Dramatic Irony / Infinity Train: Blossomverse

Most of the horror and tragedy in the Infinity Train: Blossomverse comes from the reader being aware of what's happened and they can't do anything to stop it.

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The Main Trilogy

Infinity Train: Blossoming Trail

• While Chloe's friends and family are freaking out over her being gone, Chloe is having the time of her life in the Infinity Train believing that no one actually cares about her and not even caring about them at all.
• Chapters 2 and 3 have Goh, Professor Cerise, and Talia worried over Chloe's safety... while she's relaxing and having a feast in the Corgi Car, one of the safest places on the entire train. On the flip side, Chloe honestly thinks her father and Goh don't care about her or her whereabouts whatsoever, while both of them (especially the latter) are blaming themselves for her disappearance.
• Parker believes that Chloe ran away because he didn't love her enough. In reality, she felt that way about their father instead — and called him out directly on it. Yet Parker, who wasn't involved in that nasty confrontation, appears to have learned better than the Professor. In fact, Parker is the only person in the family Chloe loved the most.
• In Chapter 5, Goh resolves to be a better friend to Chloe, and hopes their reunion will be a positive one. Meanwhile, she had just finished writing a story where an Expy of him kills her in his ignorance and receives karmic retribution for it.
• Chloe honestly felt like no one noticed her at all; with her disappearance, she's now the center of attention at home and the talk of her classmates.
• Lexi wants to get his revenge on Grace and Simon for everything they did to him. Given that this is around the time Book 3 is going on, readers will know that he'll never get that chance since Simon is doomed to be turned to ash by a Ghom.
• Goh believes that if he can just find Chloe, everything will be alright and go back to normal. Chloe, for her part, has no real interest in a reunion, to the point that just the thought of another trainer being on the Train temporarily paralyzes her.
• While relaxing at Hotel Crayola, Chloe muses about how she hopes Parker is keeping his promise about not letting their parents learn about her macabre interests. The reader knows that he's already revealed these to them, even reading one of her stories.
• She also fears that, if her father found out, he would be embarrassingly supportive of her... or at least make a big show out of trying to be. The reader, meanwhile, is aware that the Professor is disturbed and is trying to dismiss them as 'just a phase'...until Chapter 12 has him realize he's been a complete asshole about it.
• Trip states that they have to keep the Train secret from Goh. Goh will learn about the train because of Tokio in Chapter 11.
• Chloe also has a minor epiphany at the hotel, realizing that there is something she could potentially enjoy about Pokémon: learning more about the various myths and legends surrounding them. This sharply contrasts her father's mounting stubbornness regarding her interests; as she takes a hesitant step towards being more accepting and potentially finding common ground, he's rejecting the notion of giving her interests a chance.
• In Chapter 11, Goh thinks that someone took Chloe's phone away and isn't responding as a way of mocking him. Turns out Chloe has her phone on her and she's deleting his messages as a way of burying him and give him the same treatment he gave her.
• In Chapter 12, Atticus has a suspicion that King Aloysius had been attacked by the Apex when the readers know that not only has this already happened but that the Unfinished Car is being "quarantined" under One-One's orders. The end of the same chapter has Chryssa mention what chaos that a box — delivered from Spencer Hale — could do.
• The end of Chapter 13 has Parker hoping his sister is safe with her friends, not knowing that she's doing okay with Atticus and Lexi.
• Chloe's classmates were deeply envious of her supposedly charmed life, despite going out of their way to make her as miserable as possible. Meanwhile, Goh was actually enjoying many of the perks they believed she had — but since his parents were letting him handle most of his schooling online, he wasn't even on their radar.
• In the Intermission, Leon mentally notes that Chloe suddenly disappearing is similar to what happened to his little brother...unaware that Hop got sent on the Train a few days prior to her.
• In Prelude to Arc 2, Hop (in a fog covered car) questions why he didn't land in some car with "green grass, blue sky and a bunch of adorable Yampers" — the same car Chloe wound up when she got on the Train.
• This happens twice for Goh in Chapter 15: as he's at the Trading Festival, he fears that Chloe is going through some horrible trial, when in fact she's asked to dress up by Sashay in the Drag Car. And later he thinks that Chloe is unable to fend for herself against the threats of the Train when the previous chapter had her beat-up Temple Guards with her donut holer.
• There's a bitter irony in how Goh blames Chloe for not doing more to reach out to him, Ash, or anyone else while slapping away and rejecting everyone's efforts to reconnect with him.
• In Chapter 16, Goh wants to warn Delia that her son has a boyfriend... specifically because he's hoping this will hurt Ash. He's unaware that she already knows and has accepted the relationship.
• Chapter 19 has Chloe finally email Ash about what she truly wanted this entire time, hopes to be friends with him when he returns, and asks that Parker just be a good boy until she comes back. Unfortunately, this is just a day after the hell of Parker unleashing the Unown and Ash firmly deciding to do what Chloe originally wished and walk away.
• After learning about Sean's death in the Fog Car, Simon tells Grace that they'll get revenge on the Null who did this, believing it was (Henry) Townsend responsible for it. The reader learns that it was Sean who was attacking Paul's Electivire who attacked him in self-defense that sent the boy into the water, not the denizens on the Train.
• In Chapter 23, Goh snarks that Hop must be having the time of his life in a place no one can find him. The following scene shows Walter brainwashing Hop and reverting him into a six-year-old mindset.

Infinity Train: Knight of the Orange Lily

• Gladion insists that everything he did was for Lillie's sake... while completely dismissing how she feels about any of it, or the impact his decisions had on her. When she confronts him, he dismisses her anger as ignorance and ingratitude.
  • Part of his indignation stems from his belief that he's the only reason why she was able to overcome her Trauma-Induced Amnesia. The irony of this is that's exactly what she's so angry about — because HE retained his memories of that incident and chose to keep her Locked Out of the Loop for years. And would have continued keeping her in the dark if not for circumstances entirely out of his control. Circumstances that he was furious about at the time.
• Though he admired the White Knight's nobility and dedication, he mentally notes that he doesn't want to be a bumbler who missed obvious details. And yet, his willful ignorance and dismissal of anything that doesn't suit his story makes him closer to that character than he cares to admit. And he also has his own dorky moments.
• In Chapter 2, Ash assumes Gladion is going through some trials and he'll ask about Gladion's whereabouts. Gladion is going through trials...just not in the Alola region.
  • Chapters later, he hopes that another Greenfield incident never happens again...Parker would like a big word with you...
• In the 400 Rabbits Car, Gladion tries to reassure Tokio that their friend forgave them for not showing up on time. Those who watched Journeys episode 32 recall that Goh called Tokio a liar and shut himself for not being there, and it caused more problems for Goh's friendship with Chloe down the line.
  • Kisaragi's plan to stop the Apex involves the Apex killing off passengers in an attempt to realize how much pain they put. Gladion rejects it because of the line it crosses and convincing the Apex that what they're doing is justified. However, as Blossoming Trail reveals, it was when Simon killed Chloe and the unsettling revelation that denizens were formerly dead passengers came to light that the Apex realized that what they were doing is wrong and it ultimately ended with them separated. So while Kisaragi's plan was marred, he was right that the Apex would be appalled by their actions.

Infinity Train: Voyage of Wisteria

• Goh believes that knowing the identities of White Gestalt outside of Gladion — as they are given nicknames like "The Ghost", "The Mad Hatter" and "The White Rabbit" — isn't going to be beneficial to him in the long run. But those who were reading Knight of the Orange Lily will recall that The White Rabbit is Tokio Chisou, his friend who was searching for Celebi. The next car even confirms it.
• In Blossoming Trail one of Goh's major flaws is his inability to listen to anyone. One Break the Cutie and a ticket on the Train later, the first steps to his recovery come from his Train companion, Warbler, who gives him what he really needs at the time: someone to listen to him and his own feelings without immediately telling him he's wrong.
  • Speaking of which, in Azada, Lexi states that he still is mad at Grace and will give him a piece of his mind if they ever see each other again. Then it's revealed that he wouldn't have to look to far; Grace was reincarnated as Warbler, Goh's denizen partner.
  • In the Comm-Switch Car, Warbler is given a voice and comments that Goh is a "ten year old in the big world who messed up royally". That is absolutely the pot calling the kettle black considering what you did as Grace Monroe at that age...
• After the Wham Line, everything about the train-side of the chapter The Comm-Switch Car is seen in this light.
  • Lexi vows to hurt Grace for everything she did to him if he ever sees her again. Turns out he has, as Grace is now Warbler. And he won't be able to cut her arm and see it bleed cause Warbler doesn't have arms.
  • Warbler questions what happened to the rabbits who had a date in the Music Car...if only she remembered that, as Grace, she killed Utahoshi and sent Kisaragi into a mad spiral to destroy the Apex by any means necessary.
  • Warbler mentions how Goh is a "ten-year-old kid fresh into the big world screwing up royally". Given who she used to be...
  • Lexi always makes a point to say how Grace was nothing but a vicious corrupter who didn't care about others, but as Warbler, she's much more beneficial and empathetic to Goh than Lexi is.
• Guide-Grace believes that her parents don't love her. It was shown in "The Hazbin Car" that they suffered for eight years trying to figure out what happened to their daughter, regretted their neglectfulness, and are sobbing wrecks upon learning that she's dead.
• Once the audience is made aware of the UnSub's history and motivations, the Serial Killer is shown having a quiet moment to convince himself that his actions, while regrettable, will allow everyone on the Train to live their "best lives." In particular, he recalls his friend Horace, the first soul he had ever "saved." Obviously, that first murder occurred long before the UnSub developed his methods for controlling where a soul will go after death, but still, Ogami is convinced that whatever happened to Horace, he must be far better off than he was in his first life. His soul is somewhere on the Train, free to spread its wings, help people, and live its best life! As it turns out, "Horace" did end up helping people in his new life as Tomas, the Denizen in charge of the Signal Car- until, as a direct consequence of Ogami's plan, he is chained up while his work is misused and Mad Ben forces him to use his talents for the warlord's own needs.

Spin-Offs

Infinity Train: Court of Cyclamen

• Chapter 4 has Bede attempt to commit suicide when he believes Chloe's prepping him up to become her next chew toy. The Red Lotus Quarto is and his teammates are led to believe he succeeded, while the audience knows he failed.

Infinity Train: Seeker of Crocus

• One of the things that Professor Sycamore is worried about is if Alain is brainwashed. The reader knows by now that yes, Alain's been brainwashed, and it's been going on for a while...
• Professor Sycamore decides to not tell Ash about Alain's disappearance... but if he did, he would've learned where Alain would've gone since Trip has arrived at that time with knowledge of the Infinity Train.
• After talking with his friends, Calem decides to not enter the Sycamore Lab to give the Professor his space...oh he has space all right.
• Rimuru thinks that Alain's disappearance is based on the Apex. Readers know that the Apex are just a bit player compared to Walter and Henry's schemes to keep Alain with them forever.
• The Ninjala Car: You can literally have a drinking game on how much of this is going on in the Pokémon world scenes.
  • After learning Gladion was on the Train, Ash asks if Paul is next. That and combined with how the group is hoping that no one else aside from Alain and Hop are in the Fog Car...
  • Augustine hopes that Chloe doesn't end up getting involved in the Fog Car. Readers already know that she's agreed to the Cage of Flauros. Moreover, he also hopes she doesn't die in that car...
  • Everyone (minus Parker) assumes that you can trust Alex Shepherd to protect the Windchasers from Pyramid Head...except in the Fog Car, Alex Shepherd is Pyramid Head.