The Ash Connection

The Ash Connection (TAC) is a Pokémon fic written by I am Lu (@pkmncoordinators on tumblr). First published on Fanfiction.Net in 2013, it is one of the most popular and well-known fics in the Pokémon Anime Fandom. The fic has been praised for its good writing, foreshadowing, and complex plot that manages to weave practically every relevant animanga character into one story.
Due to its popularity and status as a Fandom Classic, TAC has generated many pieces of fanart, recursive fics, and has established or helped popularize many tropes that were adopted by the large segments of the fandom. The author and readers of TAC have also shared their “TAC-verse” specific headcanons on social media and actively participate in meta discussions about the anime series, the games, and fandom activities in general.
==Summary==
TAC takes place mid-Best Wishes and goes canon divergent from there. The story starts with Ash Ketchum having an ominous dream while traveling the Unova region with Iris and Cilan right before his trip back to Pallet Town. Little does he know that his dream is just the marking point of an upcoming series of violent attacks led by an unknown armored figure, and that in the center of it all, there's Ash, or better yet: The Chosen One. Old traveling companions and rivals are brought together for their own protection, thus starting an epic story of comradery, teenage drama, and saving the world from total destruction.
The phrase on the fic's cover image "Thus the Earth shall turn to Ash" is part of a prophecy from Pokémon the Movie 2000: The Power of One as well as an excerpt from the song Chosen One, featured in the movie's soundtrack.The Chosen One. Bulpapedia.
Lu has mentioned that the main theme of the first story is Faith. The author has also discussed other relevant interpersonal themes on her blog:
Lu said that she wanted to read an adventure that featured the entire anime cast, but finding none that satisfied her, had no choice but to write one herself.pkmncoordinators, Tumblr ask, archived, posted March 13, 2014.pkmncoordinators, Tumblr ask, posted August 23, 2015. In addition, she wanted her story to resonate with as many Pokémon fans as possible, which is one of the main reasons behind sticking to first generation features as opposed to freshly released content.pkmncoordinators, Tumblr ask from kpersaud-blog, archived, posted December 22, 2015.
The author has said that originally, TAC was supposed to be a single story but as she was writing it, saw potential ideas for more.pkmncoordinators, Tumblr ask, posted January 29, 2016. Subsequently, she ended up writing a sequel for the TAC-verse: The Ash Connection II: The Rising, as well as a spin-off: Everything Else. She has announced on her blog that she is editing some details on TAC and TAC II and is also working on the third and final installment of the series.Tumblr post by pkmncoordinators, posted May 25, 2015.Tweet by pkmncoordinator, posted December 31, 2018.tweet by pkmncoordinator, posted December 8, 2019. As of 2022, the third installment has not been written, and the author has not mentioned it since 2020.
TAC and its companion stories are edited by a-hex-maniac.
==Characters and Ships==
All traveling companions and rivals from the first 14 seasons of the Pokémon anime are part of the TAC ensemble, with the addition of some game characters like Leaf and Silver, as well as the champions from the four regions and a miscellaneous of older characters like Harley, Soledad, Paul's brother Reggie, and Misty's sister Daisy. Gym leaders, evil grunts, and other characters-of-the-day make some appearances throughout the story too.
As new generations of the pokémon series are released, more characters have eventual cameos in the TAC-verse as well. TAC II has the addition of Clemont, Serena and Bonnie to the main cast (and Diantha gives the other Champions some assistance in the background). Ash's Alola companions show up briefly in Everything Else, and it is very likely that new characters like Goh or Leon will have at least a quick mention in TAC III.
As for ships, many of the fandom's juggernauts are present in TAC, such as PokeShipping and ContestShipping. Other ships of varying levels of popularity include: IkariShipping, LeafGreenShipping, WishfulShipping, RocketShipping, SoulSilverShipping, DarkSteelShipping, SnowpointShipping, CandycornShipping, FlarebusterShipping. Despite the author claiming that the story's main focus was not the romance between characters, there are some who still saw TAC as too ship-heavy at times."There’s this fic called The Ash Connection and good LORD it’s like...everything wrong with those specific fandom fic plots (it’s basically a shipping vehicle disguised as a story)" , posted October 20, 2019.
There's also a TAC-original ship called PalmGlendoShipping, which is the platonic relationship between Paul, Iris and Leaf during their overlapping tenures as Champions. The ship name comes from a mispronunciation of Paul's name and some consequential shitposts joking about it. by urmilkovich, Tumblr. Posted January 5, 2015.pkmncoordinators, , posted January 12, 2015.
==Fandom Tropes==
As a love letter to the Pokémon fandom, Lu includes several of the fandom's commonly used tropes and well-known theories in her series.
* Fanon Personal Name
The author gives some characters commonly used fanon names like Misty Waterflower, May Maple, and Drew Hayden.pkmncoordinators, Tumblr ask, posted November 30, 2013.pkmncoordinators, reply to Tumblr post by gwen-coco, posted January 15, 2017. For others, she stuck to the voice actors' last names, a common practice in the pokémon dub fandom.pkmncoordinators, Tumblr ask, posted October 31, 2014.
* Original Character
Many OCs have important roles throughout the series. Notable ones include Erol Adalet, who has been present since the first story and Karina Valdis, a young trainer with a heavy impact on certain developments in TAC II. Lu also borrows Gerald Poltiere, the president of the Pokémon Connoisseur Association, from undercitizen.pkmncoordinators, Tumblr ask, posted September 19, 2014.
* Next Generation
Lu creates fankids for many of the ships in her fic. She also borrows a few from other creators in the fandom. Some of the fankids created by kasuria and toasty-coconut in the Pokémon: Down The Line series are also characters in TAC II and Everything Else and are expected to have an even bigger role in the third installment of the series.pkmncoordinators, Tumblr ask, posted August 8, 2015.
* Families of Choice
TAC over and over advocates for the saying "the blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb". As the series progresses, the bond between the main 16 becomes so deep that it leads every single one of them to, without a second of hesitation, risk everything to save one another. Other notable relationships include Lance and Leaf; Solidad and Drew.
* LGBTQ+ Representation
Despite the most popular ships in the fandom being usually M/F, the author still adds her headcanons for queer characters to the series. For instance, Barry is gay; Zoey and Candice are in a romantic relationship; Solidad is ace.pkmncoordinators, Tumblr ask, posted September 20, 2014.
* Dub Jokes
Other than the obvious names, Lu also references some anime westernizations like the rice balls that were dubbed in the US as jelly-filled donuts.pokemon jelly filled donut dub and sub comparison video by Greatcoolman2, YouTube. Posted September 4, 2017.
* Orange Juice
The pokémon anime has a running gag about characters (human and Pokémon alike) drinking orange juice. Whenever there's a scene with food or beverages, it's very likely that a glass of orange juice is casually thrown somewhere in the frame as well.Tweet by jackiwi, posted June 23, 2020.Tumblr post by 0chazuke, posted June 21, 2016.Orange Juice: The Official Drink of the Pokemon Series by pkmncoordinators, Tumblr, posted March 8, 2013.orange juice ♥ by commanderpigg, Tumblr, posted March 7, 2013. Needless to say, orange juice is a recurring character in TAC.
* The Coma Theory
There's a part in the story where one of the fandom's most famous theories is referenced. The theory suggests that Ash actually fell into a coma on the first day of his journey and every adventure shown in the anime is actually happening inside his head.mostflogged, The Coma Theory, archived post to LiveJournal, posted March 3, 2008.
* Giovanni is Ash's Father
A theory that comes from the Pokémon Live! musical in which it's implied that Delia (Ash's mom) and Giovanni dated when they were younger. Despite not being considered canonical to the anime universe, the theory was still very popular among fans, stimulating a fair share of meta discussions and fanworks.Giovanni is Ash's father... In Pokemon Live by Gallantpride, Reddit. Posted November 22, 2019.
* Brandon, Paul and Reggie are related
All evidence that points to this theory being canon is circumstantial,The Brandon and Tobias Theory: The Legendary Family (feat. Nando, Paul and Reggie) by demoncupcakes, Reddit. Posted October 2, 2016.Paul looks like Brandon by zdude18, The PokéCommunity Forums. Posted April 29, 2013. but Lu still manages to make it fit her story and the familial relationship, albeit unexpected at first is embraced by a good part of her readers as the story progresses.
* Ash is The Chosen One
It references the prophecy that was one of the main plotlines of the Pokémon 2000 movie and explores how all sorts of unimaginable things happen when the boy is around, as well as how his company ends up influencing (for better or for worse) the fate of those he cares about.
==The TAC-verse==
Lu creates a very rich and colorful universe for her series, and she often explores intriguing parts of them more in-depth on her blog. Many systems and institutions are created by the author, but there are also those taken from the games or the anime series (like the Pokémon League) that are expanded and tweaked to fit in her worldbuilding. The lines between canon and TAC are interweaved with such dexterity that, at times, it becomes hard to distinguish one from the other.pkmncoordinators, Tumblr ask, posted September 28, 2014.Tumblr post by ikarikari, posted February 2, 2014.
When inquired about it, she has also taken the time to explain certain moments that happened in the stories, written about characters' thoughts and intentions, discussed the process of writing TAC as a whole, among other things. Over the years, TAC has impactfully resonated with the fandom, influencing other fans' take on the Pokémon world, its characters, and their portrayals.pkmncoordinators, Tumblr ask, posted December 17, 2015.rossquirtle, Ursula in 'The Ash Connection', posted March 19, 2014.mokkemusic, Tumblr ask from dbzebra, posted November 9, 2019.theroadyouchoose, Tumblr ask, posted September 10, 2017.pokexlove96, TAC Headcanons, Tumblr, posted June 22, 2015.Tumblr post by ada254, posted October 5, 2014.
From the many topics Lu has discussed:
* TAC Timeline
The author acknowledges the anime episodes as generally canon in the TAC-verse, only the whens and hows, especially Best Wishes onward, may suffer some minor alterations to fit in her story. For example, not all kids leave on their journeys when they become 10 years old; anything involving Team Rocket must have happened by different means, seeing as they were disbanded in TAC; league and contest seasons are not held simultaneously, allowing a trainer to enter multiple circuits in a year.pkmncoordinators, Tumblr ask, posted July 12, 2014.pkmncoordinators, Tumblr ask, posted October 13, 2013.pkmncoordinators, Tumblr ask from nightoffallingstars, posted July 13, 2013.
To help keep track of the timeline, Lu has also taken the time to write down a linear spread of the events that led to TAC, what some of the characters had been up to between TAC and TAC II, and details of important things that happened up to the latest released chapter then.pkmncoordinators, Tumblr ask, posted July 11, 2015.
She's also discussed how the story would be different if she had written TAC after Sun & Moon, saying that the timing and pacing of some happenings would change, but it wouldn't be that hard to add the other characters to the TAC gang. She'd also reduce Champions' and shipping screentime not to deviate too much from the main plot. On another note, she also mentioned that she'd still stick to pokeshipping even if Serena was part of the first story.pkmncoordinators, Tumblr ask, posted July 11, 2017.pkmncoordinators, Tumblr ask from sapphicbtch, posted August 8, 2015.
* Napaj
Napaj (Japan spelled backwards) is a fanon nation that encompasses the first five pokémon regions: Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh and Unova.pkmncoordinators, Tumblr ask, posted December 8, 2013. Their nationality adjectives are, respectively: Kantoan, Johtoan, Hoenish, Sinnoan, and Unovan (Kalosian for Kalos, and Alolan for Alola).pkmncoordinators, Tumblr ask, posted May 11, 2018. The time zones for each region are: Alola -8, Kalos -6, Unova -3, Hoenn -1, Kanto/Johto 0, Sinnoh +2.pkmncoordinators, Tumblr ask, posted October 2014.pkmncoordinators, Tumblr ask, posted September 26, 2018]
* The League and the G-Men
Canonically, the only known member of the G-men is Lance.Pokémon G-Men. Bulbapedia. Lu expands its membership to all the other Champions then plays with The League and the G-Men's combined roles at the top of the country.pkmncoordinators, Tumblr ask, posted March 8, 2014.pkmncoordinators, Tumblr ask, posted January 5, 2015.
In TAC, until Everything Else, elections only happened at city levels at most, past and current country leaders never getting to their positions through any democratic process whatsoever. Champions, like in canon earn their titles by winning against the previous Champion. What the Pokémon society is unaware of, however, is that there are systems in place to prevent those leaders from ever losing their battles. Because of that, The G-men, and by extension, the League are seen by many of those who are in on the secret as corrupt oligarchic organizations.
The main reason that backwards system has worked for so long is that, luckily, those in power are inherently good people with the nation's best interests at heart, though there is no guarantee that will always be the case.pkmncoordinators, Tumblr ask from poliwhirl42, posted January 8, 2014.
==Additional Works==
===The Ash Connection II: The Rising===
If the first story's main theme is Faith, TAC II's is Truth.pkmncoordinators, response to a Tumblr ask, posted April 24, 2015.
The sequel brings back all the themes introduced in the first installment and reshapes them to fit in a more mature and dark storyline. It follows a new generation of Champions as they tread the thorny path of leadership and are forced to make hard choices, gambling everything they believe in to protect what matters the most. New characters like Serena, Clemont, Bonnie, Georgia, and Burgundy also join the main cast, having their own story arcs that eventually add to the main plot.
TAC II's cover image is an analogy to PETApkmncoordinators, Tumblr ask, posted January 31, 2015]pkmncoordinators, Tumblr ask, posted May 25, 2015. and the author has mentioned that the story is her take on a Zombie Apocalypse AU.pkmncoordinators, Tumblr ask, posted March 4, 2015.
===Everything Else===
According to Lu, the title of the spin-off comes from George Orwell's quote: “Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed; everything else is public relations.”pkmncoordinators, response to a Tumblr ask, posted September 13, 2018.
Everything Else's cover is a fanart made by kasuria, co-creator of some of the fankids that cameo in the story like: Lizzie (IkariShipping), Briar (LeafGreenShipping), Allie (ContestShipping), Skye (PokeShipping).
Some of the social media handles used in the story come from PokeBlogs RP, a blog-style roleplay group she started with her friends.PokeBlogs RP Masterlist by klw531, Tumblr. Posted July 1, 2014.
===The Ash Connection III===
Lu confirmed TAC III, set after Everything Else, to be the final installment of the series. It'll take place 25 years after the first story and will have the fankids as part of the main cast.Tumblr post by pkmncoordinators, posted November 11, 2013.pkmncoordinators, Tumblr ask, posted October 31, 2014.pkmncoordinators, Tumblr ask, posted May 8, 2018.pkmncoordinators, Tumblr ask, posted January 1, 2019.
====What to expect in TAC III====
* Main Character
If among the enormous cast, Ash can be considered the main character in TAC, and Paul, Iris and Leaf are the leads in TAC II, there's a chance that either Drew or Lizzie (IkariShipping fankid) may be the main character in TAC III.pkmncoordinators, Tumblr ask, posted December 21, 2014.pkmncoordinators, Tumblr ask, posted March 8, 2015.
* How does the new government work?
The backward functioning of the League and the need for a new system are recurring topics since the first story. In Everything Else, the current Champions lineup manages to democratically elect Napaj's first president. TAC III is supposed to explain what happens next.pkmncoordinators, Tumblr ask, posted July 26, 2016.pkmncoordinators, Tumblr ask, posted June 18, 2015.
* The Conspiracy
The faked death of 14 young trainers, one of the biggest conspiracies in Napaj history is tied to much secrecy and hidden agendas. The truth behind the G-men/League's hand in politics and the ruling of the country will be brought to the public eye, leading the 14 plus Leaf and Silver to face the unresolved issues that have been piling up since that fateful Christmas 25 years ago.pkmncoordinators, Tumblr ask, posted January 31, 2015.pkmncoordinators Tumblr ask, posted March 4, 2015.pkmncoordinators, Tumblr ask, posted February 8, 2017.
From Everything Else and some information Lu has let slip over the years, it's likely that Zoey will have a huge role in reuniting the 16, and that there will be conflict to be dealt with in the reunion itself.pkmncoordinators, Tumblr ask, posted February 12, 2017.
* Fankids
Lu's mentioned a couple of times that the fankids will have a major role in the final part of the series. Some of the new generation include: Emily Stone (DarkSteelShipping), Lizzie (IkariShipping), Skye (PokeShipping), Allie and Nick (ContestShipping), Briar (Leafgreenshipping), Cicily, Jasmine and Oliver (WishfulShipping), Carine (CandycornShipping).pkmncoordinators, Tumblr ask, posted May 9, 2015.pkmncoordinators, Tumblr ask, posted July 19, 2015.pkmncoordinators, Tumblr ask, posted December 1, 2015.pkmncoordinators, Tumblr ask, posted December 5, 2015.
===TAC Adjacent===
Stories and scenarios that the author came up with that technically may fit in the TAC timeline but are not necessarily canon.
* 
* PalmGlendoShipping, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
* 
* 
==Gallery==
The two images below, originally posted on Lu's tumblr, also exist in the story. One is a page of Team Rocket's dossier on young trainers connected to Ash from TAC, and the other is a picture from Karina's blog from TAC II.Tumblr post by pkmncoordinators, posted August 3, 2013.Tumblr post by pkmncoordinators, posted September 21, 2017.
TAC Hit list.png|alt="image that looks like a profile page from a file. In it, the description of Ash Ketchum and the word 'DECEASED' stamped over a picture of his face"
Karina's syllabus.jpg|alt="a shaky photo of a stack of papers held in front of the camera with the text too blurred to read"
== Reviews and Comments ==
As of July 2, 2021, TAC has 1,401 favorites, 614 follows, and 1,070 reviews on Fanfiction.Net. TAC II: 607 favorites, 470 follows, 1,017 reviews. Everything Else: 102 favorites, 52 follows, 116 reviews. The TAC series are very popular in the fandom and seem to have been overall well received by the majority of the readers. The comments below refer to all three installments of TAC already published.
===Criticism===
* Ash is irrelevant
The cast is so big, many readers have pointed out that Ash has too small of a role in the story for being tagged as one of the protagonists. Some have even claimed that the author goes out of her way to depict him as useless in comparison to the other main characters.
* Leaf is a bad character
Leaf is a game character that has no counterpart in the anime. Because of that, there is no obvious reference point to Leaf's portrayal in TAC. She is also one of the characters in the series who can be considered morally gray, her behavior coming off as cold and manipulative when confronting the other characters, despite having good intentions at heart.
* Should May become Champion?
Fans seemed split about one of the choices Lu made in the story referring to the character's future. Some people liked the idea of May taking the leadership role, others claimed that somebody else should be champion instead.pkmncoordinators, Tumblr ask, posted October 12, 2014.
* Every character has family problemsWhy everyone in “The Ash Connection” has “daddy issues” by pkmncoordinators, Tumblr. Posted February 9, 2014.
* IkariShipping is toxic
Shipping in the Pokémon fandom has always been polarizing, what with every new pokegirl replacing the previous one (and starting their own ship followings with homeboy Ash), but IkariShipping was one to receive rather harsh criticism because of Paul’s questionable demeanor in the anime.KittyJewelpet78, (Request) Anti Ikarishipping Stamp, DeviantArt, posted August 24, 2014. Preconceptions of him being an abusive character or not having enough chemistry with Dawn caused backlash even when it came to fanworks, and TAC was not exempt from the drama.
==Fanworks==
===Fanfics===
* Who would win a fight by pkmncoordinators, taillow-suift, cellophanerose, hapufini
* Hollow Bones (Ghosts have feelings too) by i-just-have-a-lot-of-feelings
* wip of a poem of tac!leaf by Runaway
* Where We Both Started by undercityrezident
* TAC gang at McDonalds by mokkemusic
===Fanart===
* We’re going on a trip, as stowaways on a ship by sappho
* LeafGreenShipping by Sheldon
* Champions Leaf & Ash by freakkingalex
* Happy Whishfulshipping Day by ikari-cat
* palmglendoshipping by hide-out-yo
* Leaf & Misty brotp by swissed-toast
* Champion Iris by kasuria
* TAC II Doodle by twitterp4ted
* May & Dawn by gurosen
* wishfulshipping fankids by kasuria
* Paul and Drew by gurosen
* Champions Lineup by hide-out-yo
* Champions Lineup 2 by kasuria
* TAC!Leaf over the years by nacrate
* Ash & Silver by 34choco
* Paul & Reggie by kasuria
* May & Drew by tennichifang
* Cilan & Iris Epilogue by ikarikari
* Sinnoh Base Invasion by hide-out-yo
* Iris & Cilan sitting in a tree by 34choco
* TAC, Chapter 1 by ikarikari
* Christmas Party Holiday Get Together by 34choco
* May in Team Rocket Outfit by leamko
* Everything Else Comission by kasuria
===Edits===
* KEEP CALM AND READ TAC by kimikoheroux
* 
* thanks pkmncoordinators by klw531
* Pokemon Character Names (According to my phone) by urmilkovich
* Wait a second. Something’s not right here. by toasty-coconut
* TAC Murder Board by jellylollie
* The Ash Connection (2013) KILL COUNT by redwoodreed
===Cosplays===
* 
===Miscellaneous===
* Fanmade Movie Trailer for The Ash Connection by I am Lu (a.k.a. pkmncoordinators) by poli-swirl
==Links==
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==References==
Category:2010s Fanfiction