Guess Who Was Feeling Evil And Made A Silly Little Fan Song

i find it interesting how different versions of submas have different noses

A Brief Submas Primer

Did you just find out about the Pokemon franchise’s most popular battle facility since the Battle Frontier because of a plot point in Legends: Arceus? Were you curious because your friends were talking about some weird train man and you have no idea what they’re on about? Worry no longer, because this mole person has you covered.

What the hell is Submas?

The term ‘Submas’ is a portmanteau of their Japanese trainer class title, Subway Masters (in English releases, they got the trainer class title Subway Boss). Note that I’m saying “they” - there are, in fact, two of them, and they’re twins.

Ingo (Nobori) is the older of the two of them, specializing in Singles. He speaks overly politely/formally (more obvious in Japanese), has no indoor voice, will yell “BRAVO!” the second anything remotely good or exciting happens, has an overbearing sense of responsibility (it’s an older sibling thing, trust me), and became an accidental sex symbol on Pixiv (don’t ask, he probably doesn’t know either). He’s best known for being the “serious” one and notably has not been allowed to smile in-game to this day, although he was allowed in the anime and manga to be more expressive. He makes up for this by being very, very loud.

love of my life Emmet (Kudari) is the younger of the two of them, specializing in Doubles. His dialogue is a lot more blunt and informal (again, more obvious in Japanese; the English translation made him seem almost stiff), and he’s actually the more excitable of the two of them and is nearly always depicted in-game in a good mood and smiling. This is a bit deceptive, as when he’s battling he’s actually very serious and intense about it, and he also does take his job seriously and will go through safety checks before battling in certain scenarios. He has a verbal tic of reminding people that he’s Emmet, probably because when you have an identical twin sibling you get tired of being mistaken for each other your entire lives, and another verbal tic of saying “very” as “verrrry.” He’s not irresponsible in the slightest but is still the goofball younger sibling to his older brother.

What, exactly, is the Battle Subway, and why is it so popular?

The Battle Subway is Gen 5′s most notable battle facility. To get to it, you go to Nimbasa City and enter Gear Station, which architecturally appears to be a combination of Grand Central Terminal and the late Pennsylvania Station (F in the chat). Once here, you can choose to do Singles, Doubles, Multi (2 vs. 2), or Wi-Fi battles (playing online with multiple people). You’ll face 7 opponents in a row; losing gets you booted from the train at a stop you didn’t intend to get off at, which in New York City is a regular commuter annoyance. Winning 20 in a row allows you to fight Ingo, Emmet, or both of them if you’re doing Multi Battles; you can then fight them again with their team aces if you rack up a separate winning streak of 49 battles. Like all battle facilities, this is a challenge and requires skill and luck in equal measure, but it’s a lot of fun if you enjoy pushing yourself in that way.

As for why it’s one of the most popular battle facilities to date, being referenced in multiple games since its inception in Gen 5? Japanese railfan culture is on an entirely different level than other places; the nation adores its trains, and for good reason. Throw in a set of weird-looking twins and you’ve got a recipe for success that you probably weren’t expecting. Here’s a poll done at the time of Pokemon Black and White showing the most popular characters; note that Ingo and Emmet are second and third respectively…only behind N.

(When I found this poll, I found some people who didn’t believe it was real. Obviously, they were people who didn’t know about Japan’s railfans.)

Why do they point like that?

Japanese railway employees use a system called pointing and calling to reduce workplace errors, improve muscle memory, and overall avoid accidents. Pointing and calling originated at the beginning of the 20th century - because steam locomotives are Very Loud - and has continued to this day because it improves safety. By pointing at each indicator/task and saying it out loud as it’s performed, it actually increases focus and decreases mistakes, which is immensely important when you’re working with trains.

The New York City subway has its own version of point and call - there are zebra signs (black and white striped signs) at each station, and when arriving at a station the conductor has to open their window and point at these signs to ensure the engineer has correctly lined the train up with the platform, because if the train isn’t lined up correctly…well, passengers could step out and there might not be a platform to step out onto. Not a good thing. Anyway, yes, you can have fun with the fact that they’re required to point at every single station.

What Pokemon should I expect to see here?

Ingo and Emmet appear to share a lot of their team members, as you’ll see both of them using certain ones depending on what mode you’re playing. Most notably, Ingo’s ace is Chandelure, and Emmet’s is Eelektross:

(The dynamic duo as they appeared in the anime.)

You’ll frequently see them associated with other team members, too, though. In Pokemon Masters EX, in order to allow them to work together as effectively as possible with the game’s mechanics, Ingo has his Excadrill and Emmet has his Archeops. Emmet is also frequently depicted with a surplus of Joltiks, because his Galvantula knows Cross Poison, a move it could have only learned from breeding in Gen 5.

This is a full listing of their team members if you’re interested, or if you’re like me and enjoy trying to run their team in other battle facilities. (Yes, it works.)

Okay, OP, you’re from the greater NYC area. How the hell does your subway system actually work?

For whatever reason, a lot of people find our subway system intimidating at first glance. We have over 470 stations and counting sprawled across several boroughs, so it can be a lot for a visitor from a place with no public transit whatsoever or a less complicated system.

The truth is that the NYC subway system is actually three historical systems that were merged a long time ago - the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (the numbered lines [1-7] and the shuttle [S] between Grand Central and 42nd Street-Times Square), the Independent Subway System (lines A-G), and the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company/Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Corporation (lines J/Z, L, M, N, Q, R, and W). In the 1940s the city decided to take control and merge them all into the modern Metropolitan Transit Authority that we know and love (?) today. If you’re interested in the history of the subway, you can learn more at the New York Transit Museum’s website!

To take a ride, you need a MetroCard, although these are in the process of being phased out for a new system called OMNY, which will allow you to tap your phone and use that as payment. Currently, the fare is $2.75. Every New Yorker ever will complain when there is a fare increase, even if that increase is minimal. Jumping the turnstiles to ride for free is illegal, but many people do it anyway. And yes, if you’re good, you can speedrun the entire subway system. I haven’t done this yet, but I fully intend to.

Do people actually fight on the subway in real life?

Yes, I’ve witnessed it, and it was far from the weirdest thing I’ve seen on the subway. You get used to seeing strange things when you ride regularly.

Are there really that many rats down there?

Yes, and they’ll be your friends if you feed them. Most of the time they avoid humans, though, but you can watch them skitter about on the tracks when trains aren’t nearby. One I observed at 14th Street-Union Station once was particularly smart and knew exactly where the train would stop, then stood just past that point and avoided being hit.

What about abandoned stations?

We have plenty, and if you know where they are you can look out the window for them as you pass through! If you’re visiting NYC, I particularly recommend taking the 6 train all the way to the end and staying on when it loops back around to go back uptown. You’ll pass through City Hall, the original terminus of the 6 line and an absolute masterpiece of architecture that has sadly been closed to the public since the 1940s due to trains being elongated since that time.

City Hall is objectively my favorite subway station in the entire city. It even has chandeliers. I’ve often wondered if this is why they gave Ingo Chandelure in the first place.

OP, you’re a foamer, aren’t you?

Maybe. (Don’t get me started on the GG1, Mallard, or the destruction of Penn Station in the 1960s.)

Is there anything else I should know?

Actually, yes, a few things:

For whatever reason, shipping Ingo and Emmet together is called Blankshipping. I do not do this because I have a real-life younger brother and obviously am wildly turned off by incest as a result. It was hard to avoid it during the games’ original run, but it seems to have thankfully died down now, though it’s still out there in places. Tread with care.

People in the know might notice that both of them can be interpreted as autistic-coded characters. (As an autistic person myself, I feel very seen by the fact that they exist and are so much like me.) Take care when depicting them to make sure you’re not doing anything ableist by mistake (Emmet in particular got hit hard by this early on). If you’re not sure, ask a neurodiverse person!

Don’t touch the third rail, you’ll be electrocuted and die instantly.

The man whose voice you hear saying “Stand clear of the closing doors, please!” is named Charlie Pellett, and his voice sounds like that because he was born in the UK and tried to disguise his accent growing up to avoid being made fun of. He now has the most recognizable voice in New York City.

DON’T WEAR YOUR BACKPACK WHEN YOU’RE STANDING ON THE SUBWAY. Seriously, it takes up too much space, bumps other riders, and is generally a nuisance. Yes, this applies to the Hikers you meet in the Battle Subway, too.

Hopefully this guide helps you out on your journey into the world of the Battle Subway and the Submas fandom! I’m happy to assist with any more in-depth questions about our subway system/trains in general, as well as other inquiries. Just don’t send me your Arceus theories anymore, I’m trying not to think too hard about it because it makes me cry. And with that…

出発進行!

🗣️ ATTENTION, PASSENGERS! ☞ Introducing the upcoming Submas physical zine, FULL STEAM AHEAD! ☆ ☞ Merch will be accompanying the zine, including charms, postcards, prints, stickers & more! ☞ Banner image courtesy of sczawr ☞ SCHEDULE & MORE INFO HERE: https://submaszine.carrd.co ☞ FOLLOW OUR SOCIAL FOR UPDATES: SubmasZine on Twitter (no tumblr)

🚂 THANK YOU FOR RIDING WITH US!

Here’s a list.

What’s it for? yeah.

Ingo

Confirmed Canon Information

- Bad at facial expressions but good as vocal expressions (his face looks very neutral even when he sounds excited)

- Speaks very loudly, has no indoor voice

- While this is more obvious in the Japanese games, Ingo speaks in a overly polite/formal way

- Yells “BRAVO” when anything smth he finds exciting happens

- Left handed

Manga Depiction

- Appears to be easily frustrated when losing battles

- Emmet’s impulse control through brute force, will simply grab and remove Emmet when he’s being too abrasive

- Repeats the name of the trains destinations in the speaker after Emmet does the first announcement. Maybe this is just a thing trains do but it’s important to me.

- More expressive than in the games (not by a large margin)

Pokemon Masters

- Seems to have an overbearing sense of responsibility(?)

- Hisui is not the first time he’s been transported into a different universe for unexplained reasons.

- Does not seem to be aware that his face doesn’t show the emotions he’s feeling.

- Most of his conversations are about trains and rail systems.

Emmet

Confirmed Canon Information

- His face is always very expressive but he speaks in a monotone way ( he will look very excited and yet talk in a very neutral way)

- While this is more obvious in the Japanese games, Emmet speaks in a more informal way than his brother

- Gets very serious while battling

- Right handed

- Starts the majority of his sentences with “I am Emmet”

- Says “very” as “verrrry”

- Likes winning more than anything else

- Prefers double battles

Manga

- Will loudly announce he is going to eavesdrop on your conversation as he walks towards you

- This depiction of Emmet appears to generally be louder and more energetic

- Does this weird stiff walk a lot

- Mainly does the location announcements on the train speakers. Idk how you call them.

Pokemon Masters

- Really looks up to Ingo

- Prefers the rules of a double battle

- Puts a great deal of importance on safety

- Seems to have a thing with combinations; he states multiple times that he loves combinations when it comes to pokemon battles and takes great interest in the sync pairs system.

- Mentions Ingo a lot

- Considers him and Ingo as “each other’s closest rivals”

Submas headcanon!

Emmet and Ingo has that twin connection where they not only finish each other's sentences, synchronize with each other, but they also share a braincell and-

Okay you know those twin sisters on tiktok where they do those well practiced perfect stunts, like one will throw a basket ball and the other would headbutt the basketball into the hoop?

That but it's Ingo and Emmet on a daily basis. The Agents in Gear Station are probably used to their stunts by now and they find it entertaining.

Now picture this. Ingo vanished and Emmet. Emmet still does his part of the stunts, because muscle memory, same goes for Ingo.

Emmet throws a plate thinking Ingo would be there to catch it and put it in the sink. He expects his brother to scold him for throwing it, or maybe the sound of the ceramic being softly placed in the sink.

But all he got was the sounds of shattering.

Shatters of the plate and another shatter to his already crumbled up heart to pick up after.

While with Ingo, he would throw his conductor hat towards somewhere, he expects someone to catch it as himself, receive the other's hat.

Who's hat?

He ended up with his hat landing on the ground with a soft thud, and his hands empty, like the space beside him. Something wasn't correct.

But he can't remember what.

It happens again when Ingo makes another plate of dinner for someone, someone who.. wasn't there. He eats the second plate alone, sighing at the habit he couldn't shake off. He eats the meal with a phantom feeling that he should be waiting for someone, someone with a familiar smile and a hungry belly.

On the current timeline, Emmet comes home to an empty plate and emptiness, used to Ingo coming home first to cook dinner for them and their pokemon. He was used to coming home to the smell of dinner being cooked and the sounds of their pokemons playing while waiting for their foods. He was used to Ingo giving him a warm welcome back.

But now, it was just an empty plate and a phantom voice from his memories to welcome him back.

XGaster: I guess my brain’s just really big.

Ink: What else is really big? [winks]

XGaster: I thought you’d never ask.

XGaster: [pulls out his new script]

‼️ FLASHING IMAGERY ‼️

WAIT DID I NEVER POST THE EMMET FANCAMS HERE ?? WHAT THE FUCK ???

Something funny I noticed the other day*

*read tags

I have a joke what do you call a fish with no eyes?

Fshhhhhh

HEYAAAAA!!!

SO AGAIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE 4K+ GUYS!!!!

I’M REALLY GLAD THAT YA’LL WOULD LOOK AT MY WEIRDNESS AND BE LIKE.. “oh I totally don’t mind this person on my dash”

So to celebrate, and since I’ve never done this before, Imma do an art raffle!!!

1st place winner gets a fully colored illustration! Full-shaded and stuff like that! 1-2 characters! Simple background!

2nd place winner gets a flat-colored illustration! No shading! 1-2 characters! Simple background!

3rd place winner gets a black-and-white sketch! 1-2 characters! No background!

1 like = 1 entry! 1 reblog = another entry! repeated reblogs don’t count!

Winners will be chosen through a random number generator on Thursday (Sep 19) so that I can make the prizes on the weekends! So good luck peeps!

Again, THANK YOU SO SO MUCH FAM!!! A lot of peeps here are just so wholesome and supportive! I love ya’ll! Yer the greatest and yeah!!!

Also if ya do reblog this, can ya add a stupid joke? Just for shits and giggles! XD

Hi ! I am participating in this zine! we welcome all the support we can get, and hope to reach hungry submas fans looking for content! please go check out the original tweet for details! thank you !!