Unlucky Knuckles

"Unlucky Knuckles" is the thirteenth episode in the Sonic Boom television series. It first aired on 14 January 2015 in France and on 14 February 2015 in the United States.

Synopsis
Knuckles feels that the only reason Sonic always bests him is that Sonic has better luck. So, Knuckles tries to run out his bad luck and reset the luck balance of the universe by constantly putting himself in harm's way.

Characters

 * Sonic the Hedgehog
 * Knuckles the Echidna
 * Amy Rose
 * Miles "Tails" Prower
 * Sticks the Badger
 * Mayor Fink
 * Fastidious Beaver
 * Mike the Ox
 * Wild Cat
 * Dr. Eggman
 * Orbot
 * Cubot
 * Moto Bug
 * Buzz Bomber
 * Crabmeat
 * Mega

Plot

 * For the transcript of this episode, see Unlucky Knuckles/Transcript.

On the beach, Sonic and Knuckles are playing a game of Gofaball against each other under Tails' supervision. With Knuckles losing to Sonic in coin flipping, Sonic is allowed to go first and makes a perfect score. However, Knuckles keeps missing his shots and quickly gets sloppy. Sonic and Tails contributes his loss to lack of skills, but Knuckles insists it is bad luck, and snaps temperamentally.

Later at Amy's House, Knuckles is moping and fuming about his losing streak to Sonic during this week in front of Amy and Sticks. While Amy is drawn into talking about it with Knuckles, Sticks suspects there has been a shift in the luck balance of the universe and advises Knuckles to burn through his bad luck by bringing himself as much bad luck as possible. Though Amy is skeptical, Knuckles believes it and starts bringing harm to himself, such as dropping boulders on himself, jumping into canyons and shooting himself out of a cannon into a beehive. Injured, Knuckles visits Sonic at his shack to trash-talk about things looking up for him, but Sonic is just worried about his well-being.

At Dr. Eggman's lair, Dr. Eggman is practicing his reflexes in a game of laser tag with Orbot, Cubot and his other robots, where Eggman wins due to an improbable shot. Orbot chalks it up to a shift in the luck balance of the universe, which gives Eggman the idea of using his current luck streak to launch an invasion at Bygone Island which cannot be foiled by Team Sonic. Meanwhile, Knuckles is in the middle of a meteor shower, trying to get hit. Sonic, Tails and Amy are getting worried, and Sonic is convinced to talk sense into Knuckles, but they only end up arguing over what contributed to Sonic's victories. Tails and Amy try seeking out Sticks for help, but she is confident Knuckles will turn his luck around before he is killed. Back at the meteor shower, Sonic convinces Knuckles to stop his self-injuries by having a Gofaball rematch with him, which is spoiled by Eggman passing by in his Eggmobile and ruining Knuckles' shot.

In the village, Eggman, Orbot and Cubot's invasion is going well, when Team Sonic shows up and corner Eggman. As Knuckles appears though, falling debris scatters Team Sonic, allowing Eggman to escape while he brags about his good luck. Sonic gets an idea and tells Knuckles to join Eggman since his bad luck is hurting their chances. Knuckles complies, thinking Eggman will appreciate him. Back in the village, Eggman brings forth the Mega to terrorize the villagers when Knuckles arrives to join him. It is then the Mega destroys itself due to a malfunction triggered by Knuckles' bad luck, forcing Eggman and his lackeys to flee. Knuckles is upset over his bad luck, but Sonic and Sticks convince him that him joining Eggman was a secret mission meant to work for them by having his bad luck overpower Eggman's good luck, ergo meaning that Knuckles was now over his bad luck streak. As the team goes home, Knuckles wonders where his bad luck went, which turns out to have been passed onto Tails when debris falls on top of the fox.

Continuity

 * The Mega, which first appeared in "Translate This", returns, where it is properly introduced.

Goofs

 * Dr. Eggman refers to the Mega as a new robot and basically a prototype, despite it already having appeared in "Translate This".
 * This might suggest this episode takes place before "Translate This".

Trivia

 * The circumstances surrounding the airing of this episode make a few references to the common superstitions about bad luck:
 * This episode aired in the United States the day after Friday the 13th. Friday the 13th is recognized as the day of bad luck.
 * This episode was aired as the thirteenth in the Sonic Boom television series which is considered a unlucky number.
 * The book that Sonic reads at his shack is Sonic's Autobiography, an item that can be found in Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal in Q-N-C's Toy Shop.
 * Orbot and Cubot's Sonic and Tails masks from "Buster" are seen again in this episode.
 * The cannon used by Knuckles to shoot himself out the mine is the same one he used in "Circus of Plunders".
 * This episode marks the second time Knuckles joined Dr. Eggman, the first time being in Sonic Boom #1-#2 in the Sonic Boom comic series, although the first time he was a covert agent.