Commission work for my wonderful @mimizukeii! A certain trio doing a late night deli raid to quell that raging sugar crave. Yummy~!
Did you know you can draw on your trainer card in Pokémon Black & White? You can also turn it into a 2-frame animation! How cool is that!!
Thats all for July! (& few I missed from April-June)
More experimenting with techniques! I don't really plan the rendering style beforehand, just going with whatever I feel like at the moment. And that's the whole point here, this is not something I'm aiming to put in a portfolio or something, just keep it fun! It's easy to stay motivated that way!
Emmet heading off for the holidays - first time alone. [Festival of Family 1/8]
Some WIPs under the cut!
I'm so tired of looking at this - the composition and colors were a massive struggle and I still don't know if I made good choices or not..
Welp, I've been holding onto this well over a year now so it's time to move on! And it's not the only piece I've been holding onto; next one will be the biggest of the set of 8 pieces!
Hi, I love trains! And the Trains in Unova have a surprising amount of detail? And nobody talks about it? And if I don't talk about it I will explode!?!!!
So despite Unova being inspired by New York you'd think the Battle Subway Trains would be based on The New York Subway Trains? However they look like they are more based on Japanese Railway Trains!
I'd like to preface before going into this that despite talking a lot about the Japanese Railway, I am not Japanese, while I did my best to research as best I can, some stuff may fly over my head, I also used an online translator for some information so it might not be 100% accurate.
Alrighty lets get into this! This is mainly for fun and its going to be under the Read More because it is verrrrrrrrry long, I hope that you enjoy!
If you aren't aware, each train in the Battle Subway has lore! All the lore comes from this Worker NPC on the bridge in Anville Town. Depending on the day, a different train will show up on the turntable, and he'll give you a little dialogue for that train! This dialogue is what I'll be mainly analyzing :]
Single and Anville Town Trains:
"This is a Single Train! It's the oldest train in the Battle Subway. It's for a loop line to go around the Unova region! Do you know Tubeline Bridge? The train that runs on it is this Single Train."
"As you know, this is a local train to Anville Town! Isn't it just so cute? This one is a little slow and heavy. When it runs, the whole train sways. The train car is the same model as a Single Train. Because it is an old train car, I hear the maintenance is hard, but it's the one I always ride, because I loved it as a kid!"
So! The Single and Anville Town Trains are the same model of train, you can actually see this in their designs where they both share the same face but they differ in the livery. (Livery is a term referring to the train's decor/color, the color is often associated with a particular company or in this case a particular train line.) I'm going to use this fact to assume that if one train has one feature, then it's likely that the other train also has that same feature. Such as how the description of the Anville Town Train says it sways as it runs, if that is the case then the Single Train also probably sways. (which sounds kind of awful to battle on, unless you have good train legs I suppose X_X)
It is stated that the Single Train is the oldest in the Battle Subway. I believe though, that it means the oldest train that is currently running in the Battle Subway. As there is another train that seems much older and no longer running, but I'll get to that train much much later.
Older trains are indeed harder to maintain, and expensive too. This is because the older the equipment, the harder it is to get its parts as they become more obsolete. Though I will say this, trains can last a long time! The average service life of a train is about 30-50 years, it really varies from train to train. These trains would most likely be on the older side.
There is a slight possibility that it has been continued to be maintained past it service life. Given how fond the Worker NPC talks about the train, it might have high sentimental value. Therefore if it is past its service life, it has not been scrapped or recycled yet because of it. I doubt this is the case though, usually it is never worth the maintenance cost (especially for regular operation.)
Like the description says, you can see the Single Train running on the Tubeline Bridge, here's a video of it! Apologies for the way I am recording this, I don't exactly have a capture card, but I wanted to show you guys regardless
You can see how fast the train is going as it passes below you! At least the just Singles Train anyways, seems to me like it's going about 20-30mph? I tried doing math to find the exact speed but that's difficult for several reasons (no idea how large a "tile" in Pokemon really is and objects in the overworld are not very accurate in size so I can't exactly do any comparisons. The perspective of the camera also makes it tricky.) Given how the Anville Train is described as "slow and heavy", I would hazard a guess to say that the other trains of the Battle Subway may run faster than this.
You can also see that each train is made up of 7 cars as it passes below you if you slow down the footage. Which is not surprising, you have to win 7 battles in a row to complete a "set" where you are then dropped off at a rest stop. I believe the Battle Subway trains to be electrical multiple units (EMUs) so it would probably make them 7-car sets.
It also looks like the Singles Line is very busy with the trains only being seconds apart! Now I know this is more a visual thing so the environment would be interesting to look at, but I'd like to think it indicates that the Battle Subway/Singles Line is very popular! (and very well organized!)
As for Real life train inspirations I think perhaps the Tobu 10030 series?
The Tobu 10030 is a version of the Tobu 10000 series with some minor changes, such as the design of the face and using a bolsterless bogie. (Bogie is a part of the train that refers to a frame that holds sets of wheels as well as the suspension, breaks, etc. in which the body of the train car rests upon.)(A bolster is a part that connects the side frames of the bogie and the underside of the car's central pivot point.)(A bolsterless bogie is a bogie type that doesn't have a bolster). The front of the train is covered in fiber reinforced plastic and the outer panels are "bead molded" (which... I have no clue what that means...) This series has been going under renovations since 2010.
Double Train:
"This car is a Double Train! This is a mass-produced car from a decade ago! Compared to a Single Train, the number of parts was reduced so it could be built for a lower cost. The number of parts influences the budget and construction time. The streamlined and beautiful design of the Double Train is still valued today."
So the Double Train is at least 10 years old! (That's what decade means!) Honestly though, I think the Double Train might be older than 10, in Japanese the description just says that it is a "mass-produced train from a long time ago" and doesn't mention a number... Another reason is that in the Multi Train description, it mentions that it is a test model for future trains that will replace the Double Trains. Which means perhaps that the Double Trains may be reaching near the end of its service life, which again average 30-50 years. It could be a possibility that this train may have a shorter service life than usual, who knows. This all speculation really.
As for lowering the amount of parts, from what I found it makes the train lighter. It would also probably lower the cost as well like the description says (trains are really really expensive to build! EMUs can cost $2mil-$10mil per car!)
It also mentions that it is a mass-produced car! It's a train made with mass production for commercial purposes! I believe it's usually for train lines that are really busy, where they would need a lot of trains? It typically means that there are a lot of them. (All this makes me wonder about train production in the Pokemon World...)
As for Real life inspirations, I think that the Double Train is inspired by the Tokyu 1000 series train.
The Tokyu 1000's design and equipment is similar to another train, the Tokyu 9000 series, with improvements such as improved handling and making it easier to do inspection and repair work. As well as reducing the amount of spare parts from the Tokyu 9000.
Multi Train:
"This car is a Multi Train! Few cars of this model were produced. This is a test car to develop future mass-produced cars that will replace the old Double Trains. The technology born during the creation of this train car made the Super Single Train and Super Double Train possible!"
The multi train is a test/prototype train! A little surprised that an entire line is running off a few prototypes. Like the description says, not many are produced as the purpose of a prototype is to test features and improve upon them if needed before they are put into mass production. Given that it says the technology from this train was the reason the Super Single and Super Double Train was made possible. I'm thinking it was most likely testing some eco friendly features? As it is the Super Single and Super Double Train's main feature.
Perhaps them using a model with so few trains means that the Multi line isn't that busy/popular? (Surprising then the train platform is not swarming with more train photographers haha!)
As for real life inspirations, while the livery may not be the same I think it could be the Keisei 3000 (2nd Generation.)
The Keisei 3000's body is made of lightweight stainless steel and the passenger doors have a paper honeycomb structure. When they were designing this train, they wanted it to be both environmentally (energy saving) and customer friendly (being accessible to elderly and those with disabilities.)
Super Single and Super Double Trains:
"This Super Single Train is a new mass-produced car! It's an environmentally friendly train, because they revised all the parts to drastically reduce power consumption! Newer trains have to be built in a way that's both functional and environmentally friendly. Compared to the past, they've improved significantly."
"This Super Double Train is a new mass-produced car! Such a streamlined and refined design! Beauty and utility working together! That kind of beautility is unique to mass-produced train cars! It uses the same train car as a Super Single Train. The only difference is the appearance. It is a superb train car that will go down in the history of the Battle Subway!"
The Super Single and Super Double Trains are the same model. Honestly the description of these trains doesn't give me a lot of information besides the fact that these trains are eco friendly. So I'll talk about what trains do to make themselves (even more) eco friendly!
They are stated to be eco friendly by reducing power consumption. I think it could be referring to a "VVVF inverter control" (it stands for variable voltage variable frequency. In English its mainly called the VFD or variable frequency drive.) A VVVF is a type of system for an AC motor that can reduce energy consumption! (There are two types of electrical current, DC or Direct Current and AC or Alternate Current. An AC motor is a motor that is driven by AC electricity.) It is important on energy saving trains! I won't get too much into how it works, but essentially it controls the AC motor's rotational speed by controlling the frequency. By controlling these, it can control the speed and acceleration of a train. You'll find that a VVVF is often paired with a three phase motor (I will not go into that...) Let's just say that these systems are very efficient at using power and help save energy.
Really, reducing power consumption usually means being more efficient at using power. Like using LEDs, using better insulation to retain cooling or heating, and generally using parts that use less electricity. It could be that the train is lighter in weight too (lighter vehicles use less power.)
Both of these Super Trains are mass produced! Which tells me that there are a lot of Super Single and Super Double trains! Its lines are probably busy.
As for real life inspirations, it is very much inspired by the E233-2000 series train
The E233-2000 is a little bit of an oddball in the E233 family exterior design wise. Its design was inspired by the Tokyu 5000 series. Its basic running equipment is the same as the E233 trains before it though.
I think it is a bit of a stretch, but I'll mention it anyways. The E233 (which the E233-2000 is a subsection of) is a train that has won the Laurel Award in 2007. The Laurel Award is an award given to trains by the Japan Railway Friends Association for trains with an excellence in technology and design (specifically geared towards commuter trains.) It could be what all the "beautility" comments could be referencing to? They do look verrry different though, and the E233-2000 came after the award was given...
Super Multi Train:
"This train car is a Super Multi Train! This is the latest train car! Improved acceleration and deceleration! Automated train-car controls! It's full of cutting-edge technologies. Also, a regeneration brake system, a car-body tilting system, a whatchamacallit system, a thingamabob system... I don't remember all the details, but it's just a big festival of all the latest technology!"
Ohhoho! The Super Multi Train description is a goldmine of details! This train is the whole reason I wanted to make this post! Let's run through its features!
Improved acceleration and deceleration means that it can run between stops faster, allowing for quicker operation time.
Automated train-car controls or ATC is a safety system on trains that prevents trains from going over a certain speed! If the train goes over the maximum speed permitted then the ATC will pull the brakes automatically to reduce the speed and release the brakes when it is below maximum speed. It also displays the maximum speed to the driver. It is an incredibly important safety system!! From what I understand, the term ATC is very common in Japan, in other countries the ATC would simply be a part of cab signaling (it is a safety system mainly for the driver and train crew, it tells them track status and condition information) and train protection technologies. ATC is installed on all Shinkansen trains, it is also installed in some subways and heavily used railways.
Here's an example of what it looks like! The green triangle there is the (current) maximum speed. There are a lot of different types of ATC systems and this ones a D-ATC (stands for Digital Automatic Train Control) from within an E233! There are a whole lot of different types of ATC, and they can come in many looks! I would show more examples, however, I have hit the image limit on this post... :[
A regenerative brake system is a special type of breaking that allows a train to generate electricity via breaking! The electricity can either be used immediately, stored, or returned back into the line. You might've heard this feature on electric or hybrid cars. It is a common eco friendly feature!
A car-body tilting system is a feature in trains that allows the body of the train car to tilt into a curve! It allows the train to go faster on a track (not needing to slow down on a curve) but the feature is mainly for passenger comfort! When you ride, you don't feel the centrifugal force at all when going around a curve! (and it makes the ride so smooth! Here's a short video demonstrating what it looks like:
There are essentially two major ways to do a car body tilting system. There is active tilting (forced body tilting) or passive tilting (pendulum system). A forced body tilting system uses computers to tilt the train using track data or sensors, telling the train when and how much to tilt. If the calculation is not done correctly, it can leave passengers with motion sickness (An infamous example is the Advanced Passenger Train in the UK). The tilting itself I believe is done via hydraulics. Forced Body Tilting is more popular in European and American trains.
As for passive tilting, the train in the video uses it! (A controlled pendulum train!) It means it uses natural forces to tilt the train car. I'll dive deeper into this type of tilting in the Wi-Fi train section because it actually mentions it's a pendulum train! As to which tilting type the Super Multi train has... it could honestly be either.
(Ah! I forgot to mention this, but tilting trains are especially useful in mountainous regions, where there are a lot of curves.)
In the Japanese version of the Super Multi description, it also mentions that it has a "earthquake warning system" and a "tornado monitoring system".
An earthquake warning system is not something fully installed into the train, rather it's mainly a set of sensors installed along the track, coast, and major inland areas. For passenger rail, if any signs of an earthquake are detected, it will alert any trains in the affected area and drivers are required to apply their emergency brakes. For shinkansen trains it will cut off power to the affected area which will automatically activate the emergency brakes.
Well, I found something close to a tornado warning system. There is a "gust warning system" where sensors measure wind speed and to predict where strong gusts of wind would go. Again, it's not a system that is installed within the train. From what I could tell, they would restrict travel speed during strong winds. If wind speeds are too high, then they would shut down the lines. (I suppose would be very useful, especially when there's some legendaries that cause powerful storms roaming around.)
In the Japanese version of the text, it also states that the Super Multi Train is also a test train. Which again means there's also not a lot of this train. It also states that some of it's features are unnecessary due to it being a test train lol
In the description all these features are stated as "cutting edge" and "a festival of all the latest technology" when these features are not all that new? And Regenerative breaking seems to be pretty common? (Every irl train I have shown thus far all have it.) Eh, I don't think it's that big of a deal. They are just fictional trains after all.
I originally thought the train looked like an Eizan Railway Deo 800 series, but thanks to the leaks, it looks like that the JR East 205-500 was used as a base to design the Super Multi Train? With probably heavy modification to the final design. (While I don't condone the method that these leaks were obtained, curiosity did get the better of me. This is the only train that I ID-ed this way.)
This Train was exclusive to the Sagami Line, though it ended operation in 2022 and every one of these trains have been scrapped. The blue color I believe is an homage to the Sagami River that runs along the line. The Train used a semi automatic door system for its passenger doors. Which means that rather than the conductor opening and closing the doors, the passengers would press a button to open the door when the train has stopped.
Wi-Fi Train:
"This train car is a Wi-Fi Train! It is the fastest long-distance high-speed train in the Battle Subway! This is called a pendulum car. Its body tilts while going around curves, so it can run without slowing down! Faster! Farther! Our engineers' spirits are infused in it!"
A pendulum car is a very specific term!!! Like I mentioned in the Super Mutli Train section it is a type of car body tilting. There are multiple types of Pendulum systems, There is Natural Pendulum, Controlled Pendulum, Air Spring (also called Simple Pendulum), and Hybrid.
Natural Pendulum is just using the centrifugal force of when it goes around a curve to tilt the train. This type was known to cause motion sickness in riders because when it straightened out, the car would "lag" or wobble. Sometimes the force was not enough to tilt the train and this would also cause passenger discomfort. These issues were fixed later with a controlled pendulum, where there would be a degree of control to the tilting. Using mechanisms similar to forced body tilting, it would prevent wobble and ease the tilt. The air spring method, as suggests in the name, uses air springs to help with tilting. It is similar to the controlled pendulum, though it tilts less than it (controlled pendulum can tilt 6 degrees and air springs can only tilt 2 degrees). Air springs are cheaper to build though and still are able to make the train go faster. Hybrid is the combination of controlled pendulum and air springs, allowing for an 8 degree tilt.
I hope the Wi-Fi train is not a natural pendulum? You're telling me you have to battle on that and you might get motion sickness?? Though it sounds like it might be more high tech so it is most likely the other types... Hopefully...
It also states that this train is the "fastest long-distance high-speed train in the Battle Subway!" Looking at Japan's tilting trains (that are not shinkansen), they go about 120kmh-130kmh (about 75 mph-81 mph.) So it could be a possibility that the Wi-Fi goes something along those speeds.
I've looked through Japan's tilting trains, and the closest one might be the JR Hokkaido Kiha 201 series? It's not at all close though... I can't really find a good match tbh. I think the 113 series seems to be a bit more closer visually.
The one on the left is a Kansai livery and the right is a JR Shikoku livery. They are both the same train, JR Shikoku bought the 113 series from JR East to replace some aging trains and then modified it. Which is why they look a bit different. The modifications include strengthening the front of the train and adding shock absorbing material inside.
So Those are all the trains that run in the Battle Subway! However there are 2 trains that don't, instead they only show up in Anville Town on certain days. I'll be calling them "Old Train Car" and "Futuristic Train Car"
"Old Train Car"
"This train car is the kind that ran a long time ago. Compared to contemporary train cars, it has more parts, so I heard it was difficult to build. The old train cars built with lots of small parts have their own unique beauty and attract a lot of fans. Those cars no longer run in the Battle Subway, but I hear they're still used in a faraway region. Ah... I'd love to be on that train!"
So this sort of car used to run on the Battle Subway. It's said to be still running in another region, though with how old the train looks I can only think that maybe it would be running by railway preservationists.
The design of this train reminds me a lot of old Japanese electric trains and trams. Especially trams with that double roof. I don't think it's really based on any particular vehicle? Here's a couple that I found;
The only one I feel like is worth mentioning is the Jomo Electric Railway Deha 101 (this specific car is the Deha 101, others of its kind are called Deha 100 type) and the Nagasaki Electric Railway 160 type. Both of these vehicles I believe are still running to some capacity.
The Jomo Deha 101 has been running for over 90 years. While car 101 still resides at Jomo Railway, other Deha 100s have been transferred to other private companies where they have been scrapped. I believe the only existing Deha 100s today are Car 101 and Car 104 (which has been painted bright yellow.)
The Nagasaki Electric Railway 160 type used to belong to the Kyushu Electric Tramway where it was called the Type 1 Electric Tram. When it was transferred to the Nagasaki Electric Railway it was renamed into the 160 type. Today, there is a single car in operation. I believe it is the oldest wooden car in Japan that is still in service.
I suppose I will also mention the Keifuku Electric Railway Mobo 21 Type Train, it does look the most similar. Though, it's purposefully designed to look like an old style tram.
"Futuristic Train Car"
"This train car is a new train to run in the future! Wooo! Cool! Super cool! The latest motor breathes fire! Uh-oh, if it really breathed fire, that would be bad! But it is full of the latest technologies! It's undergoing a lot of testing. It's called a gauge-convertible train. It's a sweet car that can adjust its wheels to run on any rail!"
So first off, I'd like to say that this train visually kind of looks like a "Sonic" 883 series (nothing to do with the blue hedgehog, it was just a coincidence lol)
However the description!!!! A "gauge convertible train" that is undergoing a lot of testing... That description matches exactly with the GCT! (literally standing for Gauge Change/Convertible Train, though in Japanese it's called FGT or Free Gauge Train!)
The GTC is the project name for this experimental shinkansen. The one in the picture is the GTC-01, the second generation of its kind (as this is the version they would be testing before and during the development of the game, there is now a 3rd generation.) So, the term gauge refers to the distance between the two rails. Different trains run on different gauges, they can come in either narrow gauge, standard gauge, or wide gauge. Japan's rail network is mostly narrow gauge (specifically Cape Gauge.) The main exception are the shinkansen trains, which run on standard gauge. This shinkansen like the description says would be able to run on any gauge. It used to be under a lot of testing by the Free Gauge Train Technology Research Association. Today though, the GTC-01 second generation sits on display in the Shikoku Railway Heritage Museum.
There are a lot of challenges that the GTC faces. It takes a bit of time for the wheels to adjust to the gauge and you need to go slower when it's doing so. It has increased maintenance costs. The heavier specialized bogie creates more wear on the rails as well as making the train harder to detect. (Ok! Basic explanation for Railway Signaling! Tracks are split up into sections called "blocks", and a small electrical current is run between the two tracks that makes up the block. When a train runs through, the wheel and axle of the train disrupts the current, which then the system detects that block as being occupied by a train. If it is occupied, the signal lights at the end of the block will be turned red, preventing other trains from entering the same block, thus preventing collisions. The problem arises in the GTC in that the wheel and the axle are separate, thus something about this is making it hard to detect on the rail.)
With this train being a "gauge change train" it really made me wonder what gauge the Battle Subway trains runs at? I thought maybe standard gauge or maybe even wide gauge because you can only make the train so wide depending on the gauge. And you'd probably want it wider so that there is more room, especially if you are fitting a battle arena in it! However in Japanese the description mentions that "The rails are a little wider on the tracks that run at higher speeds." Which is... exactly how Japanese rail works? So the Battle Subway lines are probably narrow gauge?
Another thing that's interesting about the "Futuristic Train" is the date that it actually shows up. In Anville Town the way that each train shows up is dependent on the last digit of the day of the month, like so:
0- (10th, 20th, and 30th) "Old Train Car"
1- (1st, 11th, 21st, and 31st) Single Train Car
2- (2nd, 12th, and 22nd) Double Train Car
3- (3rd, 13th, and 23rd) Multi Train Car
yada yada you get the point (4- Super Double Train, 5- Super Single Train, 6- Super Multi Train, 7- Anville Town Train, 8- Nothing, 9- Wi-Fi Train)
The only exception is the "Futuristic Train" who will show up ONLY on February 1st, June 12th, October 1st, October 14th, and December 30th, pretty random huh? haha of course not! These dates are dates significant to the History of Japanese Railway/Transportation!
February 1st: The opening of Japan's first electric street car in 1895!
June 12th: The temporary operation of Japan's first passenger railway in 1872!
October 1st: The release of Japan's first Shinkansen, the series 0 in 1964!
October 14th: The official opening of Japan's first passenger railway in 1872, with the first two stations between Shimbashi and Yokohama! This day is also Railway Day in Japan, celebrating this event, Tokyo holds a Railway Festival and train companies like to do events on this day as well!
December 30th: The opening of Japan's first subway line in 1927, The Ginza Line!
Rails, Station Platform, and More Train:
So the Station, there are a few details I can pick up on here!
The type of track that the trains run on (at least in the station) are ballastless tracks! It means the rail is tied directly onto a slab of concrete rather than having ballast hold it up (ballast is that rocky gravel that you often see beneath the tracks.) This type of track is quite expensive to build and makes the place a lot nosier, but it has a lot of advantages! For one, because there is no ballast to maintain, it has lower maintenance cost (ballast must be packed every now and again using a ballast tamping machine. Which lifts the track and jostles the ballast beneath it. Ballast also needs to be replaced after a while because the rocks have to be irregularly shaped for it to work, and natural weathering can make them smooth out.) It is also easier to clean and has a longer lifespan. Because the rail is tied to slabs of concrete the rails are less prone to deformation, which is good! Though it is also that same inflexibility means that it is difficult to change anything about it and takes longer to repair.
Their buffer! (that little black thing at the end of the line, I think it is a buffer?) It doesn't look like that effective of a buffer... The purpose of a buffer is to stop a train if brakes fail. Though this thing seems to be more for the driver telling them where the end is, hence all the, what I presume are, lights. Let's hope they have some sort of other safety system in place (like some sort of Automatic Train Stop system.)
There doesn't seem to be a third rail. I have a feeling that might be because most Japanese railway trains are powered via overhead wire (literally every irl train I have shown is powered this way.) Maybe the Battle Subway trains might be powered via overhead wire? I might be over analyzing here, they might not have thought of modeling such a small detail haha
The train itself has some sort of device on top (that box thing.) I believe it to be some sort of air conditioning unit. Given how each train car has one large unit on top of it, I believe that it uses a centralized cooling system, which means there is one large air conditioning unit. (There are 2 other types, they are distributed cooling which consists of 6-8 small units and centralized distributed which consists of a couple of medium sized units.) Central cooling systems are easier to install and maintain because there is only one unit to worry about.
Signboards:
The Buildings in between routes have a electronic news bulletin board, and depending on which city is connected to it, the news bulletin will give a little flavor text about the city. There's some flavor text about the Battle Subway when it's about Nimbasa City, and it different depending on whether you are playing the first one or the second one, here they are:
BW
"Run and battle! Trains never stop!” Battle Subway in Nimbasa City"
"They say someone who loved battles also happened to be a railway maniac, and thats why we now have the battle subway"
So, this might be a coincidence, but there is an old name that Japanese Train Fans used to call themselves. The name was "Railway Mania" (鉄道マニア direct translation). It was used up until the 1950s. Today it's seen as a derogatory term but it was used very commonly back in its heyday (even more popular than "railfan" apparently.) I think it is kind of interesting that the term "Railway Maniac" was chosen for this flavor text and I wonder if it has anything to do with this old name. However, I say it might just be a coincidence because the term "Maniac" is not unheard of word in Pokemon (Item Maniac, Poke Maniac, Hex Maniac, etc.) But regardless, there's that little fun fact for you!
B2W2
“Get on a train and fight!” Battle Subway in Nimbasa City"
"The energy generated by heated Pokémon battles is the fuel that keeps the Battle Subway running"
I'm going to get a little headcanon-y here. We can interpret this figuratively, as in if there are no battles then its not really a Battle Subway is it? But I think it would be fun to interpret it literally! What if Pokemon Moves could get absorbed somehow to power the Train? And if the Train doesn't need it it could go into the line to power something else in the Subway! I think that would be cool :]
Extra Stuff:
●I think the Battle Subway Map could also be inspired by JR East's rail map, the main reason is the single lines (dark green) which goes in a loop around the Unova Region...
Reminds me of the Yamanote Line (light green) which also goes in a loop connecting a variety of major stations together in Tokyo and is a very very important line!
●While I do believe Gear Station is inspired by New York's Grand Central Station, I do think there's a lot of design elements taken from Tokyo Station as well
●The gray bodies of the Anville, Single, Doubles, and Multi cars are probably meant to represent an exposed steel/aluminum body rather than the ones painted white like the Super Trains.
●In the Anime, the trains are said to have an ATO system, this is also a real system, it stands for Automatic Train Operation. It's a system that allows a computer to control when the train stops and goes with no driver involved! I don't think that the trains in the games run on an ATO system though, as there are Depot Agents who talk about train driving (Depot Agent Cameron who says "I’m good at driving, but I’m not good at dealing with Pokemon." at the start of battle, and a way more obscure Depot Agent whom you can talk to on the platform after 14 wins on a Super Train who says "I’d rather have an exciting battle than slowly drive the train.")
●In the Anime, there's a stamp rally, which is a real thing! There are station stamps in Japan which tourists can collect. Though, occasionally Pokemon will collaborate with JR East to create a Pokemon Stamp Rally! The most recent is this Pokemon Horizons Stamp Rally promoting the show! Here's a map of what stamps you can collect at each station and the prizes you can get!
●In the Nacrane city library there is a book that mentions that Nacrane used to have steam locomotives running through it!
"This book is about the things you can ride in the Unova region, such as Castelia City’s cruise ship and Mistralton City’s planes. Before there were planes, locomotives carried people all over Unova. The railway in Nacrene City is a legacy of those lines." (B2W2)
What kinds of Steam Locomotives? I suppose we will never know, as we never see one in game.
●There's an Roughneck NPC you can talk to at Tubeline Bridge in B2W2 where he says
"Watch it! People use “railway fan” as a catchall term, but there are many types of railway fans! There are riding fans, detraining fans, station fans, train-car fans, schedule-table fans, picture-taking fans, recording fans, and more! Don’t go thinking they’re all the same!" (B2W2)
So in Japanese, Railway is Tesudo (鉄道, testu 鉄- Iron and do 道-Road) and a Railway Fan is Tesudofan, however fans will abbreviate to just Testu and stick what aspect of trains they enjoy with it, so like 乗り鉄 (Nori 乗り-Ride, 鉄-tetsu) as a Train Riding Fan, or 撮り鉄 (Tori 撮り-Taking a Picture, 鉄-tetsu) as a Railway Photography fan. There are a lot of these and the NPC does go over some! There's also Railway Modeling Fans (Fans who collect model trains and/or construct model railways), Collecting Fans (Fans who collect railway related items such as tickets or stamps), Operation Fans (Fans who like researching railway operation and equipment), Regulation Fans (Fans who like researching railway handbooks and laws and regulations that go into a railway), Simulation Fans (Fans who like playing train driving/railway management games), Artists/Writers, Urban Explorers, and Railway Preservationist (I gave up on the last ones lol). There are lots of ways to enjoy trains!
There's also the super specific terms of "Mama Tetsu" where a mother becomes a railway fan because of their children's interest or "Oyako Tetsu" where a child becomes interested in trains because of their parents.
●The badge on Ingo and Emmet's hats probably represents the logo for the railway company that they work for, while researching about Japanese Railway Companies, I noticed that they have a lot of circular logos, here's a handful:
From what I could gather, these types of black and white circular logos are called a mon, kind of like a crest? If you wish to scroll about the logos, here is the link for the Wikimedia commons list.
The company's logo is also what's usually depicted on irl conductor's hats anyways, in the exact same place too.
(I was looking for a screenshot to showcase the hat to put here, but instead I found this promotional video! It's actually pretty good at going over the basics of what a driver and conductor actually do! Please feel free to check it out)
●The name "Depot Agent" is a little bit of a strange name, in Japanese the name is simply "Railway Worker", a depot is often referred to a train yard, however depot can also refer to a station, given where we see this trainer class working (at Gear Station), it is most likely that the depot in this case is referring to station, so they are station workers!
Final:
After all this I have come to the conclusion that somebody at Gamefreak really liked trains! And I really think all the little details are so awesome! and it really cements the Battle Subway as my favorite battle facility!
Anyways I hope you learned a thing or two and I hope you gained a new appreciation for trains and the Battle Subway! Thanks for Reading! ✌
(If I got anything wrong, please feel free to correct me, there was a lot of information I had to sift through and I am NOT an engineer * _ * and if you have something to add please do! I would love to learn more! ^ ^
THANK YOU SO MUCH GUPPY FOR SHARING ALL OF THIS WITH ALL OF US!!!
This is a most wonderful source of information on the Battle Subway trains made by our beloved & dedicated community artist! Interesting details are brought up both from the games and the real world. This is helpful for understanding how the trains and railway systems work and what kind of things they include in general!
I hope to add to this later with my visualisations (more "HD" versions) of the battle subway car designs, and hopefully get to share my research on the Gear Station design!
So about the Battle Subway... Miscellaneous! +Ingo and Emmet Analysis
Hi so I like trains!!!! Ever since I posted So About the Battle Subway Trains, I have continued learning about Trains and Railways (it never ends!) and well, it seems it is not only the Battle Subway Trains that has an influence from the Japanese Railway (with the occasional New York Subway sprinkled into it)! So here's another post about it!!!!
Being honest, this one is a bit less formal than the other analysis, but I still hope you enjoy it nevertheless ; -﹏-)
Same disclaimers as the previous Analysis. Also below the read more because it is… still pretty long! I hope you enjoy!
The Tokyo Imperial Palace
Now you might be wondering what the Tokyo Imperial palace has to do with the Battle Subway. Well, yesn't, it has to do with the Entralink!
I'll let this developer interview speak for itself:
Masuda: You know, the inspiration for the look of the Entralink (jp name: Hi-Link) is actually the Imperial Palace.
ーーー: The Imperial Palace in Tokyo!?
Masuda: Things like the palace's moats, stone walls, and remnants of the old Edo Castle—those formed the basis of the Entralink's design. The dense forest visible in the background and the stone bridge spanning the water are also modeled after features of the Imperial Palace.
ーーー: I was so focused on connecting with other people in the Entralink that I never really paid attention to those fine details.
Masuda: If the motif were New York, you might expect something like Central Park, but since the Entralink is a unique space within this world, we gave it an Imperial Palace-like feel. And if we assume this location *is* the Imperial Palace, a subway line couldn't run underneath it, right? That’s why the Battle Subway route map shows the tracks avoiding the area beneath the Entralink.
ーーー: So that route map held such a secret... It seems that concept behind the Entralink carries over to the other bridges as well.
Masuda: The Unova region—the setting for this game—is home to people of diverse backgrounds and ways of thinking. We wanted to express the exchange of these diverse cultures by connecting areas with bridges and creating a sense of significant change when crossing them. The "bridges" in *Pokémon Black & White* were created by carefully crafting the very act of crossing over.
↑↗ When you take a closer look at the Entralink's scenery... the moats, stone walls, and the stately stone bridge certainly evoke the Imperial Palace. Could the ruins of the broken stone wall be a nod to the fact that the Imperial Palace stands on the site of the old Edo Castle?
↓ This is the "Nijūbashi" (Double Bridge) found at the current Imperial Palace (technically, the name refers to the two bridges together, including the iron bridge further back). Try comparing it to the bridge in the Entralink.
↑ The route map displayed on the Battle Subway sign. Sure enough, the lines don't pass underneath the Entralink!
Yup yup! So because the Entralink is based off of the Tokyo Imperial Palace, and no train lines run under the real Tokyo Palace, it means that no Battle Subway lines run underneath the Entralink! Hence why the Single Line goes in a loop around!
Btw you can really see this avoidance irl in the Hanzonmon line, stations Nagatacho-Otemachi are it going around the Palace.
You might ask, why the avoidance? Well, there is a variety of reasons. Though the big huge massive reason is that it is still home to the current Royal Family of Japan (on top of that, the Palace is a historic site). So if they wished to do any construction they would need permission from the Royal Family and the Japanese Government. However, a railway company actually pursuing construction in the first place would be highly unlikely. Out of respect to the royal family and to preserve the site (and if a rail line actually ran through the palace it would also become a security issue), no sensible company would even try to build a train line through or under it, hence why they go around.
Hey, speaking of the Tokyo Palace, Guess what Station is really really close to it? Like literally a hop, skip, jump away?
Tokyo Station!
So in the original So About the Battle Subway Trains post, I mentioned that Gear Station might have some Tokyo Station elements!
While I admit the square shape of the station, the granite walls, and the green copper roof are very much inspired by New York's Grand Central Station.
However, there are other elements that I can't help but see in Tokyo Station. Especially from it's most central building! I know it's made of brick and it doesn't quite line up in that way, but the shape of it is sort of there. Like especially the steps into an entrance under a balcony like area. The pillars on the building's corners with a decoration on top of it. The central arch into the roof, the shape of the windows, etc.
I don't really know if it was intentional. However the Pokemon Company/Game Freak are located in Japan (specifically Tokyo), and well, Tokyo Station is their "Grand Station" so to speak. And not only that, the Station was actively being restored during the development of Black and White, so I'm sure it would be on the mind of the developers.
(Tokyo Station was damaged from incendiary bombs during WWII and hastily reconstructed after the war. It went from a 3 story building into a 2 story one, and the domes were rebuilt into octagonal roofs. The restoration started in 2007 and completed in Oct. 2012, restoring it to it's original state)
Though... That entrance under the balcony is not a public entrance into the Station (there is a central entrance, it's just not though that door). That door actually leads to a VIP room for important guests to stay in (there is also the "Plum Room" which houses the portraits of every single Station Master that has worked at Tokyo Station).
While Tokyo Station has multiple entrances and exits nowadays, the original entrance and exit was through the domes (Marunochi North and South gates). The original design for it was the South gate serving as the only entrance to the station and the North gate serving as the only exit. The idea of it is that it would force those transferring trains to look up at the Imperial Palace. Luckily, today you don't have to do all that, but the domes are still a must see if you visit the Station today!
and hey hey! What do you see when you enter Gear Station? a layout with a circular design!
Furthermore, Tokyo Station is rather famous for having 2 Station Masters!*
Tokyo Station used to be under the management of Japanese National Railways (JNR). They used to be the main railway operator in Japan, being owned by the Japanese government. Though in 1987 it was privatized and split into 6 passenger companies (JR Hokkaido, East, Central, West, Shikoku, and Kyushu) and 1 freight company (JR Freight) (please remember JNR for later, I will be bringing them up again in the future). The majority of Tokyo Station fell under JR East, however the Tokaido Shinkansen fell under JR Central. Both JR East and JR Central appointed a Station Master for Tokyo Station, so hence, 2 Station Masters!
*I've found some sources that says that Tokyo Station has 3 Station Masters. When they say that, they are referring to the Station belonging to Tokyo Metro. However looking deeper into it, it's confusing? Tokyo Metro is a different company so it works differently to JR. There is probably a Station Manager at the Marunochi Station within Tokyo Station. Though Tokyo Metro has a thing where multiple stations are grouped together into regions and there is a District Chief that manages all the Stations in that area. In the case of Tokyo Metro's Tokyo Station, it is under Korakuen Station Management Office. While it does muddy the water a bit, I believe in giving you all the information to make your own judgement >u<
Klink and the Age of Gear Station?
In the first Black and White games, there's this dialogue that you can get from interacting with the TV that talks about Gear Station:
"“Unova News”: Next up, a column in Gear Station is said to have moved on its own. We have an interview with Mr. B, the only witness.
Mr. B: Yup, I’ve done seen it! All of tha sudden I done heard a noise like klink klink klink, and then… rrrwrrrwrrrwrrrBOOM! And the column spun right ‘round! Then, when I heard that klink-klinkin’ again and looked up, something that looked kinda like a little gear went a-flyin’ away. I’m shore it was that little feller’s doin’. It was one of them there Pokey-mon Shore was.
“Unova News”: That concludes our interview with Mr. B."
According to Professor Juniper, Klink is only 100 years old at the time of Black and White
""Hi there! Did you find something? I think we're just about done collecting data. This cave has been around since the distant past, but… Data to prove that Klink existed more than a hundred years ago can't be found. So that must mean… Klink suddenly appeared a hundred years ago!""
Given that Gear Station has some sort of contraption that uses Klink and that it is called "Gear Station", I have to assume that this station was built to work with Klink (or the even Klink Line?) And if Klink has only existed for a 100 years at the time of Black and White, then I assume that Gear Station is younger than a 100 years old.
This can actually tie back into Tokyo Station too. Tokyo Station did not hit its 100th anniversary until 2014, 2 years after the release of B2W2! (and now has a partnership with New York's Grand Central Station as being historic stations that are over 100 years old!)
Of course, the Klink powered contraptions could also be installed after the Station has been built. Or they just fit right into the whatever Gear powered contraptions within Gear Station anyways. It is not the most solid theory, but I wanted to share regardless u_u
Subway Car Reefs
I was digging through a dialogue database targeting Black and White (and their sequel) and found this line!
This is very much a reference to the Metropolitan Transit Authority's (MTA) Artificial Reefing Program! From 2001 and 2010 the MTA took trains that were out of service, stripped them of any hazardous parts, then sinking them in the Atlantic Ocean to help create reefs! On top of the sunk cars creating homes for all sorts of marine life, the MTA also saved 30 million in car disposal costs!
The first and most notable trains to be involved in this program were the "Redbirds", a line of trains that were nicknamed that because of their notable red color. Now a lot of this fleet sits at the bottom of ocean off of Delaware to form the "Redbird Reef".
Through the program, over 2,500 subway cars were sunk. While not all of them held up (Apparently many of the "Brightliners" train cars collapsed in under a year), these subway car reefs are still a popular spot for fishermen and divers!
Mom Xtransceiver
So, in Black 2 and White 2 you are able to call your mom on the Xtransceiver and she'll give you unique dialogue about literally every location in the game, including Gear Station! Here's what she has to say about it:
Gear Station? : "Gear Station, then? The trains to Anville Town get overlooked more often than you’d expect! If you have time, you should take a ride!"
Although you cannot open the Xtransceiver when you are on the platform, there is also dialogue in the files for the Battle Subway
Battle Subway? : “Battle Subway! You sure like challenges. Keeping a winning streak going is really hard. But the knowledge and experience you gain from battle will make you stronger!”
It isn't much, but I wanted to share anyways as a resource!
Uniforms of the Depot Agents
So the Depot Agent's uniform! It's rather obvious that it is based on a Japanese railway staff uniform. Though, usually these uniforms stick with navy, black, or gray, but the Depot Agent uniforms are a rather iconic green color!
I thought it was to differentiate the Depot Agents from the Pilot trainer class. Though... is there anything for Japanese subway workers to have worn green at one point?
...
...
Yea there was (≧∀≦)ゞ
This is the Uniform for the Teito Rapid Transit Authority! (Commonly abbreviated as Eidan). This green uniform was introduced at the 50th anniversary in 1991, and was the last Uniform for the company before it was privatized in 2004. After privatization, the Teito Rapid Transit Authority rebranded into Tokyo Metro!
Now, I will admit they aren't fully green, the pants are a different color
And as for the hat, most of the time they are a sort of cylindrical with a flat top style hat, but occasionally they are the peaked style cap? I'll be honest, I have no idea why there are 2 styles of hat. I could not find a lot of information about it.
Jackie's Odd Dialogue
Jackie is a Depot Agent that you can find on the Battle Subway, notable for having unusual dialogue:
People have interpreted this dialogue to mean that Jackie is not-human in some way (love you Ghost Jackie <3). However, allow me to give you some information that allows for a different interpretation!
Overnight Shifts.
In the Japanese Railway Industry, practically all railway workers will have to complete an overnight shift, from Station Attendants to Train Drivers to Civil Engineers and etc. What is an overnight shift? It's basically a 24-hour shift.
To help you visualize this schedule, the Tokyo Metro employment website has very helpfully provided example schedules! Here's an example schedule for a Station Attendant:
Station Attendants work 2 overnight shifts per week:
The start of an overnight shift will start at 8:10am
Break at 4:00pm
Dinner at 6:00pm
12:00am they have the last train and final patrol around the station
At 1:00am they take a shower and get ready for a nap (they sleep at the station)
Get up at 5:50am
Get the station ready at 6:00am
Hand over the Station to the next employees at 8:10am, leaving work where they have the rest of the day off
I also have a video of a day in the life of a Train Driver that showcases this overnight shift and it has English Subtitles:
So to me, Jackie's dialogue could sound like someone deep within a long shift and at the end of their rope. Rip.
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Cool fun fact! There was a real life Jackie that was an important figure in the history of Grand Central Station! When Grand Central Station faced threats of demolition in 1970s, Jacqueline (Jackie) Kennedy Onassis (The first lady of the Kennedy Presidency) was instrumental in bringing awareness and helped saved it from said demolition!
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Emmet and Ingo Analysis
Everyone who's fans of them have already done an analysis of these 2. But frick it, I wanna talk about them too. There is most definitely going to be repeated facts about them that is already common knowledge, but I hope I do add something new to it. So here we go! Here's my analysis of them!
So what are Ingo and Emmet's deal really? To me, they have a whole lot of things blended together. Train Conductor, Station Master, Etc. I'm going to comb through each of these elements individually. Starting with...
Conductor Elements:
Let's start with the most obvious element! Train Conductor!
This is pretty common knowledge already, but all that pointing in all their poses is a reference to Japanese Train Conductors using a technique known as "Shisa Kanko" or "Pointing and Calling". It is a practice meant to keep the brain engaged on the task and help reduce the amount of errors! Therefore keeping the railways safer!
And we can actually get a good look at it in 3-D too! In Pokemon Legends Arceus! Not only is Ingo's battle stance a reference to his original sprite. He points when he gives out commands! I'd like to think he is using pointing and calling here in a Pokemon Battle (*￣3￣)╭
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This is completely unrelated to this analysis, but I wanted to share a detail I noticed regarding Pokemon Legends Arceus!
So, Ingo doesn't have this battle stance when doing the "You, Ingo but with Alphas" battle or any of the "Path of Solitude" battles. He simply has his idle standing position during those kinds of battles, no pose, no commanding, and no flinching when his Pokemon get hit. The Alphas he sends out are very obviously wild (They have red eyes and the Wild Might trait) and he has this to say before the Alpha battle: “Now that I’ve learned how folks in both my clan and the Diamond Clan battle, I’ll mix in a bit of my own creativity to transport you to destinations unknown! All Aboard!"
Which implies 2 things, 1. that the members of the Clans simply use wild Pokemon (which is a given, they don't use pokeballs) but more importantly, 2. that they don't command their Pokemon in a battle.
And sure enough, if you look at any Pearl or Diamond Clan (Even Adaman and Irida) during a battle, they simply cycle though idle standing poses (while the members of the Galaxy Team have commanding and flinching animations). I thought that was a cool detail ^ ^
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I think it would also safe be safe to say that they would use pointing and calling for other things too:
"Good morning! I know it's early, but don't forget your safety checks. Always look both ways before crossing the street. Come, let's go!" -Ingo (PMEX)
"When serving people, I've found that my experience from the Battle Subway comes in handy. For instance, when walking down a road, it's important to make sure the road is safe. Right side, clear! Left side, clear! All aboard!" -Emmet (PMEX)
The relevant slide is near the end at 3:39
Another one! The most relevant clip is near the end, ~2:43, but u can watch the whole thing if you want (◕_◕)✨
Also according to the designer of Ingo and Emmet, Omura, they are wearing a conductors coat:
"車掌のコ一トのデザインは線路をイメージしています。" "The conductor's coat design is inspired by railroad tracks."
It is noted that it is made longer to make it look more striking. Though, long conductor coats do exist. It seems that long coats are usually suited for working outdoors in cold environments, like when it's snowing.
(JR Hokkaido, this not their usual uniform btw, it seems this was donned temporarily to give out an interview?)
Ingo and Emmet also wear a blue armband. Conductor's armbands were a thing, it was a part of the uniform for JNR era and early JR era (when JNR split and privatized into JR, they still continued to use the old JNR uniforms for a bit) for Conductors and Chief Conductors on Shinkansen, Express, and Overnight Trains. Conductors are the ones in charge aboard a train, and a Chief Conductor was a step above that? their job being to manage a multi person crew on a train. So the armband signifies such, that they are in charge.
(Fun fact! Usually it is 1 Chief Conductor per Train, however there has been cases where there are 2 Chief Conductors that cover for each other!)
Though in modern times, the armband seems to signifies different things in Railway. Some use an armband to signify that the employee is a Trainee. And other companies like Sebisu Railway use it to signify that the employee is on guard and alert.
(Left: Early JR? Right: Sebisu Railway, it says "On Alert!")
Though you might've noticed from the picture that a conductor's armband is red. JNR did have Blue Armbands and they meant something different!
While red armbands signified a Conductor or Chief Conductor, blue armbands signified Passenger Attendants (and before they were called Passenger Attendants, they were called "Train Boys"). There were other colors too, orange and yellow signified a Station Attendant who was in charge of customer service, and green signified those in charge of train operations (shunting operators, signal operators, and yard staff).
A Passenger Attendant's main duty was to protect passengers, but they also provided information to passengers, handled purchasing food and drink onboard, managed personal belongings, cleaned train cars, and assisted Conductors.
Hm, yes, Passenger Attendants were technically a lower position than Conductors, but could be an explanation for Ingo and Emmet's dedication to passenger/customer service (but not the only one! As I will go into the next section). Though... maybe I'm looking to deep into it, maybe it's as simple as it's meant to exude an aura of authority ;- o -)
Station Master Elements:
Despite all their conductor elements, I don't think their actual job is conducting trains. It's obvious they are of a higher position, beyond a Conductor or even a Chief Conductor. And well, their title in game gives this away pretty easily. In English, their title is "Subway Boss". However their occupation becomes more clear in their Japanese title "Subway Master", which is an obvious allusion to "Station Master". So they are, in fact, Station Masters!
The status of their higher position shows up in their hat as well! In Japanese Railway uniforms it is common practice for Chiefs, Managers, Assistant Station Masters, or Station Masters to have a red band around their hat rather than the no band that normal employees would have.
It is also usually accompanied by either one or two stripes. One stripe for Assistant Managers or Assistant Station Masters, and two stripes for Managers and Station Masters. However, because it is Pokemon, it is probably simplified. Regardless, that red band around the hat shows they are in charge! Here's an example showcase by Keio Railway ↓
Eh? A chief also would also have this red band, couldn't that mean that they could be Chief Conductors? Well, given that the Battle Subway seems to be a regular passenger service train rather than an overnight one, there wouldn't really be a need for one. Besides there is a Depot Agent on a platform that straight up calls them their Boss:
“You beat our boss, right? Not half bad, hey! And now, super Trainer, you’ve earned the qualification to take on the Super Train! The trainers on the Super Train are really tough. If you want to know the essence of the Battle Subway, you should give it a try!” -Depot Agent, 21st win platform on the Regular Lines
While a Conductor is the boss of anyone on a train, a Station Master would be the boss of everyone in the premises of a Station! Since Depot Agents are seemingly mainly Station Workers (though there are a few hinted to be drivers), it would make more sense if they called the Station Master their boss!
For a large Station, a Station Master will have hundreds of employees under them (For Tokyo Station, the current Station Master has 340 employees under him, but if part time employees and other employees are included, that number would be about 9,000. For Grand Central the Station Master is responsible for about 600 employees). I've found this really helpful Management chart for Tokyo Station that highlights the parts that they would be responsible for! :D
(I will admit this chart might be a little outdated, as it was taken out of a book published in 1988, however, it is still the most clear from what I found on what a Station Master really manages so I found it to still be rather useful!) (Also I give both the original and my translation because tbh I'm not too confident on my translation using simply a Japanese Dictionary, if anyone else that is proficient wishes to give some feedback it would be most welcome ಥ_ಥ)
I saw a post going around claiming that through the teraleak, Ingo was written down as being 60 at the time of Pokemon Legends Arceus. If he was 60 during Legends Arceus, then he would probably around mid to late 50s in BW and B2W2 (B2W2 happens at the same time as XY, and Legends Z-A happens 5 years after XY where Ingo is hinted at returning home). And this is not really shocking if you know how the Station Master position works!
(In Japan) While there is no age limit to being a Station Master, with all the requirements you need to complete beforehand (pass the chief exam, then the assistant station master exam, then the station master exam on top of work experience needed) the technical age limit would be 40 at minimum.
You also have to keep in mind that the Station Master position is rarely open, so those that are able to get the position must have strong connections and recommendations. So it'll likely be longer than that. And not all Station Masters are equal. Station Masters of smaller stations have less prestige than the larger ones. Each railway company has a station that is the considered to be the "top station" where if you are a Station Master of that station you are basically "the Head/Senior Station Master". For JR East, that station is Tokyo Station (And for JR Central it's Nagoya Station). So at Tokyo Station, from the current handful of Station Masters I've got info on, the average age they became Station Master is 56.
To further the Tokyo Station Master position more, The Tokyo Station Master also has a unique element of hospitality to them. Due to Tokyo Station being such close proximity to the Tokyo Imperial Palace, it is the Station Master's duty to host and entertain important figures and guide them to their train when it is time.
"My younger brother, Emmet, would always entertain passengers on the Battle Subway..." -Ingo (PMEX)
"There may be no railways on Pasio, but it is still my job to get passengers safely to their destination!" -Ingo (PMEX)
It should be also noted, Tokyo's Station Masters have a serious dedication to safety too! In fact, hanging in their office is decorative calligraphy "無事" ("Safe") written by Zen Master Kumazawa Taizen, as a sort of blessing for safe operations.
"Follow the rules. Safe driving! Follow the schedule. Everybody smile! Check safety. Everything's ready! Aim for victory! All aboard!" -Emmet
As for Grand Central, their Station Masters are not as well documented as Tokyo Station. Though, from what I can gather, they also have a duty of providing hospitality and helping passengers in the Station! There was a famous Grand Central Station Master called "Mr. Courtesy", nicknamed so because he lived up to a quote that he hung up on his wall: "I am a little thing with a big meaning. I help everybody, unlock doors, open hearts, do away with prejudices. I inspire respect and admiration. Everybody loves me. I bore nobody. I violate no law. I cost nothing. Many have praised me, none have condemned me. I am pleasing to everyone. I am useful every moment of the day. I am Courtesy."
While I don't have any other specific ages of Grand Central's Station Masters, I do know that these people basically has worked at the Station for decades (40-60 years), working their way up to become Station Master.
In game, they are also rather mysterious. They are only mentioned by NPCs that are in Anville Town or the Battle Subway (aka only areas that are related to trains). And on the Battle Subway, they are talked about more so like a rumor
“Have you heard of the Subway Bosses? They appear only to strong Trainers, and they challenge them to battles. They are the Battle Subway’s bosses.” -School Kid♀
And when they are met, they still regarded as mysterious
“For being called a Subway Boss, that Trainer sure wasn’t as strong as “Boss” suggests. It was almost as if… As if they are simply gauging how strong we really are.” -Clerk♀
“The Subway Boss was a suspicious, strange fellow. I still don’t believe he was giving it his all.” -Policeman
Anyways all this mysterious air about them sort of lines up with how Station Masters are in real life. They are private people. They are simply there in the background to make sure things are running smoothly. Only appearing for special occasions for a new train unveiling or some other event. Now some are more open than others (and if they are open about themselves, it's usually because they were a part of a historical event), but typically they like to stay out of the public eye.
Clown (Yes but not quite):
While technically correct to say that their outfit are influenced by clowns, it's actually more specific than that. In their design interview, Omura says "ピエロ". Given that it is written in Katakana it is a loan word. And given that the pronunciation is "pi-e-ro", I'm very sure it is Pierrot. SO it would be:
"イメ一ジとしてはピエロですね"
"The image I had was a Pierrot."
"袖とかをダブダブとさせてピエロの衣装に近づけていった結果"
"I made the sleeves baggy to make it look like a Pierrot costume"
(Fun Fact! He uses the onomatopoeia "ダブダブ" "dabu dabu" to describe the sleeves, which yes, for the context of clothes means loose/baggy)
I find it interesting that Black and White was the game that also introduced the Harlequin Trainer Class. The Harlequin and Pierrot being stock characters in a Commedia dell'arte (an early form of professional theater) or a Pantomime (a type of musical comedy for family entertainment). The Harlequin's role being a competitor to the Pierrot for the love of Columbine (where Columbine always ends up with the Harlequin at the end). I don't think it goes that deep. But I find the potential connection fun to think about.
Overall, I think a Pierrot theme fits well! Considering that Gear Station is in Nimbasa "A bustling city of entertainment, with many theme parks." ^ ^
Video Game Boss
I think people sort of forget that they are in fact, from a video game, specifically a Pokemon game. Therefore, they have a specific role they play in said game and their purpose is reflected in their personality!
And their purpose is to be a Boss Trainer for the Battle Subway!! They challenge the player, to oppose them in hopes they are overcome to help you reach "an even higher state"
"Bravo!! What you showed us is a spark as Trainers. However, let me say just one thing. Winning against us is a milestone in your life. You can rack up more and more. Please move on toward an even greater goal!" -Ingo (Multi Train)
That's why I quite like the localization of "Subway Master" into "Subway Boss". While it does obscure the whole "Station Master" thing. It is also technically correct! They are both the boss of the Subway via their job and also a Boss you fight!
And there are various aspects of their design that also help fulfill this purpose:
"すごい実力者なのに、えたいが知れないというか、底知れない感じで、少し不気味なくらいのほうが挑みがいがあると思いました"
Google Translate:
"Even Though being incredibly talented, you can't quite figure them out, like it feels they're unfathomable. I thought it would be more challenging if it was a little creepy."
They are meant to look off putting to give you the player a greater challenge! (But despite that, they are actually both very nice lol)
While their all Railway elements are quite strong, I argue that it is merely set decoration, as the core of their personality is all about Pokemon Battling! Both Ingo and Emmet while they both verrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry much like Pokemon Battling, but they like different aspects of it
Lets start with Emmet, he's the man! The I like Double Battles! I like Combinations of Two Pokemon! The Mr. I like winning more than anything else guy!
"I am Emmet. I am a Subway Boss. I like Double Battles. I like combinations of two Pokémon. And I like winning more than anything else. So let's start a great battle in which every Pokémon uses various moves." -Emmet (Double Train)
Though it's a bit more than simply winning a battle that he gets enjoyment out of. It's when both sides clash, when both sides are giving it all, and then coming out on top is what he seems to enjoy most out of a Battle! Winning a Serious Battle! (or rather what he considers a serious battle.) And "if a battle is not serious, it is not fun."
"When you feel strongly that you want to win, that leads to the most intense and exciting battles ever! A serious battle is a clash of power against power and feelings against feelings. That feeling of wanting to win and not wanting to lose is real. When we clash in battles, I feel very excited! That's why Pokemon battles should always be serious!" -Emmet (PMEX)
"I am Emmet. I am a Subway Boss, but I lost against you again. But I feel good. Because it was very fun! You want to win, and I don't want to lose. That's real. When we clash in battles, I feel very excited!" -Emmet (Defeated on the Super Train)
(I feel a lot of the weight of their dialogue is lost when just simply read in a text document. When he says "you want to win" on the Super Train, he really means it!!!!!! I don't know if you've sat through 50 battles before but that's a lot of them!!! At that point you really don't want to lose that streak!!!!!)
As for Ingo...
"Thank you for riding the Battle Subway today. I am the Subway Boss Ingo. I will choose the next destination based on your talent. Do you understand Pokémon well? Can you hold on to your principle? Will you go on to victory or defeat? All aboard!" -Ingo (Single Train)
it's a little less obvious than Emmet (who states what he likes outright all the time), but he does state it in Pokemon Masters. And what Ingo likes in a Pokemon Battle is the strategy! Winning by thwarting the opponents tactics!
"Seeing through your opponent's tactics, taking risks... It's all so thrilling!"
"I can't get enough of that wonderful feeling of figuring out an opponent's strategy and landing a solid hit on them!" -Ingo (PMEX)
How fitting that then, when Ingo is dropped in Hisui, despite losing all his memories... He still creates the Path of Solitude Challenges!
The Path of Solitude is a type of battle where its one of your Pokemon vs one of his Pokemon (he is the Singles specialist after all), but the Pokemon he pits against yours usually makes you disadvantaged in some way, so it's up to you to overcome it, be it through certain moves, stats, or just over leveling (except the Mime Jr. fight, that one is just straight BS)
Both welcome challenge, both strive to better themselves, and it is because of their differences that they can climb higher together! I think in that way, they are characters that embody the Battle Subway. Where the whole point is to rack up a win streak, you win and win and win and when you lose, you simply adjust your team with what you've learned, and try again! A true place for crazy eccentric battle maniacs...
Extras that I have no idea where to fit it but here:
I know that some have compared their sideburn hair? to cowcatchers, but to me they kind of remind me of a Japanese Steam Locomotive
(Picture of a C57 for example) I dunno, the way the metal plates fit around the front of the boiler kinda reminds me of how their weird sideburns cover their face, but my brain might be fried this far down in the analysis (￣▽￣)
And! I've used snippets of the interview throughout this analysis, but here's the full design interview for Ingo and Emmet for your convenience:
Alrighty! that's enough! I hope you learned some stuff about railways! And I can say for certain that someone at Gamefreak definitely likes trains! And I think that Emmet and Ingo are very well designed, and all the pieces of their inspirations fit well together, and I like them a lot lol
This will probably be my last post analyzing the Battle Subway, unless I feel like something else substantial comes up! But it feels like I was pretty thorough, but who knows! (;‾◡◝)
Thank you very much for reading! Have an great day! ✌
I always want to make sure I keep the twins optimistic when I make angst but I can’t help myself when it comes to making the most use of Emmet’s varying facial expressions
So lately I've been really into Pokemon!Ingo AU's and headcannons, because theres just so much potential!
But I also have, uh, way too many of my own fics to work on, 2 posted and 5 unpoasted for just train men, not even touching the other fandoms... my notes are so cluttered...
Aaanyways, I've got no more room for my own AU's, I sure do wish there was an AU world I could build around thats snappy and fun and already established! Bonus points for pre-established art so I dont need to describe anything-
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Alright, so maybe @blaiddraws Worm!Ingo AU dropped right into my lap when I needed it to. Its just! So cute! Go look at it! The arts amazing! The ideas are stellar! How could I not!
So I threw a message at Blaidd asking for permission to post it on AO3.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
