Hello and welcome to Wasted Plotential, where we discuss the wasted potential of our favourite plotlines. (Though, I'd hardly call this one of my favourite plotlines.)

So, I have a tendency to leave a lot of comments whenever I read a story. Whether it's pointing out a mistake, complaining about very nitpicky things or just cracking a joke whenever I see the opportunity, I'm not afraid of sharing my opinions on any given story. So if you've seen my comments in any capacity, then this should come as no surprise to you.

"Ash Betrayed" stories just do not work, and I've made it my personal mission to get people to understand that.

If you're sat there thinking "what is an Ash Betrayed" story, then first of all - why are you even here? And second of all - I'll save literally years of your life by summarizing pretty much all of them:

Ash Ketchum returns home after losing a League. Which League depends on the story, but most of the ones I've read (Amour or not) have the Kalos League as the inciting incident. Ash returns home only to find all or most of his previous travelling companions sitting on his couch. What they exactly do and who does it varies but the one constant in all these is that they want Ash to give up on his dream of becoming a Pokémon Master. One of the parties overreacts and Ash ends up running to Oak's Lab to collect all his Pokémon and run off to live in the mountains. An unrealistic amount of years later, Ash is notified of a big tournament that all of his friends will take part in (regardless of whether or not their goals are tied to battling) and Ash goes there in disguise so that he can beat all of them up, which is justified because they all had a surgery that replaced their personalities with generic bad Trainer lines. He's also bound to use at least one Legendary, though most stories have him use dozens, as well as Aura.

There, that's the jist of Ash Betrayed stories. Like, all of the bad ones, bar none, follow this format almost bit for bit, regardless of how little sense it makes. Like, when the premise of your story can be destroyed by asking a question consisting of one word, you wouldn't expect for the concept to blow up now would you?

And I genuinely don't know why they're so popular. All I can come up with is that hundreds of thousands of people just... really don't like Ash and his friends, and this is their escapist fantasy.

This also isn't helped by the fact that in most of these stories make it so that everything Ash does, no matter how right or wrong morally, is treated as the absolute right thing, while whatever the so-called "traitors" do is described with so much malice you'd think they're murdering Growlithes every 5 seconds. And the fact that Ash has no remorse towards his former friends. Not that they're any better either...

I could stay here all day and talk about how Ash Betrayed stories suck and should all be locked away in whatever dimension Arceus sent Darken Edgier, but that's not the point. The point is, as I hope is apparent due to what show I'm parodying, to try and make an Ash Betrayed story that does work.

And thankfully, there is one that does!

https://m.fanfiction.net/s/11892094/1/Amourshipping-Clearing-his-name

This one story addresses almost all the issues I have with Ash Betrayed works and fixes them! Of course, it has a couple of issues of its own, but if you're thinking about writing an Ash Betrayed story, then please give this one some love and use it as a template.

Now, because I think this one is the pinnacle of quality for these types of stories, I'll be using it as a template for my own work, albeit with a few differences.

So, if I were to write an Ash Betrayed story, it would go a little something like this:

...

We would start with a prologue which begins shortly before and during the Kalos League, and ends right after the finals. Lysandre shows up at the stadium and has a little chat with Alain about Mairin and Chespie. He asks Alain if he'll be willing to do whatever is necessary to save them, and he confirms, which is something Lysandre would use later.

We cut to Xerosic and the scientists testing out their Zygarde Cell cannon and mind control device. Unfortunately, either due to some malfunction or direct sabotage, the Team Flare higher ups realize that their plan could not possibly be executed when they originally intended it to (right after the Kalos League).

They tell Lysandre, who is furious at the situation. He stops to think of a new plan, and decides that if they can't control a Legendary Pokémon, they'd go after a Trainer instead. His first target is Diantha (obviously), but he changes his mind when he sees Ash using the Bond Phenomenon.

Realizing that Ash is literally using a power that's only been spoken about in myths and legends, Lysandre decides that he'll make Ash his avenging angel, the Trainer who would destroy humanity and make the world beautiful.

Unfortunately, he also realized that Ash is very strong-willed (due to him using the Bond Phenomenon even though he feels whatever Greninja does), and so mind controlling him right now, even if they could get Zygarde to obey them, isn't an option. What is possible, however, is messing with his mind in a more subtle way.

Following the Kalos League finals (and Ash-Greninja obviously losing), Lysandre approached Ash and somehow hit him with the mind control cannon. The next day, Ash was suddenly met by all of his friends and rivals who berated him for losing another League. They don't tell him to quit, but they do say that he'll never be good enough, since even with the power of Ash-Greninja, he couldn't beat a freaking Charizard with a Water type.

Ash is distraught at this and, not knowing what else to do, he runs away. Not to another Region, mind you, he just gets out of the stadium crying. "But, Sam!" I hear you ask, "isn't his friends acting out of character and telling him to quit is one of the reasons you hate these stories so much?" Why yes it is... which is why it's not happening here.

See, what Lysandre did was bring Ash's greatest fears and insecurities to the open. Cause let's be honest, if you were Ash at that moment, you'd probably feel like you were a failure and a disappointment, and the last thing you'd want to hear is those words coming from your loved ones mouths.

Anyways, he calls his mother, who starts off normal until the illusions take hold again, and Ash hears her saying that his father would be disgusted at the weak Trainer he had become. With no other options, he runs away again only to be met by Lysandre and Alain. Lysandre tells Ash that the best way to get back at everyone is to prove them wrong, and encourages Ash to travel to another Region and become stronger. Ash agrees and after letting Goodra go once again, he goes to Alola, vanishing into thin air from his friends' point of view.

From there on out, most of the Sun and Moon series happens as it actually did, with the only exceptions being when Delia, Brock or Misty show up. I'm thinking that when the class goes to Kanto, Ash either doesn't come with them, or just hangs out at Oak's Lab with his old Pokémon the whole time. The latter of which allows Ash to tell his Pokémon what happened, and they each find a way to smuggle themselves into Alola to aid Ash whenever possible, however he still only uses his Alola party and Greninja (who wasn't released because there are no vines).

The Alola League happens pretty much beat-for-beat as it did in the anime, with Ash winning and becoming Alola's first ever champion. Lysandre hears about it and personally visits Ash in Alola to congratulate him. Ash's time in Alola made him relax a lot, and his recent victory made him confident that he proved his friends wrong and that he can finally let go of all the negative feelings he felt towards them. Lysandre, meanwhile, uses the machine again and makes Ash see his friends again, only for them to completely disregard his accomplishment and say that it doesn't count because all of his opponents were amateurs.

Angry, depressed and hurt like never before, Ash goes to Professor Kukui, who in this version is still Ash's father-figure. While the Professor gives Ash some good advice, Lysandre completely makes him forget it when he tells Ash about the World Coronation Series and how he could become even stronger.

In his vulnerable state of mind, Ash lets his ego get the best of him and agrees. He probably still becomes Prof. Cerise's research assistant at some point, maybe it's Samson Oak who recommends him, but regardless, Ash leaves all of his old Pokémon with Kukui and Burnet and goes to Vermillion City.
Despite Ash claiming that he and Lysandre were close, Professor Kukui decided to do some digging, and eventually found out how Ash vanished after the Kalos League and how his mother and his closest friends have been desperately trying to find him ever since. Kukui then informs Delia of her son's whereabouts.

After a good chunk of Pokémon Journeys playing out like it actually did (before any of Ash's friends return), Delia desperately goes to Prof. Cerise to get Ash home. Ash however, refuses and snaps at his mother for what she did; the stress and struggles he's been through slowly breaking his will. Heartbroken, Delia leaves. Goh, Chloe and Prof. Cerise think it's awfully out of character for Ash to act that way, but they don't think about it too much, because for all they know, Delia could've really been an awful mother.

The second chunk of the series has Ash become more cold, distant and bitter. Every time he, Goh and/or Chloe bump into one of his old friends (except for the ones from Alola), he acts disgustingly towards them. He thinks that they're still acting like one dimensional jerks who can't form an argument more complex than 'lol, u suk', when in reality, they're all just glad to see that he's alive. In the process of these illusions, Ash says some awful things to them, jabbing at their insecurities, like he thought they did to him. He even battles some of them like Iris. This causes a lot of them to become furious at him, and break off their friendship. The ones who knew Ash the best though (like Brock, Misty, Gary and Serena), realize that something is wrong, and team-up with Delia to figure out what happened to Ash.

His will being stripped away bit-by-bit throughout the series, Ash stands at the Masters 8 a shell of his former self. The friends he still sees as friends cheer for him, while the others try to find out what's going on. The first round of the Master Class Tournament happens, and it's either Ash vs. Alain, in which Ash beats on Alain's Charizard a bit too much. Next is Ash vs. Cynthia, and finally Ash vs. Leon.

Despite Ash doing his very best (even building a team composed of his quote-unquote "best" Pokémon), he loses to Leon. This finally breaks him. The idea that his friends were right, that he'll never be good enough no matter how hard he tries. And that's when Lysandre (who if you didn't notice has been following Ash around) finally puts his plan into motion.

Live on TV, Lysandre takes full control of Ash and Greninja and begins his Team Flare takeover.

Goh, Chloe, Prof. Kukui and the Alola gang were all present in Wyndon Stadium when it all went down, and they finally realized what was going on with Ash. They're later joined by the closest friends I mentioned earlier and Delia and try to save Ash, who is still seeing things the way Lysandre wants him to.

After Alain's little redemption arc from the ending of XYZ (and him beating Lysandre all on his own), he joins the crew. The takeover lasts a few days, which gives the rest of Ash's friends enough time to realize what's going on and take the next flight to Wyndon in order to save him.

The corrupted Ash and his Pokémon spread the Team Flare vines all over Galar, and he easily defeats everyone who tries to stop him. Alain, Prof. Kukui, Kiawe and Gladion all take Ash on to try and snap him out of it, but he beats all of them at once.

Ash goes on about how they all thought he was weak, but he proved them wrong and stuff, until Delia snaps and yells at him to look at what he's doing. This gives Ash pause. One-by-one, all of the people there start talking about how much Ash inspired them, how he's already a Pokémon Master to them, maybe even whomever the author ships Ash with confesses their love for him in an attempt to get him out of it.

The thing that finally snaps Ash out of his trance is when Delia asks him why would his friends care if he's too weak to fulfil his dream. This finally makes Ash realize how none of what he thought made sense and he and his Pokémon broke free from Lysandre's influence. At that point, Lysandre does the whole crystal Zygarde thing, and the ending of the Team Flare arc happens mostly the way it did in the anime, only with a lot more participants.

Lysandre dies (question mark), and the world begins to rebuild. Guilt-ridden by everything he's done, Ash drops out of the WCS, and quits being a Trainer, only for the ones who he thought hated him to remind him that none of what happened was his fault. Ash admits that he was in full control of his actions up until he lost to Leon, so technically it was his fault.

He breaks down in tears, apologizing to them over and over, only for them all to embrace him. He finally lets go of all the anger and sadness he felt for the two years it's been since the Kalos League, because he really did miss his friends. After the hug is done, Ash promises that he'll make things right. He releases Greninja so that he can take care of the vines and seek redemption on his own, while Ash goes back home.

Once there, his mother finally tells Ash the truth about his father. Who is he? I don't know, but he's not Oak, Giovanni, Sir Aaron or Red, that's for sure! She tells him that regardless of all the bad he did, Ash overcame impossible odds and is still ranked number two in the world, and thus is deserving of his father's pride. After one last hug, Ash sets out on a different journey, one of making amends and fixing all that he messed up. He's joined by Brock and Misty once again and heads out.

The story ends ten years later, when Lei (Prof. Kukui's son) wakes up late on his first day as a Trainer. He rushes off to the new lab in Hau'oli city, and is greeted by Professor Ketchum and Pikachu, welcoming his little brother to the wonderful world of Pokémon.

...

Now I know that this isn't ideal. Hell, if the anime ended like this I'd probably leave with a bitter taste in my mouth. But I genuinely believe that this is one of the best ideas someone can do with the Ash Betrayed idea.

If anyone's interested in using this mold to write a story themselves, by all means go for it. Just PM me a link to your story when you're done cause I'd really like to read it.

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