Infinity Train: Crown of Hydrangea
is an Infinity Train and Pokémon: The Series Crossover written by Eli. A spin-off of the Infinity Train: Blossomverse set on the timeline of Infinity Train: Voyage of Wisteria.
Depicting the story of Goh's train ride in a timeline where the Red Lotus Trio couldn't find him on time.
This work contains examples of:
- Accentuate the Negative: The function of the mirror, like in the original The Snow Queen story.
- A Child Shall Lead Them: Goh becomes the next "ruler" of the Aurorae Car.
- Adaptational Badass: In the Blossomverse Goh often let's the fighting to his pokemon, and even when he starts learning to fight it's only if he has to. Here he manages to kill Ogami at least temporarily, and before that, he becomes the new ruler of the Aurorae Car.
- Adaptational Context Change: Lexi and Goh have their confrontation like in Voyage of Wisteria, but the way it goes is rather different; while both times are brought thanks to Lexi's anger issues and dislikes of Goh, in Wisteria, this leads to Goh snapping back and regaining some of his confidence back, while in here, it proves to be the straw that broke the camel's back, not only sabotaging any slim chance the Quarto had at reasoning with Goh, but also giving him enough evidence to destroy the Quarto's reputation.
- Adaptation Expansion: The Wild Hunt in Blossoming Trail was just a very early obstacle the Red Lotus Trio had to deal with. In here, they have an expanded role, being under the servitude of the ruler of the Aurorae Car.
- Adaptational Sexuality: Goh's orientation was never made clear in the original story, and his jealousy towards Ash and Trip being together came across as average jealousy than romantic one. In here, Goh had a crush on Ash, his heart being broken when he found out he got together with Trip.
- Adapted Out: Because Grace is saved from dying in the snow by Goh's group, she never ends up dying and turning into Warbler.
- Always Night: In the Aurorae Car, seeing as the best period of time to see the lights is when the sky is darkest.
- An Ice Person: Holda, the ruler of the Aurorae Car, has control over ice and snow, something she uses to attack Goh and Raboot.
- By the end of the first chapter, Goh becomes one too.
- Asshole Victim: Holda’s destiny is uncertain in the story but it’s fair to say she loses her powers and status in the Aurorae Car to the 10 year old boy she was trying to kill.
- A Taste of Their Own Medicine: Right before entering the Fog Car in Blossoming Trail, the Red Lotus Quarto took the opportunity to pull an Engineered Public Confession out of The Cat, exposing her role in creating the Apex to the entire Train. After the remnants of that group finally manage to track Goh down in the Aurorae Car, Goh takes the opportunity to post a recording of Lexi launching into another rant at his expense, painting a very different picture of the beloved Red Lotus Quarto to that same Train.
- Beyond Redemption: Goh's starting to be seen as this by the Quarto, taking their confrontation with him into account.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: The seemingly kind, defenseless lady Goh tries to help turns out to be an evil witch.
- Blackmail Backfire: Invoked. After realizing who Grace is, Tiffany Rose tries to blackmail her into helping them by saying how they'll tell everyone she's still alive if she doesn't. Grace is unfazed since not only would Tiffany have to expose this information while being hunted down, but her status as a former Apex member would only paint a target on their back in the process.
- Bluff the Impostor: How Grace manages to expose Dahlia; she asks about the rumors regarding the Aurorae Car, which she nonchalantly claims are all true.
- Book Burning: One of the traits that the Blossoming Trail movie gives to Goh's character is that he burned her books... Except it turns out no such thing was featured in the movie at all.
- Break Them by Talking: Holda and Other-Goh try this against Goh. They succeed.
- But Thou Must!: Mental variant; despite Goh being Properly Paranoid about the old lady, the voices in his head shame him into helping her whenever he even thinks of leaving her alone.
- Cassandra Truth: When the Red Lotus Remnants arrive at the Aurorae Car and meet up with Goh, the young Prince certainly has a lot to say to them, even if he's not exactly interested in "talking things out." For instance, he informs his guests that he didn't kill the previous ruler, Holda, the Princess of the Silver Forest.He also muses that it's certainly a change to have Chloe send people to protect him, after she slammed him in the face with a hot plate of curry and contributed to making him the number-one scapegoat of Vermillion City and the Train alike. However, seeing as Goh has not only embraced the fact that the world sees him as a villain at this point, but has been personally convinced that he ''is'' a horrible person, the Red Lotus Remnants (especially Lexi) see no reason to trust him in regards to how he got his position, and assume that he's just saying whatever would hurt them the most in regards to Chloe.
- Cute and Psycho: Goh is a cute kid who also carries heavy amounts of trauma and has no problem killing Ogami.
- Continuity Nod: The Wild Hunt carrying a Princess Check-List in a scroll.
- Cruel Mercy: Rather than outright kill them, Goh has the Red Lotus Remnants kicked out of his Car, before using the Nyx Circuit to deliver a message that makes the Denizens doubt the team's supposed heroism.
- Dartboard of Hate: Goh takes in the hobby of building ice statues of people who hurt him only to creatively destroy them after.
- Deconstruction Fic: The story deconstructs quite a few aspects of the Blossomverse:
- The idea that Goh would stay Hidden in Plain Sight in the Canals of Fondue Car is shot down, as rather than stay in a place glorifying his supposed childhood friend, Goh leaves.
- Goh's continued idea that he, Chloe, and even Tokio are friends. Other-Goh only needs to say a few words to convince Goh that after everything they've done to him, each of them are more of a False Friend than Goh ever was to either.
- It also deconstructs the type of “therapy” that Goh was put through in Blossoming Trail; nonstop diatribes of how much he’d messed up and what a horrible person he was, with any defense he gave refuted or completely ignored. As it turns out, having black-and-white standards for what is and isn’t “good behavior,” with no regard for context, ground into one’s skull isn’t the healthiest state to live in. Once Goh gets on the Train, he can feel that something is off about Holda, and that it isn’t safe to be around her. But every time he tries to politely break away from her, he ends up vividly imagining what his “therapists” would say about him “abandoning an old lady” or “isolating himself again,” and so he ends up endangering himself in the name of “becoming a better person.”
- Then Let Me Be Evil is also deconstructed while also showing how it can be justified: after being lambasted both outside and inside the Train, with the latter almost ending with him killed, Goh effectively gives up on convincing people that he's not evil, and becomes the new ruler of the Aurorae Car out of spite.
- The way "The Reason You Suck" Speech in the Blossomverse is used is either for the ones being called out to accept their mistakes or double down trying to justify why they did it, and for the ones doing the call out to get catharsis. Here, after Lexi ends up calling out Goh for his neglect of Chloe and his past mistakes a really unstable Goh (who was triggered by Lexi taking his Specter form) agrees, saying that if his existence is already so wicked then why don't make a favor to the Train and kill him in the spot? Lexi and everyone else present is understandably shaken.
- Of one of the most important tools that was used in defending Chloe's honor, the Engineered Public Confession. Throughout the Blossomverse, this was seen as one of the most unproblematic methods of achieving justice. People who had committed especially heinous crimes- Chloe's classmates, The Cat, Dahlia Hawthorne, and Carl- found their misdeeds recorded and shared to the general public so they could face justice. Throughout the story, the heroes had no qualms about sentencing these people to be Convicted by Public Opinion. After all, they had brought it on themselves by running their mouths for the camera, right? If they had just pretended to be a decent person for five minutes, then the heroes wouldn't be able to pull those schemes off. But this fic points out that recordings actually can lie- or at least, not tell the whole truth. It's certainly true that the microphone doesn't create footage- if a recording shows you saying something, then you did actually say it. However, no matter what the exact circumstances, a recording can only display a tiny portion of the story, and everything else comes down to context. For example, the recording Goh takes of Lexi shows the book hurling verbal abuse at a child who also happens to be the ruler of a Car, to the point where the kid actually asks for the book to kill him. While that's undeniably... bad on several levels, the recording doesn't necessarily show the slight mitigating factors involved. For instance, the fact that Goh was not exactly in the mood to entertain the Red Lotus Quarto from the start, or the fact that Lexi honestly believes that Goh must have done something to the true ruler of the Car. Simply by sharing the recording he had made of Lexi, Goh is able to portray the "hero" as someone who would be willing to attack a Car ruler out of jealousy or abuse a child out of devotion to Chloe. The last lines of Chapter 4 don't exactly paint a good picture for the future of the Red Lotus Quarto's reputation.
- The Red Lotus Trio became celebrities and beloved figures on the Train for their actions, but while some Denizens saw them being heroic, most of their reputation came from word of mouth. Goh uses the Nyx Circuit at the end of Chapter 4 to relay the news about Lexi's aggressive snarling at him and make it seem like he attacked the Prince of the Aurorae Car, potentially leading to the Red Lotus Trio's reputation taking a hit.
- Good is Not Nice is torn apart with Lexi. When he meets Goh alongside the rest of the Red Lotus Quarto, he acts like his usual prickish self, with Goh pushing his buttons until he snaps. Him delivering a "The Reason You Suck" Speech at Goh ends up completely destroying any chances the team had to have Goh listen to reason, not only causing him to close himself even more and kick them out, but then go on to send a manipulated message to try destroy their reputation. Furthermore, his abrasive behavior clashes heavily with the "Prince charming" view the news about the Red Lotus Trio made him out to be, causing the Denizens to begin doubting the group's greatness.
- The Red Lotus Quarto's Horrible Judge of Character trait also gets taken apart. They immediately believe Chloe's stories without a hint of doubt or questioning, while being all too willing to demonize Goh after just one meeting. The result? Their mission becomes a failure, and while they don't realize it, their words and actions are being used by Goh to destroy their reputation.
- Designated Villain: An In-Universe example. Since the Red Lotus Remnants had only Chloe's stories to go off of, they were already expecting Goh to be a Spoiled Brat who would take forever to learn his lessons. But as soon as they actually track him down, they're horrified at finding him as the ruler of a Car. Lexi assumes that he overthrew the previous ruler out of ambition, and angrily slots it into his reasons to consider Goh Beyond Redemption. The group is especially infuriated to discover that The Wild Hunt, which had tangled with Chloe early in her adventure, stands behind the young Prince. Chloe is left aghast that Goh would ever use his new powers against her friends... and overall, Amelia is already grimly considering that they may need to kill Goh if they can't talk him down from his atrocities. The truth is, however, that Goh's sole "ambition" is to be left alone. He has no idea how he overthrew the last ruler, but it happened while she was trying to kill him and use his corpse as a puppet! He's far from "oppressing" the Denizens of the Aurorae Car- they were used to that sort of treatment from Holda, but it actually took them weeks to learn that there was a new ruler, because Goh never so much as left the palace! As for the Wild Hunt, they came with the new job. They came to him unprompted to swear allegiance, and he's even issued orders to prevent them from harming people in their hunts! And sure, Goh did threaten the Red Lotus Remnants with his freaky ice powers- after they barged into his new home, offered to help him in the name of his former friend, and gave him a "The Reason You Suck" Speech that smashed his Trauma Button. About the only thing he does that fits in with The Evil Prince image the RLR have of him is going out to seek alliances to increase his influence- and considering that he's been nearly killed three times since he arrived on the Train, seeking out more power doesn't sound like such a bad idea. Most people, including Goh, might be convinced that Goh has officially gone to the Dark Side, but his actions just don't seem to bear that out. It doesn't seem likely that the misunderstandings will be cleared up anytime soon, though- especially after he decides to take in Grace Monroe.
- Dramatically Missing the Point: Lexi gives Goh a "The Reason You Suck" Speech, calling him out over what a bad friend he was to Chloe and how he's an Inadequate Inheritor compared to her... Which falls completely flat when one takes into account Goh isn't trying to become Chloe's successor and just wants to be left alone.
- Dude Looks Like a Lady: Downplayed. Only one hunter mistakes Goh for a princess.
- Elemental Motifs: The story brings out the possibility of Blossomverse Goh being associated with Ice. As he was often called insensitive, uncaring to the feelings of others and someone who isolated himself from human friends. Holda even tells him his heart was already made of ice.
- Evil Costume Switch: After becoming the Prince of the car, Goh ditches his grey hoodie in favor of An Ice Suit.
- Enemy Within: Goh has one in the form of Other-Goh, a mental form of his who claims to be Zeno's Good Counterpart. As in, rather than try to break Goh down over his perceived failings as a friend, he instead tries to empower him with The Power of Hate by using all the abuse he suffered through to go all out.
- Engineered Public Confession: This story reminds us why "engineered" is part of the title when Goh sends a manipulated message that makes him, as the ruler of the Car, come across as the victim to Lexi's verbal abuse and aggression, threatening to damage the Red Lotus Remnants' reputation.
- Evil Versus Evil: Chapter 2 features Ogami, the lunatic serial killer from Voyage of Wisteria, fighting Goh, who at this point has become a
Neutral Evil entity and the ruler of the Aurorae Car. - Exposed to the Elements: When entering the frozen Aurorae Car, Goh still has his casual clothes, and while he mentions he feels cold, it's not at the level the snow-covered surroundings would suggest.
- Eyepatch of Power: After a shard of the magical mirror falls on his left eye, Goh uses one of these.
- Face–Heel Turn: Goh decides to become what people claim he is as a result of growing sick and tired of being constantly told he's the worst without a chance to change.
- Fairy Tale Motifs: With The Snow Queen.
- Holda is an expy of the eponymous Queen.
- Goh serves the role of Kai having a shard of the evil mirror enter his eye and getting his heart frozen.
- Foil: As it's the tradition in the Blossomverse Goh and Chloe are this for each other:
- Chloe's journey on the Train starts in The Corgi Car where she is welcomed by friendly cute denizens who are meant to help her have a good time. Goh's first Car is full of fans celebrating his childhood friend's multiple feats and the first denizen he meets tries to kill him because he thinks he is a ''lost cause"
- Atticus, the first ruler Chloe meets, is a friendly Corgi that genuinely cares for her and is always ready to give her advice. As opposed to Holda who is a Bitch in Sheep's Clothing that tries to kill Goh after giving him another lecture on why he is a horrible person.
- As fighters Chloe is a close range combatant that uses a pipe and can spat fire. Goh is a long range fighter thanks to his chains and is able to manipulate ice.
- Both are mistakenly called "princess" by someone from the Wild Hunt and are shown the Princess Check-List. Chloe takes quick offense to being called that while Goh, after his initial confusion, doesn't really mind.
- As part of their journeys to confront a danger to the Train itself, both Chloe and Goh reach levels of power and influence well above most human Passengers. Chloe earned hers gradually, as she journeyed across the Train and became a symbol of resistance against the Apex. She gained Lexi as a friend after happening upon him in Azada. She earned the Cloak of Marchosias and Wepwawet for passing Olmec's trials in the Hidden Temple Car (and Atticus earned an Amulet of Life at the same time, which ended up being used on her.) And finally, she gained the power to summon demons after losing a chariot race in the Cyan Desert Car! Chloe never sought out these power-ups, or seemed to find them in any way unusual- perhaps because she wasn't really aware that she was receiving far more "gifts" than the average Passenger throughout her journey. The implication was that she was getting a leg up because of her videos rallying people against the Apex; the group was such a known threat that everyone wished to chip in to defeat them. In Voyage of Wisteria, she did end up admitting that perhaps Olmec was overly generous, all things considered, but she was hardly going to turn the powers down while she was in dangerous territory! Goh, in contrast, received a good chunk of his power and influence in one go- because Holda, the magically powerful Princess of the Silver Forest, tried to kill him... and in fighting her off, he somehow found himself in possession of her power and title! Afterwards, however, he does make a conscious effort to expand his influence and gain some allies- because he is one of the few people who knows about Ogami. Thus, Goh is perfectly aware that there is an immortal, superpowered killer who is hunting down those he considers "hopeless cases"- and Goh in particular is on his watchlist! So getting more supporters sounds like a wonderful idea.
- Additionally, Goh and Chloe act as Foils in regard to the reactions they got upon gaining those powers. By the time Chloe started getting her power-ups, she was already renowned across the Train as a great hero. Among those who noticed her growing power, (and the average civilian wouldn't; stories started circulating about Chloe in short order, claiming that she was a powerful witch) the prospect was unambiguously positive, and even comforting. In contrast, Goh was a largely unknown figure, and what was known about him wasn't exactly positive. So while most of the Train might see his ascension as business as usual- just another Car ruler being appointed- Chloe's friends from the Red Lotus Quartet are already laying contingency plans just in case Goh proves to be a threat to the Train.
- For Want Of A Nail: Goh doesn't accept the job as a janitor in the malasada shop and leaves the Cannals of Fondue Car before the Red Lotus Trio could find him.
- This starts to have serious consequences as the story progresses. Since the Red Lotus Remnants never tracked Goh to the Canals of Fondue Car, they didn't learn about his near-death at the hands of Ogami- and thus, they are completely blind to the Unsub's plans for the Infinity Train. Instead, the heroes assume that Goh took over a Car to satisfy his own ambitions... and thus, they are focused upon either talking some sense into the boy, or removing him before he endangers the Train.
- Greater-Scope Villain: Mostly due to consequence, Chloe, Tokio, and Trip serve as this, as their actions in regards to Goh is what finally pushes him over the edge and makes him pull a Then Let Me Be Evil.
- And of course, looming over all of them, Parker, UnChloe, and Zeno bear a large portion of the guilt. While no one was blameless in the messy situation in Vermillion City, most of the participants did have good intentions. Chloe, Trip, and Tokio may have wronged Goh, but he had his own issues in making himself understood. Deep in their hearts, all of them wanted to do right by each other and be friends, and in a world without the Infinity Train, perhaps they could have achieved that with time, effort, and professional help. However, Parker and his Unown creations drastically complicated the situation, and their... dedicated effort towards convincing Goh that he was a horrible person reaches its logical conclusion in this story. Battered by the treatment he's received these past few months, Goh decides to take Parker and Zeno at their words... and determined that if the world was gonna make him the bad guy, he might as well give them what they want.
- Hopeless Suitor: It's revealed that Goh has a crush on Ash, but seeing as the latter is in a happy relationship with Trip, it's clear Ash doesn't return his affections.
- Horrible Judge of Character: Since the Red Lotus Remnants are going entirely off of Chloe's horror stories of home, they had formed the picture of Goh as a self-absorbed bully who never actually cared for Chloe before they even met him. Their first meeting with the young Prince didn't exactly improve their opinion of the boy. Now, they are giving legitimate consideration to the idea that this ten-year-old boy might have killed the Princess of the Silver Forest and enslaved the people of the Aurorae Car solely out of lust for power! It's to the point where Amelia keeps cautioning Chloe not to get her hopes up about Goh being Brainwashed and Crazy... because the Red Lotus Remnants have already discussed how they might need to remove Goh from power if he turns out to not be under anyone's influence.
- As a corollary to this, the RLR maintain a rose-tinted view of Chloe. Lexi, especially, practically goes rabid at any insult towards her, while Amelia considers her one of her daughters along with Hazel. When it comes to the current messy situation, both of them reserve all their pity for Chloe having to hear about her former friend's misdeeds, and wonder how someone like Chloe could possibly have befriended someone like Goh. The idea that Chloe's narrative might not have been 100% accurate plainly hasn't yet occurred to them.
- Horrifying the Horror: Goh essentially makes Lexi wet himself when he not only agrees with his "The Reason You Suck" Speech with a maniacal laugh, but then try force him to kill him in order to get rid of his existence.
- Hourglass Plot: In Blossoming Trail, Goh spent quite a lot of time searching for Chloe, desperate to bring her back home whatever it took- even if he had to follow her onto the Train. Now that Goh is on the Train, it's Chloe's turn. She's grown used to being "The Hero of the Train," so once she discovers the Snow Queen motifs, she decides that it's up to her to rescue her friend. The difference is that the instant Chloe voiced this plan, she was reassured that her friends had it covered, and she should "Stay home, relax, and fix what you can there." Goh, meanwhile, was Locked Out of the Loop as long as possible, before being given a "The Reason You Suck" Speech telling him to shape up. Trip, the one who formulated this plan, believed that Goh's "obsession" with finding Chloe couldn't help, and that he just didn't care enough about his Childhood Friend to need reassurance of her safety.
- Ice Palace: Fitting for the home of the ruler of a car with an Endless Winter.
- Inadequate Inheritor: Part of Lexi's "The Reason You Suck" Speech involved him calling Goh this. Goh's predecessor, Chloe of the Vermillion, was beloved by the entire Infinity Train. She had endured so much back home, but had pulled herself out with her strength and compassion intact. She was a warrior, a writer, and a protector, and she had saved the entire Train from the threat of the Apex. But now she had returned home, after a mere two months, and who was the Train left with in her place? Goh Fujihachi. A boy who had everything handed to him on a silver platter back home, but couldn't spare a moment to care about his "Childhood Friend". A boy whose first and only concern was what he wanted at any given moment, who honestly expected Chloe to stay in the hell that was her home simply because he wanted things to stay the same. The very same boy who would doubtless not even care if Chloe ended up killing herself as a result of the bullying, since he was so focused on his "stupid goals" instead of her. With that in mind, does Goh really believe that this was an even trade? However, it doesn't take much to see Lexi's Dramatically Missing the Point, since Goh isn't even trying to take Chloe's place as the supposed "hero of the Infinity Train" and would much rather be left alone.
- Klingon Promotion: As explained in the Author's Notes, the way Holda addressed Goh, and later froze his heart, designated him as her "heir" in the eyes of the Train. When Goh and his Pokemon ended up defeating her, he succeeded her as the Prince of the Silver Forest, ruler of the Aurorae Car.
- Morality Pet: Raboot and Sobble are this for Goh. Even with his new persona, he is still kind and protective of his pokemon. Cyrene suggesting he could fatten Raboot to later use him for a hunt and Hazel accidentally making Sobble cry causes him to retaliate.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Lexi effectively ruins the Red Lotus Quarto's chance to fulfill their promise to keep Goh safe by choosing to give him a "The Reason You Suck" Speech when they meet, even going so far as to enter his Specter form to do it. And if the ending of Chapter 4 is to be believed, this action could also lead to the Red Lotus Trio's reputation taking a big hit.
- No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: Goh's kind act of helping an old lady go back to her home ends up with him almost getting murdered.
- One Side of the Story: After being on the receiving end of this trope through most of the original trilogy, Goh gets a chance to use it to his advantage when he uses the Nyx Circuit to deliver a manipulated message meant to portray him as a hapless victim and the Red Lotus Quarto, particularly Lexi, as his attackers.
- Our Giants Are Bigger: Chapter 5 involves Goh traveling to a car of frost giants to prove himself as Holda's successor to said giants.
- Poor Communication Kills: A classic Blossomverse example. Once they finally heard from the Red Lotus Remnants, Ash and Chloe were at a loss regarding what they should tell Goh's parents. History Repeats as they elect not to tell them anything until they had sorted out the whole "Goh became a tyrant" question- Ash in particular was hoping that the next time Goh and his parents spoke, it could be a heartwarming surprise video call. But finally, Ash does call the Fujihachis- only to learn that the "villainous" young Prince was making sure to email his parents on a regular basis! The Fujihachis hadn’t mentioned it because Goh told them that Ash and Chloe knew he was alive, so they assumed in turn that Goh's friends were getting messages from him! Ash outright reflects that everyone needs to keep working on their communication skills. And just to make the entire scenario messier, Goh had thought that Ash and Chloe would have learned about his new phone within days, even if he had taken steps to keep them ignorant. Since they never tried to get in contact with him, Goh falls into the same trap Chloe did in assuming that they didn’t care about him- which Mirror Goh is happy to encourage, naturally.
- Psychic Nosebleed: After temporarily killing Ogami, Goh's nose begins to bleed, demonstrating that using his new powers still takes a toll on him.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Chapter 4 has Lexi call out Goh over his neglect and past mistakes regarding Chloe, going so far as to claim he and the Red Lotus Quarto are her real friends. However, unlike is typical of Blossomverse affair, Goh effectively shuts down Lexi's argument by not only agreeing with him, but egging him to kill him, since everything he says make it sound like it would be better if he was gone.
- Selective Obliviousness: After Chloe starts feeling unsure of how much actually she knows about Goh, she decides to look through his phone to get a better picture of her Childhood Friend. In doing so, she discovers dozens of photos of Goh's recent adventures- pictures of his Pokemon, days spent with Ash, a few selfies as the introverted Goh started to come out of his shell. The final photo Chloe found was of the two boys together along with all of Goh's Pokemon- Ash with his arms around Goh, and Goh blushing in response. Seeing all of these photos is enough to enrage Chloe to the point where she hit a nearby tree with her beloved bat. Not because these pictures proved that Goh truly did love his Pokemon and Ash, and thus that Vermillion had used him as The Scapegoat unfairly, but because she took that to mean that Goh deliberately neglected her, since he was quite capable of caring for Ash but found her "unworthy." She somehow manages to skip over three photo collections that show how desperately Goh had been searching for her after her disappearance.
- Sketchy Successor: Naturally, the frost giants in the car that Goh visits are rather skeptical of Goh claiming to be Holda's successor.
- Spared by the Adaptation: Grace Monroe survives Ogami's attack.
- Spiteful Suicide: Inverted. When Ogami pays Goh a visit after becoming the new ruler of the Aurorae Car, and is asked why he hasn't tried to kill him, Ogami explains that he was hoping Goh would off himself and save him the trouble. Goh then responds that he stayed alive to spite him.
- Stating the Simple Solution: Played for Drama. After getting a "The Reason You Suck" Speech speech from Lexi, he outright tells the paper prince to kill him, since his and everybody else in Vermillion City's slander of him makes it clear they think he would be better off dead, but are nowhere near willing to walk the talk.
- Then Let Me Be Evil: After being constantly called out and lambasted about his coldness and selfishness, Goh decides it's useless to try to change and performs a Face–Heel Turn.
- The Wild Hunt: What Goh describes as a ghostly parade of Lycanrocs and Rapidash riders that wander around the car hunting small preys and treasures.
- It's later revealed they serve the ruler of the car in exchange for getting to hunt in there.
- Underestimating Badassery: Holda certainly sees some "potential" in Goh when he arrives in the Aurorae Car. However, that potential entirely revolves around being useful as a pawn. She apparently completely buys into the conventional interpretation of Goh as a cold-hearted monster, and thinks that she won't need to do much to repurpose him. But she completely disregards any possibility of Goh and his companions being able to resist her attempt. To her, Goh is merely useful as a glorified Snowlem and bait for the great Chloe of the Vermillion, assuming he hasn't managed to alienate even a hero like her with his selfishness. Apparently the Princess of the Silver Forest completely missed what sort of a universe that heroine had come from, and so never even acknowledged Raboot or Sobble, even when any fan of Pokemon would give excellent odds of them versus Holda. It doesn't end well for her.
- Undying Loyalty: Even if they know Goh is not the same, Raboot and Sobble are still in Goh's side.
- Winter Royal Lady: Holda. The Princess of the Silver Forest who rules over a car that presents itself as a winter wonderland.
- Would Hurt a Child: Goh's experience on the car. And just to compound the experience, this happens right on the heels of Goh nearly getting murdered by Ogami! Understandably, Goh finds it difficult to argue with Other Goh about the Train actually wanting to help him after all is said and done.
- As soon as the Red Lotus Remnants meet up with Goh, Lexi makes it quite clear that he doesn't believe Goh's youth or ignorance can act as mitigating factors for what he's done. In the book's eyes, Goh is a clear-cut example of a horrible person and "failure of a friend," and without Chloe's generous heart, there would be no reason for the Red Lotus Remnants to try and help him. While Lexi was willing to do so for the sake of his friend, he also wasted no time in throwing verbal barbs at the boy to make sure he didn't think he deserved such treatment. When Goh has the gall to not only refuse Chloe's kind offer of protection, but insult her and needle her friends about her being gone forever, Lexi loses it. He launches into a vicious "The Reason You Suck" Speech designed to drive home to Goh how much of a failure he is as a person and how much the Red Lotus Quarto had done for Chloe in comparison to him, leaving Goh with his head lowered from shame, "as he should be." Making matters even worse, Lexi ignored Chloe's explicit instructions and returned to his Specter form while giving his speech, and thus ended up doing an excellent impression of Zeno, the one who nearly caused Goh to kill himself a few weeks ago. That being said, however, when Goh ends up responding to Lexi's criticism by laughing in agreement and outright daring the book to kill him, Lexi is struck speechless, stammering that he isn't a killer.
- Your Princess Is in Another Castle!: Goh effectively brings up the quote when the Red Lotus Quarto confuse him for the former ruler of the Car.
