Pokémon Submas Fandom

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Fandom
Name(s): Subway Masters Fandom, Subway Bosses Fandom
Abbreviation(s): SBMS
Scope/Focus: Pokémon games, anime, manga, and trading card game
Date(s): 2010 - present
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The term Submas fandom refers to fans of Subway Boss Ingo and Subway Boss Emmet, twin NPCs who run the Gear Station and its Battle Subway from the Pokémon Black and White series of video games, including its sequels Black 2 and White 2. The two debuted in 2010 with Black and White's release.

The name "Submas" comes from the twins' Japanese title "サブウェイマスター", which translates to "Subway Masters" in English. It is a portmanteau of "Subway" and "Masters."[1]

While Submas Fandom is a subset of the larger Pokémon fandom, not all Submas fans considered themselves fans of Pokémon as a whole. Since its revival, many participate in Submas Fandom without actually having played a Pokémon game or only watching or reading parts that feature the Subway Bosses in the anime or manga.

History

The Subway Bosses debuted in 2010 with Black and White's release. They were more popular in Japan, although there were some English speaking fans as well, during this time. Their popularity in Japan was likely influenced by the country's massive train culture.[2] However, the lack of Submas-specific content and new Pokémon games being released meant that the fandom went mostly dormant around 2013.

Twelve years later, in 2022, the duo received a massive resurgence of popularity following the release of Pokémon Legends: Arceus. In that game, Ingo made a surprise appearance as one of the game's Wardens. The game takes place in Hisui, the name of the Sinnoh region during a historical era prior to the modern day setting of the other main series games.[3] Warden Ingo was sent back in time to Hisui by Giratina and suffered from amnesia. Despite this, he still retained faint memories of his twin brother and his partner Pokémon, Chandelure. He also still used train terminology when speaking, including shouting "All aboard!" and doing his signature poses from Black and White. He serves as the "Warden" of the noble Pokémon Sneasler.

The angst and hurt/comfort potential of the twins being separated—with Ingo having lost most of his memories but still faintly recalling some memories and clearly distressed by not knowing his past and Emmet being worried about his brother back home—and the idea of the two reuniting seems to have played a large part in the addition of new fans. Furthermore, the fact that Pokémon Legends: Arceus ends without any resolution to Ingo's story sparked a lot of fans to imagine the twins reuniting, with many writing reunion fics or drawing art of their reunion.[4] This is also likely a large factor in the resurgence of the Submas fandom. A lot of fans also developed an appreciation and attachment to the characters themselves and their personalities.

Shipping

Following the typical naming scheme the larger Pokémon fandom has, Submas ships are given a name that usually is a combination of the characters traits/interests or a type of wordplay.

List of Submas ship names:

AirplaneShipping (Elesa x Skyla) is also a popular background ship in Submas fanworks, keeping in line with Black and White fandom as a whole.

Controversies

BlankShipping

Due to the culture of anti-shipping and pro-shipping in 2022 as well as Pokemon's younger target demographic, the ship of Ingo x Emmet (BlankShipping) is considered highly problematic by many Submas fans due to it being incest. Many fans have tagged or stated "BlankShippers DNI" on fanworks as well as complained about BlankShippers in general.[5]

Zoroark AUs

Some fans disagree with the idea and creation of Zoroark AUs (AUs where one or both twins are secretly a Zoroark) because many fans view the twins as neurodivergent and think that the AU is either playing off changeling stereotypes or is ableist in nature.

Villainous Emmet

Much like the Zoroark AUs, some fans believe that portraying Emmet becoming “evil” or “villainous” after the disappearance of Ingo is playing off of neurodivergent stereotypes.

Art Book

Despite being referred to by the majority of fans as an "art book leak," the picture was most likely from the Official Strategy Guidebook, which was officially released in February of 2022 and featured a section showing concept art for the major characters.[6] This misnomer was probably circulated by the fact that it was first available in Japan as well as the picture being circulated being concept art, which guidebooks aren't usually thought of as having.

In April of 2022, when the concept art of Warden Ingo was being circulated around the Japanese and English fandom, many fans were taken aback by information revealed in it. Mainly by Ingo's hairline, which was previously always covered by his hat, and him being noted as being in Hisui for "XX" amount of years.

The main controversy is around Ingo's hairline, as many English fans where upset at Ingo being portrayed officially as "balding" or being older than fans though him as. While other fans joked about Ingo being "bald" at this time. Eventually both types received backlash from other fans for being ageist or disrespectful to people who are bald in real life.

Common Tropes and AUs in fanworks

Throughout Submas fanworks, there can be seen many common headcanons or AUs that are used or subverted by multiple people. Here's a collection of some of the most popular ones with definitions.

Tropes

  • Neurodivergent Headcanons: Ingo and Emmet are often seen in canon doing actions that read as expressing neurodivergent tendencies. Many fans headcanon the two to have autism and/or ADHD based on that.
  • LGBTQ Subway Bosses Headcanons: many fans connect with Ingo and Emmet by interpreting them as transgender, gay, asexual, and/or aromantic.
  • Earthquake spam: Ingo's Haxorus sometimes has the ability Mold Breaker, nullifies abilities that would effect any moves that the Pokémon with Mold Breaker uses. Emmet's Eelektross has the ability Levitate, which makes it immune to the Ground moves it would usually be weak to as an Electric type. Ingo's Haxorus also has the Ground move Earthquake, which attacks both the opposing team and its ally. This means that when Haxorus uses Earthquake, it also attacks Emmet's Eelektross in multi-battles. Fans often portray this as the Cain instinct, or Ingo purposefully doing this to tease his brother.
  • Emmet's Joltik hoard: due to the Galvantula Emmet uses in the Battle Subway having an egg move, there is an idea that Emmet owns a large amount of Joltiks.
  • Nimbasa Trio: Emmet, Ingo, and the Nimbasa Gym Leader Elesa are friends or found family. This idea is not backed up by any Pokémon media.
  • Dad/Uncle Drayden: Gym Leader Drayden has features similar to those of Ingo and Emmet. This has made some fans portray the man as the twin's father or uncle. There is no canon relation between these characters. Alongside this, Iris is often added in as their cousin.
  • Reunion fic: Emmet and Ingo reunite. This usually takes place after the events of Pokémon Legends: Arceus.
  • Uncle Ingo: Ingo acts as a parental figure to the protagonist of Pokémon Legends: Arceus, usually named Akari or Rei.
  • Villain Emmet: The idea that, after Ingo's disappearance, Emmet becomes a villain or forms a villain team.
  • Sneasler adopts Ingo: the idea that Ingo, along with becoming Sneasler's Warden, has also been adopted by her. This often features them living in a cave, and Sneasler using him as a babysitter.
  • "Lady" Sneasler: Sneasler is never once called "Lady Sneasler" in-game, but people often refer to her as such.
  • Man in White: The idea that Ingo remembers Emmet in Hisui as "The Man in White" when he actually refers to him as "a man who looked... like me."[7] In-game.
  • Emmet fights God(s): most typically seen in art or joke fics, the idea centers around Emmet fighting the Pokémon god, Arceus, as a form of revenge, or to get Ingo back.
  • Arceus’s First Chosen: theory that Ingo was the original chosen hero of Hisui, but due to his loss of memory was unable to complete the first Pokédex.

Alternative Universes

  • Immortal Volo AU: where the character Volo from Pokémon Legends: Arceus is Immortal. This AU is usually paired with TrainWreckShipping.
  • Mystery Dungeon AU: An AU where, instead of the events of Pokémon Legends: Arceus, Ingo, and usually Emmet are in the world of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon.
  • Zoroark AU: an AU where one, if not both, of the twins are secretly a Zoroark, a shapeshifting fox Pokémon.
  • Cryptid Ingo: after Ingo gets sent to Hisui, he becomes a Cryptid. Usually in the Highlands with Sneasler, but occasionally with the Zoroarks in the Icelands.
  • Emmet goes to Hisui: in searching for Ingo, Emmet gets transported to Hisui either by fighting gods or getting sent there some other way (often a time rift or by Arceus or another Legendary Pokémon). Occasionally he joins with the Diamond Clan, since Ingo is taken in by the Pearl Clan in the game.
  • Role Swap: much like Emmet going to Hisui AUs, role swap involves Emmet being in Hisui instead of Ingo. Sometimes features Emmet being a part of the Diamond Clan.
  • Sningo: short for “Sneasel Ingo”, such AUs involve Ingo, and occasionally Emmet, becoming a Sneasel. Often Ingo is portrayed as the Hisuin variant.
  • Ghost AU: one or both of the brothers die and become ghosts. This can feature them becoming ghost Pokemon or human ghosts.

Fanworks

Cosplay

Ingo

Emmet

Fan Craft

Fan Art

Fan Fiction

Meta

Fan Videos

Zines

References

  1. ^ Subway Boss (Trainer Class) - Bulbapedia
  2. ^ "A Brief Submas Primer" by 1863-project on Tumblr.
  3. ^ Hisui - Bulbapedia
  4. ^ Kurosawa, Yuki (February 18, 2022). "Pokémon Legends: Arceus fans want closure for Ingo". https://automaton-media.com/en/news/20220218-9691/. Retrieved December 15, 2023. {{cite web}}: External link in |website= (help)
  5. ^ Blankshippers DNI tag on AO3
  6. ^ Pokemon Legends Arceus Official Strategy Guidebook (Japan) Review! by The Other Stuff Channel on YouTube
  7. ^ Ingo / Quotes from Bulbapedia [1]
  8. ^ https://submaszine.carrd.co/
  9. ^ https://destinationunownzine.tumblr.com/
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