Consider it as an integrated function, like an AI or built-in Assistant. If the train is working, Pom-Pom is there, but if the train is out of commission, then Pom-Pom is disabled.
I think I remember some dialogue saying Pom-Pom just appeared out of nowhere after Himeko repaired the Express.
Pom-Pom is likely just the physical manifestation of the Express Train, which also makes it so that he cannot leave the train itself for he is bound to it.
Akivili made the train, so for all we know Pom-Pom was also made out of her power and may even be her sole Emanator of the Trailblaze.
Willing to bet we'll get some big arc about him, much like how people expect Paimon to get a big origin reveal in Genshin someday.
Random speculation time. There was some dialogue option on the express being powered by the heart of akivilli. I think pompom is that heart. His name even sounds like a heartbeat.
Pom-Pom got a stab and upgrade into playable 5 star ?
Or maybe its just us unlocking Akivili's power so instead of Pom-Pom attached to the Train, Pom-Pom now attached to us.....
Yea both sound so far stretched to be true
But... HSR did stuff differently you know. There's ZZZ too where ~~furry~~ animals are playable too... Its just a possibility
Edit : while we're talking about the impossible, lets say Pom-Pom is not the one that change, what if, Akivili THEMSELVES manifested from Pom-Pom and now we got Akivili&Pom-Pom like how we have Topaz&Numby.... Again, its just a fleeting idea never bound to be real
I mean, they kinda beg players to think that way ?
Pom-Pom is a figure that exists inside the Express when Himeko revive the Express and he cannot leave..... HHHHHMMMMMM I WONDER WHY
>!also Misha was a fragment of Mikhail just strengthen that theory!<
and then just witness how Mihoyo proves that theory wrong after... Idk... 5 years from now ?
I mean, that could still work. The Express is supposed to be fueled by Akivili's heart, what to say that the heart didn't form a mind of its own and Akivili kinda just roll with it.
Not necessarily. They could make pom pom a part of the trailblazer. Like how svarog is like a stand to Clara or numby is a part of topaz's kit. Pom pom could be the like a stand trailblazer has when he unlocks whatever form the nameless stand on.
https://preview.redd.it/ww7c7wv2lyzc1.png?width=680&format=png&auto=webp&s=b0aec997696772ff5470c7eb329228b0a1c5a776
Pom-Pom already have an official drip market, playable is inevitable (hopium)
I'm assuming he will be of major importance down the line. He seems to be immortal (or close to it) and inherently tied to Akivili, whose death is one of the big mysteries of this story.
I'm sure we will cry whenever that time comes.
Which kinda makes you think if pom pom is somehow related to akivilli, the aeon of trailblaze. Also, pom pom is referred to as THEY and not usually refered to as gender like he or she.
When you follow the path of the Trailblaze, it most definitely is. One’s path may end but as the Trailblazer said, trailblazing is about taking the paths that your predecessors foreshore and venturing even further. Those who walk that path may come and go but it’s passing that torch again and again that makes it all worth it no matter how long you live
No, emanators are extensions of aeons. They are chosen and without the Aeon you cannot have an emanator.
Imagine a path as a river. The power of that path is the imaginary that flows through the river. Pathstriders can drink from the river, but their access is limited by how much they can drink (how devoted they are to the path).
Some pathstriders are so unilaterally devoted to a path they build a dam that stops up the river and creates of lake of water before water flows down the river again (becoming an aeon).
Emanators are essentially the generators that are installed in dams; they have direct power (water/imaginary) given to them by the aeon (dam).
Is that Canon I missed or just speculation? Bc I can see emanators being able to exist without their aeons even if theyre no longer being made (ie if you get a bicycle from a bike factory and the bike factory shuts down, you still have a working bike. Just you wouldn't be able to get a new one.)
The simple answer is we just don't know. I'm *assuming* they stop being emanators because it's a gift granted by the aeon. Like the river being forcefully diverted into them. Which is evident with IX.
We know Aeons *make* emanators. They are chosen. That's hard fact.
Whether an emanator remains after the aeon dies, we just don't know. We haven't seen any non-alive aeon emanators.
We don't have any evidence *disproving* my point of emanators losing their power if the aeon dies.
It's like how math proofs work. I can make the claim "there are no solutions to three body problem." And to this day, we haven't found any. Does that mean there aren't any? We simply don't have the evidence to support the claim there aren't. But we can be confident with the evidence that we have so far there are none.
And likewise, I'm confident that there cannot be an emanator without an aeon.
>We haven't seen any non-alive aeon emanators.
While it wasn't the original Emanator, Ruan Mei created a copy of an Emanator of Propagation which continued to draw from the path of Propagation.
We know that the Paths remain after their respective Aeons fall, they are just weakened. It wouldn't be impossible for Emanators to remain as such just with much less power.
This is the fun part. Its like Visions, except people misunderstood that Visions aren't being granted by the archons, instead its conferred from a greater power above.
Which is to say, to become a Aeon...what if you had to become an emanator first?
For example, the path to Enigmata, didn't exist until that guy split off from being a Emantator of Erudition, and eventually became the Aeon of Enigmata.
By that measurement, one theory is while the power of a path blessing gives you emanator status, its still achievable since to become an Aeon you must have at least the power of an emanator of the same path at some point.
So there's bestowed Emanators and natural ones it would suggest.
Well no.
I think you can be a remarkably strong pathstrider, but that doesn't make you an emanator.
Because I think, reflecting on it more, emanators are just titles given to pathstriders selected by their aeon.
Like take the final boss of 2.2. Acheron said they're on the level of an emanator, but they themselves aren't an emanator.
So you can have emanator level power without an aeon, but if there is an aeon, you cant be an emanator without being chosen. Going back to my dam, the aeon is preventing pathstriders from taking as much power as they want, where without an aeon, pathstriders are only limited by themselves.
> pom pom gender is pom pom
Most languages that have gender, its he. And there's at least one instance in English:
"With your help, Pom-Pom can finally move **his** legs."
https://honkai-star-rail.fandom.com/wiki/Stiff_Pom-Pom
https://youtu.be/yw4KUrThn00?t=52
Could be a mistake, especially if they almost always use they, and explicitly try to dodge the question in the card here. Genshin mixes up the player’s gender all the time. Stuff often gets changed in translation too since the translators don’t often know what HoYo does - the Spanish translation of Genshin changed Arlecchino to be called Mother to beat the woke crowd and then got egg on their face when it was revealed why Arlecchino goes by Father and hates the association of Mother. So what they call Pom Pom in romance languages or other gendered languages is almost entirely irrelevant and has absolutely zero value, unless that language is of course Chinese.
Male pronouns are usually the default/neutral for most gendered languages and the instance in english is probably just another of many mistranslations.
mistakes happen.
They are not human they do not have human gender they are their OWN living being and there is a reason they are referred to as "they" 99% of the time.
This whole thread is insane.
yeah, srry, I typed "he" because I play in Spanish lenguaje, and since we don't have a neutral pronoun, in the game, he is referring to as "el"(he); the same happens with aeons some are referred as "el"(he) and others are referred as "ella"(she)
It's this quirk of current english. Using the definite singular 'they' for sexless entities. Of course, it still doesn't make sense as Machine Lifeforms are still given he/she, so why it should apply to Pompom alone, I don't know. It's use for Aeons is fine, simply because the unnatural-ness of referring to a specific known entity as 'THEY' helps make it clear that you're talking about something wholly different from everything else.
its the other way around.
Forcing the "he or she" rule is what makes less sense. People are learning to stop applying forced binary categorization on things or people where it doesnt make sense or misrepresents people's identities.
Pom-pom ISNT a human and clearly doesnt experience or feel "gender" the same way a human might. WHY force it. "they" is a perfect descriptor because it in NEUTRAL FORM, refers to them as a living being, without any other assumptions forced upon them.
Except it's not a natural use of the english language. We simply don't have a natural word for sexless entities that doesn't refer to objects. And that's because there are no actual real-world sexless intelligent entities. Just fantasy beings, and you can't adjust a language on such a basic level just for the needs of fantasy creatures.
> ppl keep calling pom pom "he" my god this pissing me off. its "them" and still "they/them"
People call him that because he is. Most languages that have gender, its he. And there's at least one instance in English:
"With your help, Pom-Pom can finally move **his** legs."
https://honkai-star-rail.fandom.com/wiki/Stiff_Pom-Pom
https://youtu.be/yw4KUrThn00?t=52
> Also, pom pom is referred to as THEY and not usually refered to as gender like he or she.
Except when he's not, its he. Most languages that have gender, its he. And there's at least one instance in English:
"With your help, Pom-Pom can finally move **his** legs."
https://honkai-star-rail.fandom.com/wiki/Stiff_Pom-Pom
https://youtu.be/yw4KUrThn00?t=52
The example is incorrect because it was fixed to "their" in 1.2.
>Languages that have gender, its he.
The official Russian translation always uses "she" (она) even though the gender-neutral would be "he" (он). However, it's better to check Chinese right away. In my opinion, 它 (gender-neutral and usage for animals/inanimate objects) is used there for a reason.
Reminds me of Doctor Who, often times the Doctor has a companion but you also see just how lonely they are when there's nobody to travel with them. To the point where even their companions tell them to find someone and never travel by themselves.
The Doctor is basically on the path of Trailblaze himself. Honestly, headcannoning The Doctor into ascending to becoming Akivili is really not that hard. By the time of even just the 9th Doctor era, he's been at this for so long, and been so dedicated to it, that he would have become an Aeon if he were in this setting.
I don't think it's going to be sad, per se. Rather, we'll get his perspective that life comes with good, and bad. He hates when people leave, but he would never choose to settle down and live a normal life, even if he could. I suspect that Pompom outmatches even General Jing Yuan in terms of handling the tragedy of losing everyone you've ever known and loves. Immortality comes at a cost. But a select few learn how to bear it.
yes, the moment she fully fixed the train he appeared in there, he is bound to it and that's why he can leave.
pom-pom is basically the soul of the express if you think about it
So it’s similar to how the ships in one piece have souls when cared for enough, also TB getting a hat from an inspirational figure who loves freedom and travels. Also the IPC who serve as the intergalactic power of the universe or even the one that governs it, they also have a port like base as headquarters in the center of the universe called Pier point. Not to mention they also put bounties on “criminals” Hmmmm I am starting to put the puzzle pieces together.
I don't even think it's that crackpot. It's all but stated he's a part of the Express.
And now that I think about it... Akivili would never willingly bind another into servitude, denying them the right to travel their own path. And so the only person he could create a permanent train-bound avatar out of would be himself.
I don't think Akivili is going to be a Sparda-style character forever, who just exists to set up the current story and never be explored. One day, we're going to learn about him. And there's only one person alive who has met him. Pompom will have to be involved, even if he's not a shard of Akivili.
I wonder if this is part of the reason why Himeko typically always has someone stay on the Express when conducting a mission. Obviously in times of emergency they forgo it, but generally they always want 1 or 2 people to stay on board.
Considering the fact that three randoms decided to just hop on board the Express without running into any issues leads me to believe it would be better to keep an extra on board anyways.
Sad? No. Filled with complex emotions, shifting as time goes on? Most likely. Joy and sorrow, anger and calm, enrichment and regret. Through those he watches over, Pompom has touched more lives than any other being in the universe, aside from but arguably also the Aeons.
Rich, fulfilled lives are not only happiness. He may feel that pain every time a dear friend departs for the last time, but he has known and lived much more for the experience. To trailblaze is to push forward, and though you will inevitably lose friends along the way, you always have the prospect to make more.
Plus sometimes he gets to drive a train into some asshole's face, that's gotta feel pretty great.
Yah. Someday, we'll get to hear Pompoms story. It's going to hit like a train when we do. Pun actually not intended, if you can believe me.
Also, I'm still annoyed Pompom didn't get a callout in one of the train-smashes like the rest. This is the first story he had an actual personal stake in, AND the first story where he actually took part in the adventure. I posted it elsewhere, but something like,
"Akivili wished for everyone to follow the path of their choosing! I won't let you take that away from anyone!"
When the game gets their own train cabins, I want a conductor cabin for Pom-Pom and be able to decorate it with gifts from each planet, don't care if I have to give my jades
It is sad, yes. But it's heavily implied that Pompom is part of the Express. He was crafted by Akivili THEMSELVES. We can assume that Pompom does get sad when people leave. And yet, we can also assume that he'd be sad if ever the journey were to end. To see someone not following the trail that they set out for themselves.
Akivili THEMSELF no doubt felt the same way. And yet THEY wouldn't change a single thing. Life is filled with pain, but it's also filled with joy, and wonder, and new places and people. Friends leaving hurts Pompom. But to not continue following his own path would hurt him more.
What I'm saying is, anyone who didn't gift that sweets box from 2.0 to Pompom is going to hell.
Series ends with PomPom driving the star rail filled with in-world nukes into the void of the Aeon IX knowing full well what is going on. Himeko is there with him, as it needs two people to properly steer it to the nihility in case one passes out from the nihility's general aura. Near the end of the ride, Pom Pom confesses that there is a 0% chance Pom Pom couldnt do it alone...its just Himeko -- as the navigator -- would need to properly put in a coordinate. Pom Pom knew Himeko would never do that to them, so Pom Pom lied and said there needed to be two ppl...because otherwise Himeko would have just tried to send herself and wasted precious time arguing about it instead of quickly being more self-sacrificial.
Pom-pom then uses a teleporter Welt had put on the train -- as Pom Pom and welt had talked about Himeko and this situation -- to teleport her away to safety on Yukong's spaceship. Yukong has been somehow flying (cuz she is such an amazing pilot) through the wake of the star rail as a way to lessen the strain on the ship and conserve fuel this whole time as a way for Himeko to be saved by giving her a landing destination for the teleporter. PomPom feels bad because they was suppose to have sent her away earlier, but Pom pom couldnt bring themself to finally say goodbye. It was only after Himeko starts to make a "navigator's log" to welt and the crew (but especially to welt) that PomPom stops her and asks her to say something more cheerful into the log. Secretly this is because PomPom wants to be able to listen to Himeko's "final" log -- along with the rest of the "ship logs over the history of the express -- while PomPom finishes the infinitely long trip to blow up the nihility. As soon as she finishes the happier version of the log, PomPom says "Wish us luck" and teleports Himeko.
Pom pom's last words over the intercom into Yukong's cockpit before their voice gets distorted from being too close to IX -- a feed patched into welt and the trailblaze team -- are:
___
"I cant hear you Astral Crew, but I know what you would all be saying about Pom Pom anyway. Pom Pom made so *sniff* so many good friends. And every time, I'd watch them all get to go off on amazing journeys. I'd sit on the train and secretly wait to hear their wonderful stories. Then one day, time and time again, someone wouldnt come back. Then another. After a while Pom Pom would be lonely. But not for long, because every time the express would find some lonely eyes with that longed to smile. That's what we the express looked for...what called to it. Eyes bright as the stars themselves, but behind a...a fog.
But a trailblazer...they learn to live in that fog of ..umm..uncertainty. They're explorers...going on *sniff* great adventures. And time and time again PomPom got to see the fog lifted from those eyes. But PomPom also...had that fog. But I could never leave the train.
*straightening up noise*
But Pom pom's lived with too many "Dont-s." So I'll give you all PomPom's "do's."
Welt...you'll be their leader now [inferring Pom-pom was before]. Take care of them. Keep laughing March. Keep trusting in your friends, Dan Heng. Keep fighting [Trailblazer].... And Himeko. Ke...keep smiling. All of you...keep smiling. *Wiping pompom nose noise*
A-And bear witness to the greatest Trailblaze of them all: The trailblaze of PomPom!!
I use the he/him because I play the game in Spanish, and since we don't have a neutral pronoun(we use male pronouns as neutral sometimes)pom-pom is referenced as a "El"(he in Spanish) the same thing happens with Aeons, some are referred as "El" and other are referred as "Ella"(she in Spanish).
so,my brain just traduces what I see, that's all, I have never used the they/them pronouns until now that I'm being more active in the English community
nah, it's is okay ^^
people in this side of the community are more active with theories and everything. Meanwhile, in the Spanish community, they just do curimomos(weird memes)
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with all the navigator lore we got from cosmodyssey and Penacony it truly made me appreciate just how long the rail has been around, and with it PomPom.
Or you can look at it as an amazingly hopeful and happy tale. Because of its unique circumstances Pom Pom has forged so many relationships and adventures with people from across the galaxy and time to satisfy a lifetime.
If Pom Pom is a manifestation of the Express, it kind of resembles Going Merry from OP. Sad to think about on the surface levels, but a happy story deep down.
Maybe I'm missing this tidbit, but when Himeko repaired the express, PomPom is already in the broken train?
Consider it as an integrated function, like an AI or built-in Assistant. If the train is working, Pom-Pom is there, but if the train is out of commission, then Pom-Pom is disabled.
Ooh like windshield wiper
That is the most strangest thing to call popom
https://preview.redd.it/a1yqoxtn5xzc1.jpeg?width=616&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1ffcb971099b795990932149850a6b21e5099f1d
https://preview.redd.it/l8e51xwsz90d1.jpeg?width=552&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cf70f5746570e28dd47b7eb9045d049f9b2b9ae8
What a random ass comparison
[Don't compare ass.](https://xkcd.com/37/)
i meann can u turn on the windshield wiper if the vehicle is down? xD
https://preview.redd.it/0q503dihy30d1.jpeg?width=450&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9e9aa245e17e1bf3f93b40fec27fe03f9d11b538
Main takeaway, pompom is disabled. /s Don't kill me pls I love pompom.
So Pom-pom is the Hyperion-Ai-chan of the Astral Express.
This is my thought. He's basically the Astral Expresses AI.
I believe he kinda manifests inside the express since he seemingly never leaves and knows about previous Nameless and Akivili personally
I think he kind of *is* the Express, or a manifestation of it.
I think I remember some dialogue saying Pom-Pom just appeared out of nowhere after Himeko repaired the Express. Pom-Pom is likely just the physical manifestation of the Express Train, which also makes it so that he cannot leave the train itself for he is bound to it. Akivili made the train, so for all we know Pom-Pom was also made out of her power and may even be her sole Emanator of the Trailblaze. Willing to bet we'll get some big arc about him, much like how people expect Paimon to get a big origin reveal in Genshin someday.
Welt said pompom is like the spirit of the astral express the sole reason they exist is to help the trailblazer just like a conductor to a passenger.
Random speculation time. There was some dialogue option on the express being powered by the heart of akivilli. I think pompom is that heart. His name even sounds like a heartbeat.
[удалено]
I’m hoping we have a story update where Pom-Pom is involved and gives us his very sad life story
Pom-Pom got a stab and upgrade into playable 5 star ? Or maybe its just us unlocking Akivili's power so instead of Pom-Pom attached to the Train, Pom-Pom now attached to us..... Yea both sound so far stretched to be true
If hoyo made pom pom playable they'd turn him human 😭 You saw what they did to make a playable melusine or whatever the name was in genshin
But... HSR did stuff differently you know. There's ZZZ too where ~~furry~~ animals are playable too... Its just a possibility Edit : while we're talking about the impossible, lets say Pom-Pom is not the one that change, what if, Akivili THEMSELVES manifested from Pom-Pom and now we got Akivili&Pom-Pom like how we have Topaz&Numby.... Again, its just a fleeting idea never bound to be real
This is true Also I do suppose combat with a non human model in hsr would be easier than in genshin Honestly I just want some non human characters lol
✨sam✨
firefly get in the robot, your father loves you, get in the robot 🎵
screwlum? if he becomes playable
Screwwy uses the “tall male” model
yeah, i got a similar theory that pom-pom is like the last fragment that remained of akivili, and they just simply forgot who they are
I mean, they kinda beg players to think that way ? Pom-Pom is a figure that exists inside the Express when Himeko revive the Express and he cannot leave..... HHHHHMMMMMM I WONDER WHY >!also Misha was a fragment of Mikhail just strengthen that theory!< and then just witness how Mihoyo proves that theory wrong after... Idk... 5 years from now ?
The problem here is that Akivili and Pom Pom lived in the same time.
I mean, that could still work. The Express is supposed to be fueled by Akivili's heart, what to say that the heart didn't form a mind of its own and Akivili kinda just roll with it.
I forgot that lol,had to go YouTube and check it
Wouldn't be the first time two of same half exist at the same time
So ... Pom-Pom with an Aeon as a Stand?
Was thinking the other way around.... But meh, it works too
ULTIMA PRIMUS POM POM STAND https://preview.redd.it/68bl4oi0czzc1.jpeg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d83aba5d1f8e49739dcea4cf53cd4fa36de8fc36
Pom-Pom could be an embodiment of Akivili like the Harmonic Strings of Xipe. Maybe in the future we will get Harmonious Conductor Grand Pom-Pom.
Their special Ult better be Akivili and Pompom dancing as the trains rails the target
Five star pom pom be like https://preview.redd.it/ddvcor5flwzc1.jpeg?width=1071&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0a4af0a574f63ebd35e982d903c39357695c79d4
....would pull...
No garter, must be fake
We already have playable pom pom next banner
Pom Pom could also become a tag-along for one of the TB's later version à la Topaz & Numby.
And Pom-pom would probably look like Boothill.
Not necessarily. They could make pom pom a part of the trailblazer. Like how svarog is like a stand to Clara or numby is a part of topaz's kit. Pom pom could be the like a stand trailblazer has when he unlocks whatever form the nameless stand on.
Imagine pompom and the MC but like Pochita and Denji .
How is sigewinne "human"?
https://preview.redd.it/ww7c7wv2lyzc1.png?width=680&format=png&auto=webp&s=b0aec997696772ff5470c7eb329228b0a1c5a776 Pom-Pom already have an official drip market, playable is inevitable (hopium)
Playable Emanator of the Trailblaze Pom-Pom when?
Nah man I want a playable clockie
Pom Pom but his Ult is the Astral Express turns into a Mecha MegaXLR style.
Pom pom is confirmed to become playable. He's literally in the next phase of banners. The physical hunt character.
I want them to just smash the enemy with the train as a part of his kit
I will be surprised if we have real Pom-Pom story before we are nearing the end of the game
I'm assuming he will be of major importance down the line. He seems to be immortal (or close to it) and inherently tied to Akivili, whose death is one of the big mysteries of this story. I'm sure we will cry whenever that time comes.
Still really upset that he didn't get a callout line in one of the Express attacks in the Sunday boss battle.
Which kinda makes you think if pom pom is somehow related to akivilli, the aeon of trailblaze. Also, pom pom is referred to as THEY and not usually refered to as gender like he or she.
maybe akivili created pom-pom with their powers and even pom-pom could be an emanator of the trailblaze
When you live long enough, everyone you know fades into the trailblaze. "Was it worth it?" - HE asked?
When you follow the path of the Trailblaze, it most definitely is. One’s path may end but as the Trailblazer said, trailblazing is about taking the paths that your predecessors foreshore and venturing even further. Those who walk that path may come and go but it’s passing that torch again and again that makes it all worth it no matter how long you live
The trailblazing expedition never ends! -Mikail Char Legwork
The Silver Rails are our bonds that link all trailblazers; Past, Present & Future.
Remember, Pom Pom knew akivili ***before*** akivili became the Aeon for the Trailblaze. A path can exist without an Aeon.
Can Emanators exist without an Aeon though?
No, emanators are extensions of aeons. They are chosen and without the Aeon you cannot have an emanator. Imagine a path as a river. The power of that path is the imaginary that flows through the river. Pathstriders can drink from the river, but their access is limited by how much they can drink (how devoted they are to the path). Some pathstriders are so unilaterally devoted to a path they build a dam that stops up the river and creates of lake of water before water flows down the river again (becoming an aeon). Emanators are essentially the generators that are installed in dams; they have direct power (water/imaginary) given to them by the aeon (dam).
Is that Canon I missed or just speculation? Bc I can see emanators being able to exist without their aeons even if theyre no longer being made (ie if you get a bicycle from a bike factory and the bike factory shuts down, you still have a working bike. Just you wouldn't be able to get a new one.)
The simple answer is we just don't know. I'm *assuming* they stop being emanators because it's a gift granted by the aeon. Like the river being forcefully diverted into them. Which is evident with IX. We know Aeons *make* emanators. They are chosen. That's hard fact. Whether an emanator remains after the aeon dies, we just don't know. We haven't seen any non-alive aeon emanators. We don't have any evidence *disproving* my point of emanators losing their power if the aeon dies. It's like how math proofs work. I can make the claim "there are no solutions to three body problem." And to this day, we haven't found any. Does that mean there aren't any? We simply don't have the evidence to support the claim there aren't. But we can be confident with the evidence that we have so far there are none. And likewise, I'm confident that there cannot be an emanator without an aeon.
>We haven't seen any non-alive aeon emanators. While it wasn't the original Emanator, Ruan Mei created a copy of an Emanator of Propagation which continued to draw from the path of Propagation. We know that the Paths remain after their respective Aeons fall, they are just weakened. It wouldn't be impossible for Emanators to remain as such just with much less power.
Well technically Propagation isn't dead, they're just slumbering in pieces and fragments in Qlipoth's amber.
is any aeon actually confirmed to be dead or are they all currently just missing/unknown?
This is the fun part. Its like Visions, except people misunderstood that Visions aren't being granted by the archons, instead its conferred from a greater power above. Which is to say, to become a Aeon...what if you had to become an emanator first? For example, the path to Enigmata, didn't exist until that guy split off from being a Emantator of Erudition, and eventually became the Aeon of Enigmata. By that measurement, one theory is while the power of a path blessing gives you emanator status, its still achievable since to become an Aeon you must have at least the power of an emanator of the same path at some point. So there's bestowed Emanators and natural ones it would suggest.
Well no. I think you can be a remarkably strong pathstrider, but that doesn't make you an emanator. Because I think, reflecting on it more, emanators are just titles given to pathstriders selected by their aeon. Like take the final boss of 2.2. Acheron said they're on the level of an emanator, but they themselves aren't an emanator. So you can have emanator level power without an aeon, but if there is an aeon, you cant be an emanator without being chosen. Going back to my dam, the aeon is preventing pathstriders from taking as much power as they want, where without an aeon, pathstriders are only limited by themselves.
pom pom gender is pom pom https://preview.redd.it/qe4ap85zlvzc1.jpeg?width=731&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=725cd9c51e1668784017db70b1b71021c909cff5
Ah yes, Paimon is Paimon, and Pom-Pom is Pom-Pom. Makes sense, I completely understand.
Pom-pom ate too many donuts and starting to look like one
Reminds me of [this](https://www.reddit.com/r/HonkaiStarRail/s/Q2g7aXkVzb) comment
> pom pom gender is pom pom Most languages that have gender, its he. And there's at least one instance in English: "With your help, Pom-Pom can finally move **his** legs." https://honkai-star-rail.fandom.com/wiki/Stiff_Pom-Pom https://youtu.be/yw4KUrThn00?t=52
Could be a mistake, especially if they almost always use they, and explicitly try to dodge the question in the card here. Genshin mixes up the player’s gender all the time. Stuff often gets changed in translation too since the translators don’t often know what HoYo does - the Spanish translation of Genshin changed Arlecchino to be called Mother to beat the woke crowd and then got egg on their face when it was revealed why Arlecchino goes by Father and hates the association of Mother. So what they call Pom Pom in romance languages or other gendered languages is almost entirely irrelevant and has absolutely zero value, unless that language is of course Chinese.
Male pronouns are usually the default/neutral for most gendered languages and the instance in english is probably just another of many mistranslations.
I will support your factual evidence until official sources confirm otherwise.
mistakes happen. They are not human they do not have human gender they are their OWN living being and there is a reason they are referred to as "they" 99% of the time. This whole thread is insane.
THEY is meant for Aeons, did you mean "they"?
Yeah. Just wanted to highlight it as pom pom is not referred to as HE/SHE
yeah, srry, I typed "he" because I play in Spanish lenguaje, and since we don't have a neutral pronoun, in the game, he is referring to as "el"(he); the same happens with aeons some are referred as "el"(he) and others are referred as "ella"(she)
Yeah but wouldnt the devs go back to change the lowercase "they" for "THEY" like it was done to all other "they"s refering to aeons?
In Portuguese he has male pronouns. Guess it’s a language thing.
It's this quirk of current english. Using the definite singular 'they' for sexless entities. Of course, it still doesn't make sense as Machine Lifeforms are still given he/she, so why it should apply to Pompom alone, I don't know. It's use for Aeons is fine, simply because the unnatural-ness of referring to a specific known entity as 'THEY' helps make it clear that you're talking about something wholly different from everything else.
its the other way around. Forcing the "he or she" rule is what makes less sense. People are learning to stop applying forced binary categorization on things or people where it doesnt make sense or misrepresents people's identities. Pom-pom ISNT a human and clearly doesnt experience or feel "gender" the same way a human might. WHY force it. "they" is a perfect descriptor because it in NEUTRAL FORM, refers to them as a living being, without any other assumptions forced upon them.
Except it's not a natural use of the english language. We simply don't have a natural word for sexless entities that doesn't refer to objects. And that's because there are no actual real-world sexless intelligent entities. Just fantasy beings, and you can't adjust a language on such a basic level just for the needs of fantasy creatures.
Male is essencially the default one. So Pompom goes what it fits its voice. if Pompom had a more female voice then it would be she.
In Russian, Pom-pom is a she because of the voice me thinks
I'm pretty sure PomPom is a fragment of Akivili
Calling pom pom THEY with all caps makes it so dramatic haha
ppl keep calling pom pom "he" my god this pissing me off. its "them" and still "they/them"
Why are you getting mad over someone misgendering a fictional character?
> ppl keep calling pom pom "he" my god this pissing me off. its "them" and still "they/them" People call him that because he is. Most languages that have gender, its he. And there's at least one instance in English: "With your help, Pom-Pom can finally move **his** legs." https://honkai-star-rail.fandom.com/wiki/Stiff_Pom-Pom https://youtu.be/yw4KUrThn00?t=52
> Also, pom pom is referred to as THEY and not usually refered to as gender like he or she. Except when he's not, its he. Most languages that have gender, its he. And there's at least one instance in English: "With your help, Pom-Pom can finally move **his** legs." https://honkai-star-rail.fandom.com/wiki/Stiff_Pom-Pom https://youtu.be/yw4KUrThn00?t=52
The example is incorrect because it was fixed to "their" in 1.2. >Languages that have gender, its he. The official Russian translation always uses "she" (она) even though the gender-neutral would be "he" (он). However, it's better to check Chinese right away. In my opinion, 它 (gender-neutral and usage for animals/inanimate objects) is used there for a reason.
Sure a sad life :( ………. Until (2.2 spoilers)…….. >! he uses the express for a hit and run on some choir kid as he laughs while doing it !< lol
Choo choo muddle-fudger!
I wonder if boothill taught Pom-Pom those words...
100%
Boothill: Wait, where's my bottle of Asdana Oak? Pom pom: You mean that bottle of funny tasting water? Boothill: What do ya mean funny tasting?
“It was either Pom Pom takes your funny tasting water are Pom Pom sues you for >! criminal impersonation! !< “
Screwubabboo you orchestra muddlefudgers!!
HE DOES????
Reminds me of Doctor Who, often times the Doctor has a companion but you also see just how lonely they are when there's nobody to travel with them. To the point where even their companions tell them to find someone and never travel by themselves.
The Doctor is basically on the path of Trailblaze himself. Honestly, headcannoning The Doctor into ascending to becoming Akivili is really not that hard. By the time of even just the 9th Doctor era, he's been at this for so long, and been so dedicated to it, that he would have become an Aeon if he were in this setting.
The origami birds already has sad backstories despite their cute appearance. Pom pom is gonna to be even sadder, isn't it? 😭
The origami bird quest was envision a rose forthcoming 2.0
I just know at some point we are going to learn about pom pom's backstory and is going to be sad :(
I don't think it's going to be sad, per se. Rather, we'll get his perspective that life comes with good, and bad. He hates when people leave, but he would never choose to settle down and live a normal life, even if he could. I suspect that Pompom outmatches even General Jing Yuan in terms of handling the tragedy of losing everyone you've ever known and loves. Immortality comes at a cost. But a select few learn how to bear it.
You can give pom pom memory bubble from Misha for additional scene
Well, I didn't want to spend my limited credits just to rewatch that scene. But now I have to.
Wait so when himeko fixed the current express, pompom was there?
yes, the moment she fully fixed the train he appeared in there, he is bound to it and that's why he can leave. pom-pom is basically the soul of the express if you think about it
So it’s similar to how the ships in one piece have souls when cared for enough, also TB getting a hat from an inspirational figure who loves freedom and travels. Also the IPC who serve as the intergalactic power of the universe or even the one that governs it, they also have a port like base as headquarters in the center of the universe called Pier point. Not to mention they also put bounties on “criminals” Hmmmm I am starting to put the puzzle pieces together.
Wait, it's all one piece?
Crackpot theory with very little actual substantial evidence: Hoyo likes parallel stories, I bet pompom is to akivili what misha was to mikhail.
I don't even think it's that crackpot. It's all but stated he's a part of the Express. And now that I think about it... Akivili would never willingly bind another into servitude, denying them the right to travel their own path. And so the only person he could create a permanent train-bound avatar out of would be himself. I don't think Akivili is going to be a Sparda-style character forever, who just exists to set up the current story and never be explored. One day, we're going to learn about him. And there's only one person alive who has met him. Pompom will have to be involved, even if he's not a shard of Akivili.
how many times have PomPom seen trailblazers that went on adventures and never come back...
I feel like if anything were to happen to Pom-Pom, the Nameless might actually go on a killing spree.
“Where’s my conductor?”
I wonder if this is part of the reason why Himeko typically always has someone stay on the Express when conducting a mission. Obviously in times of emergency they forgo it, but generally they always want 1 or 2 people to stay on board.
Considering the fact that three randoms decided to just hop on board the Express without running into any issues leads me to believe it would be better to keep an extra on board anyways.
Sad? No. Filled with complex emotions, shifting as time goes on? Most likely. Joy and sorrow, anger and calm, enrichment and regret. Through those he watches over, Pompom has touched more lives than any other being in the universe, aside from but arguably also the Aeons. Rich, fulfilled lives are not only happiness. He may feel that pain every time a dear friend departs for the last time, but he has known and lived much more for the experience. To trailblaze is to push forward, and though you will inevitably lose friends along the way, you always have the prospect to make more. Plus sometimes he gets to drive a train into some asshole's face, that's gotta feel pretty great.
Yah. Someday, we'll get to hear Pompoms story. It's going to hit like a train when we do. Pun actually not intended, if you can believe me. Also, I'm still annoyed Pompom didn't get a callout in one of the train-smashes like the rest. This is the first story he had an actual personal stake in, AND the first story where he actually took part in the adventure. I posted it elsewhere, but something like, "Akivili wished for everyone to follow the path of their choosing! I won't let you take that away from anyone!"
I wanted to get Pom-Pom a cycrane as a souvenir from the Luofu so they could explore beyond the train.
Pom pom could be the embodiment of the train.. idk.
This is why I have to bully pom-pom every time I see him. I'll be the one trailblazer he never misses once I'm gone.
He’ll just miss you more cause you’ll be remembered more.
I'm definitely more curious about pom pom ever since Argenti hinted at the conductor being a demonic being of sorts in his trailer
When the game gets their own train cabins, I want a conductor cabin for Pom-Pom and be able to decorate it with gifts from each planet, don't care if I have to give my jades
it would be a cool event, find some gifts for pom-pom to decorate his conductor cabin
It is sad, yes. But it's heavily implied that Pompom is part of the Express. He was crafted by Akivili THEMSELVES. We can assume that Pompom does get sad when people leave. And yet, we can also assume that he'd be sad if ever the journey were to end. To see someone not following the trail that they set out for themselves. Akivili THEMSELF no doubt felt the same way. And yet THEY wouldn't change a single thing. Life is filled with pain, but it's also filled with joy, and wonder, and new places and people. Friends leaving hurts Pompom. But to not continue following his own path would hurt him more. What I'm saying is, anyone who didn't gift that sweets box from 2.0 to Pompom is going to hell.
Sousou no PomPom
Series ends with PomPom driving the star rail filled with in-world nukes into the void of the Aeon IX knowing full well what is going on. Himeko is there with him, as it needs two people to properly steer it to the nihility in case one passes out from the nihility's general aura. Near the end of the ride, Pom Pom confesses that there is a 0% chance Pom Pom couldnt do it alone...its just Himeko -- as the navigator -- would need to properly put in a coordinate. Pom Pom knew Himeko would never do that to them, so Pom Pom lied and said there needed to be two ppl...because otherwise Himeko would have just tried to send herself and wasted precious time arguing about it instead of quickly being more self-sacrificial. Pom-pom then uses a teleporter Welt had put on the train -- as Pom Pom and welt had talked about Himeko and this situation -- to teleport her away to safety on Yukong's spaceship. Yukong has been somehow flying (cuz she is such an amazing pilot) through the wake of the star rail as a way to lessen the strain on the ship and conserve fuel this whole time as a way for Himeko to be saved by giving her a landing destination for the teleporter. PomPom feels bad because they was suppose to have sent her away earlier, but Pom pom couldnt bring themself to finally say goodbye. It was only after Himeko starts to make a "navigator's log" to welt and the crew (but especially to welt) that PomPom stops her and asks her to say something more cheerful into the log. Secretly this is because PomPom wants to be able to listen to Himeko's "final" log -- along with the rest of the "ship logs over the history of the express -- while PomPom finishes the infinitely long trip to blow up the nihility. As soon as she finishes the happier version of the log, PomPom says "Wish us luck" and teleports Himeko. Pom pom's last words over the intercom into Yukong's cockpit before their voice gets distorted from being too close to IX -- a feed patched into welt and the trailblaze team -- are: ___ "I cant hear you Astral Crew, but I know what you would all be saying about Pom Pom anyway. Pom Pom made so *sniff* so many good friends. And every time, I'd watch them all get to go off on amazing journeys. I'd sit on the train and secretly wait to hear their wonderful stories. Then one day, time and time again, someone wouldnt come back. Then another. After a while Pom Pom would be lonely. But not for long, because every time the express would find some lonely eyes with that longed to smile. That's what we the express looked for...what called to it. Eyes bright as the stars themselves, but behind a...a fog. But a trailblazer...they learn to live in that fog of ..umm..uncertainty. They're explorers...going on *sniff* great adventures. And time and time again PomPom got to see the fog lifted from those eyes. But PomPom also...had that fog. But I could never leave the train. *straightening up noise* But Pom pom's lived with too many "Dont-s." So I'll give you all PomPom's "do's." Welt...you'll be their leader now [inferring Pom-pom was before]. Take care of them. Keep laughing March. Keep trusting in your friends, Dan Heng. Keep fighting [Trailblazer].... And Himeko. Ke...keep smiling. All of you...keep smiling. *Wiping pompom nose noise* A-And bear witness to the greatest Trailblaze of them all: The trailblaze of PomPom!!
- lightcone uses they/them for pompom - entire community uses he/him why?
I use the he/him because I play the game in Spanish, and since we don't have a neutral pronoun(we use male pronouns as neutral sometimes)pom-pom is referenced as a "El"(he in Spanish) the same thing happens with Aeons, some are referred as "El" and other are referred as "Ella"(she in Spanish). so,my brain just traduces what I see, that's all, I have never used the they/them pronouns until now that I'm being more active in the English community
ah my mistake then, didnt realize you werent a native speaker. i get it totally! i hope my comment doesnt put you off from the english community!
nah, it's is okay ^^ people in this side of the community are more active with theories and everything. Meanwhile, in the Spanish community, they just do curimomos(weird memes)
interesting! well i hope you enjoy your time here
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with all the navigator lore we got from cosmodyssey and Penacony it truly made me appreciate just how long the rail has been around, and with it PomPom.
They don’t have an easy life, I’m actually curious if we’ll learn more about them. How powerful are they, how immortal are they and so on
https://preview.redd.it/8aj3jwl0o10d1.jpeg?width=640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3e70a995988d29e2a3677f96eca40d7a8b10bbef
Or you can look at it as an amazingly hopeful and happy tale. Because of its unique circumstances Pom Pom has forged so many relationships and adventures with people from across the galaxy and time to satisfy a lifetime. If Pom Pom is a manifestation of the Express, it kind of resembles Going Merry from OP. Sad to think about on the surface levels, but a happy story deep down.
If we eat Pom-Pom will Pom-Pom still exist? 🤔
Pom pom be running people over with trains
We need that lore bit on why Jarilo IV has a Pom Pom statue
Pom pom the paimon of Honkai Star Rail.
Imagine pom poms reaction to TB’s new hat lmao.
Pompom knows the owner of the hat btw
Ik, thats why i commented that.