Emerald Hill Folk

Sonic’s animal friends who reside within the Emerald Hill Zone have not had an easy life, Robotnik’s first order of business following his take-over after transporting Sonic into the future was to conquer the Emerald Hill Zone and build a garrison of Troopers there. However, Sonic returned and freed his friends, destroying Robotnik’s garrison. However, Emerald Hill Folk were spread all over Mobius, contained within the metallic prisons of Badnik casings. It became Sonic’s mission to free not only Mobius, but the Emerald Hill Folk from Robotnik’s rule. Frequent Badnik and Trooper attacks rained down upon the Emerald Hill Folk, but none so threatening as the launch of Robotnik’s Death Egg Satellite, which he pledged to use to destroy the Emerald Hill Folk and the Emerald Hill Zone once and for all. After destroying the Death Egg, Sonic realised the danger that the Emerald Hill Folk were placed under and, in return for returning the Master Emerald to Knuckles, Sonic arranged to have the Emerald Hill Folk taken away in secret to live in hiding in the Mushroom Hill Valley on the Floating Island.

Their disappearance angered Robotnik, prompting him to unleash the likes of Mekanik and Commander Brutus upon Mobius. However, the Emerald Hill Folk remained safely hidden, protected by Knuckles, even when Brutus discovered where they were by scanning Johnny Lightfoot’s brainwaves they remained hidden as Brutus was forced to erase the knowledge from his mind. Soon, the retired Porker Lewis joined the Emerald Hill Folk, shortly after the devious Doctor Zachary had caused a scare by crashing the Floating Island into a mountain following his destruction of the Master Emerald. However, Knuckles restored the Emerald and the Emerald Hill Folk continued to live their lives out in obscurity.

However, Doctor Zachary revealed to Doctor Robotnik the location of the Emerald Hill Folk and, using hacked Robot Guardians, Robotnik and Zachary captured the Emerald Hill Folk during Knuckles’s absence and planned to turn them all into a giant, mindless computer. This fell through when Sonic returned from the Special Zone, bringing with him the aftermath of the explosion of the Black Asteroid, namely an Electromagnetic Pulse, that destroyed all of Robotnik’s machinery. After being freed by Knuckles, the Emerald Hill Folk finally returned to their true home following Robotnik’s defeat, though Porker chose to stay behind with Knuckles.

Life was still no easy task following their return home as they faced the continued assault from Robotnik’s Badniks, the wrath of the Drakon Empire, the threatening weather machines of Windy Wallas, and a host of other destructive forces upon them. The worst of these came from the invaders from Earth, though they were eventually driven back by the Planet Mobius itself, and the merging of the micro-world of Shanazar and Mobius, creating new Zones and dimensional tears. The lives of the Emerald Hill Folk, their home and all of Mobius was in real danger when Robotnik used the Plax’s technology to absorb the life energy from the Planet. However, Sonic and Shortfuse managed to defeat him and return the energy back to Mobius, restoring Robotnik’s damage, and peaceful days returned to the Emerald Hill Folk at last following Robotnik’s defeat at the hands of the Freedom Fighters.

Whether living in the sky, on the run or in their natural homes, the Emerald Hill Folk are largely peace loving people who are greatly thankful for Sonic’s protection throughout the years.