivo skeptically, “...Right.” “Ahh, a would-be strongman, eh?” the dapper weasel grinned, “Wes Weasely's the name! Games are my game!” “Your game is... games?” Motey asked, “That's awfully tautological...” “I don't know the meaning of the word!” Weasely said, eyeing Ivo's rings, “But I do know the meaning of cold-hard cash, and I'll happily take yours for a chance with the ol' hammer!” “Deal!” Ivo said, paying the weasel. He took hold of the hammer, lifted it high above his head, and – with all his might – swung down to hit the high-striker's button. “Ooh, tough luck, my good man!” Weasely said, as the puck went up just shy of hitting the bell, “But it looks like you're just not packin' enough punch! Of course, you're always welcome to try again for more rings! Heh heh heh...” “Mmm... fine!” Ivo said, placing more rings in Weasely's gloved hand. “Ah ha ha! Thank you, sir!” Weasely grinned, “Have at it!” Ivo got a good running start this time, leaping into the air and slamming the mallet down onto the button, and... once again the puck stopped right before the bell, failing to ring it. “What the...” Ivo knew he hit it harder that time. Why wasn't it hitting the bell? “Oooh, too bad, palzy!” Weasely chuckled, “Better luck next time, eh?” “Hmph, I'll give it one more shot,” Ivo said, taking out some more rings, “But first...” Woosh! “What?!” Weasely shouted as Ivo suddenly threw the metallic rings at the bottom of the high-striker – where they instantly stuck to the machine. “Er, uh... heh heh...” “Whoa...” Motey was shocked, “I can't believe it! This carnival game is rigged!” “Now I see...” Ivo said, “There's a magnet at the bottom of the machine. It pulls the metal puck back down, so that even if you hit it with all you've got, it won't make it all the way to the bell!” “Hey, hey! Keep it down!” Weasely tried shushing Ivo, as more potential customers walked within earshot, “C'mon, heh heh... Ol' buddy, ol' pal, ol' chum... Surely we can reach an understanding, yes?”

“Wow!” Motey said, marveling at the big prize Ivo was carrying, “It was sure nice of that Weasely guy to let you have that doll you wanted... and to refund your rings... and to give you a bunch more rings on top of that!” “Oh ho ho!” Ivo merrily laughed as he walked along with his prize – a plush of Syrup the Cat from Champion the Fighters, one of Sara's favorite video games. It'd make a nice gift once this adventure was over, “Yes. And he he even let me borrow that high-powered magnet from his no-longer-rigged machine! I'll definitely find a use for this!” “That aside...” Motey said, looking at the yellow Emerald in Ivo's hand beginning to glow more rapidly, “We seem to be getting warmer!” “Ah, we are!” Ivo exclaimed, “But so are they.” Above them, Sonic and his gang were bouncing between springs, heading to a high point in Spring Yard Zone. “Looks like you'll get to try the bounce-pads after all, Motey!” Ivo said, “The Emerald is likely above us!” “Yaaaay!” Motey cheered, “Let's go!” Ivo and Motey leaped onto a pair of springs, and bounced high into the air – closing the distance between them and Sonic. “Ey, boss!” Ricky the Squirrel shouted as he and Sonic leapt through the sky, “Robotnik and his bug are right behind us!” “Tch!” Sonic looked down at Ivo – still a few levels lower than he was, but beginning to make his way up, “Those slow-mos will never catch up with us! Ignore 'em and keep going!” “Doc!” Motey cried out, as the two of them bounced up – spring after spring – getting an increasingly dizzying view of the park below, “They're already ahead of us! How can we possibly catch up to them?” “Hmm...” Ivo thought for a moment, “These springs are simple machines... The more resistance they experience, the stronger they'll bounce back! That's it! Motey! Let's jump atop each spring at the same time, so our combined weight will trigger a stronger pushback!” “Right!” Motey said. She waited for Ivo, and – on the count of three – the two of them leapt onto the next spring simultaneously. The spring lowered, creaking as it descended, and then – just as Ivo predicted – it sprung the two of them high into the air – clearing two stories in a single bound instead of the one they'd been clearing before. “Wheeeee!” Motey shouted, as she and Ivo flew up at rocket-speed. “Eureka!” Ivo shouted, “Come, Motey! We'll just double-bounce a few more times, and we'll overtake the hedgehog!” “Uh... b-b-boss?” Ricky asked uncertainly. “What is it?” Sonic asked, concentrating on bouncing up the side of Spring Yard Zone. “Don't look now, but-” Woosh! “...I think Robotnik just, uh... passed us.” “What?!” Sonic shouted, incredulously, looking up. There – zooming ahead of him in mid-air – he saw Ivo, grinning down at him and cockily waving as he reached a higher platform. “Rrrrr...” “Oh ho ho! There it is, Motey!” Ivo shouted as he and Motey simultaneously bounced on the next spring, “The giant golden ring!” “Great!” Motey said, “Now we just need to plan out which one of us will go into it and which one will stay here and-” A bright flash lit the skies and then Ivo – and the ring – were gone. “...deal with Sonic,” Motey sighed as Sonic and the Road Rollers bounced up right behind her, “Oh boy...”

Ivo once again found himself in the bizarre realm of the Chaos Emeralds. Colored breakable crystals, bumpers, rings, the works. But he felt a renewed confidence compared to the last time he was here. “Eh, you've seen one psychedelic mindbending dimension, you've seen them all!” Ivo shrugged, “Now to find that Emerald!” It didn't take long this time. Ivo leaped and dodged his way past the Special Zone's litany of obstacles, until there – on the horrifying horizon – floated the blue Chaos Emerald. “Ah!” Ivo shouted, “There it is! Right there! But hm... This one's... more well-guarded than the last...” Ivo looked on as this Chaos Emerald was orbited by fast-moving spiked balls. One touch and – well – he didn't want to think about it. “Timing this will be difficult...” Ivo said, considering how to jump past the metallic spheres of death. Wait! Metallic spheres? “Oh ho ho! That's it!” Ivo pulled out the magnet he'd confiscated from Wes Weasely, aiming it at the metal spiked balls. Instantly, they were pulled out of their orbit around the Chaos Emerald, and stuck to the magnet. In a matter of seconds, most of them were out of the way, clearing a path for Ivo to get the next Emerald. “Once again, me being so attractive saves the day!” Ivo grinned at one of the nearby birds, who wordlessly transmuted into a fish and swam way. “Tough crowd,” Ivo shrugged, snatching up the Blue Emerald, “But at least I've got this! Ooh ho ho ho ho-” The Special Zone faded around Ivo, and he was back in Spring Yard Zone – where Sonic stood waiting. Motey was flipped over, her single wheel spinning in vain as she tried to right herself. “...ho,” Ivo's laughter abruptly stopped. Well, this was a fine mess. “The Emeralds, now,” Sonic demanded, “Or we squash your bug!” “Dooooc!” Motey called out, “Sorry, they overwhelmed me!” Sonic and two of his goons – Picky the Pig and Cucky the Chicken – were currently menacing Motey and laughing at her predicament. “Nwee hee hee!” Picky squealed, “What's the matter, little ladybug? You stuck?” “Ba-KAAAAW!” Cucky crowed, “Give us the Emeralds, or she gets it! RaaaAAAWK!” “Heh!” Ivo laughed, “As if I'd hand the Emeralds over to you wretched rapscallions! But I will give you something else!” The goons' eyes widened as Ivo pulled put one of the low-grade bombs he'd backed for his journey. “Is that a... bomb?!” Motey asked. “Pfft, you're bluffin',” Sonic laughed, “There's no way you'd blow up your own friend just to get me. You're too soft.” Picky and Cucky both took a step to get out of Ivo's way, but Sonic shouted at them. “Don't you dare move away from that robot!” Sonic demanded, pulling them back, “He's not gonna throw that bomb, you idiots! Stay put and guard his metal minion!” “Alright, Motey...!” Ivo shouted as he activated the bomb, winded up the pitch, then threw it at Sonic and his crew, “Press the red button!” “Oh, right!” Motey said, pressing her shield button. In an instant, the MOTO BUG's limbs, head, and wheel retracted into the protective shell – right before the bomb landed at the villains' feet. “Ohhh nooooooOOOOO!!!” the two Road Rollers shouted. Sonic reflexively began to run off, but even his super speed wans't fast enough, as the bomb went off in a spectacular explosion, tossing them all off the high platform. The smoke cleared, and a fireworks display in the shape of Ivo's face illuminated the night sky. Motey's shell spun in place from the explosive impact, but was otherwise unharmed. Quickly, Ivo rushed over and righted her – and then, re-extending her limbs and wheel, she breathed a sigh of relief. “You okay, Motey?” Ivo asked. “Never better!” Motey said, “Too bad we couldn't get Sonic's Emeralds back, but hey! At least we're two for two now!” “Indeed we are!” Ivo said, proudly examining his pair of Chaos Emeralds, “Quickly! Let's follow their signal to the next one!” “Right!” Motey said, before glancing down, suddenly feeling very dizzy, “Oh wow, I didn't realize how high up we were...” “Tell me about it,” Ivo said, “Open bounce-pads, no guard rails, no safety nets... I do not envy the owners of this place. More like Lawsuit Zone, am I right?” “Eh heh...” Motey laughed nervously, “Maybe save the jokes for when we're back on the ground.” And so Ivo and Motey made their way – slowly and carefully – down from the floating platforms of Spring Yard Zone. With two Chaos Emeralds in tow, their next destination would test their minds as well as their strength, as the two heroes followed the gems' signal toward the puzzling ruins of Marble Zone.

Ivo the Genius

Chapter 5 - "Carnival Carnage"