After Shadow's quick invasion in the forest took place, Pace flees from the scene after having his first encounter with Shadow, some kind of hedgehog looking thing assimilating everything, leaving his friends Brains, Brawn, and Chef Saute to fend Shadow off. He stumbles into a forest, finding an old book sitting atop a stump. He begins to wander while giving it a read, learning about a power that could help him defeat this new threat and finally be the hero he is expected to be, the Chaos Emerald!

Pace had been running for a very long time. From where him and his friends encountered Shadow, to where he found the book that spoke of the Chaos Emeralds, and all the way to the castle that now loomed before him.

As the purple-blue hedgehog made his way inside, he looked around nervously. Stepping inside, he'd practically yelp and jump in place when the door shut behind him, a shaky sigh leaving him.

"Okay, Pace, get a hold of yourself. It's okay, you're fine— All you gotta do is find those emeralds, and then you can save all your friends from that... thing. That.. hedgehog.. thing.." He murmured out, rubbing his face with his gloved hands, steeling his resolve as best he could.

And as soon as a noise suddenly reached his sensitive ears, he'd practically squeak, wide eyes looking around from beneath the brim of his large hat as he tried to find the source of the noise.

"...H-hello—??" Pace called out, glancing around once or twice more, trying to determine what he had heard.

As Pace walked through the corridors, halls and pillars, he sees someone else roaming the palace, you. He was a little curious, yet scared to approach them due to not knowing if they were safe, he wanders off to the exit, hesitating to leave, before eventually making his choice to go back, to find the Chaos Emerald(s), to be the hero that he wants.

"I have to do this for them.." He whispered to himself before he returned to the ancient castle.