>>531178085
>>531178317
I think Sonelise works because Sonic is treate more as Elise's muse for everything she lacks, has been denied since her father died and she was forced to really accelerate on taking the throne, or can't allow herself to have because of Iblis:
>The liberty to act and express as one pleases without expectation, judgment, or consequence
>The freedom to go anywhere, meet anyone, and spend however much time with them as one likes
>The lack of pressure (as a duchess-to-be or the one thing preventing the apocalypse) to enjoy the small things in life, like rolling about in the grass and jogging to leave your troubles behind
>The easygoing-yet-focused confidence to face adversity with a smile, and concentrate entirely on what's in front of you without doubting yourself or dwelling on prior mishaps overmuch
SonElise is about a guy who enjoys life with such zest that it's infectious, his presence helping a girl repressing herself to start coming out of her shell rather than remain stagnant simply because it's safer - it's probably why they went with the whole "Sonic & Elise bond, Sonic dies, Elise revives him with a kiss" plotline, it's symbolic of the fact Sonic helped Elise actually start LIVING and her returning the favor.

I genuinely think the ending of Sonic's Story where Elise teasingly echoes back his advice about running first and worrying later amidst the collapsing Egg Carrier (contrast when they first met, when she panicked at Eggman shooting missiles at them), them almost not making it, then getting blasted to safety by the ship exploding and tumbling around in the dirt, Sonic casually helping her up and her cracking up and laughing over ridiculously lucky they got is one of the best scenes involving Elise in the game. If there was any potential for her character, it lied there.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xqQB9UwkVg