History YMMV / AshesOfThePast

* BetterThanCanon: Justified by the fact that Ash and co. are essentially ''redoing'' canon. Another reason is because Saph is consistent with his characterization and strong on continuity, unlike the writers of the anime who tend to zig-zag on it. Many also welcome that Ash is allowed to grow up here unlike the games.

** After winning the Sinnoh League and defeating the Elite 4 as of Chapter 305, Ash is slated to face Cynthia. Around a year later, ''Journeys'' has him being among the Masters Eight, where his second fight is against Cynthia. Both scenarios also take place after Ash actually gets his respect. Saving the universe in here and being a league champion in the anime.

** Throughout the story, Ash has come into ownership of multiple legendary Pokémon, though he lets them go off to do their duties while still having their Pokéball to call on them for emergencies. Come ''Journeys'' episode 53, and Goh has now found himself in the same situation with having caught a legendary, but letting them roam free. Bonus points for Goh’s catch being a Suicune, which is one of the legends on Ash’s team.

** In this fic, Ash catches Keldeo, a Mythical Pokémon, as a temporary team member. This, again, is something that seemed absolutely impossible in canon... Until Ash catches Meltan, a Mythical Pokémon, as part of his team for ''Sun and Moon''.

* BetterThanCanon: Justified by the fact that Ash and co. are essentially ''redoing'' canon. Another reason is because Saph is consistent with his characterization and strong on continuity, unlike the writers of the anime, for example referencing that Ash has had birthdays.

** The story is not inherently [[VideoGame/PokemonSunAndMoon Sun/Moon]] compliant, being set in a completely different region, but...
*** The sudden influx of years of data causes Dexter to upgrade into a Porygon, able to, among other things, translate for humans that can't understand Pokémon. Cue this [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XW14HO7C1Dg Sun and Moon trailer]]... [[spoiler:For the link shy, the Sun and Moon Pokédex has the ability to host a Rotom, allowing said Rotom to talk to you in English]].
*** Even better, the possibility of [[spoiler: a Rotom possessing a Pokédex]] was brought up in [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/7262793/151 Chapter 151]], about six months before the trailer.
*** Alolan Raichu are part Psychic type. Sound familiar, Sparky?
*** With the concept of Z-Moves being revealed, along with Gigavolt Havoc, it's funny to think that Volt Crash, in a sense, is now canon.
*** Even more hilariously, Gigavolt Havoc is being heavily associated with Pikachu in particular!

** James having a Luxury ball? This fic did it first.
** Misty becoming a member of the Kanto Elite Four was something that was actually planned for the Gen 2 games, but was scrapped. Here though? She beats out Koga for the position.

** Brock and Misty's usage of Mega Stones for Steelix and Gyarados, respectively, in fic becomes this with the reveal of their return in the main anime's SM Season with Mega Steelix and Mega Gyarados.
** Ash [[TookALevelInBadass getting strong enough]] to seriously fight the Elite Four and Champion on equal footing. At the time the story started, this seemed an impossibility in canon, thanks to his portrayal in Unova. Then Kalos came along, and this fic's portrayal of Ash's competence suddenly wasn't that far off - he even came very close to defeating [[spoiler: Diantha, the Champion of Kalos]] in a battle.
** [[https://youtu.be/BdA22Lh6Rwk The announcement]] of the [[VideoGame/PokemonSwordAndShield Gen VIII games]], which are set in the United Kingdom and feature its own London equivalent (after the Swords of Justice briefly visited it while trying to visit Mewtwo).
*** The reveal of Gigantamax Pikachu and its special G-Max move. The move's name? '''Volt Crash'''.

** Ash winning a Pokemon League was a big deal when it was done here, as it was the first time. And then ''finally'', in ''Sun and Moon'', Ash managed to win a Championship!
** Team Rocket having a significant interaction with a Cubone. In ''Ashes'', they took one in in an early chapter around Lavender Town. Then, years later, along comes ''VideoGame/PokemonLetsGoPikachuAndEevee'', where Jessie and James capture a Cubone in Lavender Town (though not as positively).
** Ash getting a Riolu by hatching its egg with his aura. Here, he's reminding the Riolu he met in Sinnoh, which causes him to hatch immediately. In canon, Riolu senses Ash's aura while still in its egg, and quickly hatches after Nurse Joy entrusts the egg to Ash after seeing it react to him. [[spoiler: In the climax of the Eternatus arc in ''Journeys'', Riolu would evolve into Lucario]].
** In an earlier chapter, Ash's Riolu fights against a Farfetch'd. In the current series of the anime, Ash gets a Riolu that, you guessed it, fights a Farfetch'd - the Galarian variation, to be precise.
** Throughout the story, Ash has come into ownership of multiple legendary Pokémon, though he lets them go off to do their duties while still having their Pokéball to call on them for emergencies. [[spoiler: Come Journeys episode 53, and Goh has now found himself in the same situation with having caught a legendary, but letting them roam free.]] Bonus points for [[spoiler: Goh’s catch being a Suicune]], which is one of the legends on Ash’s team.
* ShockingMoments: [[spoiler:The appearance of the original timeline's Team Galactic caught many people by surprise]].

* HilariousInHindsight: Since the fic was started before Generation VI, it originally lacked Fairy-types and Mega Evolution, and the author {{Retcon}}ned those elements into the story with [[spoiler:a TimeCrash, making it so that they always existed]]. Afterwards, [[WebVideo/GameTheory The Game Theorists]] made a video, "The Pokémon Multiverse Explains Everything", which postulates that the games with Mega Evolution are actually in a different universe than the ones without it.

** Ash getting a Riolu by hatching its egg with his aura. Here, he's reminding the Riolu he met in Sinnoh, which causes him to hatch immediately. In canon, Riolu senses Ash's aura while still in its egg, and quickly hatches after Nurse Joy entrusts the egg to Ash after seeing it react to him.

* ShockingMoments: [[spoiler:The appearance of the original timeline's Team Galactic caught many people by surpise]].

** [[spoiler: The titular Giratina from the Giratina and the Sky Warrior being reminded and joining Ash. What makes it unexpected is that the capture of the lake trio beforehand has rendered Ash being unable to remind people of the previous timeline]].

** [[https://youtu.be/BdA22Lh6Rwk The announcement]] of the [[VideoGame/PokemonSwordAndShield Gen VIII games]], which are set in the United Kingdom and feature its own London equivalent.

* HolyShitQuotient: [[spoiler:The appearance of the original timeline's Team Galactic caught many people by surpise]].

*** Alola Raichu are part Psychic type. Sound familiar, Sparky?

** While not that much of a Base Breaker and more of fandom dissonance, the fans reaction to [[spoiler:the Oogakari Pokémon cameo]] is split between those who enjoyed ''Fanfic/YetAgain'' and loved the cameo, those who felt the inclusion of those characters made it seem like a badly written omake, and those who [[TakeAThirdOption simply loved the battle and didn't care much for the characters]] (mainly because they had never heard of ''Yet Again'').

** If you thought [[spoiler: the bug samurai]] was already an unexpected character, he merely pales in comparison to [[spoiler: Steve (Third Fang) and his roster who are Pokémonified ''[[Fanfic/YetAgain Oogakari!]]'']]

** The story is not inherently Sun/Moon compliant, being set in a completely different region, but...

** [[https://youtu.be/BdA22Lh6Rwk The announcement]] of the Gen VIII games, which are set in the United Kingdom and feature its own London equivalent.

* HolyShitQuotient: [[spoiler:The appearance of the original timeline's Team Galatic caught many people by surpise]].

* HilariousInHindsight: Since the fic was started before Generation VI, it originally lacked Fairy-types and Mega Evolution, and the author {{Retcon}}ned those elements into the story with [[spoiler:a TimeCrash, making it so that they always existed]]. Afterwards, [[WebVideo/GameTheoryWebShow The Game Theorists]] made a video, "The Pokémon Multiverse Explains Everything", which postulates that the games with Mega Evolution are actually in a different universe than the ones without it.

** Philena eventually catches a [[spoiler: Rockruff]] for Brock. [[spoiler: It then turns out to be a Zorua in disguise. Though Brock does get an actual Rockruff later.]]

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: Quite a lot. As the Pokemon usually do not talk, and a number of them never really established a gender, interpretation can run pretty wild here. Usually PlayedForLaughs though.