Chaos energy

Chaos Energy is the energy thats make the Chaos Emeralds be so precious.Each Chaos Emerald have diferent powers but it Chaos Energy let each emerald use Chaos Control. This power can be controlled by the Master Emerald, if requested or commanded by its guardian. There are other sources of Chaos Energy, such as Chaos Drives, though it is uncertain if Drives are a crystallized form of the Chaos Emerald energy, or an alternate source.

The Chaos Emeralds, especially the Master Emerald, have been used before to charge super forms or Eggman's weapons of destruction on many occasions (e.g. Sonic the Hedgehog 3, where Eggman steals the Master Emerald to charge the Death Egg). The energy coming from the Master Emerald is mostly used to prevent Angel Island from falling into the ocean.

Sonic Adventure
In Sonic Adventure, the original guardian of the Master Emerald is revealed to be Chaos, who also protected the Chao that lived in peace at the altar.

Tikal, the daughter of the Echidna tribe's chief, knows prayer for the Master Emerald that her grandmother taught her: ''The servers are the seven Chaos. Chaos is power, power is enriched by the heart. The controller serves to unify the chaos.'' The controller could be the Master Emerald, or the guardian that controls the emeralds to control it, though it is not clear.

In the "?" story, Chaos absorbs the negative energy of the Chaos Emeralds to become Perfect Chaos. Sonic uses the remaining positive energy to transform into Super Sonic. will absorb the negative energy of the Chaos Emerald leaving only the positive energy. Sonic uses the remaining positive power of the Chaos Emeralds to become Super Sonic. This shows that they have an Electromotive force but can still be of use if the positive or negative energy is absent, such as Super Sonic needing only the Positive energy or Perfect Chaos relying on negative energy. The absent of the Negative energy has made the emeralds colourless.

Sonic Adventure 2 and Shadow
Shadow was awaken by the power of a Chaos Emerald and demonstrates harnessing the power of Chaos emeralds for such powers like Chaos Control, and later stocking the Eclipse Cannon with the emeralds for another doomsday plot.

Shadow shows that chaos energy can be harnessed for other means other than Super Transformation such as Chaos based attacks like Chaos Control and Chaos Blast, Chaos Spear and also to unlock memories.

Sonic Unleashed
Eggman managed to trap Super Sonic in a machine that drained him and the emeralds of their energy in order to break the Earth into pieces. Since it was primarily negative energy that Eggman used, Sonic's intense exposure to it is what caused lycanthrope. Sonic must restore the emeralds power and color using the Gaia Temples. At the end of the temple, a stand pops up. If the emerald is placed in it, the power is restored, as well as the piece of the world.

Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood
Chaos Energy is what powers the Cyclone and helps Ix the Echidna transform into Super Ix. The Cyclone used both elements of Chaos Energy and Ix used negative energy.

Trivia

 * When the positive or negative energy of the Chaos Emeralds are absent, they will become colorless (black or gray). Emotions can restore the Chaos Emeralds, as well as the seven Gaia Temples.
 * Chaos Energy could be compareable to the Force in Star Wars, due to it's good and bad side.