Your impact on other people is bigger than you think. Someone still giggles when they think of that funny thing you said. Someone still smiles when they think of the compliment you gave them. Someone silently admires you. The advice you give has made a difference for people. The support and love you’ve offered others has made someone’s day. Your input and opinions have made someone think twice. You’re not insignificant and forgotten. Your existence makes a positive difference, whether you see it or not.
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! ✌
This is the second time I've seen a video of this technique and this explanation is so clear! It does use more fabric than English paper piecing (EPP) but you end up with a double sided hexagon so don't have to source fabric for the backing.
I'm doing EPP at the moment but I have a hole punch to make the papers and just use leaflets and junk mail, so it doesn't feel wasteful. I don't think it's difficult either- in the video she mentions it's not for beginners, but I don't have that much experience with hand sewing or EPP and I've been finding it pretty easy so YMMV
I saw this video yesterday and was seized with the need to try it out immediately. Lookit my cute lil' hexagon baby!!
Here is what the backside looks like. OP notes this takes more fabric than paper piecing, but that excess fabric makes it already triple-layered. Besides not needing backing fabric, I don't think you'd need batting for this quilt at all. It's already thick and soft just from folding all that fabric into a hexagon.
Hexagon quilt tutorial video by tiktok user camelscrafts. Method:
Each hexagon begins as a 6" circle. camelscrafts does this by creating a paper template using a compass. According to the video, a 6" circle will create a hexagon that is 2.5 inches tall.
These hexagons are hand-sewn. Thread the needle.
With the fabric right side facing, find the center of the circle by folding it in half right sides together, then folding it in half again (wrong sides are facing). The top of the triangle shape is the center of the fabric circle.
Make a small stitch into the center of the fabric. The wrong side is still facing.
Unfold the circle. There will be a small stitch in the center.
Now the hexagon is created by folding the circle into itself: Take the needle to one of the edges of the fabric (it doesn't matter which one). Pull the needle through and pull the thread tight. This will fold down the fabric and create an edge of the hexagon. Crease the fold with your finger.
This fold has two corners, one at the top and one at the bottom. Put the needle into one of the corners and pull the thread taut. This will create another fold.
Continue this going around the circle until all of it is folded down, creating the hexagon. camelscrafts notes that the last corner pulled in may be a little bit "wonky" (no precise point in the corner) if the corners were not done precisely. However, that corner is pulled into the back, so is not visible from the front.
The hexagon is now formed. Sew around the folds in the middle of the circle to hold the folds in place. Tie off and cut the thread.
Attach hexagons to each other along the sides. With right sides together, whip stitch the sides together.
I swear I’m not dead, but I am dealing with a big upheaval (ha ha) in my life right now as well as some professional projects, so I haven’t had as much time to work on The Final Fight, my apologies.
But! It will be finished, don’t worry. I’ll probably start uploading new pages in a few months, one page at a time :)
In the meantime, have some random Zelda related doodles
Not dead, just hella busy! Much of my drawing time is being taken up by professional illustration currently, so I haven’t had a lot of time to work on my fan comics :( But! They are not dead :) just under hiatus until next year probably.
In the meantime, have some centaur studies of the Champions I did for warmup. The silly doodle I did of Link as a Shetland pony centaur made me wonder what the other races of Hyrule might look like!
Consider: An anthro opossum, koala, capuchin monkey, or anteater, who is wearing a t-shirt with a text on the back that says "if you can read this, I have no idea where that little fucker is".
if I ever tell you “lmk what you think if you read/play/watch it!” I am firmly inviting you to send me a play by play minute by minute cataloguing of your thoughts about The Thing
SproutingArtist @thesproutingartist - Tumblr Blog | Tumgag
