"It's the moment you've been waiting for. Our warpspeed travels have taken us thousands of millions of lightyears from planet Erius. Welcome to DONPA KINGDOM, contestants!" The shuttle's speakers exclaimed as all the contestants stepped foot onto a landing strip overlooking a futuristic, utopian city covered head to toe in shimmering violet hues. "We will allow you time to adjust to your new surroundings, make sure to stay inside the designated oxygen and gravity zones. Some areas may not be suitable for beings with your biological needs."
"Pretty sweet place," Sonic sighed amidst the sea of other players, taking a breath of artificially clean air. The vast cityscape already made him feel lost. "I wonder when the games start—" Click. Sonic spun around and grabbed the barrel of a revolver, crushing it with his hand and blocking the bullets at the muzzle before they could put holes in his head. The gun gave out in a puff of smoke. "Hey! What's the big idea in that microbrain of yours?!" All the other players turned to face Sonic… as well as a purple sniper with a cowboy hat and a big sharp tooth. He blew out some of the smoke with a smirk, tossing aside his broken gun. It knocked into someone's helmet, leaving a dent.
"The games started when you stepped out of the ship, fleet-feet. A big powerhouse like you had best be taken off the playing field before you become a problem. They call me Nack the Hunter, and they'll call you dead at the scene," the sniper said with an Aussie accent and an excited tone. A large yellow polar bear and a deranged green woodpecker stepped up to Sonic. "Bark, Bean, bust 'im into blue bleu!" Bean the Woodpecker and Bark the Polar Bear lunged for Sonic. Sonic Spin-Dashed into Bark only to be… caught?! Bark wound up a throw and tossed Sonic into the sky. Bean grinned.
"And there goes the blue banana, I always hate the spikes at the tips! Let's splatter 'im, Bombie!" Bean cackled maniacally. He then threw a bomb that blasted Sonic out of Donpa Kingdom's gravitational field, just as Penumbra shot a web towards Sonic. The string wrapped around Sonic's wrist and pulled him back down from space. "Woo-hoo! WOO-HOO! Say 'toodle-two' to my new babies, Sonic you fool!" Bean screamed. Sonic weaved around Bean's bombs, then stomped onto Bark's head at terminal velocity and kicked Bean's lights out. Sonic then headbutted Nack to the ground.
"You crooks didn't stand a chance," Sonic growled as Bark put Nack's hat back onto his head in a dazed stupor. "Save that energy for the ACTUAL competition. You'll need it!" Sonic turned to the crowd with a confident grin, only to see they weren't smiling. They weren't cheering. They weren't clapping. Penumbra pulled him away into a huddle.
"Wiiith that, you've made yourself a spectacle… and a target," Penumbra groaned, poking Sonic's ribs. "They're all scared of you, so they'll probably work together to get you eliminated first. It's how the game is played." Sonic chuckled nervously as he saw some of his oldest friends giving him death stares.
"Yeah, sure," Sonic sighed. "But maybe we can get some new teammates now. Who doesn't wanna be on the winning team?" Sonic felt something metallic and cold bump against his shoulder. "Augh!" He blindly swatted a poor woman with a rusty face-covering hard hat, causing her to spin out at half the speed of her oversized helmet. She then tripped over her own leg and fell on her butt. "'Scuse me! Still a bit jumpy from almost being shot." Sonic gave her his hand with a sheepish smile. She instantly hopped to her feet with his support.
"H-hi! My people call me Trip the Sungazer!" She gobbled, sounding like she was reading off a script as she waved her shaking, sweat-stained gloved hands. "NiiiIce to meet you! I'm shy. I–I-I know you wouldn't expect to see someone like me at the Dodon Games, bubbuububut…"
"It's all cool!" Sonic hollered. Trip grabbed her own breastbone with a small echoing shriek. "Wanna join our team? I promise we're super chill!" Sonic shot Trip a thumbs-up. Trip seized hold of his hand awkwardly. Her left glove was super cold.
"Oh gosh… oh my… I didn't expect you to say that, I'd be HONORed to be inc-c-cluded, I really don't have any friends, Sonic sir, but now we're together forever, and we can play the Dodon Games together and take home the gold!" Trip tried to hug Sonic, but she could only just about work up the courage to place her hands on his shoulders. Sonic took a step back.
"Comin' in hot! Uh… why don't you give Peni some of this attention?" Sonic stammered, pushing Trip over to Penumbra semi-gently.
"SPIDER!" Trip screeched, trying to escape into Sonic's shoulder.
…
The Dodon Dome was packed full of avid fans of the Dodon Games as the contestants marched in. All kinds of species from across the universe gathered together in one spot, unified under the intercultural fascination of seeing the contestants win, lose, or die trying. It was a morbid attraction, yet an enthralling one all the same. The cheering, the flashing lights, all of it came to a boiling point as Dodon Pa lowered to the stage floor in his Dodonpapod hovercraft. He smiled.
"Welcome, one and all, to this year's Dodon Games!" Dodon Pa said into the mic. "I know we're all very excited for the challenge to start, but first, a word from our sponsor." Dodon Pa turned to the big screen as it faded to a green opossum holding his phone camera above him.
"Hello, Dodon Games! My name is Clutch the Opossum, You probably know me as the CEO of Wisp Industries and the creator of the Wispaway Land park," the opossum exclaimed, a row of golden teeth gleaming every time he opened his mouth. "This event is all about the magic of comradery and teamwork, for the betterment of interplanetary relations and social stability in the universe. The Dodon Games bring all of us together under one roof, like a big happy family. No matter what country, continent, world or galaxy we come from, EVERYBODY enjoys spectating a good competition." Tired alien squids drifted past the camera. They looked drained of any energy.
"I think we can trust this guy, Sonic," Trip whispered, cuddling Sonic's arm.
"Yeah, about as much as I'd trust EGGMAN," Sonic grumbled, trying his best to sneakily escape her grasp.
"That's why it's so important to ME, caretaker of the Wisp race, that the games don't undermine that unity. We all know past games have ended in some sad and tragic scenes that most would rather forget," Clutch beamed with bright enthusiasm and bright rainbow specks under his nose. Some of the Dodon Pa mascot suits behind him nodded. "I took the liberty of planting life-preserving measures all around each and every arena so that the games may remain cool, fun, and safe, for everyo-!" The Dodon Pa mascot marched up and punched Clutch to the floor. While the other mascots began beating the blood out of him, the initial assailant took a baseball bat to the camera. The speakers exploded. A hush befell the entire stadium.
"Well. I wasn't expecting that, Sonic," Trip said, before the stadium burst into cheers and screams of excitement. Dodon Pa began bowing, as many contestants murmured to each other, utterly distraught.
"That was just part of the show, right?" Cherry the Ladybug asked Sticks the Badger.
"Oh, for sure. As planned as the ARK shutdown," Sticks hissed back.
Dodon Pa turned to the contestants, the electrical fire from the speakers giving out now reflecting in his vacant eyes. "The Dodon Games begin NOW."