A New Chance Series

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.

A New Chance is an AU Pokémon Fanfic series written by author ARCEUS-master and based in Fanfiction.Net. Started in early 2010, it is so far comprised of two stories:

The first story in the series, A New Chance at Life, was started in Feb. 16th 2010 and completed on May 26th 2011. The story starts at the end of Movie #5, where Latios' Heroic Sacrifice is averted, so now the dragon is very much alive. Out of gratitude and a desire for adventure, Latios and his sister Latias decide to join Ash on his adventure. The story covers the remainder of Ash's journey's through the Johto Region (based on the author's belief regarding the location of Altomare), up until the conclusion of the Silver Conference and its immediate aftermath. It ends with a Sequel Hook leading up to our heroes' adventures in the Hoenn Region.

The sequel, A New Chance for Adventure, was first posted on Oct. 24th 2011, and now tracks our heroes on their journey to the Hoenn Region.

This Fanfic series is part of the Pokémon Fanfic Recs on All The Tropes.

It's also worth checking out the author's other stories: Gods And Mortals and Stopping The Storm.

Tropes used in A New Chance Series include:


  • Aloof Big Brother: Latios is much more calm and collected than his little sister Latias, who is more of a Genki Dragoness
  • Anti-Hero: Latios is a borderline Type III - his Mind Rape of the three poacher brothers (who, in fairness, had sold away Larvitar's mother recently) is evidence of that.
  • Ascended Extra: Bianca, both in-story and out. She goes from one-movie character to recurring character in A.N.C.A.L., to becoming Ash's travelling companion during Johto.
  • Attention Deficit Creator Disorder: After posting the first three chapters of ANCFA monthly, the story wasn't updated for over four months. This is because the author diverted his attention to his other stories - one a massive oneshot which grew beyond the predicted word count. Now that S.T.S. has been completed, he looks to be back on track again.
  • Belligerent Sexual Tension: Gary's Umbreon was not happy to find out that Latios helped Pikachu win their fight. She even starts chasing him down to get him to fight her again.
  • Berserk Button: Just try and ask Bianca for a date... Justified in that it was Brock doing the asking.
  • Big Brother Instinct: Latios to his sister.
  • Big Brother Mentor: Phanpy adopts Larvitar as his "little brother" and helps him deal with his trauma.
  • Big Eater: Ash really loves eating, and constantly asks others when it is time to. Larvitar could also count, since he steals other Pokémon's food when they aren't looking.
    • As Gary puts it, Ash doesn't eat like a Snorlax. Snorlaxes eat like Ash.
    • As of A New Chance for Adventure, Larvitar definitely counts.
  • Blood Knight: Charizard lives for fighting, even constantly challenging Latios and Latias to combat in an effort to make himself stronger.
  • Brother-Sister Team: Latios and Latias.
  • Captain Obvious: The announcer in the Silver Conference League, to the point of being a Running Gag.
  • Pokémon X does Y*

Announcer: Pokémon X has just Y'd!

    • It's pretty much Lampshaded, too.
  • Cerebus Syndrome: Not just yet, but it's being hinted at coming, thanks to not only the more arc-based story overall, but to the devious plan Team Rocket (the organisation, not the trio) is orchestrating behind-the-scenes...
  • Character Development: Lots of it, especially with the primary characters. Brock is also getting some forced development with his perverted ways, thanks to Latias.
  • Clingy Jealous Mon: Bayleef, still.
  • Comic Book Time: Averted. Unlike canon where he is still ten, Ash actually ages. He is eleven at the start of the story and is close to twelve. This actually fits quite well with the evidence canon presents on time progression.
    • He celebrates his 12th birthday in the first chapter of A.N.C.F.A.
  • Cool Big Sis: Ironically, Latias plays this role to Larvitar and Phanpy rather than her actual brother.
  • Curb Stomp Battle: Lance tries to take Latios, so obviously they try fighting back. His dragonite knocks Latios, Pikachu, and Charizard out in one hit. Fortunately, it's subverted right afterward where Latias gets a surprise attack in and disarms him by taking his pokeballs.
  • Death Glare: Larvitar is disturbingly good at these.
  • Demoted to Extra: The previews for "A New Chance for Adventure" (at the end of ANCAL) imply that May and Max will be this.
  • Description Cut: Just like in the main series, Pikachu is captured by Team Rocket en route to Hoenn. Latios is immediately worried, because he figures that after kidnapping what they've focused their life on, they'd have a viable means of escape. Next scene, Team Rocket is trying to figure out how get off the ship, while also Lampshading how they should have thought a exit strategy sooner.
  • Defeat Equals Friendship: Ash with Gary after beating him in the tournament, and again with Lance.
  • Dude, Where's My Respect?: Averted, as having an Olympus Mons during a televised tournament has made Ash quite famous, especially in Pallet Town. He even gets a surprise party when he gets back.
  • Evil Genius: Professor Namba and Sebastian, just like in the anime.
  • Five-Man Band:
  • Fix Fic: Primarily for the matter of Latios' death in the movie, and Latias' unrequited crush on Ash (though it's not there yet, it's heavily indicated they will become the Official Couple).
    • Among other things, it resolves controversial issues within the anime such as Ash never getting Pidgeot back - here, Pikachu makes sure to remind Ash of the promise he made, and pulls him in the right direction at the right time.
  • Flanderisation: Macey, the Fire-type trainer who Ash faced in the Silver Conference, is reduced to being (and being regarded as) a shallow Fan Girl who crushes on Ash. Justified in that Ash doesn't save her life (or her Vulpix from Team Rocket) as he did in canon, giving the crush she develops here less depth or justification.
  • For Want of a Nail: Because the events are paced differently, a number of events happen differently - most notably, Ash and Co. weren't there in time to stop Larvitar's mother from being captured by the poachers; add to that Latias coaxing him (and Ash's growing maturity), which results in Larvitar actually becoming Ash's Pokémon rather than a mere Guest Star Party Member.
  • Freak-Out: Larvitar when strangers try to touch him - see Chapter 1 of the 2nd story for reference.
  • Friendship Moment: Ash and Gary have a moment at the lake after Gary loses in the tournament.
  • Genki Dragoness: Latias, very much so.
  • Green-Eyed Monster: Lance says he wants to make sure Latios gets proper training, but he later admits he was just jealous of Ash getting a Legenday dragon instead of him. He gets better though.
  • Happily Adopted: Phanpy, and later Larvitar, call Ash "Daddy". Justified because Ash was there for both of their hatchings, and was the only father figure around for them.
  • Harmless Electrocution: Did you piss off Pikachu and have him fill you several hundred volts of electricity? No problem if you're Latios. Also, Pikachu's alarm clock mode is shocking Ash until he gets out of bed.
  • Hates Being Touched: Latios avoids contact with any human he doesn't trust thoroughly, including children trying to play with him. Latias is much more willing.
    • Larvitar as well, though he's gotten better at it over time.
  • Heroic RROD: Latios finishes off the toughest of Harrison's Pokémon, but is so injured that he couldn't recover properly in the time before the next match. This eventually costs Ash the tournament.
  • Hero Stole My Bike: Again like the main series, Ash "borrows" May's bike to look for Professor Birch. Unlike the series, Latias intervenes in time to save her bike from being barbequed.
  • Hypocritical Humor: Bayleef chews out Charizard for acting childish and immature, while she herself constantly glomps Ash.
  • Improvised Weapon: Heracross gets in a super-effective attack against Gary's Nidoqueen by breaking off parts of the Ice field and hurling them at her. Latios later uses the Rock field he's on to bypass Shedinja's Wonder Guard.
  • Interspecies Romance: It's not yet there, but there's loads of hinting to it (see Ship Tease, below).
  • Keet: Phanpy.
  • The Kid with the Olympus Mon: Ash
  • My Master, Right or Wrong: Lance's Dragonite points out the inherent stupidity in trying to attack and steal Latios, but goes along with his trainer's plan anyway.
  • My Name Is Not Durwood: As per canon, Buffalo Bill and Doctor Simba Butch and Professor Namba experience this a lot.
  • Never Live It Down: In-universe, regarding Pikachu and bikes. From Chapter 2, after Pikachu's Thunder attack destroys Team Rocket's mecha and is releasing stray electrical bolts:

Pikachu:"Noooo! Stop that bolt!"
May: "My bike!"
Latias stops the bolt using her psychic powers
Latias: "You owe me one, Pikachu!" (She grins) "You bike destroyer!"
Pikachu: Alright, thanks!

  • Oblivious to Love: Ash, who wonders why Macy tries to follow him and needs Latias to explain to him what a date is.
  • One-Scene Wonder: Everyone was pleasantly surprised when Lt. Surge appeared in the last chapter of the first story.
  • Parental Substitute: Larvitar and Phanpy consider Ash to be their father, for all intents and purposes; Ash himself is delighted to have two "surrogate sons" and is very protective of them in turn.
  • Police Are Useless: Annie and Oakely, the villains from the fifth movie, escape rather handily while en route to prison.
  • The Prankster: Latias enjoys pranking people, and does it often enough that her family got tired of scolding her for it. It helps that she can turn invisible.
  • Psychic Link: Latios and Latias have one, due to being legendaries and twins. Latios also gets one with Ash after they get their soul-bonding.
  • Psychic Powers: Latios and Latias, obviously. And Ash may be well on his way, due to the soul-bonding he did with Latios.
  • Puppy Dog Eyes: Latias is fond of using these to wiggle out of punishment for her constant pranks. Only her adoptive grandfather can resist them.
  • Really 109 years old: Latias and her brother. And they're considered to be just children by the standards of legendary pokemon.
  • Red Oni, Blue Oni:
    • Latias is Red; Latios is Blue.
    • Pikachu is Red; Latios is Blue.
    • Bianca is Red; Latias is Blue.
    • Ash is Red; both Pikachu & Latios are Blue.
  • Secret Weapon: Harrison uses a Shedinja, whose ability ignores all damage from non-super effective attacks. When he reveals this during their match, Latios has no such attacks. Cue collective Oh Crap.
  • Ship Tease: Between Ash and Latias, and with Pikachu and Gary's Umbreon.
  • Sibling Yin-Yang: Between Latias & Latios.
    • Also seen between Phanpy and Larvitar, even though they aren't true siblings; ironically, the younger Larvitar is the more serious of the two 'brothers'.
  • Spotlight-Stealing Squad: Despite the wishes of Ash's adoring fans, this is averted for the most part - while Ash does use Latios frequently and takes out some of his strongest adversaries with him, he tries hard to make use of his other strong Pokémon and his abilities as a Guile Hero. This is especially evident after Latios is put out of commission from the battle with Harrison. The experience is used by the author to give Ash a learning curve as a trainer... On the other hand, see Badass Decay above.
  • Sugar and Ice Personality: Larvitar, at first as a coping mechanism for his trauma as an egg, but later as his natural demeanour - he goes from being primarily icy to being primarily sweet, especially around Ash. This actually helps him out when battling stronger opponents such as Jon Dickson and his Tyrannitar.
  • Team Mom: Of all people, Pidgeot.
  • Technicolor Eyes: Ash gets red eyes as a result of the soul-bonding process that allowed Latios to live. Pretty much only himself and his mother notice it though.
    • Semi-averted in the last few chapters, where 2 others do.
  • Tournament Arc: Similar to the regular anime, but now Ash has an Olympus Mons beneath his belt.
  • Training from Hell: In order to prepare the team for their next match, Brock assigns different excercises to Pikachu and the others. For Pikachu, he assigns him building up speed and reflexes by avoiding a multitude of attacks, while the others are tasked with improving their aim by trying to hit a moving target.

Pikachu: "Wait, you aren't going to-"

  • Troubled but Cute: Larvitar. By the first story's end he's mostly gotten over it, but he still has trouble, such as when strangers try to touch him.
  • True Companions: So very much - in particular, Phanpy considers the Pokémon he's closest to among Ash's team (and a few others, as well) as his family.
  • Unusually Uninteresting Sight: Latios is convinced to drop his inivisbilty in Ch.1 of the second story, but instead of causing a stampede of young trainers eager to see an legendary Pokémon, he only recives a few incredulous stares.
  • Vitriolic Best Buds: Pikachu and Latios are a Type 2 - so much arguments and banter, but really close friends and confidantes as seen with how they take mutual amusement at many things.
  • Well-Intentioned Extremist: Lance, who wants to take Latios to train him, whether Latios want him to or not. He gets better though.
  • Who Would Be Stupid Enough...?: The magikarp salesman tries to sell Ash a golden Pidgey that supposedly can lay golden eggs. Latios, Latias, and Pikachu easily see through his charade, but Ash only realizes this after his Pokémon tell him. Humorously, Team Rocket falls for it.
  • The Worf Effect: Barring Latios and Charizard, Ash's other Pokémon actually fare somewhat poorly during the matches against Gary and Harrison (in the former match, only Pikachu takes out a single Pokémon, Umbreon - while Charizard beats three and Latios defeats two). Narrative-wise, this is evidenly done to give Latios a chance to shine and prove he's nearly a Game Breaker for the unprepared. YMMV on whether this is a good thing or not.
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