Ash is betrayed, etc, but will be slightly different from other overused plots. I don't know if I will include Alola, maybe references at most.
Also, contains BF references, RoM references, and Triage X references.
Ash yawned as he cracked his neck, wincing at the noticeable sound.
Being a Champion didn't have its downsides with paperwork.
That is, Champion of the Toriaji Region.
The Toriaji Region. Fairly obscure compared to the other regions due to how their own network was managed entirely by their own league.
It was, however, far more medically and technologically advanced, placing emphasis on logic and understanding of the world around them more than anything else.
True, a bond of friendship was important, but the Toriaji residents were practical people who knew limitations when they saw it. Not to mention, they didn't have the luxury of tourism by their side for revenue.
They instead learned how to harness technology and science to far greater heights, beyond even Western regions like Unova and Kalos. By harnessing technology to greater heights, they could apply it to what really mattered.
Protecting the environment.
Virtually every citizen of Toriaji, despite their cold and calculating attitudes at times, loved the natural world above anything else. They despised metropolises of concrete, and instead used materials found from the environment. Only the most locked down facilities, such as prisons and research facilities, used these materials. Even so, they relied more on polycarbonates as opposed to steel and concrete.
Toriaji's real source of revenue was by maintaining the medical facilities around the world. In doing so, it basically became overlord of the world. After all, Pokemon centers could not support themselves without its help. Without Toriaji's vast medical knowledge, it was akin to visiting a toy physician to remedy poison.
Stolling through a nearby park, Ash waved idly at a group of children playing around.
Thankfully, although he was the champion, the people treated him no different from each other. He cherished this, since should he attempt to visit another region, he would have become a glorified boy-toy.
Unlike the rest of the world, Toriaji's Elite system worked differently. The local league official felt that the gym leader system was not only a waste of resources but time as well.
Instead, it bumped up the amount of Elites required to fight the champion.
The so-called Seven Sins of Toriaji.
Drag Voldog, the impregnable barrier of steel. A silver haired man with the eyes to match, he was the first one to oppose challengers, and the one who struck fear into those that underestimated Toriaji. He who bore Wrath.
Titania LeFay, the legend of grass. Lush auburn hair with a smile as devious as a fairy, her azure eyes had never found a challenger who defeated Drag. Besides their champion, of course. She who bore Gluttony.
Velynn Vara, the sky's golden-eyed guardian. A frequent flyer, his charm and love for pokemon are known all too well for belying a brutal strength. He who bore Sloth.
Liza Fulgur, gracing the world of thunder. With a pale countenance yet a loving heart, she once defeated the Evergrande by sweeping the competition with only one pokemon. She who bore Lust.
Melina Vasiliki, the shadow which prowled the region. A beautiful yet mysterious lady whose disdainful glare could freeze a rampaging Salamence. She who bore Envy
Lunaria Savia, the empress of ice. A face filled with both innocence and purity, she is considered the child of the group, being the youngest but also the kindest. She who bore Greed.
Lavil Morgana, the Gatekeeper of the Champion. A pink haired loner among her peers yet extremely caring, she answers only to her Champion. She who bore Arrogance.
Unlike what their title's suggested, what they bore was actually the lone sin they had conquered and freed themselves of.
Toriaji did not trouble itself with Officer Jenny's. Its citizens had nothing to fear, after all. But, as enforcement was required, it turned to its leaders.
Only those that conquered a sin may bear it. Only they can break and bend the laws as they see fit to protect the public.
And they serve the Ultimate Virtue, their Champion.
He who bears Hate.
Ash did not hate his former friends for their betrayal. Honestly, he couldn't bring himself to hate anyone.
Besides, his fellow elites hated them for him anyways.
"Penny for your thoughts, Ash?"
Ash turned his head slightly to catch a glimpse of a woman with soft blue hair. Her eyes were startling clear, like they could peer into your soul. She wore a simple white sundress, with a bonnet to prevent the sun from irritating her fair skin.
She was also the youngest one, being eight months younger than Ash.
Lunaria.
"Just taking a stroll."
"Hmmm," she sighed as she nuzzled into his shoulder. Ash responded by putting an arm around his sister-by-bond.
Since the betrayal, he had been rather depressed (although he was more so when he had failed the Lumiose conference). When he came to Toriaji, he found himself in love with the warmth that its citizens and Elites extended.
"How do you think Elansu is as of now?" she asked.
Ash snorted. "Probably relaxing wherever the hell he is. For a former Champion, he sure knew how to drop out of the public.
The former Champion of Toriaji simply hated public life, to the point where on questioned why he even bothered to assume the position. Once, by sheer coincidence, he found Ash dealing with his betrayal by relentlessly training both his pokemon and himself. he pointed a finger at him and stated, "That's my successor."
The prophecy would come true 5 years later, as Ash would storm through the news as the first person to ever get through the Seven Sins of Toriaji, much less defeating the Champion himself.
The 21 year old was rather proud of himself for achieving history.
"I'm going to go grab a beer," started Ash, as he rose, gently removing Lunaria from him. "Tell Lavil that I'll do my paperwork later alright?"
"Yes, sir."
Ash found that one of the benefits of being a Champion was that he get a beer anytime he wanted, no questions asked. The barkeep, he knew personally, from resting during his years of training.
"'lo, Mac," greeted Ash, taking a seat in front of his friend.
Mac grunted in acknowledgement before gesturing behind him. "The usual?"
"Hell yeah."
Mac nodded before making some of usual microbrewed craft - the best beer to be found in the region, Ash felt.
"Hey, Mac, gimme whatever he's having," said another voice, who took a seat besides the Champion. His chocolate brown hair did not, by sense of logic, mix well with his golden eyes, but he managed to pull off his look. Wearing a casual suit, he had a briefcase slung over his shoulder and a piece of gum in his mouth.
"'lo, Ash."
"Velynn."
"So," Velynn began. "What brings you to this pub?"
"Call it a pub again, and I won't be able to scrape your remains off the wall if Mac heard you. He prefers bar."
"Ahh. Noted."
"Anyways, just wanted to grab a beer."
"A great reason if I ever heard one."
The two shared a hearty laugh.
"Listen, Ash," said Velynn with a serious look in his eyes. "Word is, there's going to be a Inter-regional Conference happening here in Toriaji. You wouldn't know anything about it would you?"
The Higanbana Conference. The first time Toriaji was hosting a global tournament.
All to honor its new Champion.
"Of course I have. Lavil seems to find a compulsion to tell me everything she does."
"That she does." As their drinks came, they clinked the glasses together and took a sip before offering their praise to the bartender.
A lone figure stood, staring blankly at the mangled corpse before her.
Her long pink hair gleamed with luster, a stark contrast to the almost empty look in her cyan eyes.
"Why ... does it take death for others to repent?"
Dropping her weapon, a simple claymore, it slid smoothly into the pavement, a legacy to its uncanny sharpness.
Snapping her fingers, a Ninetails emerged and burned away the body and the blood.
"So sad ... they who can't see their own faults must suffer."
She glanced at the sky, seemingly ignorant of the death before it.
"So commands the sin of Arrogance."
Looking at her Ninetails, she gave a slight nod. The Ninetales returned the gesture before bounding into the darkness.
"Life is so fragile .. and so weak."
The figure was Lavil, the Gatekeeper of Toriaji's Elite.
"Honestly," she murmured. "Who has the nerve to beat their own pokemon just because they lost a battle?"
Glancing down at her attire, a simple but seductive purple dress along with a purple cloak with a red interior, she sighed when she noticed some bloodstains. The right sleeve was red, and she toyed with a small black crystal in her left hand. Her shoewear was unusual, a pair of metal-clad knee-high boots.
"A shame. I rather enjoyed this outfit."
She glanced at a watch on her left hand.
"It's getting late ... I'll need to catch up on the paperwork."
She glanced distastefully at the former body one last time.
"I hate tourists. Always thinking that they can do whatever they want to our region.
"Our Champion's home."
"Where's Ash?" asked Lavil, not seeing her superior
"Off drinking, though I'm pretty sure that Velynn will join him. Probably to probe out any info on the Higanbana Conference out of him."
"Why? He's a Sin, any info he wanted would be delivered to him on a silver plate."
"He's Sloth, remember? He never takes any shortcuts."
"Ah, yes. Although, didn't he get his title because the little prick couldn't stay in one place for longer than ten minutes?"
"I don't know. And that's not very nice," frowned Lunaria. "Do you have to insult him?"
"No. But I can."
Lunaria sighed. "It's not good for you to be so negative, Lavil. Aren't you the one who is supposed to love everything and everyone?"
"No, that's Ash. I'm supposed to not look down on them. Except at tourists."
"Oh. Nevermind." Lunaria nodded, understanding her meaning and the reason for her relatively bad mood.
One thing that Ash had clarified upon becoming a Champion was that any person that tainted Toriaji's purity was to undergo evanescence.
"I will not tolerate anyone who harms this region, understand? As the Sins of Toriaji, show these 'tourists' that they will obey our laws of environmental protection or suffer."
Not a single person dissented.
For Hate is the ultimate Sin, and all Sins lead to Hate.
"So you're just upset that another outsider tried defiling our region?"
"Of course."
Lunaria sighed, shaking her head. "Well, I'm not going to try to convince you otherwise, at least our thoughts on this matter are relatively the same ... although probably not as extreme as yours."
"Toriaji is Ash's home. I won't let anyone take his home away from him again." She glanced at the paperwork behind Lunaria.
"That's Ash's, isn't it? Let me do it for him, he deserves a day off."
After paying for his beer Ash strolled out of the bar, noting the darkness.
"Hmm, better get to that paperwork."
Whistling sharply, he heard a rustle in a nearby bush. Out came a familiar friend.
"Hey, Pikachu, how have you been, leaving me behind to suffer paperwork alone?" he teased.
'That's human stuff,' Pikachu relied, not bothering to stifle a yawn. 'I don't bother with it, that's your deal.'
"You know," Ash warned lightly. "I'm your source of your ketchup allowance. What's to stop me from cutting it off?"
'The fact that I'll be able to get some out of the other elites.'
"Those guys spoil you too much."
'I'm loved, and owned by the bearer of Hate no less. Admit it, you love my asshole ways.'
"That I do," smiled Ash.
As his faithful friend took his usual spot on Ash's shoulder, Ash thought of how much had changed between then and now.
His tan had lightened, though just enough to give people a faint sense of his past skin tone. His z-shaped birthmarks had disappeared, though Ash couldn't tell if it was from genetics or Aura, or even the divine intervention of Arceus.
He had grown considerably. Now, he stood at an impressive height of 5'11" and with Aura coursing through his body, research suggested he may continue growing for one or two more years. Not that he was complaining.
After the betrayal, he felt a piece of him leave him. It wasn't until he began training, under the overly lax Elansu's guidance of all people, that he realized thatit was his childhood innocence.
It took him about six seconds to get over it. Mostly in the form of leaping over a Hyper beam aimed at him.
Change does that to someone.
Did he moan it? Did he grieve? Did he wish that something different happened?
Nope. You could even say that he was grateful.
They told him to let things go. He did, but he let go of something else.
To let his future soar, he shrugged off the burden of his past.
"Come on, Pi, if I'm too late, then Lavil will probably have done the paperwork for me."
'Isn't that a good thing?'
"Not to my pride as Champion."
Well .. as you can see, and as I did after rereading this, it bears some similarities to other 'Ash-is-betrayed' fics, most notably those of the PAL Chronicles by BookPrincess32. While I admit I got some inspiration from it, I had long since envisioned a plot that would derail from all of those. Most notably, everyone already knows his true identity. I don't do well with this fake name crap.
Well, I guess this is it? I dunno, tell me what you guys think, and if I should just shut this fic down because it's too trash.