Kneecaps first met his older brother when Knuckles returned to the island with the Chaotix and Sonic the Hedgehog to rescue Locke from the Dingoes. Kneecaps took to his older brother immediately, hitting him with his rattle and otherwise playing with his older sibling. Weighed down by the knowledge that his people—including Wynmacher—believed him to be the Avatar foretold by the Ancient Walkers, by his weakness upon exposure to the Master Emerald, and by all that had befallen his home and people in his absence, Knuckles was unable to reciprocate his younger brother's affection, much to Kneecaps' dismay. (StH: #138, #139)