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The characters of Crown of Hydrangea.
The Aurorae Car
General
The denizens living inside the car.
- Feuding Families: Goh reveals he is studying the history of the kanin because there are two families with a long feud between them and is afraid of saying something wrong and unleash another decade of infighting.
- Our Giants Are Bigger: One of the denizens residing in the car are the Frost Giants, who, as their name implies, are massive humanoids with an ice theme to them.
- Proud Warrior Race: The Frost Giants are these as fierce warriors who are trained since childhood to fight and forge their own weapons.
- Stellar Name: Most of the named denizes of this car have a star related name.
The Aurora Court
In General
- Commonality Connection: For the humanoid trio, all of them suffer from being judged and having a bad reputation. Goh is despised as the neglectful Childhood Friend of the Train's heroine, Cyrene is part of The Wild Hunt and judging by Lexi's and the Frost Giants reaction they are not very popular either. Rigel is seen as a troubled kid on his Village thanks to his experiments. And Grace is reviled as the former Apex leader.
- They all share traditionally villainous looks. Goh with his eyepatch, Cute Little Fangs and an Evil Prince vibes, Cyrene is described as a walking frozen corpse and Rigel is a blue boy with horns similar to the traditional demon look.
- Fighter, Mage, Thief: As shown in the fight against the Regisvid. With Rigel as the Fighter whose main weapons are his enhanced strenght and durability. Cyrene as the Thief with her being a hunter who prioritizes taking down things with one quick strike making her a Glass Cannon and Goh as the Squishy Wizard who fights with ice magic and silver chains.
- Foil: To the Red Lotus Trio/Quarto.
- The Red Lotus never cared to keep a low profile, making videos to motivate denizens to rise against the Apex.
- While most members of the Court actively hide their identities and work on the downlow.
- Chloe's group was constantly moving from Car to Car, mostly camping and keeping provisions. The Court has a permanent base of operations in the form of an Ice Castle.
- Unlike the Red Lotus Remnants (besides Amelia) almost all members of the Court suffer from some degree of unpopularity with the Train denizens.
- Masculine, Feminine, Androgyne Trio: Goh is the Androgyne to Cyrene's feminine and Rigel's masculine.
- Ragtag Bunch of Misfits: A traumatized prince, a spectral hunter, a blue alchemist, a cuddly fire bunny, a crybaby chamaleon and an ex-cult leader
- Two Girls to a Team: With the addition of Grace to the team she and Cyrene are this.
Goh Fujihachi
A boy from Vermilion City who ends up in the Infinity Train after a some traumatizing experiences. After a series of events he ends up as the new ruler of the Aurorae Car.
- Adaptational Angst Upgrade: It's not enough for him to have his first day on the train have him nearly assassinated by Ogami; he then wanders into another car that has its ruler try to kill him as well because of the misinformation that Chloe spread about him.
- Adaptational Badass: Goh remained a Non-Action Guy through most of Voyage of Wisteria until the climax of the story. In here, he ends up killing Holda and taking her powers, all while becoming the new princess of the Aurora Car in the process.
- Animal Motifs: Foxes. His fangs, claws and mischievous personality when dealing with those who he considers enemies make him similar to a fox.
- More specifically he resembles a lot to the Hisuan Zorua line. Sharing the lore of being chased off from their home because they were thought to be malicious, they end up dying in a snowy territory and are 'reborn', for then deciding to pull a Then Let Me Be Evil.
- Benevolent Boss: He doesn't believe so, but it's clear he cares for the ones in the Car. Like giving Rigel his own office and offering Grace a place to stay and warm food if she cooperates.
- Broken Tears: After Lexi shows his Specter of the Black Forest form, Goh is reduced to tears thanks to the memory of Zeno.
- Consummate Liar: Goh's so used to being demonized and made to look worse than he actually is that whenever he's asked about his worst deeds, he doesn't even try to defend himself and just states they're all true. This actually works in Rigel's favor, as Goh casually confirms him breaking Chloe's legs and burning her books, things the movie that demonizes him never even mentions.
- Conditioned to Accept Horror: He reacts to the horrible creatures he sees everytime he uncovers his eyepatch with nothing more than mild annoyance. He is not a fan of horror like Chloe but the multiple traumatizing experiences had made him numb to those kind of things.
- Creepy Blue Eyes: Shares this with Holda. They shine unnaturally blue.
- Deadpan Snarker: Likes to make snarky comments from time to time.
- Death Seeker: Goh shows a concerning amount of disregard for his own safety, often makes comments about finishing himself and dares Lexi in a rather serious way to kill him.
- Fisher King: Grace notices the blizzard outside matches Goh's awful mood. And it only grows the angrier Goh gets.
- Grew a Spine: From the stuttering boy he was when he enters the train he becomes much more confident after.
- Improbable Aiming Skills: Thanks to Cyrene's teachings, he is able to shot a projectile kicked by Raboot in mid-air.
- Papa Wolf: Don't hurt Sobble or Raboot. He will not like that.
- She Is the King: Gender-inverted. He's constantly referred to as the new "princess" or "queen" of the Aurora Car after killing Holda and taking her powers.
- Sour Outside, Sad Inside: After his Trauma Conga Line and Took a Level in Jerkass he is more aloof, abrasive and sarcastic, this all masks deep self loathing.
- Tin Man: Prince Goh is simultaneously this and a Card-Carrying Villain. After Holda caused him even more trauma by nearly killing him, Goh talks a big game about how his heart has been frozen and that the boy that took abuse from everyone at home is gone. But even as he says this, he treats the members of his court well, is hugely protective of Raboot and Sobble, still thinks "What would Ash do?" as an approach to conflict… oh, and he regularly emails his parents asking them to look after his Pokemon. Definitely what you would expect from someone with a frozen heart.
- Troubled, but Cute: A heavily traumatized boy with a rather sour personality, both Rigel and Hazel think he is pretty.
- Used to Be a Sweet Kid: ...Until both the events of Blossoming Trail and his first visit to the Aurora Car happened, at which point he snapped and Stopped Caring about clearing his name; if people will call him a monster over minimal evidence, then let them do so.
- In-Series Nickname: The Wild Hunt occasionally calls him "Princess" or "Tiny Boss". Rigel also calls him "Snowflake".
- When She Smiles: Cyrene becomes fond of him after hearing him laugh. Rigel too becomes fixated on his genuine smile to the point the idea of seeing it again gives him the strength to win his match.
Raboot and Sobble
Goh's Pokemon companions.
- Undying Loyalty: They know Goh is not the same are still loyal to him and care for his well being.
- Playing with Fire: As a fire type, Raboot can use fire to attack.
Cyrene
A member of The Wild Hunt she gets the task to be Goh's guard and later becomes his self appointed bodyguard.
- Accidental Misnaming: She doesn't know how to use the correct styles to address a prince. So she often calls Goh your majesty, your grace or even your iceness.
- Action Girl: As part of the Wild Hunt, she is skilled with weapons like axes, machetes and a bow.
- Animal Motifs: Hounds. She is a hunter and has a loyal hell-hound at her side. She is also really protective of those she cares about, to the point Grace describes her as looking like an angry guard dog.
- Big Sister Instinct: Seeing the terror in Goh's face was enough for her to instinctively point an arrow to Lexi's chest. Her need to see Goh be safe after the incident with the Red Lotus Remnants is what makes her get a promotion as his new bodyguard.
- Big Sister Mentor: She is Goh's archery teacher and is really proud to see his growing skills.
- Bodyguarding a Badass: Serves as Goh's main guard even when he is probably one of the most dangerous beings in the Aurorae Car.
- Declaration of Protection: After being witness to the Red Lotus Remnants's visit and Goh subsequent Freak Out, Cyrene vowed to herself to do anything in her power to prevent that from happening again.
- Expy: Of The Little Robber Girl from the original Snow Queen.
- Hellish Horse: As part of the Wild Hunt she rides a skeletal horse with the ability to fly with the wind currents named Orion.
- Hellhound: Goh notices Sirius, her hound, looks like a Houndour, who are based on this.
- Meaningful Name: Her name makes reference to a huntress in Greek Mythology who was famous for wrestling a lion.
- Multi-Melee Master: She is a proficient archer, being the one to teach Goh how to use one, but her favorite weapon is the axe and also carries multiple knives and daggers. Played for Laughs in the one-shot "Multidimensional Milkshake Bar" when she is asked to leave all her weapons the pile she leaves is impressive.
- No Badass to His Valet: While the Red Lotus Remnants and other denizen's are cautious or respectful to Goh, Cyrene has no problem to tease him and call him out when she thinks he may be doing something that could put him in danger.
Rigel
A young Frost Giant and an skilled alchemist who starts working as "the royal alchemist" of the Court.
- Absurdly Sharp Blade: His macahuitl. He later reforces Cyrene's ax with an obsidian edge sharp enough to cleanly cut ice.
- Alchemy Is Magic: He is capable of creating potions to heal his wounds and enhance his strenght and durability for a short period of time.
- All of the Other Reindeer: He is this to the Frost Giant Village who sees him as weak and a troublemaker. No wonder he is so excited to start working with Goh and Cyrene.
- Apology Gift: Gives these to Goh and Cyrene to ask for their forgiveness after his attack. He makes upgrades to Cyrene's ax, gives Goh a new bow and lets them have some of his healing potions.
- Big Fancy Sword: His macahuitl.
- Combat Medic: A member of a Proud Warrior Race who provides the group a quick way to heal their wounds with a potion.
- He is the one who ends up saving Grace after she was found bleeding to death
- Foil: To Chloe of the Vermillion:
- Both are red haired young kids with a parental figure serving as an authority in their societies. Both have a hard time socializing with their peers and have been doubled as troubled“ in their community for being into non-conventional things (with Rigel being interested in alchemy and tinkering and Chloe into writing and horror) and not being as gifted in what they are expected to be. The differences come in their relationships with Goh, while Chloe cares for him as her childhood friend, their relationship has been tainted by neglect, traumatic experiences and bitterness. Rigel started as antagonistic to Goh but they quickly learnt to work together, with Rigel even starting to harbor feelings for the boy.
- Giver of Lame Names: In his introductory chapter he tried to give newly formed group a name, each worst and more corny than the last. Recently he had also started to call the Regisvid, Miriam, because he thought it was rude to not give her a name
- Heel Realization: Played With. After his visit to the Grand Cineplex car, Rigel actually asks Cyrene "Do you think we are bad?" as if they were in the Mitchell and Webb Look sketch. Cyrene responds with badly suppressed laughter, before basically telling him that it's not so easy to determine "bad" and "good" people, especially in a place like the Infinity Train. The reason it's Played With is that Rigel originally asked the question because he'd watched the In-Universe Blossoming Trail movie, and was stunned to see his Prince ignoring, belittling, and assaulting his "kind friend," Chloe Cerise. What Rigel doesn't realize is that the movie he watched is about as reliable as J. Jonah Jameson's "Threat or Menace?" Spider-Man articles, and Goh was actually Innocently Insensitive at worst. In reality, the Aurorae Court is pretty firmly on the side of good; they just need to worry about their image, since groups like the Red Lotus Remnants aren't going to take kindly to Grace and Goh being in positions of power.
- Overshadowed by Awesome: He is actually a fairly competent fighter, judging by the way he almost defeated Cyrene and Goh on his first appearance, he is just not as good as the rest of his Proud Warrior Race. Something that has taken a toll on his confidence.
- What Is This Feeling?: He wins his Arm Wrestling match against Arataki Itto with newfound strength after imagining Goh smiling at him and praising him. After that he is utterly confused about what happened.
Grace Monroe (spoilers!)
The former leader of the Apex.
- Adaptational Early Appearance: Sort of; Grace was mentioned a few times during Voyage of Wisteria, but didn't really appear until Warbler debuted at the Karaoke Car. In here, she appears at the Aurora Car, several cars beforehand.
- Adaptational Relationship Overhaul: Grace never got to meet Goh before reincarnating into Warner, but she meets him while at the Aurora Car and becomes one of his allies.
- Animal Motifs: Owls. After joining the Aurora Court she gains an owl themed mask and goes by the pseudonim 'Eule' meaning Owl and Ursa takes to call her 'Tecolotl' as a nickname. Venti on the Jolly Bard Car calls Owls harbingers of death, something Grace was as the Apex leader.
- The Atoner: After her attack and almost dying in the snow, Grace admits she is tired of the power plays and manipulations and truly feels guilty about her past actions.
- Because You Were Nice to Me: The reason she decides to work for him and stay loyal it's because Goh has showed her the most kindest she had in a long time.
- Being Evil Sucks: In her own words after everything she did to gain power and control she ended almost dying alone with no one to mourn or cry for her.
- Cool Mask: Gets one after agreeing to work for Goh to hide her identity.
- Commonality Connection: Goh reaches out to her on learning that she dealt with Ogami in the past.
- Humble Goal: Grace no longer wants to take over the Train or wheel Denizens to earn points, instead wanting to atone for her actions and finally get off the Train.
- Spared by the Adaptation: Survives her initial attack by Ogami.
- Spared, but Not Forgiven: Goh eventually saves her from dying a chilling death in the Aurorae Car, but this doesn't earn her forgiveness for her actions, as it's not in Goh's power to do so.
Pokemon World
Chloe Cerise
The young heroine known as Chloe of the Vermilion in the train and Goh's childhood friend.
- Berserk Button: Reminders of Goh's neglect towards her can make her react strongly.
- Character Shilling: The Red Lotus Remnants consider her side of the story to be true fact, and even if they weren't, they consider her the victim of the story without even considering she might be either lying or omitting certain facts.
- Condescending Compassion: Chloe falls into this mindset by viewing the situation with Goh as a straight version of The Snow Queen. In her view, Goh must be Not Himself at the moment, so none of his current actions can be held against him... But by the same token, he doesn't actually know what he's saying, so no one should listen to him until he's brought back to his senses. Ash, in contrast, maintains that "Goh is not evil," and there must be something else going on that needs to be considered.
- Glory Seeker: Has shades of this. One of the things she misses the most of the train besides her friends is the respect, recognition and fame she got as the train's heroine.
- Green-Eyed Monster: Had this in the original Blossoming Trail for Goh's freedom and the attention he had of her Dad for being into Pokemon. Now, even if she will never admit it, has dreams indicating she may wish to be in Goh's place.
- It's All About Me: Chloe maintains a bad habit from her Blossoming Trail self of framing the narrative around her as the victimized hero. Being the bookworm that she is, it didn’t take long for Chloe to realize that she was in a version of The Snow Queen- but the moment she did so, she cast herself as Gerda. That meant two things: a. That it was up to her to go on an epic quest to save her friends from himself, and b. That she bore absolutely no responsibility for her friend "suddenly becoming cold and uncaring."
- A small example, but most of what she "knows" about her Childhood Friend is limited to what relates to her. For example, she claims that Goh wasn't fond of any food in particular, but curry was the most likely option for Goh’s favorite mainly because “he enjoyed the one I cooked for him.”
- Never My Fault: Once she realizes the Snow Queen elements, she takes it as a reason to believe she's not at fault for Goh becoming "cold and uncaring" all of a sudden.
Ash Ketchum
A Pokemon trainer from Pallet Town.
- The Ace: Talented trainer who is also the Alola League Champion. Goh often thinks about him when talking about heroes.
- Excellent Judge of Character: Ash is pretty much the only character to remain firm in his belief that "Goh is not evil" without actually being there to see Goh's Papa Wolf and Benevolent Boss tendencies. Even Chloe's "character reference" mostly focused on how Goh wasn't capable of taking over a Car, and she wavered as soon as she learned he'd almost come to blows with her friends.
- Loved by All: Ash's heroism and kind nature make him a popular guy in general, but his fame definitely reaches this level in Alola. Between leading his class to defend the islands repeatedly from Necrozma and the other Ultra Beasts and being crowned as the inaugural Champion of the Alola League, Ash Ketchum is a source of love, pride, and inspiration for basically every citizen of the region. Seeing the crowd at the Battle Royale Dome cheering for him makes Chloe think back to her days as the Hero of the Infinity Train with envy.
Infinity Train
Red Lotus Remnants
A group who used to follow Chloe in her adventures. Consists of former conductor Amelia, the azadan Lexi, the Corgi King Atticus, and Hazel.
- Aesop Amnesia: When the story begins, the Red Lotus Remnants are fresh off the battle of the Fog Car. That particular crisis came about after Walter and Henry decided that the crimes of the Apex could only be stopped by killing the entire group- regardless of the group's ignorance, or the fact that they were almost all preteens. Not only that, but the Red Lotuses share some of the blame for that situation, because they were so focused on the Apex that they trusted the first Denizens who came forward with a plan for dealing with them. Now, after meeting Goh all of one time, Amelia is already considering the possibility that he's such a threat, he'll need to be killed! Not only has she failed to learn from the atrocities Walter and Henry committed, but she's gotten even worse about judging children as irredeemable based solely upon hearsay! At least the Apex were the talk of the Infinet, even if a lot of their reputation was overblown. If the Red Lotus Remnants had so much as bothered investigating the Aurorae Car properly, they would have learned that the previous ruler was hated a lot more than Goh is!
- Cuteness Proximity: Somewhat Deconstructed. When Hazel first catches sight of Sobble in the palace gardens, she predictably wastes no time in cuddling the little salamander. The trouble is, Sobble reacts to this in much the same way any pet would if grabbed with no warning- and Goh walking out to find one of his "visitors" holding his struggling and crying friend does not set a good tone for the meeting.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Lexi all but destroys their chances at actually helping Goh by giving him a poorly-informed "The Reason You Suck" Speech.
- Super Gullible: They've only heard Chloe's biased side of the story, but they take it as fact over everything else.
- Undying Loyalty: To Chloe, for good and for ill.
