| 1 | [[WMG:[[center: [- ''Fanfic/InfinityTrainBlossomingTrail'' '''[[Characters/InfinityTrainBlossomingTrail Main Character Page]]'''\ |
| 2 | [[Characters/InfinityTrainBlossomingTrailRedLotusTrio Red Lotus Trio]] ([[Characters/InfinityTrainBlossomingTrailChloeCerise Chloe Cerise]]) | [[Characters/InfinityTrainBlossomingTrailTheInfinityTrain Infinity Train]] ([[Characters/InfinityTrainBlossomingTrailPassengers Passengers]] [[[Characters/InfinityTrainBlossomingTrailTheApex The Apex]], [[Characters/InfinityTrainBlossomingTrailGraceMonroe Grace Monroe]]], '''Cage of Flauros''', [[Characters/InfinityTrainBlossomingTrailTheUnsubsCrew The Unsub's Crew]]) | [[Characters/InfinityTrainBlossomingTrailPokemonWorld Pokémon World]] ([[Characters/InfinityTrainBlossomingTrailVermillionCity Vermillion City]] [[[Characters/InfinityTrainBlossomingTrailGohFujihachi Goh Fujihachi]], [[Characters/InfinityTrainBlossomingTrailParkerCerise Parker Cerise]]]), [[Characters/InfinityTrainBlossomingTrailKetchumFamily The Ketchum Family]], [[Characters/InfinityTrainBlossomingTrailPokemonTrainers Pokémon Trainers]]) -] ]]]] |
| 3 | |
| 4 | ! Cage of Flauros |
| 5 | |
| 6 | As part of the plan to rid the Apex off of the Infinity Train, three denizens in the Fog Car have created a plan: gather beings that represent seven different concepts and use them to create a cage to trap the Apex. The only way for the Apex to leave is if all members realize their mistakes and learn that the Train was to help them heal and move on, and that numbers are not important. |
| 7 | |
| 8 | Sounds simple...right? |
| 9 | |
| 10 | '''Note: Due to the highly spoilerific nature of this page, there will be unmarked spoilers for Blossoming Trail Arc 2 and 3 and characters will be notified by their ritual designations unless noted. Read at your own risk.''' |
| 11 | ---- |
| 12 | !! The Components |
| 13 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 14 | [[folder: In General]] |
| 15 | * AlphabeticalThemeNaming: All of them have names starting with D: Destiny, Death, Dream, Destruction, Desire, Despair and Delight/Delirium. |
| 16 | * AmbiguousSituation: When Amelia reads how the Cage of Flauros is supposed to work, it says that once the components are done with their jobs, they'll "cease to be". While this is a DeadlyEuphemism, whether this means they'll die and be reincarnated as Denizens, like it usually goes on the Train, or they'll outright [[CessationOfExistence cease to exist]] is unclear. |
| 17 | * AndThenWhat: While there's plenty of talk about what they'll do before, during, and shortly after the ritual, nary a word is said about what they'll do once their main purpose, get rid of the Apex, is fulfilled. Eventually, we find out why: once the Apex have been dealt with, the components will ''cease to be''. |
| 18 | * ArcVillain: Easily the biggest threat the Red Lotus Quarto face in Act 3, though Death (Henry and Walter) have the most prominent role. |
| 19 | * TheBadGuyWins: In a ''very'' roundabout way. The reason the Cage was created was to destroy the Apex once and for all, so they couldn't hurt the Train anymore. While the ritual gets ruined thanks to Chloe dismantling Delight/Delirium, Desire and Despair, Dream being awoken and Destruction eventually drowning in the lake after he murders Chloe, the trauma of the events prompts Grace to reveal the truth to the kids following her, which causes the Apex to dissolve as they now want ''nothing'' to do with her. So Walter and Henry got what they wanted, just not in the way they expected. |
| 20 | * CommonalityConnection: Four components have had their lives affected by Ash Ketchum both for good and bad: Despair and Dream encountered and fought Ash, while Destiny and Delight's self-esteem issues became worse when he entered the picture (directly for Destiny, indirectly for Delight). |
| 21 | * TheChosenMany: Each of the components were chosen to be a different embodiment...not ''all'' of them willing, though. |
| 22 | * DramaPreservingHandicap: |
| 23 | ** Considering who Dream and Despair are, they could ''easily'' tear through the Fog Car and get the hell out of there. So they have to be tortured by the guilt of their actions in order to ensure that things are ''bad''. |
| 24 | ** Desire's form is of the Bogeyman / Pyramid Head and is a goddamn ''juggernaut'' that can't be stopped. Thankfully he's mostly in his human form and would rather pacify Delight...unless he has no choice but to go all out. Given how ''Knight of the Orange Lily'' reveals that Desire gets enraged at passengers who hurt denizens, this is most likely made so he doesn't slaughter the Apex the minute he lays eyes on them. |
| 25 | * DwindlingParty: As The Fog Car saga keeps going, the components slowly dwindle away: Destiny has no desire to fulfill her role, Delight/Delirium finally sees reason and they and Desire decide to help the heroes, Despair is broken out of their brainwashing, and Dream eventually wakes up. By the end of Part 5, the only components still active are Death and Destruction, and the latter is an omnicidal WildCard who quickly leaves to prove he's superior to everyone, and kicks the bucket in Part 7, leaving Death as the Sole Survivor. |
| 26 | * EvilOnlyHasToWinOnce: If the ritual is completed, then it's game over. No continues, no retries, nothing. |
| 27 | * EvilPlan: Henry and Walter intend on bringing together seven beings that embody specific traits (Destiny, Death, Dream, Destruction, Desire, Despair, and Delight) and use them in a ritual called "The Cage of Flauros" to enact vengeance on the Apex. They're Death, they've got Dream (The Patient/[[spoiler:Alain]]), Delight ([[spoiler:Hop]]), Desire (Alex), and Despair (The Prisoner/[[spoiler:Paul]]). All they're missing is Destruction (Simon) and Destiny...[[spoiler:aka Chloe.]] According to them, the Cage of Flauros will keep the Apex in the Fog Car and will only let them out when all of them realize the errors of their ways (in other words, let their numbers drop and realize it's a good thing). Should even ''one'' person refuse this, then they will continue to trap them for good. Of course, if that ''is'' the real plan... |
| 28 | * {{Expy}}: Aside from Death and Desire, the other components host similarities to the protagonists of the ''Silent Hill'' games up to ''Silent Hill: Downpour'': |
| 29 | ** Destiny: [[VideoGame/SilentHill3 Heather Mason]], being the youngest member and only female, who dyed their hair and is prophesized to help bring paradise via filling them with enough anger and hatred. They also initially wear white (Heather's vest and Chloe's beach dress before she swaps it out). Bonus points, Destiny is already being praised as some holy figure (Saint Alessa for Heather and Lady Destiny for Destiny herself). |
| 30 | ** Dream: [[VideoGame/SilentHill1 Harry]] [[VideoGame/SilentHillShatteredMemories Mason]], or more specifically the BadEnding when it's revealed that Harry's adventures in Silent Hill is nothing more than a dream. He also is associated with ice and cold, just like the motif of ''Shattered Memories''. |
| 31 | ** Destruction: [[VideoGame/SilentHill2 James Sunderland]], a blond man who ventures into Silent Hill in search of someone while also holding a very destructive streak in him despite his calm appearance. Bonus points, he butts heads with a young girl with blond hair [[spoiler:and his fate is with him drowning in Toluca Lake, which reflects the "In Water" ending James could potentially have if DrivenToSuicide]]. |
| 32 | ** Despair: [[VideoGame/SilentHillDownpour Murphy Pendleton]] who is sent to prison, is connected with the death of a child, and his Silent Hill experience was associated with water and electricity (via ElectricTorture). |
| 33 | ** Delirium: [[VideoGame/SilentHillOrigins Travis Grady]], who was just a normal passerby who ends up in Silent Hill but gets involved with the girl associated with a ritual (Alessa for Travis, Destiny for Delirium) and may/may not have an insane side to him. Bonus points, an older Travis appears in the beginning of ''Homecoming'', giving Alex a ride to Shepherd's Glen. |
| 34 | * FaceMonsterTurn: What will happen to them once the ritual comes to pass. Destruction is the only one who willingly transforms. |
| 35 | * ForcedTransformation: Once the ritual goes through, the components will transform into predatory monsters that'll hunt down the Apex until there's nothing left. We only see what happens to Destruction and Delight/Delirium. |
| 36 | * LossOfIdentity: Dream and Despair are usually stated by their ritual component identities to signify that their original selves are gone. |
| 37 | * MeaningfulName: Aside from it referencing an artifact from [[VideoGame/SilentHill1 the first Silent Hill game]], Flauros is one of the demons in the ''Literature/ArsGoetia''. Specifically he's a demon of fire and ''vengeance''. |
| 38 | * MortonsFork: They either let the Apex go and continue their ransacking of the cars and murdering of denizens, which is bad, or they go through a ritual that will destroy their sentience and turn them into predators who will hunt the Apex down until they redeem themselves or die, ''which is even worse''. |
| 39 | * NiceMeanAndInBetween: |
| 40 | ** For the trio of Dream, Despair and Delight and their original personalities (for Arc 2): Delight is Nice, Despair was Mean and Dream is In-between. |
| 41 | ** For the trio of Destiny, Destruction and Delight (the most recent three): Delight again is Nice, Destruction is Mean and Destiny is In-between. |
| 42 | ** For the original three: Henry is Nice, Walter is Mean and Alex is In-Between. |
| 43 | * {{Revenge}}: [[spoiler:The reason for brainwashing Hop, capturing and torturing Paul, crucifying Alain, and planning a ritual requiring the passengers they have in their car and Chloe? It's for Henry and Walter to get revenge on Grace, Simon, and the rest of the Apex for all of the suffering they placed on other cars. They even intend to use ''Simon'' as one of the components due to his destructive behavior.]] |
| 44 | * RuleOfSeven: |
| 45 | ** While there are technically eight members, Henry and Walter are identified as a single unit, bringing the total number to seven. And in this instance, it's ''not'' lucky. |
| 46 | ** It's a coincidence but this also relates to the number of main console ''Silent Hill'' games that were released at the time the story was written. |
| 47 | * RuleOfSymbolism: Each ritual component starts with D, the fourth letter of the alphabet. The representatives of Death, the ones pulling the strings, are from Silent Hill ''4''. |
| 48 | * TheSmurfettePrinciple: Out of the seven components, Destiny is female, with her nickname being "Lady Destiny". |
| 49 | * SuperPersistentPredator: If the ritual goes off like planned, the components will transform into this, hunting down every member of the Apex until none are left. |
| 50 | * YourDaysAreNumbered: The deadline for the ritual comes closer and closer, and if it goes off without a hitch, there's no turning back. |
| 51 | [[/folder]] |
| 52 | |
| 53 | [[folder:Destiny]] |
| 54 | !! Chloe Cerise / Lady Destiny |
| 55 | See her page [[Characters/InfinityTrainBlossomingTrailChloeCerise here]]. |
| 56 | [[/folder]] |
| 57 | |
| 58 | [[folder:Death]] |
| 59 | !! Henry Townsend (The Receiver) and Walter Sullivan (Salvation) |
| 60 | A couple who run the Grand Guignol Apartments in The Fog Car that Alex Shepherd is currently staying in. [[VideoGame/SilentHill4 Something about their names are familiar...]] |
| 61 | ----- |
| 62 | * AdaptationalAbomination: Henry and Walter were both humans in the original ''Silent Hill 4''. In this story, not only are they denizens, but their true forms are so horrible that ''Chloe'', lover of demons and monsters, is horrified upon seeing them. |
| 63 | * AdaptationPersonalityChange: Henry was more of a FlatCharacter who usually reacted to the shit going around him with DullSurprise. Here, he's much more cheerful and playful but also hides a sinister streak. |
| 64 | * AdaptationalHeroism: Downplayed for Walter who was the BigBad in ''Silent Hill 4'' but was more of a WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds. Here, he's shown to have an utter dislike for the Apex, has disgust for his prisoner [[spoiler:letting a child drown in the lake and not saving them]] and he does show genuine affection for Hop...if he hadn't done some mental torture on the boy anyhow... |
| 65 | * AdaptationNameChange: A slight example. Henry's last name in his game was Towns'''h'''end. Here, he uses the messenger name "Townsend". |
| 66 | * AdaptationRelationshipOverhaul: Enemies in the game, husbands in the story. |
| 67 | * AdaptationalSexuality: The original Henry and Walter did not have feelings for one another -- barring Walter stalking Henry, but moreso for his Ten Sacraments ritual -- and Henry may or may not have had feelings for Eileen. But in this story they're married and hopelessly in love with one another. |
| 68 | * AdaptationSpeciesChange: They were both humans in their home series, but they're Denizens here. Oh and they're also ''monsters''. |
| 69 | * AdaptationalVillainy: Henry was the protagonist and hero of ''Silent Hill 4''. Here, he's sacrificing people with his husband Walter. |
| 70 | * AffablyEvil: For a pair of homicidal cult leaders whose ultimate goal is to wipe out a bunch of children, and the lengths they go for it, they're surprisingly nice people, playful, charming, and capable of compliments. It's especially notable with Walter, given how much of an asshole he was in his original game. |
| 71 | * AFormYouAreComfortableWith: Not only are they Denizens, but they're ones whose true forms are so terrifying that they ''need'' to take a human form to talk with people. Just to give you an idea of how horrifying their true forms are, ''[[NightmareFetishist Chloe]]'' freaks the everloving heck out upon seeing them. |
| 72 | * AmbiguouslyEvil: |
| 73 | ** They show excitement over having Hop over in their apartment and keeping him there, and Alex "chuckled darkly" when Hop asked to know their names. Then we see Walter torturing someone... |
| 74 | ** Notably Hop's Wooloo and Atticus are tense around the two so they can sense that both of them aren't that altruistic. As Arc 2 and Arc 3 continue, they have every right to not trust them. |
| 75 | * AmbiguouslyHuman: They look human but there's no way a human could take control of a car that houses ''Silent Hill''. Walter eventually confirms that they [[spoiler:and Alex]] are denizens. Their video call with Chloe has Henry and Walter reveal a hint of their real selves, but they're so horrifying that the likes of Chloe and ''Amelia'' are panicking. |
| 76 | * AntiVillain: Their methods are utterly abhorrent and unforgivable in the end, but they just want to try to put an end to The Apex's torment of the Train once and for all. They later drop the "Anti" as Arc 3 continues. |
| 77 | * ArcVillain: While Grace, Simon, and the Apex are the overall villains for the ''Infinity Train'' side of the story, these two have the biggest influence on Arcs 2 and 3 as they ''want'' to torture the Apex for all that they did even after the Apex decides to split up and stop being jerks. |
| 78 | * BrainsAndBrawn: Henry's the brains with knowledge of literature while Walter's the brawn who is fine with using his strength to torture his prisoner. |
| 79 | * {{Bookworm}}: Henry was reading ''Literature/AmericanGods'' before Walter shows up in the Prelude. It's later revealed that both are actually well read with classics. |
| 80 | * BrainwashingForTheGreaterGood: If they're not breaking their guests' minds, they're manipulating and reshaping them in order to act like the traits they need to exhibit for the ritual. |
| 81 | * BreakingSpeech: Walter gives this to [[spoiler:Paul]] about how worthless his 'strength' is when his soul is so dark as to [[spoiler:leave a child to drown]]. Both he and Henry do this a lot, which makes it very satisfying to see [[spoiler: Alex and Grace shut them up for good in the end]]. |
| 82 | * CameraFiend: Implied; Alex mentions that Henry was going to take photos of the Lakeview Amusement Park (it's worth noting that the original Henry was also a photographer). |
| 83 | * TheChooserOfTheOne: And this is '''not''' a good thing. They're the ones with the final say over who becomes part of their ritual, and when they do, you better hope they break your mind first. |
| 84 | * CompositeCharacter: Both of them hold [[VideoGame/SilentHill3 Vincent Smith's]] smugness and use his quotes from the famous Library scene. |
| 85 | * TheCorrupter: Their plans need the pieces to act a certain way that's ''completely'' against their true selves, so the two of them work hard to reshape the Passengers in order to make the ritual work. |
| 86 | * ColdBloodedTorture: Walter torments his prisoner with waterboarding when he gets displeased. There's also the brutal beatdowns, electric torture, blindfolding them in darkness... |
| 87 | * CreepyDoll: Walter has one that he names Eileen. |
| 88 | * DarkAndTroubledPast: What little is known of them is that they and 19 others were tortured and experimented on, and then the facility that they were experimented on were burned to the ground, leaving them the only survivors. |
| 89 | * DeadlyEuphemism: Henry likes to call the ritual a "party". |
| 90 | * DeathByIrony: Both of them. |
| 91 | ** Henry: [[spoiler: Is killed by Alex (who he constantly put down) by having Alex stab him into a spear and hugging him before drowning into Toluca Lake.]] |
| 92 | ** Walter: [[spoiler: His abomination form is destroyed by Chloe (Lady Destiny) and he is killed by Grace (whom he dismissed as being as insignificant compared to Simon.)]] |
| 93 | * DidNotSeeThatComing: [[spoiler:Walter is shocked to learn that Paul ''didn't'' kill Sean; it was an act of self-defense and he'd been protecting the real killer (Electivire) the entire time.]] |
| 94 | * DissonantSerenity: Walter can gleefully talk to Alex about how he tortured someone as if he just went grocery shopping. And Henry doesn't mind how he carries his patient around in a cabinet like he was a doll. |
| 95 | * TheDividual: Both Walter and Henry embody Death in Walter's EvilPlan. |
| 96 | * EvenEvilHasStandards: For how twisted they may be, Walter dislikes his prisoner for [[spoiler:allowing an Apex child to drown and doing nothing to save him.]] And both he and Henry have low esteem for the Apex in general. |
| 97 | * EvilCannotComprehendGood: Walter spent weeks on end putting the prisoner through ColdBloodedTorture, claiming that it was in retribution for him being so evil as to [[MurderByInaction let a child die without lifting a finger to help]]. But since Walter was [[EvilerThanThou an even worse monster]], he never took a closer look at the motives behind the crime; to him, it simply followed that a [[TeensAreMonsters teenager]] could let someone die just because they were an apathetic {{Jerkass}}, and he brushed off any of Paul's protests that he didn’t ''mean'' to as obvious lies. [[spoiler: In reality, Paul’s Electrivire had knocked Sean into the lake [[CrimeOfSelfDefense in self-defense]], and his death was ''completely'' [[AccidentalMurder accidental]]. Paul had [[TakingTheHeat hidden the truth]] because he wanted to protect Electrivire; when Walter [[ForgotAboutHisPowers shows Paul’s memories to the Red Lotus Quarto]] to justify his actions, it only puts the nail in the coffin to the idea that Paul could have “deserved it.”]] |
| 98 | * EvilDuo: Both of them are playing a huge part in Arc 2 and 3's storyline for the Infinity Train, planning to get Chloe and her allies into the Fog Car alongside Grace, Simon, Hazel, and Tuba in order to obtain the last two pieces for their ritual: Destiny ([[spoiler:Chloe]]) and Destruction (Simon). |
| 99 | * EvilerThanThou: Walter is even colder than his prisoner, since at least his prisoner never abused or violently attacked ''humans''. Then again, this is more like a form of gaslighting to break said prisoner into Despair. |
| 100 | * EvilHasABadSenseOfHumor: [[spoiler:Walter decides to calm Paul down with something soothing...and pulls out a bell. Those who remember ''that'' specific arc of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl would know what that's supposed to represent. He also made fishcakes for Paul's breakfast as a reminder of the boy who is "currently sleeping with the fishes".]] |
| 101 | * EvilIsPetty: Walter over-peppers the food he feeds his prisoner. |
| 102 | * EvilCounterpart: To Chloe (for Henry) and Lexi (for Walter). |
| 103 | ** Chloe: Henry is also a lover of books and seemingly nice and kind, but the kindness hides darker reasoning for his patient while Chloe's kindness is genuine and for their benefit, not hers. |
| 104 | ** Lexi: Walter also wants to enact vengeance on those who have done wrong -- from the Apex to his prisoner -- but Lexi's plans for vengeance won't go ''that'' far. And while Lexi has a bond with Chloe, it's not to the extent that Walter has for Henry. |
| 105 | * EvilVersusEvil: They're explicitly against The Apex, who have been ravaging and ransacking the Infinity Train for years but their methods of ''stopping'' them aren't any better. |
| 106 | * FauxAffablyEvil: They're charming, kind, and willing to let people stay in their car... but they also have tortured many of their guests and are planning to do ''something'' that will trap the Apex within The Fog Car. |
| 107 | * FerrisWheelDateMoment: It's mentioned that their first date was going on a Ferris Wheel to look at the stars. |
| 108 | * {{Foil}}: |
| 109 | ** As opposed to other denizens, who regardless of whether they support passengers [[FantasticRacism or not]], usually want passengers to move on or go away. In contrast, they want Hop to stay with them...''forever''. [[spoiler:However, this is due to them needing him and four other specific passengers (Chloe, Alain, Paul, and Simon) for their ritual, so it's unknown if it applies to all the passengers.]] |
| 110 | ** Their plan is also much more encompassing and elaborate than the other denizens. |
| 111 | * FreudianSlip: Their goals are made clear with this line; |
| 112 | --> '''Henry''': He'll (Hop) find out that he will ''never'' leave...er, sorry ''want'' to leave." |
| 113 | * HairContrastDuo: Brunette affable and affectionate Henry and blonde brutish and sadistic Walter. |
| 114 | * HiddenAgendaVillain: They have a plan to trap the Apex within the Fog Car but doing so required [[spoiler:torturing three Pokémon Trainers and readers can sense that there's something ''else'' they're hiding from everyone.]] |
| 115 | * HiddenDepths: Walter is also as well-read as his husband, as he comments on Chloe's "Mister Sir Henry Mother-of-Furfur" insult as a reference to a [[Literature/SylvieAndBruno lesser Lewis Carroll work]] instead of [[VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes what she's really referring to.]] |
| 116 | * HypnoPendulum: [[spoiler:Walter uses a bell on Paul to calm him down mostly as a dark joke about a certain Chimchar...]] |
| 117 | * ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: [[spoiler:Henry is stabbed by Alex's spear before he throws them into Toluca Lake to drown and Walter is stabbed in the head by Grace's knife.]] |
| 118 | * ImTakingHerHomeWithMe: A malevolent example as they make a big deal over how adorable they find Hop and their intentions of ''never'' allowing him to leave. |
| 119 | * InnOfNoReturn: Their stated goal is for Hop to never leave...or any of the ''other'' components of their ritual. |
| 120 | * InsistentTerminology: At the picnic, Henry tells Alex that he's not carrying his patient in a ''wardrobe'', but a ''cabinet''. ItMakesSenseInContext. |
| 121 | * {{Irony}}: |
| 122 | ** Walter was part of a cult in his game. In this story, he's trying to ''destroy'' one. |
| 123 | ** Both of them are Denizens, who typically do everything they can to help passengers, but in order to do just that, they torture and corrupt fellow passengers in order to stop The Apex once and for all. |
| 124 | ** Both dismiss Grace Monroe, the leader and sole reason the Apex and the Cage of Flauros even ''exists'', as anything worth their time. She ends up unleashing the killing blow on Walter and severely injures Henry. |
| 125 | * KickTheDog: Walter tells his prisoner that he "doesn't fit anybody, not even his own brother". Considering who the prisoner later turns out to be... |
| 126 | * KilledMidSentence: Both of them go out this way. |
| 127 | -->'''Henry:''' Wha-? ''(gets impaled by a spear from Alex before they drown in Toluca Lake)''\ |
| 128 | '''Walter:''' Time for you to ''die'', Chloe of the Ver--''(gets stabbed in the brain by Grace's celestial bronze knife)'' |
| 129 | * KnightOfCerebus: Any time the story shifts to them, preferably Walter, it's a good sign that things are getting dark ''real'' fast. Then again, they ''are'' from Silent Hill... |
| 130 | * LastOfHisKind: The two are the last of 21 beings from the Fog Car. |
| 131 | * ALighterShadeOfBlack: For two denizens who reside in Silent Hill, they consider themselves nicer than those of the Apex. [[spoiler:Even if it means brainwashing one boy, torturing another, a third passenger crucified and turned into an empty shell and Chloe's role in the story, being used for a ritual to stop them. They later become just as bad, if not ''worse'' then the Apex (barring Simon).]] |
| 132 | * MysteriousPast: What is known about them is minimal except that they were once part of an experiment with 19 other beings in the Fog Car and that they've essentially grown up together since they were young. Considering this is ''Silent Hill'', maybe it's best we don't know everything... |
| 133 | * NoSenseOfPersonalSpace: Henry loves giving affection to his patient with head pats, kisses, and gentle strokes against the cheek. Walter later does this with his prisoner. The main difference is that Henry tames his patient with kindness, Walter is doing his as a sign of cruelty. Alex points out that Henry initiates "skin-to-skin contact" with Dream via cuddling although it's also heavily implied that Walter and Henry might've done ''other'' things to Dream while he was in his trance... |
| 134 | * NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist: Despite their claims that they only want to stop [[KidsAreCruel the Apex]] from hurting anyone else, it quickly becomes clear that they'll only accept the ''death'' of the entire Apex instead of a ScareEmStraight tactic. At the end of the car, the Apex have been utterly disbanded and their most dangerous member has been killed, but that's not ''enough'' for them. Alex even remarks that they almost ''want'' the Apex to continue causing pain just so they can feel like killing them is a noble accomplishment. |
| 135 | * OOCIsSeriousBusiness: When Chloe talks to Hop on her phone, something breaks in Hop's mind that causes Walter to start acting nervous and requests Chloe to ''not'' make the boy snap. The same reaction is on Henry's face when he sees Despair ''smiling''. |
| 136 | * PetTheDog: |
| 137 | ** Considering what they did to their prisoner, using basic hypnosis to disconnect [[spoiler:Alain]] from what he's done, to the extent that his number doesn't rise at all because he's no longer the same person, is downright ''kind'' of them. |
| 138 | ** One story in ''Poppies for Flauros'' has Walter gave Delight an old doll of his to play with and ''didn't'' curse it. |
| 139 | * PostHumousVillainVictory: The main reason they did the Cage of Flauros in the first place was to get rid of The Apex once and for all. While they end up kicking the bucket, the effects of the Fog Car saga causes [[spoiler:Grace to finally tell the truth to the Apex kids, causing them to decide to split off from her and try to get home on their own, effectively disbanding The Apex for good.]] |
| 140 | * SickeninglySweethearts: A darker version since most of their time together is them cuddling and kissing one another, much to the horror of the Red Lotus Trio and Amelia during their group chat. |
| 141 | * SmugSnake: Walter can slip into this at times, disregarding any warning signs that his plan might go poorly due to anything outside of his consideration. |
| 142 | * TermsOfEndangerment: They call Hop a "little lamb" and definitely '''don't''' have good intentions for him. |
| 143 | * {{Troll}}: The only reason Walter is letting his prisoner be Grace and Simon's guide is to just show it directly to their faces that [[spoiler:Paul is the reason why Sean drowned in the lake.]] |
| 144 | * UnderestimatingBadassery: Neither of them saw Grace, the founder of the Apex and the ''reason'' the Cage of Flauros even exists, as anything important to their plans and paid more attention to Simon. [[spoiler:Grace's knife was capable of wounding Henry and she ends up murdering Walter after being weakened by Chloe's last summon.]] |
| 145 | * UnholyMatrimony: They're just as vile as Grace and Simon and are hopelessly in love with each other, married, give each other affectionate nicknames and love to kiss and cuddle one another. |
| 146 | * VillainHasAPoint: Their methods are extreme, they've traumatized three trainers and are about to murder the Apex with a horrific ritual. But they make a very ''very'' valid point that something has to be done to them because One-One and the Train just giving them giant numbers for the denizens they massacre isn't getting into their heads that they are ''assholes'' nor are they given any sort of punishment for the damage they inflicted. Then again, their methods of ''slaughtering'' the Apex aren't any better. |
| 147 | * VillainousBreakdown: [[spoiler:As things start derailing more and more throughout The Fog Car due to Chloe breaking Despair and Delirium out of their roles, Dream being untouchable and Destruction wreaking havoc, Walter starts losing it.]] |
| 148 | * WouldHitAGirl: Again, they're against all of The Apex, female members included, and they're more than willing to attack Chloe as long as [[spoiler: she fulfills her role as Lady Destiny.]] They also don't mind hurting Grace for all her atrocities. |
| 149 | * WouldHurtAChild: They have Hop under some spell, [[spoiler:are torturing Paul, there's an Apex kid that's drowned in the lake and Chloe will eventually become "Lady Destiny" although Walter claims that the last one should not be harmed. And that's '''not''' counting what's going to happen to Paul, Hop and Chloe if the Cage of Flauros is successful, let alone the Apex themselves...]]. |
| 150 | * YouAreNumberSix: They both have numbers on their chests, Walter being 11121 and Henry 21121, referencing their roles in the 21 Sacraments (the middle '1' is actually a slash). |
| 151 | [[/folder]] |
| 152 | |
| 153 | [[folder:Dream '''(Unmarked Spoilers)''']] |
| 154 | !!Alain Sativus / The Patient |
| 155 | |
| 156 | -->''"Everything...is going to be...okay..."'' |
| 157 | |
| 158 | A former assistant to Professor Sycamore in the Kalos region who was researching the Mega Evolution phenomenon. Unfortunately, he fell under Lysandre's manipulation to revive Mairin's Chespin from a coma and nearly lead the Team Flare leader to destroy the Kalos Region along with having Ash nearly sacrificed as a DarkMessiah for Lysandre. After that was over, and thanks to Ash's influence, he decided to find his own path by getting his own Mega Stone. |
| 159 | \ |
| 160 | And yet no one has seen or heard from him in a while... |
| 161 | ---- |
| 162 | * AngstDissonance: InUniverse. Part of the reason he has so much trouble opening up about his struggles in ''Voyage of Wisteria'' is that his travelling companions have suffered ''worse'' than he has, so he feels incredibly self-conscious about expressing his problems. |
| 163 | * TheAtoner: After everything he did at the end of the Kalos League and for siding with Lysandre, he became this. But given that he ended up on the Infinity Train, and then Walter and Henry's clutches... |
| 164 | * BrainwashedAndCrazy: Just like Hop, but this is to forget his failures and guilt to leave him a perpetually empty shell, completely forgetting his old life as Alain and accepting that he is the embodiment of "Dream". |
| 165 | * BrokenAce: The winner of the Kalos League but also is guilt-ridden for the actions he committed under Team Flare's name. |
| 166 | * TheCameo: Makes one in ''Knight of the Orange Lily'' to signify how ''long'' he's been on the Train. |
| 167 | * ChekhovsGunman: He is mentioned once by Ash and referred to by Serena before it is revealed that he was once a passenger. Then it turns out that he never left Silent hill... |
| 168 | * CompositeCharacter: He combines the aspects of [[VideoGame/SilentHillShatteredMemories Harry and Cheryl Mason]] due to being related to ice, cold and heavy denial, who is okay living in an ideal dream world and worships someone (in this case, Ash) like a superhero or savior and the key to stopping them is to wake up and realize that this idolization isn't healthy. |
| 169 | * CrucifiedHeroShot: He's first seen tied to a crucifix in a tiny cell in the Price Hospital, lost in empty dreams of serene darkness. His dreams feature a crucified boy looking down on him, assuring him that his sins will be forgiven... |
| 170 | * DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: Were it not said that it was Henry hypnotizing Alain, the fact that he's in fog, blissed out and Amelia asking Chloe if there's a detox facility in Silent Hill, could make it a reference to that the poor guy is stoned out of his mind. |
| 171 | * EmptyShell: Just as bad as Despair as he barely even recognizes the world around him. |
| 172 | * FlowerMotif: Crocus flowers. |
| 173 | ** The nameplate on the door to the room he stays in is decorated with them. Crocus flowers are symbols of hope, which is was what Ash gave him to fight back Lysandre but in a dark twist, he provides Henry and Walter the chance they need to stop the Apex. |
| 174 | ** Combine the crocus with his last name makes [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crocus_sativus crocus sativus]] the plant known for producing saffron. Saffron in Hinduism is used for "sacrifice and quest for life and salvation". Alain is being ''sacrificed'' for Henry and Walter's schemes and the idea of being "saved" is through a mind-wipe. |
| 175 | * GuiltComplex: His FatalFlaw; if bad things happen, he believes it's his fault and also pushes others away so that they won't get hurt in the struggle but only strengthens his guilt even more. Henry and Walter weaponize this to turn him into the 'Dream' component of their ritual by making him forget he was ever Alain in the first place. Unfortunately he ''still'' hasn't gotten out of this as he keeps hiding his traumas to Hop and Paul in ''Voyage of Wisteria'', though he slowly starts opening up. |
| 176 | * HappinessInMindControl: Finds the hypnosis put on him a blessing as it helps him sleep at night and frees him from the guilt he had for his actions. And in a sense, it also prevents his number from actually changing since he's no longer Alain. In fact, he was so fine with it that the minute Hop tried to wake him up, he's immedaitely going into a FreakOut and ''begs'' to be back in the trance. |
| 177 | * HeWhoMustNotBeNamed: He's referenced but never stated by name in Chapter 14 until [[WhamLine the very end.]] |
| 178 | * HeroOfAnotherStory: Implied by WordOfGod and then later confirmed, he was also a passenger on the Train and visited Silent Hill. Sadly, he's been captured by Henry and Walter and is being brainwashed into their 'Dream'. |
| 179 | * HorribleJudgeOfCharacter: Trusted [[ObviouslyEvil Lysandre]] (leader of Team Flare) over Professor Sycamore (his former mentor) when it came to saving poor Chespie. It ended ''badly'' [[UnwittingPawn on his part.]] And now he thinks '''Walter and Henry''' are helping him by erasing the guilt and sense of self in his heart, turning him into a mindless puppet. |
| 180 | * LateArrivalSpoiler: The fact that he won the Kalos League (well, until Lysandre reared his ugly head), the fact that he was working with Team Flare (albeit unknowingly), and that he decided to atone for his crimes. |
| 181 | * LossOfIdentity: Has lost his sense of self thanks to Henry's hypnosis techniques, to the point that Henry doesn't even ''call'' him by his real name as it's no longer needed. |
| 182 | * LotusEaterMachine: Whatever happened to him that made him empty and free of worry. It's powerful enough that he fights waking up tooth and nail when Hop gives him back his Honor of Kalos medal. |
| 183 | * MeaningfulName: Sativus is based on the Latin word meaning "Cultivate" as he was gathering Mega-Evolution energy under the misguided idea that it would save Chespie and now his ''dreams'' are being cultivated for Henry and Walter's scheme. |
| 184 | * MyGreatestFailure: Teaming up with Lysandre in an attempt to save Mairin's Chespin and having Ash harmed in Team Flare's assault over Lumiose City weighs on his mind, which presumably is why he got sent onto the Infinity Train. Walter and Henry corrupt him with brainwashing methods to make him forget that particular failure and presumably his sense of self too. |
| 185 | * OOCIsSeriousBusiness: As Dream, Alain is mostly stuck in his own world, smiling and looking stoned. If he's ''not'' and starts shivering in fear, then something is wrong. |
| 186 | * OutOfFocus: Had less development time between him, Delirium and Despair because of how he was always asleep or with Henry and Walter. Changes in ''Voyage of Wisteria'' as it's implied that he's just as traumatized as the other trainers were and has more time to air out his problems. |
| 187 | * PerpetualSmiler: Is always smiling due to his mind stuck in a blissful reverie caused by hypnosis. |
| 188 | * RealityWarper: Not as strong as Delight, but still present. His memories/dreams become the monsters that roam Silent Hill. And if he senses something wrong, he can start making ice form in the area. Alex points out that someone has to make sure Alain is kept okay since dreams can fluctuate easily. |
| 189 | * TheReliableOne: In ''Voyage of Wisteria'', he feels like he has to be the grownup after he wakes up and travels with Hop and Paul, since he has the least baggage. |
| 190 | * RoomFullOfCrazy: His room in the Price Hospital has the word "Ash" scrawled all over the walls and later transforms into a mural praising a holy version of Ash. |
| 191 | * RuleOfSymbolism: |
| 192 | ** His number, 131, is the ''XY'' episode that had him win the Kalos League which was a [[WhamEpisode shocking revelation to the viewers]]. Likewise, the chapter he makes his first full appearance in is a sign that things will get '''worse''' for Chloe when she reaches the Fog Car. |
| 193 | ** He's eventually found ''crucified'', similar to the fate that Ash had when Lysandre copied him. In a way, he's sacrificing himself for the sins he committed. |
| 194 | ** The fact that his room has the word "Ash" on it can represent that's all he saw: the entire world turning to ash (as in destruction) or Ash Ketchum (who helped stop Lysandre and a trainer he respected). It later morphs into a mural of a shining angelic figure pushing fire away and Alain worshipping it. |
| 195 | ** The key to waking him up is to give him his Honor of Kalos Medal, a reminder of how he was able to make the right choice even after the revelation that he (unwittingly) helped Lysandre out. |
| 196 | * SmallRoleBigImpact: Near the end of the Fog Car, he points out how Chloe only wanted catharsis during her big rants at people which was preventing her from actually growing as a person. This helps her realize her last FatalFlaw and gets her ready to leave the Train for good. |
| 197 | * SoulJar: The Honor of Kalos Medal Alex was wearing actually contained Alain's soul, which is key to waking him up. |
| 198 | * TheStoner: Downplayed as there were no drugs involved, but it's repeatedly noted that Alain looks completely stoned out of his mind. |
| 199 | * WalkingSpoiler: Evidently. |
| 200 | * WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: He has an adverse fear of fire, referencing Team Flare and Lysandre's attack on Lumiose City. To the point that his nightmares and memories become fiery monsters that roam across Silent Hill. |
| 201 | * WorthyOpponent: He is considered this to both Ash and Leon. |
| 202 | [[/folder]] |
| 203 | |
| 204 | [[folder:Destruction]] |
| 205 | !! Simon Laurent / The True Apex |
| 206 | See his tropes [[Characters/InfinityTrainBlossomingTrailTheApex here]]. |
| 207 | [[/folder]] |
| 208 | |
| 209 | [[folder:Desire]] |
| 210 | !! Alex Shepherd / The Bogeyman / Pyramid Head / The Dark Shepherd |
| 211 | |
| 212 | -->''"No plan survives contact with the enemy."'' |
| 213 | |
| 214 | -->''"I'm the bogeyman and I'm COMING TO GET YOU!"'' |
| 215 | |
| 216 | [[VideoGame/SilentHillHomecoming A passenger]] (maybe) who Hop encounters in a fog-filled car right after arriving on the Train who takes the boy into his apartment...in Silent Hill. Though something seems quite off about him...\ |
| 217 | |
| 218 | He's encountered in ''Knight of the Orange Lily'' by the White Gestalt who leads them into Silent Hill and has a side-story ''Chrysanthemum Shepherd'' that explains more of his origins. |
| 219 | ---- |
| 220 | * AdaptationalAbomination: [[spoiler: Is capable of transforming into the Bogeyman whereas he was "gifted" this in one of the bad endings of his game.]] |
| 221 | * AdaptationalSkill: He's really good at cooking which Chloe and Aaron Hotchner take note of. |
| 222 | * AdaptationalWimp: Zigzagged; he actually has the most combat experience out of the ''Silent Hill'' protagonists outside Murphy Pendleton from intensive training put on by his military father but he never uses them and is cowed by Walter and Henry's strength. [[spoiler:This is because his designation as Desire means he ''can't'' fight them if someone else's desire -- theirs -- overwhelms his own. Once he has focus, he's just as strong as they are.]] |
| 223 | * AdaptationSpeciesChange: Human in his home game, [[spoiler: denizen here. ''Chrysanthem Shepherd'' reveals he was initially a human, until One forced him into a denizen form to stop the Apex.]] |
| 224 | * AlasPoorVillain: Despite everything he hates him for, [[spoiler:Hop still mourns his death, clutching onto Alex's flashlight and waves him and Josh goodbye. This continues in the sequel as he can't help but just remember the good times they had.]] |
| 225 | * AmbiguouslyHuman: When Hop questions why Alex doesn't go to other cars, Alex tries to retort...but then clams up and states that he's okay with staying in the fog-covered car. Moreover, he never shows if he has a number at all. [[spoiler:Walter confirms that Alex is actually a denizen.]] |
| 226 | * ArcVillain: Of The Fog Car in ''Knight of the Orange Lily'' as he's specifically gunning for Specter on the accounts of him [[spoiler:abusing (Dark) Easter and throwing them out a window.]] |
| 227 | * AscendedExtra: He has a bigger role in ''Knight of the Orange Lily'' as the main villain as the author felt like she gave him the short end of the stick along with his own side-story. |
| 228 | * AuthorAppeal: Green Phantom Queen considers him to be her favorite ''Silent Hill'' protagonist with Heather Mason as a runner-up, so she puts him as the focus Silent Hill character in ''Knight of the Orange Lily'' with his own origin story too. |
| 229 | * BerserkButton: |
| 230 | ** Hurt his little brother and you will ''suffer''. |
| 231 | ** He ''hates'' anyone who inflicts denizen abuse, not just the Apex. In ''Knight of the Orange Lily'', he pursues Specter after he [[spoiler:threw Easter -- a living lightning bolt -- out of a window without pity and decides to PayEvilUntoEvil.]] |
| 232 | * BigBrotherInstinct: He's not Hop's older brother by blood, but he will protect Hop if need be. Simon learns this the hard way. [[spoiler:This ends up cementing his HeelFaceTurn as a way to atone for his sins.]] |
| 233 | * BlessedWithSuck: Being stuck with the designation with Desire means that he has sheer focus and commitment...to ''other's'' desires. His own desires to be in peace are subsumed by Henry and Walter wanting revenge on the Apex and even his own desires causes him to go mad (like wanting to protect Hop from devolving into Delirium). |
| 234 | * BlueAndOrangeMorality: [[spoiler: In ''Knight of the Orange Lily'', he does attack Specter for kicking Easter out a window, but this is also disregarding that Easter has forcibly taken over Specter's body multiple times and is outright ''demanding'' Specter to open his mouth up for once. He only sensed Dark Easter's pain from being attacked, not the reasoning why Specter would be pissed off at the lightning bolt.]] |
| 235 | * BodyguardingABadass: Hop, the single most powerful component of the Cage of Flauros, is his designated {{Protectorate}}. Though granted, that's mostly because ''somebody'' needs to keep Hop happy... |
| 236 | * TheChosenOne: [[spoiler:''Chrysanthemum Shepherd'' reveals he is the legendary Dark Shepherd, the Bogeyman whom One brings onto the Train to stop the Apex.]] |
| 237 | * TheComicallySerious: When he (as Pyramid Head) frees the Apex from the safehouse, the group decides to hit him by kicking him in the shins. The narration then points out that Pyramid Head would just "roll his eyes" if he had any. |
| 238 | * CompositeCharacter: He has traces of the Pyramid Head from ''Film/SilentHillRevelation3D'' (who was combined with Vatiel) when he comes to the aid of Destiny -- who is based on Heather Mason and in said film, it's implied Alessa summoned him to fight the Missionary -- against another more monstrous adversary. |
| 239 | * CoolBigBro: He was one of this to Joshua in the past, and Delight is seeing him as one too...albeit not by his own free will. |
| 240 | * DissonantSerenity: He can calmly talk about making tea and brownies while watching someone go through ElectricTorture. |
| 241 | * DoesNotLikeSpam: Doesn't like chestnuts as it gives him headaches. [[spoiler:This probably is hinted to Alain because of him being the reason Mairin's Chespin was sent into a coma; later revealed that he's been carrying Alain's Honor of Kalos that hosted his soul.]] |
| 242 | * TheDreaded: Is this to many denizens in ''Knight of the Orange Lily''. Even the likes of Ryugen and Gaim of the 400 Rabbits Car assumed he's only a nursery rhyme. London himself is freaked out upon having to see him face to face and in ''Blossoming Trail'', Chloe can do nothing but try to ''protect'' herself than actually fight him head on. |
| 243 | * EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas: He has fond things to say about his mother (like she made the best brownies and he has taken to drink chrysanthemum tea like she does) all of this while [[spoiler:allowing Easter to torture his partner.]] |
| 244 | * EveryoneHasStandards: |
| 245 | ** He agrees to the plan to trap the Apex, but feels somewhat uncomfortable that Henry and Walter don't even call their prisoner or patient by their names. |
| 246 | ** He's ''disgusted'' at Specter's treatment of Easter, so disgusted that he [[spoiler:plans on ''torturing Specter in retaliation''. He then clarifies he wants to punish, not ''kill'', Specter so he learns his lesson to stop being an asshole to his partner. But then again, this also means he's willing to murder ''London''...]] |
| 247 | * FlowerMotifs: Associated with chrysanthemums in his one-shot. Chrysanthemums in most countries of Europe symbolize mourning and death, highlighting the punishment for those who fail Silent Hill's trials [[spoiler:and his origin story reveals he ''died'' before being turned into a denizen.]] There's also a breed of chrysanthemum called "Shepherd" and chrysanthemums are good to ward off pests, again tying how he's [[spoiler:reformed to stop the Apex.]] |
| 248 | * FriendToAllChildren: In ''Blossoming Trail'' he coddles Hop and in ''Knight of the Orange Lily'' Jack Hotchner finds him cool. This is presumably due to his closeness with Josh. However, he does ''not'' show this gentleness or friendliness to Chloe or the apex. |
| 249 | * GenreSavvy: As ''Blossoming Trail'' Arc 2 ends, he warns Henry and Walter how "no plan survives contact with the enemy" and that they need to double down if the Flauros will have any chance of success. |
| 250 | * GoOutWithASmile: [[spoiler:Smiles at Hop one more time before he takes himself and Henry into Toluca Lake to drown.]] |
| 251 | * HeelFaceTurn: After [[spoiler:Hop]] breaks out of being Despair/Delirium, he decides to no longer go with the Cage of Flauros and dispenses important info about the ritual. |
| 252 | * HeroKiller: Nearly kills Paul London in ''Knight of the Orange Lily'' after skewering him with a spear. The only reason this doesn't stick is because part of Easter fused with the wrestler. |
| 253 | * IHaveManyNames: The Bogeyman, Pyramid Head, and Dark Shepherd are titles he carries. |
| 254 | * InformedAttribute: {{Discussed}}. At the start of the theme park visit, Chloe questions why he's considered Desire since he doesn't actively try to transform into whatever people desire nor is involved in the more..."adult" form of this. Alex points out that desire can just mean wanting something so badly even though you can't get it, reflecting how he desires to have Hop as his brother forever. It's later revealed that he becomes a servant to someone else's desires. Moreover, the initial symbolism of the Bogeyman / Pyramid Head represented James Sunderland's ''frustrations'' of not being able to have sex with his wife Mary and the desire to be executed for his sins. |
| 255 | * IronicName: |
| 256 | ** Like Lexi, his first name is derived from "Alexander" or "Defender of Man". He's ''certainly'' not protecting Hop but rather leading him into the hands of Henry and Walter. [[spoiler:Although in a way, he's part of a ritual to protect the other denizens from that of the Apex...and compared to those two, he treats Hop with care, to the point that he finds it uncomfortable that neither Henry nor Walter call their prisoner/patient by their real names. He later lives up to the name when he fights off Henry and Walter to let Hop leave Silent Hill.]] |
| 257 | ** Again he's supposed to be the "defender of man" but ''Knight of the Orange Lily'' reveals [[spoiler:he specifically hates passengers who hurt their denizen partners, so he unleashes his rage on Specter.]] |
| 258 | * {{Irony}}: |
| 259 | ** Is part of a ritual that sacrifices others. In his home game, he was oblivious for the most part that ''he'' was supposed to be the sacrifice and not his little brother Joshua. |
| 260 | ** In comparison to Walter and Henry, he actually has more combat experience than they and yet he acts like a doormat to them. |
| 261 | ** He's Desire, but he can't act on his ''own'' desires but Walter and Henry's instead. |
| 262 | ** His backstory in his canon game had him kill Josh (albeit accidentally) via drowning. [[spoiler:He intentionally drowns himself and Henry.]] |
| 263 | * LoopholeAbuse: If a passenger dies when on the train, they get reincarnated. [[spoiler:One forces him onto the Train and kills him before he even gets shipped off, thus killing two birds with one stone.]] |
| 264 | * MadnessMantra: Hop writes that he mutters "ash" over and over again whenever he sees one of the abandoned/burnt buildings of Silent Hill. [[spoiler:It's presumably related to Alain since Alain's hospital room is covered with the word "Ash".]] |
| 265 | * MeaningfulName: Shepherds are people who tend, herd, feed, or guard herds of sheep. Hop is associated with sheep (as his starter mon is Wooloo) and immediately attaches himself to him as the first person he met once he entered the train. Shepherds are supposed to keep their flock intact, lead them from pasture to pasture and protect them from predators. Alex shelters Hop leads him directly into Silent Hill and directs Hop to [[AmbiguouslyEvil Walter and Henry]]... |
| 266 | * MysteriousPast: |
| 267 | ** [[spoiler:Hop]] can't figure out a lot about him, outside his dislike of chestnuts, some PTSD over burnt buildings, and the fact that he has a medal [[spoiler:that looks like a Poké ball. It's later revealed that Alex is actually a denizen and that medal belongs to Alain, as it contains his soul, and most of his background is just like in his home game with some changes.]] |
| 268 | ** The side-story ''Infinity Train: Chrysanthemum Shepherd'' explains it in more detail: [[spoiler:he was actually a pure ''human'' sucked in by One-One (back when he was One) then ''killed'' before being reprocessed as a denizen. What's left of the real Shepherd is considered dead.]] |
| 269 | * MythologyGag: Alex's love of brownies comes from a flavor text in his game, stating that his mother used to bake them and the smell would cover the entire house. |
| 270 | * NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Dark Shepherd and the Bogeyman are already frightening names, but it's ''Pyramid Head'' that should warn you on how dangerous he is. |
| 271 | * NighInvulnerable: [[spoiler:As the Bogeyman, almost ''nothing'' can phase him. Not fire, not guns, not demon summons, and not a bunch of Apex brats kicking him. The only thing that has damaged him is Delirium slamming him on the ground via his tentacles or Easter striking his Great Knife down like a lightning rod. And the only thing that can ''kill'' him is drowning.]] |
| 272 | * OnlySaneMan: He's the one who has his head in the game in regards to the Flauros and making sure all components are in order. |
| 273 | * OriginsEpisode: ''Chrysanthemum Shepherd'' goes into detail as to how he became the Bogeyman. |
| 274 | * OutOfFocus: In ''Blossoming Trail'', he easily has the least amount of character focus out of all the components; while most of them get focus or at least do things, Alex spends most of his time tethered to Delight. He starts getting more focus when Chloe finally reaches Silent Hill and becomes the most difficult obstacle she has to face prior to the final battle against Walter and Henry themselves. According to Green Phantom Queen, she is giving him the most focus in ''Knight of the Orange Lily'' and has his own origin story ''Chrysanthemum Shepherd'' to compensate for this. |
| 275 | * PainfulTransformation: [[spoiler:Transforming into the Bogeyman is a painful experience, with it initially starting with him stabbing himself in the chest. So was his transformation into his denizen self too.]] |
| 276 | * PayEvilUntoEvil: In ''Knight of the Orange Lily'', [[spoiler:he decides to help Easter get revenge on Specter this way as he ''detests'' denizen abuse.]] |
| 277 | * RealMenCanCook: He is the one who cooks up the feast for Grace's group and the Quarto. Chloe even lampshades that she had no idea that he was this skilled. He also is willing to make brownies for himself on the side. ''Knight of the Orange Lily'' has Aaron Hotchner mentally remark that he wasn't expecting a soldier to be so skilled in culinary arts and that he made a good tiramisu (which has a bit of reputation for being difficult to make). |
| 278 | * ReplacementGoldfish: Is using [[spoiler:Hop]] as a replacement younger brother, being very doting and treating Hop younger than he is. |
| 279 | * SinisterSweetTooth: ''Knight of the Orange Lily'' and his origin story shows he has a thing for brownies and recalls that his mother made the best ones ever. Oh and he's also Pyramid Head and he is making brownies so he has something to eat ''while watching Specter be tortured for his sins''. |
| 280 | * SoftSpokenSadist: When he wishes to inflict torment on those who hurt their denizen partners, he never raises his voice. Best showcased when he looks down at Specter and doesn't give a damn about the Knight of Hanoi's pleas except that the ghost better apologize and promise to ''never'' do anything like that again. ''Or else'' |
| 281 | * TheStoic: Compared to the playful, flirty and insane Walter and Henry, he's usually calm and composed like a soldier. The only times he's ''not'' can be counted on one hand. |
| 282 | * TakingYouWithMe: [[spoiler: How he kills Henry, impaling him with a spear and then enveloping him in a BearHug before dragging them both into Toluca Lake.]] |
| 283 | * TeethClenchedTeamwork: Has a bit of friction working with Walter and Henry. |
| 284 | * TokenGoodTeammate: Amongst him, Walter and Henry, he's the nicest of the three, taking care of Hop like he was his little brother and disliking the idea of calling [[spoiler: Alain and Paul by their Ritual designations. He also feels horrible on letting Hop become part of the Cage of Flauros and knows that Hop will ''never'' forgive him for the deceit.]] But then again in ''Knight of the Orange Lily'', he ''is'' willing to [[spoiler:torture Specter for his crimes on denizen abuse...]] |
| 285 | * WillfullyWeak: Has an abomination form like Henry and Walter, but chooses not to use it for fear of letting it go out of control (or presumably because he doesn't want to make Delight snap from seeing their true self). [[spoiler:He transforms into the Bogeyman when he sees Hop snap into Delirium and goes into his full strength to save Hop and everyone from Walter and Henry's final attack.]] |
| 286 | * WouldHitAGirl: Has no qualms trying to cleave Chloe's head in half with his Great Knife or going to attack Amelia after she tried shooting at him. In ''Knight of the Orange Lily'', he was ready to go toe to toe with Lampetia as well. |
| 287 | * WhouldHurtAChild: He tried to slice Chloe's head in half ''with his Great Knife''. Subverted with the Apex; even while they're kicking him, Pyramid Head just takes everything without flinching. |
| 288 | [[/folder]] |
| 289 | |
| 290 | [[folder:Despair '''(Unmarked Spoilers)''']] |
| 291 | !!Paul Drangea / The Prisoner |
| 292 | |
| 293 | -->''"I am Despair. I follow Death."'' |
| 294 | |
| 295 | Ash's former rival from Sinnoh. A standoffish jerk who only cares about his own strength, looking down on the weak and pushing Pokémon under his care to the limit and not caring about their feelings, which is likely why the train picked him up. [[BadassInDistress He's not in a good spot when we first meet him]]. |
| 296 | ---- |
| 297 | * AccidentalMurder: Claims the death of an Apex member as one of these. But considering how Walter points out that he left the kid to die means that it's just Paul's way of saving face. It's later revealed that Electivire attacked the kid, Sean, in self-defense and Paul couldn't save him since he had no Water-types (particularly his Gastrodon) at the time (and he assumed Sean was pulling off a WoundedGazelleGambit). |
| 298 | * AccompliceByInaction: Is blamed for Sean's death because he could give a Raticate's ass about the kid. It's later revealed that while he ''initially'' walked away (with a justified reason), the second Sean screamed for his mother, Paul actually went back to save him, but by then it was too late. |
| 299 | * AccidentalChildKillerBackstory: The main thing that Walter uses to break Paul into Despair involves this: apparently, back when he was still new to the Train, Paul caused an Apex child named Sean to fall into the water, and since he couldn't swim, he drowned, with Paul acting indifferent to what happened. Except, as the Fog Car saga reveals, that's not what happened: while Paul and Sean ''were'' involved, the latter struck first by trying to kill the former's Pokemon, thinking they were Denizens, and Paul's Electivire struck back, sending him straight to the water. As for Paul, he ''wanted'' to help, but he could neither swim nor did he have a Pokemon capable of swimming with him, leaving him helpless as the kid drowned. |
| 300 | * AdaptationalAngstUpgrade: Long story short, he's Despair. |
| 301 | * AdaptationalBadass: Gains powers over the rain that his canonical self never had. |
| 302 | * ArmorPiercingQuestion: When Chloe tries to defend her DescentIntoAddiction regarding her vicious speeches by claiming it's fine when the person it's directed to deserves it, Paul shuts her up by asking if ''he'' really deserved being told that everything he was going through was karma, and that he didn't deserve to go back home. |
| 303 | * BeingTorturedMakesYouEvil: Or rather, "Being Tortured Turns You Into Despair". The torture Walter puts him through is so horrific that, when everything is said and done, Paul, the last person of the four Pokémon trainers that are part of this ritual, cracks and becomes Despair. |
| 304 | * BeyondRedemption: Walter and Henry state that he's this after he let a child drown. He himself begins to believe this and requests that Hop finds a way to deliver his Pokémon to Ash or Reggie, knowing that he doesn't deserve them. He even admits that he belongs on the Train when he reveals his number (42007) but Chloe convinces him otherwise. Indeed, by the epilogue of ''Voyage of Wisteria'', he ends up with his number to 0 and a door that leads him home. |
| 305 | * {{Bookends}}: Paul's road to development begins and ends with the Apex kid, Sean. It started when he knocks the kid into Toluca Lake and could't save him from drowning, and ends when they reunite and Sean has been reincaranted. |
| 306 | * BoundAndGagged: He was kept in a straitjacket and blindfolded by Walter during his imprisonment. |
| 307 | * BreakTheBadass: For all his flaws, Paul was an exceptionally skilled Trainer. By the time his torture is over, he's turned into a nervous stuttering wreck who believes he deserves to be punished. |
| 308 | * BreakTheHaughty: Becoming a prisoner in Silent Hill has ''not'' done wonders for his ego or sanity and he's almost completely gone by the time Chloe arrives at the Fog Car. |
| 309 | * BrokeTheRatingScale: His number grew exponentially big when he murdered Sean. It's later revealed that it's now at '''42007'''. To compare at the time that this was revealed, Hop's current number was 1090, and Chloe was just one revelation away from leaving the Train forever. |
| 310 | * CallousnessTowardsEmergency: An Apex member, who was a child, was drowning in front of Paul. Despite Paul being fully capable of saving the kid, he didn't care and watched the kid drown to death. It later turns out he ''couldn't''; he wasn't carrying his Gastrodon at the time and was shocked to act because he assumed that the boy was crying wolf (due to attacking Electivire and Paul commanded Electivire to Thunder Punch the kid into the lake). |
| 311 | * CharacterDevelopment: When encountering Mad Ben in ''Voyage of Wisteria'', he's ''disgusted'' at how Mad Ben applauds how Paul killed an Apex kid, realizing that he was a cruel person who would hurt anyone just for power. |
| 312 | * ColdBloodedTorture: Suffers this at Walter's hands as the maniac works to turn him into Despair, isolated in some sort of dungeon all alone, blindfolded, attacked, and then hit with Chinese Water Torture. It does its effect, as Paul is almost gone by the time Chloe arrives. |
| 313 | * CompositeCharacter: While he is based on Murphy Pendleton, he also carried James Sunderland's subconscious desires to be punished for his crimes and the original Alex Shepherd's backstory of accidentally drowning a child in Toluca Lake. |
| 314 | * ConditionedToAcceptHorror: Walter did this to him in order to not only make him snap into Despair, but ensure that he wouldn't try to betray them. Needless to say, it worked. For the most part. |
| 315 | * CooldownHug: Is given one of these by his Pokémon once reunited, to the point that he's driven to tears. |
| 316 | * CreepyMonotone: How he speaks once Walter made him into Despair. The author makes the analogy of Nurse Joy from the first Pokémon movie. |
| 317 | * CrimeOfSelfDefense: It turns out that the reason behind Sean's death was that Paul's Electivire defended him when the kid tried to attack him. But of course, nobody listens considering this is '''[[{{Jerkass}} Paul]]''' we're talking about. When the memories are played out to everyone by Walter, everyone can conclude that it was really self-defense. |
| 318 | * DeceasedParentsAreTheBest: Deconstructed. His and Reggie's parents are dead and thus it's Reggie's role to act like a parent figure to keep an eye on Paul. Paul ''despises'' this and this lead to the fateful argument that got him on the Train and into Walter's hands. |
| 319 | * DespairEventHorizon: Hey, he's not denominated "Despair" for nothing. Walter's goal with him to transform him into the ritual component he needs was to make him cross this. He's very much on the verge of crossing it. By Chapter 18, he's already broken. And later chapters have him stuttering when he tries to talk -- and whenever he talks it sounds empty -- avoid eye contact with others and looking more like a kicked Rockruff. |
| 320 | * DramaticStutter: After he becomes tortured, he's known to have a stutter which highlights how ''broken'' he's become. |
| 321 | * DullEyesOfUnhappiness: His eyes have a distant and empty look to them once he becomes Despair. |
| 322 | * EarnYourHappyEnding: After enduring so much throughout ''Blossoming Trail'', the second half of the epilogue for ''Voyage of Wisteria'' has him finally forgive himself for Sean's death and he goes back to Reggie as a changed man. |
| 323 | * ElectricTorture: On the receiving end from Simon when the Apex member gets tired of not getting answers. |
| 324 | * EmptyShell: Has become one by the time Chloe arrives, fitting for someone embodying Despair. The narration even calls him a shell of a human being. |
| 325 | * EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: |
| 326 | ** The only person Paul actually cares about is his brother, Reggie. But Walter notes that, deep down, Paul doesn't belong or fit with anyone, ''especially'' not the older brother who truly loves him. Reggie tells Ash and Trip that the last time they fought, it was over how Paul hated Reggie "breathing down his neck" with Reggie replying that someone had to since their parents passed on. Chloe looking into Paul's soul shows a younger Paul crying and clinging to his brother during their parents' funeral. |
| 327 | ** His Pokémon are also genuinely loyal to him and are furious at how helpless they are to help their trainer. It turns out the Apex child ended up dying because they were trying to protect him from the maniac who wanted to kill his 'Nulls'. |
| 328 | ** He returns the favor when he gets a brief spot of clarity, refusing to finger them as Sean's real killers and enacting a desperate plan to ensure their safety. This plan involves getting them delivered to either Ash or Reggie via Hop, both of whom he trusts to treat them right. |
| 329 | * EveryoneHasStandards: |
| 330 | ** He ''tries'' to state that he didn't mean to let the Apex member drown in the lake and he's shown to have some sort of moral code in the anime. That said, Walter doesn't believe it for a second and gaslights him to make it so that it was all ''his'' fault for the deed when it was all an accident from Electivire knocking Sean into the water in self-defense and him lacking Gastrodon. |
| 331 | ** Even he is disgusted with Mad Ben's apathy when they meet in the Hazbin Car as he sees a reflection of his past self. |
| 332 | * FairyTaleMotifs: He compares himself to Hansel of ''Literature/HanselAndGretel'' lured by the Witch only to be forced in a cold cellar and fattened up. |
| 333 | * FailureToSaveMurder: Paul couldn't help Sean from drowning because he didn't have any Water Pokemon on him and he wasn't the best swimmer (not to mention that he initially assumed Sean was bluffing about not swimming). Walter cruelly twists this in his torture of Paul by making him think he ''left'' the boy to die, until he falls into Despair and become another component for the Cage of Flauros. |
| 334 | * FatalFlaw: Pride and Apathy. Paul doesn't care for other people and he only cares for himself. He refused to help a child from drowning despite being capable of and refuses to apologize no matter what. Later it turns out it was all an accident and he wanted to ''save'' the boy. |
| 335 | * FellAsleepCrying: Pretty much the ''only'' way he could go to sleep while imprisoned by Walter. |
| 336 | * FlowerMotifs: Hydrangeas; his last name is a shortened version of it and the negative connotations of them can be translated into "boastfulness, vanity, and frigidity". He prides himself on being strong and Walter states that he has an absolutely frigid heart. |
| 337 | * ForWantOfANail: If Paul had his Gastrodon on him or didn't tell Electivire to Thunder Punch Sean, there'd be one less child murder in the Fog Car and one less broken Paul. |
| 338 | * GoMadFromTheIsolation: Paul is slowly losing his mind from the captivity Walter has trapped him in. He cries himself to sleep, going stir crazy from the stillness, and is constantly kept in darkness. |
| 339 | * GreyRainOfDepression: Can cast a storm as "Despair". |
| 340 | * HelplessGoodSide: While Paul is technically still around even after becoming Despair, he only takes control during rare moments of lucidity, and it doesn't take much for Despair to regain control. |
| 341 | * HisOwnWorstEnemy: Paul is a powerful Trainer, but as a human being his apathy and pride prevent him from getting anywhere, let alone being able to connect with others. This has him trapped in a cold and lonely place just as cold as he is, and he is utterly without help or hope, broken to a shell of his former self by someone even viler than him. And by the time he gets out, he'll have the longest time to drop his number to 0. |
| 342 | * HorrifyingTheHorror: Him calming down as the ritual approaches actually manages to ''scare Henry''. |
| 343 | * IDidntMeanToKillHim: States this about accidentally leaving Sean to drown in Toluca Lake due a combination of not believing the Apex kid who wanted to kill Electvire was ''actually'' in trouble and not having a Gastrodon for the kid to grab onto. |
| 344 | * IHatePastMe: Seeing Mad Ben picking on Todd and Lucy makes him recoil in disgust. |
| 345 | * InsistentTerminology: Inverted; after his torture, he can't utter the word "Pokémon" at all, and instead says terms like "friends", "pets" or "surprise balls". |
| 346 | * IronicHell: The kid prides himself [[IWorkAlone in working alone]], depending on his own strength, and didn't show concern for his own family. Now Paul is forced into isolation in Silent Hill with no one coming to help him, his Pokémon unable to shield him, and his brother, the only person he actually cares about, completely unaware of where he is because his Xtransceiver is shattered. He also becomes broken just like how he broke Ash during their bitter rivalry. |
| 347 | * KarmaHoudiniWarranty: Discussed and Averted; the fact that Paul is broken down by Walter (who is a ''worse'' monster than Paul could ever become) is what Chloe considers "overdue karma" due to how he's been known to be an abusive Pokémon Trainer and a bonfide asshole overall, never getting ''any'' sort of karma for his actions (his treatment of Chimchar the biggest one). Saint Ash tells Chloe that despite everything Paul was before, he does ''not'' deserve any of the torture given to him or the idea of him never returning to Reggie, the only person who ever loved him, nor to be told this straight to the face by the person who's supposed to help him. The discussion continues towards the climax of The Fog Car saga, as Chloe's DescentIntoAddiction reveals that, whether she meant what she said or not, she was trying to get her fix more than anything. |
| 348 | * KillingInSelfDefense: Deconstructed. Electivire attacked Sean since the boy was trying to attack Paul's "Nulls" and sent him into the water. The problem is that Sean couldn't swim and was paralyzed from his fear of drowning and Paul was unable to save him in time. And even if it ''was'' self-defense, Paul just inadvertedly let ''a child'' die, his body dropped at the location the Train picked him up with his parents never figuring out what happened and now his soul is to be reincarnated into a denizen for a long time. |
| 349 | * LackOfEmpathy: Paul doesn't care for others -- barring his older brother and even ''that'' is strained -- and because of this, he was unable to help an Apex child when he was knocked into the lake. Now he's shown to be a prisoner of someone with ''less'' empathy than him. It's later revealed that he was horrified with what was happened and now is afraid of ''leaving'' the Train and having his brother learn of this. |
| 350 | * LaserGuidedKarma: While his torture is DisproportionateRetribution, Paul is left completely helpless as he deliberately left a child completely helpless despite his own capability to help them (although it's later made clear he couldn't help him even if he wanted to), and tortured by someone who ''also'' suffers from a severe LackOfEmpathy before breaking down entirely. |
| 351 | * LossOfIdentity: Kind of. By the time Chloe shows up, he just mutters "I am Despair", now accepting himself as part of the twisted ritual, but a piece of his old self is still around. The story switches out between calling him Paul/Despair depending on what side of him is in control at the moment. |
| 352 | * MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Show signs of this when he let an Apex child drown in the lake, initially believing that their "Can't swim" tactic was a trap because of how said kid attacked Electvire first before realizing that it was ''not'' a trick and was too late to rescue him, stating that he didn't mean to kill them and that he's not a murderer. |
| 353 | * OOCIsSeriousBusiness: Is it ''ever''. |
| 354 | ** Paul is usually stoic, calm, and a jerk. This entire time he has been in the Fog Car, he's stammering, panicky and tear-stricken at what he's caused. |
| 355 | ** In ''Voyage of Wisteria'', Reggie is shocked to hear that Paul is apologizing as he rarely apologizes. |
| 356 | * PetTheDog: He cares for his Pokémon to the point that he takes the blame for letting Sean drown in the lake, turning him into Despair so that they (particularly Electvire, the one who punched Sean into the water) don't die. He even tries to formulate a plan to have Hop deliver them to someone from their world so that they can be with Ash or Reggie. |
| 357 | * PrimalFear: The only light Paul has in his cell is the light of his number and Walter has him blindfolded when he comes in to give Paul meals. |
| 358 | * RefuseToRescueTheDisliked: According to Paul, he had been attacked by a member of the Apex. He refused to help the kid when the kid started to drown and watched him die. [[SubvertedTrope In actuality]], Paul couldn't save the kid because of his lack of his Gastrodon and it's implied that Sean was unable to move because of Electivire's Thunder Punch paralyzing him along with his own fears. |
| 359 | * RuleOfSymbolism: |
| 360 | ** He's eventually stuck in a straitjacket, showing how his constricting views about strength ended up trapping him in a Hell he can't escape from and that he is not strong at all, but absolutely weak to the core. He alsoh as a blindfold; he couldn't ''see'' how much he was hurting people. |
| 361 | ** His most recent number is ''42007'', based on the premiere of the ''Diamond and Pearl'' anime in the US (April 2, 2007) |
| 362 | * ShockAndAwe: His Electivire is Thunder-type. |
| 363 | * [[SignatureMove Signature Mon]]: His Electivire is his most powerful Pokémon and the same one who accidentally ''murdered a child''. |
| 364 | * SilentScapegoat: While it probably wouldn't have worked, Paul could've easily pinned the blame on his Pokémon, as they're the ones who defended him from Sean. But instead, he keeps quiet, and we all know what came after that. |
| 365 | * TheSocialDarwinist: Was all about how the strong survive and the weak suffer. And now the shoe is on the other foot for him. |
| 366 | * SplitPersonality: What has become of him after his torture: his mind snaps in two, one resembling Paul, the other resembling Despair. |
| 367 | * SplitPersonalityTakeover: By the time the Red Lotus Trio arrive at the Fog Car, Despair has completely taken over Paul. Even when he briefly resurfaces, all it takes is the sounds of bells for Despair to return. |
| 368 | * SplitPersonalitySwitchTrigger: All it takes is the sounds of a bell for Despair to take control of Paul once again. |
| 369 | * TheStrategist: Is this no matter what he is or what's become of him. In a brief moment of clarity, he manages to trick Walter, Henry, and Hop in a [[XanatosSpeedChess rapidly shifting plan]] to protect his Pokémon. |
| 370 | * StealthPun: He's blindfolded when Walter feeds him, resembling how he ''turned a blind eye'' towards the Apex kid who was drowning. |
| 371 | * TheyDiedBecauseOfYou: Basically what Walter does to him; alongside torturing him to his breaking point, he constantly gaslits him into thinking that he completely failed to save Sean from drowning, and that this reason is why he deserves all of the pain he's suffering. Once the truth comes out, however, Walter's forced to eat his words. |
| 372 | * TheUnapologetic: His FatalFlaw, refusing to acknowledge his mistakes out of pride or stubbornness...even when that mistake was leaving another child to drown. Walter himself is disgusted with how Paul refuses to admit his mistakes. It turns out that it's more because Paul doesn't want to put the blame on his Pokémon for causing it. When he's reunited with his mons, the first thing he does is apologize for being mean to them. In fact, him apologizing is a cause for alarm when his brother calls him in ''Voyage of Wisteria'' because Paul ''never'' apologizes. |
| 373 | * UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: Twofold. |
| 374 | ** First, having Electivire attack Sean, a member of the Apex, knocked the boy into the lake...which is where he starts ''drowning'' because he can't swim. Not only does this cause Sean to drown (since Paul doesn't have Gastrodon on him), but Walter uses Paul as another ritual component. |
| 375 | ** Paul asking Hop to deliver his Poké balls to someone so they can be given to Ash makes Hop slowly ''break'', slowly changing from Despair into ''Delirium'' and threatening to throw the Cage of Flauros severely out of whack. |
| 376 | * WalkingSpoiler: ''No one'' was expecting Paul of all Pokémon characters to be on the Train or that his role was going to be a tortured prisoner; at least with Alain being on the Train he was implied by WordOfGod! |
| 377 | * WaterTorture: In a final act to break him, Walter enacts Chinese Water torture on Paul. |
| 378 | * WhatYouAreInTheDark: Paul could've let the boy drown and no one would know. But the first thing he does when he hears Sean cry for his mother is to go back in a futile attempt to save him, showing that he's not as heartless as people think he is. |
| 379 | * WouldHurtAChild: Zigzagged; he let Electivire attack Sean with Thunder Punch, as the Apex child was trying to attack them, but he wasn't expecting Sean to ''actually'' be scared about being in the water (he assumed it was a WoundedGazellGambit) before shouting for his mother, prompting Paul to go back to save him. |
| 380 | [[/folder]] |
| 381 | |
| 382 | [[folder: Delight/Delirium '''(Unmarked Spoilers)''']] |
| 383 | |
| 384 | !! Hop Hyacin / Hop Shepherd / Hoppy |
| 385 | |
| 386 | -->''"This. Is gonna be. DELIGHTFUL."'' |
| 387 | |
| 388 | A trainer in the Galar region and younger brother of the Pokémon World Champion Leon who wishes to climb the ranks and one day fight against his older brother. The author revealed that he will play a prominent role in Arc 2 of ''Blossoming Trail'' as he had been taken by the Train before Chloe did and ended up in The Fog Car (aka ''Silent Hill''), but forgot to omit that it's for a ritual component... |
| 389 | ----- |
| 390 | * AchievementsInIgnorance: After becoming Delirium, his emotions get so strong that the Silent Hill car molds to his wishes, a fact that he's completely oblivious towards. |
| 391 | * AccidentalTruth: When he shouts "You don't know what I'm capable of!" at Chloe, he meant what he can do to make her happy. However, given how feared and powerful Delirium actually is, ''he's completely right''. |
| 392 | * AdaptationalAngstUpgrade: He's a lot more angsty about his brother being the Galarian Champion than in the original game; enough to end up on the Train, even. |
| 393 | * AdaptationalAbomination: As Delight, he gains the power to control the Fog Car, and wears a perpetual smile that makes him come across as... off. As Delirium, he trades "Humanoid" for "Eldritch". |
| 394 | * AdaptationalBadass: Hop's just an ordinary Pokémon Trainer in his original game. In here, not only does he become Delight, and then Delirium, but his emotions get so strong he can control ''The Fog Car''. |
| 395 | * ADayInTheLimelight: Arc 2's Prelude focuses on [[HowWeGotHere what brought him to the Train]], having arrived a few days before Chloe set foot (as it takes place sometime during Episode 27 and Chloe entered it before Episode 29). |
| 396 | * AffablyEvil: Even after becoming Delight, Hop doesn't have a single mean bone on his body, acting as friendly as he does in the games. Then he becomes Delirium... |
| 397 | * AlliterativeName: '''H'''op '''H'''yacin. |
| 398 | * AlmightyIdiot: [[DownplayedTrope Downplayed]]. On the one hand, Hop is perfectly sentient and aware of his surroundings, it's just that he's currently suffering a case of LossOfIdentity. He also unknowingly possesses emotions so strong that Silent Hill molds to his whims, making him potentially the strongest damn thing in the Car, ''possibly stronger than even Henry and Walter''. |
| 399 | * AlwaysSecondBest: Fears that he'll never be able to match Leon...and that worse yet, he might actually be dragging him down by association. |
| 400 | * AmbiguousInnocence: Starts acting like a child during his stay in The Fog Car, but there is ''something'' off about this innocent act, almost as if Hop was either drugged or brainwashed. Then he starts to crack after [[spoiler:Paul brings up Ash.]] |
| 401 | * AnimalMetaphor: The sheep, and for very good reason: not only does he go astray to encounter a "Shepherd", but after becoming Delight he, much like a sheep, just does whatever he's told and nothing else. |
| 402 | * AnimalMotif: |
| 403 | ** After hearing his name, Shepherd immediately compares him to a rabbit. Alex also tells Hop a bedtime story about a man named Paul who became part of something called the Rabbit Tribe. |
| 404 | ** There's also his strong bond with Wooloo, and how his desire to grow stronger led him to consider benching the sheep in favor of putting together a more powerful team... a move which ironically could be construed as attempting to follow the herd/what's ''expected'' of Trainers rather than following his heart. Walter even calls him a "little lamb". In a very dark example, he was lead by Alex Shepherd to be a mindless sheep following Henry and Walter's commands. |
| 405 | * {{Balloonacy}}: Should Hop shows signs of anger, the fog around him turns into smiley-face balloons. Yes, he can make ''smiley face balloons'' seem terrifying. |
| 406 | * BerserkButton: |
| 407 | ** Don't mention Ash Ketchum to him. [[spoiler: Paul]] learns this the ''very'' hard way when something inside the boy's mind ''snaps''. |
| 408 | ** Call him a spoiled child at your own peril else he'll transform into Delirium in a heartbeat. |
| 409 | * BewareTheNiceOnes: |
| 410 | ** While it's heavily tainted, Hop is still the same sweetheart he once was before entering the Train. But his emotions are so much stronger than before he entered that he can actually ''manipulate the Fog Car.'' |
| 411 | ** Hop does ''not'' forgive Alex for letting the soldier be brainwashed for a ritual and tries to choke him with the strings of balloons and then bash him onto the ground with his tentacles. |
| 412 | * BeyondTheImpossible: Most passengers don't have the ability to manipulate the Train, and those who do have used technology to do it. Hop's emotions are so strong that he turns the Fog Car into an EmpathicEnvironment. Not even the likes of Henry and Walter boast that ability! |
| 413 | * BigBrotherWorship: He idolizes his older brother and hopes to be just as good as a Trainer as he was. Then, he starts shifting his sights on gushing over Alex... |
| 414 | * BlackAndWhiteInsanity: Blue and Orange, actually, but it's the same thing: anything that brings people happiness is good, anything that '''doesn't''' is evil. |
| 415 | * BlackEyesOfCrazy / BlackEyesOfEvil: Sports these as Delirium, which is yet another sign that you have to ''run''. |
| 416 | * BlueAndOrangeMorality: After becoming Delight, Hop doesn't see good or evil, nor right or wrong. All he sees is positivity and... not-positivity. |
| 417 | * BodyHorror: When he becomes Delirium, not only does he get a GlasgowGrin that reaches his ears, but his CombatTentacles are ''sprouting out of his body''. |
| 418 | * BrainwashedAndCrazy: Henry and Walter are transforming him into Delight for the ritual, brainwashing him into regarding Alex as his big brother and acting more like a little boy than he should. We later learn that he's been reduced to a six-year-old because that was the last age he had nothing but unreserved love for his older brother via a special herbal mixture that he inhales. By the time Chloe talks to him, Hop has essentially forgotten his life prior to entering the Train and always assumed he lived in Silent Hill. |
| 419 | * BreakTheCutie: Once he realizes what's happened to him, and seeing that his number has now risen to '''1090''', he breaks down in tears, blaming himself for not telling Leon about his problems sooner because now it would take at most ''a full year'' before he returns home. |
| 420 | * TheCameo: Shows up in Goh's "nightmare therapy", where he and Chloe are good friends. |
| 421 | * CheerfulChild: Enforced; as his ritual designation is Delight, he has to be both smiling and have a mindset of a child. This is ''not'' a good combination as time goes on and he doesn't know how to express his anger and frustrations except bottling it up with even ''more'' smiles. |
| 422 | * ColorMotif: Black. His eyes turn black when he becomes Delirium, he gains black tentacles for attacking and his Corvisquire evolves into Corviknight, a large black raven. |
| 423 | * CompositeCharacter: The story takes place in the anime world, so it has Hop going out for the World Coronation Series, but he also encountered Bede like in the game and his Wooloo has a Friendship Bracelet like in ''WebAnimation/PokemonTwilightWings''. |
| 424 | ** In a PlayedForDrama version, he starts confusing Bede and Ash together. He describes his opponent with a purple coat and red hat, z-like marks and a hat-thing that uses Thunderbolt. |
| 425 | * CombatTentacles: The balloons he creates gain these tendrils when he gets pissed off enough, and once he becomes Delirium, the tentacles sprout ''[[BodyHorror all over his body]]''. |
| 426 | * CorruptTheCutie: He was a NiceGuy with some self-esteem issues before the Train, and by extension Henry and Walter, reached him. As Delight/Delirium, his cuteness is nothing more than a mask. |
| 427 | * CreepyChild: Perpetually happy, thinks and acts younger than he actually is, unable to process negativity, ''shapes the world around him with his emotions alone''... yeah, he qualifies. |
| 428 | * DramaticIrony: Hop's role in Henry and Walter's EvilPlan in the ritual against the Apex is "Delight." Considering the seven roles are based on ''ComicBook/TheSandman1989'' and Delight is more known as ''[[GoMadFromTheRevelation Delirium]]''...it doesn't speak good things for Hop. Especially when [[spoiler:Paul]] accidentally presses his BerserkButton early and causes him to start devolving... |
| 429 | * TheDreaded: Easily the most feared of all the components, with even Henry and Walter being wary of making him mad, and him staying happy is ''the'' most important thing before the ritual can begin. |
| 430 | * EasilyImpressed: Whether it's an elaborate HauntedHouse, or Chloe singing a verse from a song, Delight isn't particularly hard to please. Not that anybody's complaining. |
| 431 | * EmbarrassingNickname: Implied when Shepherd asks Hop if he was called "Hoppy" in the past and Hop blushes at it. It's confirmed when Leon notes that Hop signed an email with that name...and he hasn't been called that in years. |
| 432 | * EmotionSuppression: If it doesn't bring joy or happiness, Delight will seal the emotion deep within himself, no matter how unhealthy it is. And once it gets out, then everyone within the vicinity is ''screwed''. |
| 433 | * EvilCounterpart: A NiceGuy with supernatural powers who's kinda oblivious to his surroundings, who acts like an AllLovingHero, has a name with only three letters, and is pretty much the WorldsStrongestMan? Are we talking about Hop, or Ash? |
| 434 | * [[EvilDetectingDog Evil Detecting Mon]]: His Wooloo can sense that ''something'' is wrong with the Train, not that Hop can understand the Sheep Pokémon. He can also sense something off about Alex Shepherd and is unnerved by Walter and Henry's attention on Hop. |
| 435 | * FatalFlaw: Similar to Chloe, he suffers through insecurities about being inferior and hides his pain from others under the belief that they either wouldn't understand them or make it worse. But unlike Chloe, he doesn't have anyone to help him figure this out. And because of where he landed, he has no way of ''working'' through his emotions and faults, instead bottling them up with more layers of happiness. |
| 436 | ** As Delight, he cannot process or even ''understand'' negative emotions. He can't even get a hint or idea as to how they're supposed to work and function: when Chloe tries to ask him how he feels about "the jerk" he first focuses on what could make Despair happy, and then panics when that fails to be the end of the conversation. |
| 437 | * FiveSecondForeshadowing: Hop was staying in Room 302 at the Motostoke Pokémon Center before the Train got to him. The Car he got to has an apartment run by a couple named [[VideoGame/SilentHill4 Henry and Walter]], with Henry's original apartment number (and where Walter's "mother" was residing) being Room 302. |
| 438 | * FlowerMotif: Hyacinths. They are usually seen as symbols of power, pride, and competition, reflecting Hop's goal of being a top trainer like his older brother. Ironically Delight ''dislikes'' competition but yet has the most power out of all the components. |
| 439 | * ForHappiness: Befitting the one designated as Delight, Hop wants everybody to be happy and joyful all the time, just like him. Trying to ruin this ideal is practically ''suicide''. |
| 440 | * FreudianSlip: Exposes that he's not over Alex when he mixes his name up with Alain while asking for help in the Dark Parables Car. |
| 441 | * GenreSavvy: ZigZagged; he assumes the Train came because of the pain in his heart (which is correct) but also thinks that he'll only be there for a day or two on the Train but come back to find that [[YearInsideHourOutside only ten minutes have passed]] (which is incorrect; he's been stuck there for about two months by the time Chloe enters the Fog Car). |
| 442 | * GettingSmiliesPaintedOnYourSoul: A victim of this, as it was required in order to turn him into Delight. |
| 443 | * GlasgowGrin: The first thing that sets Delirium apart from Hop? His grin stretching until ''it reaches his ears''. |
| 444 | * GoodCounterpart: By the start of the Fog Car he could be considered one to ''Parker'' of all people. Both of them are younger brothers who hold a degree of admiration towards their older siblings, and after a particular incident, both struggle with a very volatile emotion. But while Parker's emotion is anger that's barely kept under a lid, Hop's emotion is happiness, and if that gets challenged in any way, Hop cracks ''lighting fast''. Both of them also hold an insane RealityWarper power to them, but while Parker was granted the power to control the Unown and was not only aware of it, but could control it, Hop only has his emotions at his disposal, which are so strong that the Car molds to his desires, and he's completely unaware of this. |
| 445 | * GoalInLife: To be a skilled Pokémon Trainer just like his older brother. |
| 446 | * GoroawaseNumber: His starting number, 189, comes from his jersey number, and riffs off the word 'hiyaku' ("leaping"). |
| 447 | * GodzillaThreshold: Him becoming Delirium is easily this, as not only is he the strongest thing in the Fog Car, but him becoming Delirium would mean shedding the niceness he had as Delight, meaning he wouldn't have anything deterring him from sending everything to hell. When he does become Delirium, ''it's a sign that things have gone to shit''. |
| 448 | * HappinessIsMandatory: After becoming Delight, Hop can't stand negative thoughts and would rather everybody be happy all the time. Not complying with this desire is both the worst and the last mistake you could make. Chloe learns this the hard way after calling him a spoiled child. |
| 449 | * TheHeavy: While Henry and Walter are the ringleaders of the Cage of Flauros, Hop, as Delight and Delirium, is ''the'' most important chess piece, not only being easily the ''strongest'' of all the components, but Amelia notes that, given his unique circumstances, he's one of the few components who'd be difficult to replicate if he was removed from the circle. |
| 450 | * TheHedonist: The only thing he desires, as Delight anyway, is to experience all sorts of joy and spread said happiness to everybody around him. |
| 451 | * HighHopesZeroTalent: Really wants to be a great trainer, but he lacks the skill that his older brother has. This, coupled with his insecurities, is what got him on the Train. |
| 452 | * HomefieldAdvantage: [[InvertedTrope Inverted]] after becoming Delight. Back in Postwick, he wouldn't be any stronger than the average Pokémon Trainer. On the Fog Car, however, he's practically a god, being able to change everything to his liking with a mere thought. |
| 453 | * HorribleJudgeOfCharacter: Puts his complete trust in Henry and Walter, the latter being a SerialKiller. Unless those two did ''something'' to the boy...and it's increasingly clear that they ''did''. It should be better to say that it was a bad choice to trust ''Alex'' and not run away immediately the minute he realized he was in Silent Hill. |
| 454 | * HumanoidAbomination: As Delight, he's a perpetually smiling child whose emotions are so strong they ''shape the world around him''. As Delirium, the "Humanoid" part is thrown out the window. |
| 455 | * InnocentlyInsensitive: Hop doesn't understand negative emotions, let alone how to deal with them, after becoming Delight. His first thought when he sees Chloe being upset at the haunted house is to turn the offending object into a corgi-shaped piñata... then telling her to beat it. |
| 456 | * InSeriesNickname: Hoppy, which was an AffectionateNickname when he was younger and is the name he's "currently" using in Silent Hill. The fact that he signs an email to his older brother with this is the first sign that ''something'' is wrong with him. |
| 457 | * InsistentTerminology: In Act 3, Hop starts calling Wooloo a "sheep" instead of a Pokémon, one of the biggest hints that Hop of Postwick is ''gone''. |
| 458 | * IRejectYourReality: A reality where people aren't happy all the time is a reality Hop wants nothing to do with. Unfortunately, Chloe has other plans... |
| 459 | * {{Irony}}: |
| 460 | ** His ritual designation is the youngest member of the original Endless, yet Hop is the most powerful one out of them all. Moreover, he always felt overshadowed by Leon, the world's best trainer whereas in the Fog Car, he has no equal. |
| 461 | ** Felt like a nobody compared to his older brother; in the ritual he's actually the keystone that holds it together. |
| 462 | ** For someone with a cheery designation, the color that fits him is ''black''. |
| 463 | * JerkassToOne: If there's one person that Hop as Delight cannot stand, it's "the jerk" (his fusion of Ash and Bede: Bash), to the point that the negative feelings he has towards him traps him in a LogicBomb. |
| 464 | * JumpScare: When Chloe calls him for the first time, she mentions a list of people in Galar who would miss him. But during it, her phone suddenly shows a red smiley face with ''white-blood tears'' before it reverts back to Hop's smiling face. He does another one when Chloe arrives in The Fog Car and she asks too many questions, to which he turns back at her and the fog turns into ''more'' smiley balloons. |
| 465 | * KiddieKid: Since arriving in Silent Hill, Hop has regressed mentally. Despite going on a trainer journey and being self-reliant, he relies on the adults to care for him. Hop becomes very affectionate, passive, and childlike as Alex takes him through Silent Hill to the point of asking for a bedtime story and having snacks like chocolate milk and butter cake. He even addresses himself as "Hoppy" in an email to his brother...which Leon notes that Hop hasn't been called that in years. It's later revealed that he was brainwashed by Walter to revert into a six-year-old mindset. |
| 466 | * LackOfEmpathy: Delight has very little interest in those who don't bring happiness to people, and himself: when Chloe points out how her family would miss her if she stayed on the Train, he disregards her concerns. |
| 467 | * LogicBomb: How he becomes Delirium: Chloe asks him about Despair ([[spoiler: Paul]]) and the task he gave him to deliver his Pokémon to "the jerk" (Ash, but Hop starts to see him as a mix between himself and Bede). When she asks about how he feels about "the jerk" Hop simply focuses on making Despair happy. The more and more Chloe asks Hop about his feelings towards "the jerk" the more and more anxious he becomes, to the point that, had Chloe not called him a spoiled brat, the sheer paradox of the moment would've summoned his alternate self. |
| 468 | * LogicalWeakness: Being PurityPersonified, Delight cannot process negative emotions, and when he's asked about them, he either dodges the question or focuses on something about happiness. A failure to process this turns him into Delirium. |
| 469 | * MeaningfulRename: While initially known as "Delight," as the ritual comes closer and closer to fruition and Hop loses more of his identity, he's given the moniker of "Delirium". |
| 470 | * MinorInsultMeltdown: What causes Hop to hit the RageBreakingPoint so hard he snaps into Delirium? Chloe calling him a "spoiled brat". This, and not the LogicBomb he was put through just seconds ago. |
| 471 | * {{Motif}}: Smiley faces for him. As Delight, he's always showing a grin on his face and whenever he starts snapping, Chloe can see the fog turning into smiley face balloons. |
| 472 | * NoteToSelf: After Paul requests Hop to deliver his Pokémon to another passenger from their world so they are safe with either Ash or Reggie, Hop scribbles one of these to himself to deliver the present to AK. Alex intercepts it but Walter dismisses it for the time being. |
| 473 | * OOCIsSeriousBusiness: |
| 474 | ** Him deciding to box his starter and buddy Wooloo is a sign that ''something'' snapped. So badly that this is what signals the Train to take him away. |
| 475 | ** While Hop's entire email to Leon disturbed him, the fact that Hop signs it off as "Hoppy" really sets Leon off. |
| 476 | ** He's acting more and more like a child than the teenager he should be due to whatever drugs Walter gave him. |
| 477 | ** Hop loses his smile when Paul brings up Ash Ketchum and it's a sign that he's going to lose it. In fact after this incident, any time he's about to lose that smile is a huge cause for alarm. |
| 478 | ** And finally upon learning how he was tricked, betrayed and has a number that's ''more than a thousand'', he just breaks down after pulverizing Alex (as ''the Bogeyman''). |
| 479 | * OneWingedAngel: When Chloe prods him one too many times, culminating in calling him a spoiled brat, he turns into the unpleasant sight that is Delirium. |
| 480 | * PerpetualSmiler: Befitting someone named "Delight," he always has a wide smile on his face. If he's '''not''' smiling, ''that's the cue to run.'' |
| 481 | * PureIsNotGood: As Delight, he's supposed to be seen as an innocent child...but as time grows on, his positivity is nothing more than a thin veneer to hide his unpleasant emotions. |
| 482 | * PurityPersonified: His role as Delight is to practically be this, as a living embodiment of positive emotions. Delirium, on the other hand... |
| 483 | * RageBreakingPoint: A mix of Chloe putting him through a crazy LogicBomb [[MinorInsultMeltdown and her calling him a spoiled brat]] is what tips him over the edge, unleashing Delirium into the world (well, the Fog Car). |
| 484 | * RealityWarper: Starting in Arc 3, if anything starts causing Hop to lose it, the fog somehow starts changing into smiley-face balloons. Chloe assumes that it's because he has such extreme emotions that Silent Hill starts to ''react'' around that. Not even '''Henry and Walter''' have that ability. |
| 485 | * RepeatWhatYouJustSaid: During his MinorInsultMeltdown, he asked Chloe what she called him just then. When she gladly obliges, calling him a spoiled child, Delirium is unleashed. |
| 486 | * ReplacementGoldfish: Alex calls himself Hoppy's big brother so he's blatantly replacing his own dead younger brother, Joshua, with Hop. |
| 487 | * RuleOfSymbolism: |
| 488 | ** His name starts with "H" and has three letters in it. Chloe, who will encounter him once she makes it to the Fog Car, just broke ties with her previous friend '''G'''oh. |
| 489 | ** The boy whose best friend is a sheep Pokémon immediately encounters A. Shepherd upon losing his way. |
| 490 | ** His number after he regains his sanity, 1090, is the episode when Wooloo first appear in the anime (''Journeys'' episode 5). |
| 491 | * SanitySlippage: The more and more he feels bad emotions, the more his sanity depletes until he ''breaks'' and becomes Delirium. |
| 492 | * SaveThisPersonSaveTheWorld: For the Cage of Flauros, he's the single most important person in the entire ritual: if he is somehow taken out before the ritual starts, then everything goes up in smoke. |
| 493 | * ShadowArchetype: To Chloe. Hop is always smiling and doesn't like thinking about horrible feelings or working his way through them, rather he wishes to stay in ''Silent Hill'' forever (albeit this is due to him being brainwashed). In contrast by the time Act 3 takes place Chloe is already close to leaving and realizes that she can't focus on her happiness if it means hurting others. |
| 494 | * SlasherSmile: When he snaps and becomes Delirium, this is ''never'' a good sign. |
| 495 | * StepfordSmiler: Tries to hide his concerns to Leon, afraid that his big brother won't understand what it means to be constantly losing all the time. Then this is taken into creepier levels if we take his email to Leon into account. According to Walter, Hop is to be the embodiment of "Delight", giving even darker connotations. Then the smile starts showing off how mentally ''unstable'' he is when Paul accidentally brings up Ash. And it gets to the point that ''Walter'' is starting to become terrified of him... |
| 496 | * StockholmSyndrome: Fears being perceived as this, since he can't completely let go of his happier memories of Alex despite knowing the truth about him and what he was doing. |
| 497 | * StopSayingThat: He's practically ''begging'' Chloe to stop mentioning "the jerk" (Bede/Ash) to him as, being Delight, he cannot understand negative emotions. |
| 498 | * SuddenlyShouting: "ENOUGH QUESTIONS!" |
| 499 | * SweetSheep: His Wooloo is an adorable fluffy mon covered in wool. When it evolves into Dubwool it's still a sheep but not as adorable. |
| 500 | * SweetTooth: Ever since arriving in Silent Hill, he snacks on chocolate milk and butter cake. During his brainwashing session at Midwich Elementary, he asks for a grape lollipop. |
| 501 | * TookALevelInBadass: Both his Wooloo and Corvisquire evolve to Dubwool and Corviknight in an attempt to save Hop. |
| 502 | * TookALevelInCheerfulness: Before entering the Train, Hop was heavily insecure and feeling trapped in his brother's shadow. ''After'' the Train, he's all smiles... because he's been transformed into one of the components for a ritual to destroy a cult. |
| 503 | * TookALevelInDumbass: Kinda inevitable when you're mentally regressed into a six year old; Hop acts a lot more simplistic and naively than he did before the Train, depending on the adults to do most things for him. |
| 504 | * TookALevelInJerkass: Since he was regressed into a child-like mental state, he became just as self-centered as an actual kid. When Chloe points out that staying on the Train would mean never seeing her family again, Hop outright says to forget about them and focus on the happiness she can get here, on the Train. |
| 505 | * TokenGoodTeammate: Out of all the components, he's the only one who's not a jerk, a buzzkill, or both, and among the passengers, he's the only one who came into the Train with clean hands (Alain unwittingly helped Lysandre, Chloe had a violent streak, and Paul... is Paul). |
| 506 | * TragicKeepsake: He carries Alex's flashlight on him when he leaves the Fog Car. |
| 507 | * VillainyFreeVillain: As Delight, the most antagonistic thing he does is get angry when his BerserkButton is pushed, and even then, he remains cordial and jovial through it all. Delirium, on the other hand... |
| 508 | * TheUnfavorite: While his older brother is talked about and has so many awards, Hop is always stuck in Leon's shadow and there are no awards or trophies for any of ''his'' achievements. This is part of the reason he enters the Train. |
| 509 | * UnskilledButStrong: Has the most raw power out of the seven components, capable of ''changing the environment of the Fog Car''. However, since this is tied to his mental state, it only appears in brief flashes...and it should ''stay that way'' for everyone's sanity. |
| 510 | * WalkingSpoiler: Due to the fact that he was the last person out of Dreams, Desire and Delirium to get on the Train and how important he is to the Cage of Flauros, it becomes harder and harder to speak about him outside his debut. |
| 511 | * WorldsStrongestMan: He basically has no equal when it comes to how much power he has in the Fog Car, and that's only when he's ''Delight''. |
| 512 | * YouRemindMeOfX: The rabbit comparison to Hop reminds Shepherd of someone he knew, presumably his little brother Joshua (who had a Robbie the Rabbit plushie). |
| 513 | * YouWouldntLikeMeWhenImAngry: While he won't pull a Hulk anytime soon, having the ability to ''manipulate the Fog Car'' more than makes up for it. And given that he's supposed to be Delight/Delirium, it's imperative that he ''remains'' happy. Then he shows off how dangerous he can be when Chloe sets him off. |
| 514 | [[/folder]] |
| 515 | |
| 516 | [[folder:'''SPOILER CHARACTER''']] |
| 517 | |
| 518 | !! "Saint" Ash Ketchum |
| 519 | |
| 520 | An alternate version of Ash Ketchum that's the physical embodiment of Alain's perception of him as a messiah-like figure. He's apparently a backup plan in case Chloe's unable to fulfill her role as "Lady Destiny". |
| 521 | ---- |
| 522 | * AffablyEvil: Assuming he's even evil. Not only does he drive away Henry and Walter when they got Chloe and Paul cornered, and also tells them to come to him so he can save them. Turns out he's nothing but kind and friendly. |
| 523 | * AmbiguouslyEvil: He's said to hold an expression of "infinite kindness", but he also happens to be a backup plan in case "Lady Destiny" can't fulfill her role in the Cage of Flauros. Or not... |
| 524 | * AnthropomorphicPersonification: Of Alain's view of Ash as a messiah figure who can save the world. |
| 525 | * ArtificialHuman: It's all but stated that he was artificially created by Dreams. |
| 526 | * AsLongAsThereIsEvil: As long as Dream keeps dreaming of Ash as some sort of messiah figure, Saint Ash will exist. So naturally, when he wakes up and sees Ash as a human with flaws, Saint Ash is the first thing to go. |
| 527 | * BrightIsNotGood: He's surrounded by a bright aura, but he's one of the bad guys. Maybe. |
| 528 | * CessationOfExistence: He only exists for as long as Dream... well, dreams. Once he wakes up, Saint Ash stops existing. |
| 529 | * ClosestThingWeGot: With Chloe unable (and unwilling) to fulfill her role as Lady Destiny, this guy pops up to serve as a replacement. |
| 530 | * CreepyGood: He's a messanic version of Ash in white robes and a holy backlight who always smiles and hopes to purify and save others, never showing any signs of concern or sadness. Oh and he's a construct made in ''Silent Hill'', personifying Alain seeing Ash Ketchum as a holy man that is coming to save him. However, he truly is an altruistic being who helps Chloe free Despair from his guilt and has no regrets when he fades away and classifies himself as obsolete. |
| 531 | * DidntSeeThatComing: He honestly didn't expect Chloe to reject his sincere offer to save her and Paul. And on the flip side, ''no one'' saw him coming in the slightest. |
| 532 | * DissonantSerenity: The calm, smiling saintly version of Ash who forgives Chloe for everything she's done even as he shows off bleeding palms. |
| 533 | * {{Foil}}: To [=UnChloe=]. They're both artificial entities that are personifications of a shallow simplification of the people they represent. However, [=UnChloe=] was a SatanicArchetype associated with darkness, while Saint Ash is a MessianicArchetype associated with light. [=UnChloe=] was a CardCarryingVillain who enjoyed torturing people for her own amusement, while Saint Ash is a NiceGuy (or at least acts like one) and is more interested in ''saving'' people. Finally, while [=UnChloe=] ultimately did so much damage that any goodwill left in Vermillion City evaporated, Saint Ash is nothing but helpful to Chloe, helping her get through Despair in order to turn him back into Paul. |
| 534 | * GoodAllAlong: Despite his creepy aura and smile, he truly is like the Ash Ketchum he's based off of and helps Chloe to free Despair from the pain he's going through. |
| 535 | * GoodScarsEvilScars: He's said to have "lighting-shaped scars" on his face. |
| 536 | * GoodWearsWhite: Wears a holy priest robe in white and he's on the side of good. |
| 537 | * GoOutWithASmile: Even as he fades away, he keeps his smile. |
| 538 | * IncomingHam: Introduces himself like a Gandalf beckoning the monsters to flee. |
| 539 | * LightIsNotGood: He casts light into the church to drive away Henry and Walter, and he's surrounded by a bright glow and white clothing. However, he's also an artificial backup Destiny in case Chloe can't fulfill the role and his mere presence nearly makes Chloe ''transform'' into Destiny because she didn't want him to take her redemption away. |
| 540 | * MessianicArchetype: He ''looks'' the part, and ''acts'' the part, but his role in the Cage of Flauros makes him more like a SatanicArchetype. |
| 541 | * NiceGuy: He not only drives away Henry and Walter without a second thought, but he also offers to "save" Paul and Chloe from their current predicament. Not that Chloe agrees with the idea... |
| 542 | * PerpetualSmiler: He's ''always'' smiling. |
| 543 | * ReplacementGoldfish: He's the backup Destiny should Chloe refuse her role. |
| 544 | * ShadowArchetype: He's pretty much the most shallow parody of Ash imaginable, being reimagined as a saint-like figure who wants to save everyone. This is actually a ''good'' thing, since it means he's more than happy to help Chloe undo another Component. |
| 545 | * SheepInSheepsClothing: Chloe, understandably, thinks he's a BitchInSheepsClothing who'll double cross her the first chance he gets. However, he quickly proves himself to be as nice as he seems, helping her deal with Despair. |
| 546 | * SignificantWardrobeShift: As he begins to break away from the 'saint' archetype, he goes from white robes to increasingly dirty apparel to finally looking like his canon self to reflect that he's just a normal boy. |
| 547 | * SmallRoleBigImpact: Appears in only one chapter, but his presence is what helps Chloe let go of her anger over Despair and when he vanishes, it means that Dreams is waking up. Thus Henry and Walter have just lost ''two more components''. |
| 548 | * SpannerInTheWorks: He completely ''derails'' Henry and Walter's plan, choosing to help Chloe undo Despair's brainwashing in order to take away another component. Even when he ''stops existing'', it turns out to unravel the Cage of Flauros even more, as it means Dream has woken up. |
| 549 | * TokenGoodTeammate: Even moreso than Hop, since Saint Ash has no negative feelings to speak of, and he only wants to help those he wants to save. |
| 550 | * TooImportantToWalk: He's introduced floating into the church after driving away Henry and Walter, further selling the idea he's supposed to be some kind of messiah. |
| 551 | * TheUnfought: He's never actually fought by anybody, instead deciding to help Chloe undo Despair's brainwashing, taking away another Component before ceasing to exist. |
| 552 | * WalkingSpoiler: Just mentioning his ''name'' not only reveals the extent of Dreams' powers, but that the Cage of Flauros isn't as done for without Chloe as Lady Destiny. And to further add to this trope, he ultimately ''helps'' undo more of the cage. |
| 553 | * WartsAndAll: He is depowered when Paul and Hop discuss Ash's more embarrassing failures and shortcomings, knocking him off the pedestal Alain placed him on, represented by his holy white robes turning dirty and then replaced by his canon outfit and trademark hat. But when all is said and done, he still shows himself to be a kind and friendly person who wants nothing more to help. |
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