Infinity Train Blossoming Trail / Tropes E to G

E

• Easily Forgiven: Averted. One of the central themes in the story is that forgiveness is something that must be earned, not expected or forced out of the wounded party. Atticus even comments that forgiveness is like handing someone a very valuable diamond; only to be given to someone trustworthy.
  • Chloe's bitterness over how those around her (her father, her homeroom teacher, Chryssa and Renji, and perhaps every single teacher in her school) largely failed to help with obvious issues like the bullying she endured ensures that she's not inclined to forgive anyone anytime soon.
  • Goh seeks Chloe's forgiveness without fully understanding why she's so upset, wanting things to go back to normal without recognizing that the status quo was part of what was making her so miserable. As long as those underlying issues go unaddressed, 'forgiveness' is a hollow concept. Thanks to Parker's wishes to experience how to be a better person, he decides it's useless to even try.
  • Lexi was forgiven for getting Chloe into trouble because it was more an accident than anything and also since he fessed up to the mistake.
  • Amelia is forgiven, if only by Chloe, because at least they're trying to atone for everything they did.
  • Parker is not forgiven so easily for his actions and it will take a long time before anyone is willing to trust him.
  • Delia makes it clear that she has no interest in giving Chloe forgiveness for her role in hurting her son and everyone around her.
• Easing into the Adventure:
  • Chapter 1 showcases Chloe's life at school and the struggles she has with her classmates, exploring how she feels outcast and ignored in favor of Pokémon. We see how those issues are amplified when she's pressured to battle Ash, The Ace who seems to have effectively replaced her in the eyes of her father and Childhood Friend, along with how all the little slights add up until she finally snaps under the pressure and lashes out. She doesn't board the Train until the very end of the chapter.
  • The Prelude to Arc 2 has a flashback that explains what it took for Hop to get into the Train himself.
• Early-Installment Weirdness: Compared to Acts 2 and especially 3, Act 1 stands out as an oddball, being a mostly straightforward mix between a Revenge Fic and Accusation Fic, rather than a deconstruction of those types of story.
• Edible Theme Naming: The penguins in the Plush Penguin Car are named after the ice cream flavors they're inspired from. Except for Nico, who's based on sea salt ice cream and whose name is a shout-out to NicoB. Likewise, the Sorbet Sharks in the same car are based on Italian desserts, barring Aria who is named after the term Aria di sorbetto.
• Either/Or Prophecy: In Chapter 16, Lexi, Chloe, and Atticus decide to read their tea leaves. Atticus sees a turtle on one side, and a teacup on the other. The former is due to finding another denizen of the Unfinished Car (Hazel) while the latter is presumably about them going to the Fog Car (as one of the rides in its amusement park has teacups.)
  • In the same chapter, Chloe's tea leaves reveal a cross. Each of the members has their own say about it: it's symbolizing crossroads (Lexi), a holy place (Atticus), or a sacrifice (Chloe). Chapter 17 reveals that Alain is crucified while Lexi in the chapter after that realizes that the Grand Guignol Apartments in the Fog Car is named after a theater that was once a church.
• The Ending Changes Everything:
  • Chapter 16's final scene has Walter talking to his prisoner about the Evil Plan he and Henry are working on. The last thing he says reveals the name of his prisoner, Paul.
  • Chapter 17's final scene has Henry visit his patient in a hospital. As he brings them out, the narration points to the name of the patient. Alain Sativus.
• #EngineeredHashtag: invoked In the Intermission, there's a movement called #CallingChloe in support of the Vermillion City girl.
• Engineered Public Confession:
  • The climax of Act 1 in Vermillion City centers around one that Goes Horribly Right, as Sara, Yeardley and the rest of Chloe's bullies are all too eager to mock Parker with all the nasty things they did to his sister.
  • Chapter 17 features two more: Professor Cerise films Yeardley's Motive Rant on how he hated Chloe solely on the basis that she was a girl, and "Queen" Sara brags about how she manipulated the rest of the class into turning on Chloe, going on to slam each of them in turn.
  • In Chapter 23, Trip questions Bede to repeat what he said about Hop and then reveals that Trip called Leon who heard everything about what Bede said about his ilttle brother.
  • When they visit Le Chat Chalet Car, Chloe sets one up with Samantha to expose her role in creating Simon to the train.
• "Eureka!" Moment:
  • Chloe is trying to write a story in Chapter 5 but is having writer's block. She then comments that finding an idea is like chasing something that was impossible... which helps her realize what her story will be about.
  • The following chapter, Chloe realizes the answer to Titus's riddle — what do all passengers have in common — after she comments that anyone would've forgiven Lexi for his actions. Her answer? "Passengers have the ability to change for the better".
  • In Chapter 10, after Atticus and Lexi questioning what Houndour/Houndoom is like, Chloe admits that she's not really in the know of these things. But Atticus responding that he'd like to know tales of this species gives Chloe an epiphany of what she might enjoy about Pokémon: learning about the myths and stories behind them.
  • In Chapter 13, Atticus questions how they can convince the Apex to change their ways since they arrived before One-One became the Conductor again...and then realizes that by using the Infinity Train's internet, they probably can contact Amelia and ask her to help them out.
• "Everybody Laughs" Ending:
  • Chapter 4 has Professor Cerise, Talia and Parker laugh to help cheer themselves up.
  • Chapter 9 ends with the Red Lotus Trio laughing and enjoying some ice cream bagels.
• Exact Words:
  • Chloe's Home Economics teacher Mr. Pepper wanted all of his students to make 'their own curry'. When he's disappointed by the fact that Chloe followed the recipe exactly, she points out that this is her own curry. Unfortunately, he doesn't accept this and demands she cooks a do-over. Talia brings this up in Chapter 13, stating that Mr. Pepper should've been more specific on what he asked of Chloe and failed her under flimsy pretenses.
  • When Parker asks what happened to his sister, Professor Cerise just says that she's "on a journey". Technically she is on one, but Parker naturally pries further until he gets the full story.
  • Chloe has this happen in her story in Chapter 5. When the boy makes his wish to see his friend again, the wish-granter complies by transforming into the girl for a few seconds. The boy is devastated because he accidentally killed his best friend and what he wanted was her to be brought back to life. The wish-granter remarks that he should've been more clear about the wish.
  • After snapping and being covered in paint in Chapter 11, Chloe threatens to kill her classmates if they decide to hurt her brother, call her "Monster Lover" or cover her in paint again. Thus they obliged...and began pressuring her about getting into Pokémon. This is brought up in Chapter 13; when the classmates call her a "Monster Lover", Parker points out that Chloe told them not to do that. They respond that they couldn't call her that to her face, but can freely do it since she's not here at the moment.
  • Yeardley and Sara wanted Chloe's life, and their parents give it to them...by making them stay at the Cerise Lab because she never goes on research. They wanted to be Chloe after all.
  • In his email to Chloe in Chapter 14, Parker notes that she only told her father, his assistants, Ash, and Goh to not email her; so that doesn't stop Parker himself to give a status update.
  • Played for Laughs; when Amelia arrives, an Apex child shouts that "they're standing there...menacingly". Amelia proceeds to run to a wall, backflip and then sit down, and states they're "sitting menacingly".

F

• Face Palm:
  • Ash's reaction when 'Tri_pod' points out that their screen name is literally just his full name plus -od to make a punny camera reference. He later does it again when Parker starts talking about how Chloe loves ghost stories to Serena...who hates anything spooky.
  • Zeno does this as they watch Goh make an utter fool of themselvesin Chapter 21.
• Fantasy-Forbidding Father: Professor Cerise is deeply disturbed upon discovering that his daughter is more interested in writing horror stories than researching Pokémon, and initially reacts by going into denial, insisting that somebody else must be influencing her to get into such creepy things. After he learns of Chloe's talents in the horror writing competition and Parker pointing out how the Professor never noticed because of his work, he begins to gradually warm up to Chloe's hobbies.
• Faux Horrific: When Atticus mentions "The Ball Pit Car", Chloe's first reaction is to laugh at how something so childish could be terrifying. Any fan of Infinity Train will tell you it is not a lighthearted episode.
• Fictional Social Network: Chapter 13 reveals Pokémon versions of Facebook and Twitter called "Facedex" and "Chatter". The Intermission adds "ZuTube" and "TipTop".
• Five-Second Foreshadowing: The Intermission opens with a flashback of Delia accepting that her son is in a relationship with Trip but warns them to only show signs of affection behind closed doors as most people won't be accepting of it. Sure enough, when Trip kisses Ash in an attempt for him to calm down, this is done in front of Serena.
• Flashback: Many chapters have these to expand on characters.
  • Chapter 2 opens with a flashback of a younger Goh and Chloe eating some of Talia's beef stew pasta curry with Goh asking Chloe that when she makes her own curry to have him try it out.
  • Chapter 6 has Lexi recalling the moment Grace and Simon injured him and buried him within his own car. and another when Chloe remembers a time when some in her class made fun of her macabre interests.
  • Chapter 7 has Lexi reflect on an adventure he, Atticus, and Chloe went through in The Midnight Car.
  • Chapter 8 shows Trip's encounter with the Apex and another when Chloe was mocked for when she did a book report.
  • Chapter 9 shows Trip giving Professor Cerise advice and to not tell Goh about the Train and one where the Apex were torturing Nico.
  • Chapter 11 has the flashback of when Goh was "betrayed" by Tokio and one when Chloe's performance in the school Talent Show ended with her covered in paint.
  • Chapter 12 reveals how Parker convinced Chloe to submit a story for the horror writing contest and another shows Tokio being tattooed in the now jaded and xenophobic Calligraphy Car.
  • Chapter 13 reveals the time Chloe was in the Burial Ground of Blades Car, fighting against Zack.
  • The Intermission starts with Delia learning about her son and Trip being a couple and giving them her blessing.
  • The Prelude to Arc 2 details how Hop got himself on the Infinity Train.
  • Chapter 17 has Reggie learn about the Train from Ash and Trip.
• Flying Books: Chloe and Atticus enter a car that is home to this in Chapter 3 and spend the next to episodes tending to the books and finding Lexi buried underneath the ground.
• Foil: See here.
• Food Porn: It's a Green Phantom Queen story so this was a given. It's also one of the tags on the story. She even admits that she's not apologizing for it at all.
  • Chapter 2 and 3 shows off all the foods that Chloe feasts upon in the Corgi Car with most of the fruits and vegetables displayed actually being safe for canine consumption (barring the onions because they were planted in honor of Tulip).
  • Chapter 4 spends ample time on Chloe prepping and cooking meatball soup and Chef's salad for the flying books.
  • Chapter 6 is about Chloe's Unbirthday and the myriad of foods based on Alice in Wonderland.
  • Chapter 7 has Ash and Professor Cerise talking to Trip over Teppanyaki while Chloe, Atticus, and Lexi are at a car filled with penguins making ice cream.
  • Chapter 10 is filled with colorful foods Chloe ordered for the Red Lotus Trio to eat at the Hotel Crayola. The following chapter shows all of the food that the three eat for brunch.
  • The toppings of the rice congee Kurune fixes for her family in Chapter 11 are lovingly detailed. Chapter 12 shows off some dim sum being served.
  • Chapter 13 has the Red Lotus Trio traveling across a canal of cheese fondue and dining on Italian cuisine.
  • Chapter 17 has Arab cuisine front and center as Chloe, Lexi and Atticus have lunch at the Cyan Desert car.
  • Chapter 20 has Chloe emailing Parker about trying shawarma with delicious fixings.
• Food Slap: Chloe decides to slam a hot plate of curry into Goh's face when Goh states that he cares about her when it's been shown time and time again in the anime that she constantly takes a backseat to Pokémon. She then throws a glass of water at Ash's face when he tries to intervene.
• Foreshadowing: See here.
• Four Is Death:
  • "Love Psalm / The Cyan Desert Car" declares itself the start of a four-day epic, kicking off a countdown with the "Dawn of the First Day - 72 Hours Remain".
  • Referenced by Henry and Lexi, as Henry observes that their alliance with Amelia has made them a quartet rather than a trio.
    Henry: Four people who are folded in one over another because two's company, three's a crowd, and four is just...
    Lexi: [hissing] Death waiting to happen?
  • Henry and Walter are presumably the Arc Villains for the showdown in The Fog Car, having brainwashed, tortured, and crucified three Pokémon Trainers and are planning to trap the Apex in their car for a long time and they came from Silent Hill 4. Moreover, Alex Shepherd was part of the four founding families in his game.
  • In Chapter 20, which is Part 4 of the Cyan Desert Car arc, death is featured everywhere. Miss April tried to kill herself, UnChloe and the Unown are defeated for good, and Grace and Simon learn about the fate of the dead Apex member, Sean.
• Free-Range Children: Children free to do what they want on the Train is a recipe for disaster.
  • Discussed. Chloe reasons that it can't be too difficult to run away from home. After all, ten-year-olds all across the world do it all the time. In Chapter 5, Chloe's classmates initially assume that all children who leave home are just aiming to become Trainers, and are guilt-ridden upon learning that they can have other motivations like wanting to escape crappy lives.
  • Deconstructed in the Flying Books Car. Lexi was lost and gravely injured as a direct result of the Train bringing children like Simon and Grace on board and leaving them largely unchecked. This left him with an understandable grudge against 'free-riders'.
  • Chapter 10 has Atticus point out how dangerous it is for children Chloe's age to go out into the world without any guidance on how to take care of themselves.
  • Chapter 16 reveals that an Apex child drowned in The Fog Car with Walter pointing out that his water-logged body was dropped off at the place where the Train picked him up.
• Freudian Excuse Is No Excuse: Has its own page.
• Friendship Moment:
  • In Chapter 3, she and Atticus sit by the banks of the river in the Corgi Car as he tells his adventures and decides to join Chloe on one more adventure throughout the cars.
  • In Chapter 8, Chloe and Lexi sit in Butterscotch Beach in the Plush Penguin Car where Lexi tells Chloe of her good traits.
  • In Chapter 11, she reassures Lexi that she's going to help him with his problems as they rest in a boat on the lake in the Crayon Car.
• From Bad to Worse:
  • Chapter 1 is essentially Chloe's anger problems slowly building up until she explodes and runs away from everyone.
  • Goh's quest to find Chloe isn't doing well: finding her hair scrunchie after she mysteriously vanished, working himself to a fever for three days, learning that Chloe was always alone at school because he never went there, having his mother snapping at how he is the reason Chloe ran away, and then reuniting with Tokio and learning about Tokio's trip on the Infinity Train and then having Chloe coldly tell him farewell is not helping him out in the slightest. Then Part 2 has him see Ash getting close to Trip, any attempts for Ash to get him out of his funk failing, revealing to Leon and Professor Sycamore about the Train in the worst way possible and then seeing Ash leaving with Trip and learning that the Unovan is Ash's boyfriend. And then after his little stunt on Facedex has him grounded, he's at the utter mercy of Parker's wishes to see two nightmares of how his actions have heavily affected others and instead of help him get better, it drives Goh to losing his sanity and thrown into a suicide ward.
  • Parker starts Act 1 learning that his sister ran away, having to reveal to his parents about her interests and telling his dad that his sister is not insane for liking these types of things, telling Ash off that the Pokémon Trainer was an asshole for ignoring Chloe, and learning how much Chloe's classmates loved bullying her. Act 2 has Parker carrying his sister's softball bat so he can use it to hurt bullies and upon seeing Yeardley and Sara at the Cerise Lab — as punishment from their parents — he snaps, unleashing the Unown and ready to enact vengeance on everyone who hurt his sister in some way, to the point that Ash has decided to get the hell out of Dodge once the entire mess is over while Goh is still stewing in anger and Chloe is coming to terms on what she really wanted before she becomes broken just before she is needed in Silent Hill.
  • Arc 2 starts with a Prelude as to how Hop entered The Fog Car. Later chapters reveal how the Fog Car will be front and center for a conflict between the Red Lotus Trio and the Apex, and that there are two other Trainers trapped within its confines, broken beyond repair.
• Fuzz Therapy: Chloe is known to pick up, hug and cuddle Atticus whenever she's feeling down. Helps that Atticus is an adorable corgi king and that in some ways he reminds her of Yamper back in her world.

G

• Geas: In Arc 2, this appears as a punishment for Sara: she's forcibly compelled to write down the whole story of how she turned the entire class against Chloe, going into exhaustive detail about how much she relished trying to tear her down and ruin her life out of sheer jealous spite. And then Ash and his friends get caught in a similar Geas to be UnChloe's new best friends.
• The Ghost:
  • Atticus mentions various characters on the train when he recaps his adventures to Chloe. He says that Khaki Bottoms made a recovery — though lost an ear — and the Ball Pit Car is restored. Chloe also gets a message from Randall attached to her dress and Atticus mentioned that Randall offered a free "donut holer" for Chloe.
  • Tulip is constantly mentioned by Atticus because of the fond memories he had.
  • Grace and Simon are frequently showed in flashbacks and their portrait was hanging on the wall of Azada.
  • Gary is briefly mentioned in Chapter 20 when Molly teleports into the Cerise Lab via Gary's Alakazam.
• Gone Horribly Right:
  • Trip's plan to provoke Chloe's bullies into confessing their cruelty works far better than he'd ever imagined, leading to Parker being so enraged that he nearly starts cracking heads open.
  • Earlier, his efforts to make sure Ash understands his role in hurting Chloe and how he could've done much more to help her before she ran away ends up giving Ash a massive Guilt Complex that causes him to blame himself for everything...and when Trip starts piecing together that Chloe resented Ash for being who he was where Goh and her father could see him just as much as his lackluster attempts at befriending her, he starts getting worried that Ash will end up hating himself.
  • Act 2 provides another example with Zeno, who ultimately succeeds in his efforts to break through Goh's stubborn defenses and force him to recognize his mistakes. Unfortunately, once this finally sinks in, Goh flips over into intense self-loathing. Not only was he convinced that he messed up, he's left convinced that his mistakes are unforgivable and unfixable, culminating in his parents having to send him to the hospital’s suicide ward.
• The Good, the Bad, and the Evil: Act 2's main characters in the Infinity Train are divided like this:
  • The Good: The Red Lotus Quarto (Chloe, Lexi and Atticus and Amelia) tasked to help stop the Apex by dragging them into The Fog Car with Amelia also trying to rescue Hazel from Grace and Simon.
  • The Bad: Henry and Walter, who have done some very grey things in order to enact a ritual to trap the Apex in The Fog Car.
  • The Evil: Grace, Simon, and the Apex for destroying Cars, lives and ignoring the consequences of their actions.
  • By the end of Act 3 though, the Bad and the Evil have switched places, with Simon dead and a reformed Grace disbanding the Apex while Walter and Henry set out to kill them all anyway.
• Graying Morality: The story initially is as black and white as a chessboard; the Red Lotus Trio are good, and so are their allies, while the enemies they face are evil. However, as the story progresses, things start to become more complicated; not only do the Red Lotus Trio prove themselves to be flawed individuals, but the enemies they go up against gain layers of complexity to them.
• Great Big Library of Everything: The Library of Flying Books Car, which is filled with sentient books and paper beings in addition to being a repository of media from several different universes.
• Guilt by Association Gag: Ash, in a more dramatic variation. While he's never actually directly wronged Chloe, his growing friendship with Goh has further contributed to the rift between the childhood friends widening, as she feels overshadowed by his accomplishments and Goh keeps gushing about him.
• Gut Punch:
  • Chapter 16, or "The end of the beginning" ends with Hop obtaining a harpoon-pack from an Apex member...who had drowned in the lake some time ago because Paul (who is being tortured by Walter) let them die. And the two boys are part of some ritual needed to stop the Apex alongside Chloe.
  • Chapter 17, which ends with "now is the time to panic", has Parker unleash the Unown and is set to make Vermillion City a living hell and it's revealed that Alain never left Silent Hill; he's a "patient" and is being set up to be "Dreams" in Henry and Walter's ritual.