In this familiar story, Professor Augustine Sycamore is still reeling from the mysterious disappearance of his former lab assistant, Alain Sativus. However, a single change of mind and an encounter with a young trainer causes a chain of events that causes him to enter a mysterious Train that he isn't supposed to be on.
This chapter contains examples of:
- Big "WHAT?!": Played for Drama. When Professor Sycamore screams this at Calem and Meyer when Officer Jenny wants to stop the search for Alain due to lack of clues. It's at this point he realizes the stress of searching for Alain is getting to him.
- Continuity Nod: Professor Sycamore hears about the #CallingChloe campaign while he's doing his research on Alain.
- Downer Beginning: The story starts with the Late-Arrival Spoiler reveal of Alain's losing his identity as a cost for a perpetual slumber via hypnosis from the two men (or rather, denizens) he is supposed to trust.
- Dramatic Irony:
- Sycamore decided to not mention Alain's situation to Ash because he doesn't want to break Ash's heart over the situation. Too bad that by the time Sycamore is about to get on, Ash has already known about the Train.
- One of Sycamore's worries is whether or not Alain is brainwashed. The Downer Beginning just stated that this has gone on for a while...
- Forgets to Eat: Sycamore is so busy with work that he doesn't have time to eat. His only snack prior to his train trip is biscuits and cold tea.
- For Want Of A Nail: How the whole story started.
- Rather than informing Ash about Alain's disappearance like in Blossoming Trail, Professor Sycamore withholds it from him after seeing his World Coronation battle against Korrina, fearing that he might break the young trainer's heart if he tells him. Along with his meeting with Calem and this eventually creates a chain of events that leads him to board the Infinity Train himself.
- Get Out!: After the stress of not having clues to Alain and Officer Jenny stopping the search, Sycamore shouts this to everyone in the lab.Sycamore: I SAID TO LEAVE HERE AT ONCE!!! JUST GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!!!
- Identical Stranger: Calem's attire makes Professor Sycamore assume this is Ash, due to the stress and worry over looking for Alain.
- Poor Communication Kills: Augustine decides to not tell Ash about his concerns about Alain missing...too bad that Ash would've been willing to give him some news about a mysterious train that took a red haired girl away...
- Rage Breaking Point: After hearing from Officer Jenny that the police will cancel the search for his former assistant along with her accidentally instigate a Rant-Inducing Slight by asking him to take a rest, Augustine couldn't hold in his frustrations and worries any longer as he went on ranting over that his former pupil is in danger. It isn't until he accidentally snapped at Calem and Mayer that made him realized that the stress of the search is getting to him. This ultimately seals his fate as the next passenger of the Infinity Train.
- Rule of Symbolism: The start of everything changing comes from Sycamore following after Calem's Vivillion. An alternate name for the For Want Of A Nail trope is "the Butterfly effect".
