Hello, everyone! I wanted to try writing a fanfiction story, and this is my first time, so please be lenient to me! I'm only just trying to be a better writer, and I would appreciate any criticism! Sorry if the summary is bad, my summaries suck.

Disclaimer: Contains blood and uncomfortable subjects.

Edit: 9/16/2014. Changed a little bit of some parts cause I felt like they could've been better, but no major changes!

''Pikachu is unable to battle!'' The microphone blared across the pitch, drowned by the sounds of spectators roaring with approval. ''Tobias is the winner!''

Ash merely stood there in shock, as Tobias waved at the crowd in appreciation. He smiled at Ash, and Ash smiled back. He picked up the fainted Pikachu, and caressed it lightly. ''You did your best, Pikachu. And that's all I ever wanted of you.''

''Pika.''

''Atta boy,'' He walked to Tobias, who was still waving at the crowd fervently. ''You were really tough, Tobias!'' Ash held up a hand.

''Hmm?'' He turned irritably to Ash, then tutted disapprovingly. ''Ah yes, well thank you Ash,'' He took Ash's hand and shook it. ''Don't worry about your failure! I'm sure you're going to win the next time!'' He sneered.

Ash didn't realize Tobias' meaning, and just saluted him earnestly. ''The next time we meet, I'll beat you, and I'll be sure to keep trying! And I won't quit until I beat you!''

''What have I done to this poor boy's future,'' Tobias muttered, then noticed Ash staring at him curiously. ''I mean, I'm sure you can beat me one day!''

''Oh, my friends are going!'' Ash said, noticing Brock, Misty, May, Dawn, Paul, Drew and Serena walk off the arena seats into the lobby. ''Bye!'' He ran off after them, waving to Tobias as he disappeared down the winding tunnel that lead to the main tower.

Tobias shook his head solemnly. He was never going to forgive himself for wasting that pitiful child's life away. The boy's never going to come close to beating him.

''Wait up, guys!'' Ash called his friends, and they stopped suddenly, as if they were shocked that Ash was even here.

Drew was the first to turn around. ''Ash!'' He said through gritted teeth. ''We weren't expecting you here so quickly.''

Ash clicked his heels proudly. ''Of course I was here so quickly! I just came in the top fourth of a major conference! I gotta share the joy with my friends!''

''Friends. Right,'' Brock was trying hard to keep a straight face. Paul just stared at Ash soullessly, while the girls all blushed after seeing him.

''Uh, I need to use the bathroom!'' Ash looked at his pants, and started jumping up and down. ''I really need to, sorry! I'll be back in a flash!'' He disappeared in a cloud of anime smoke and rushed into the boy's cubicle.

Paul coughed loudly. ''Cafeteria?''

''Cafeteria.'' Brock agreed. ''I need a cup of coffee.''

''You can say that again.'' Drew muttered. ''Why isn't there any collateral damage at all?''

''Sweet relief!'' Ash groaned in satisfaction, and proceeded to zip up his jeans. But from inside his cubicle, he heard the sound of voices.

''Hey, you saw that fight with Tobias and Ketchum?''

Ash smiled. He was famous now!

''Yeah, I did. How'd that kid get in the prelims anyway? His style of battling is so random, I'd bet my money on a slot machine instead.''

''You're asking me? I'm pretty sure he bribed the trainers to let him.''

Ash felt a surge of anger. How dare they slander his name?!

''He must be filthy rich. There's like, 15 trainers that he battled to be in the top 4.''

''Heck, with that money, I could buy an entire casino!''

The two people laughed and exited the toilet, leaving Ash alone in shame and fury. ''I didn't bribe them! I didn't!'' He sobbed to himself.

At least his friends believed in him...right?

Ash walked out of the toilet, head hung low. He wouldn't meet anybody's gaze, too troubled by the two people's conversation back there. Was he really that lucky to enter the finals? Did he deserve to be the top four in the League?

He pushed open the doors of the restaurant dejectedly, then perked up when he saw his friends in a giant big table. And there was still one seat left! Ash was about to walk there, when a sandy haired girl Ash knew as Cynthia waltzed in on them and sat at Ash's seat. His. Seat! Ash was about to walk there and give Cynthia a piece of his mind, but decided against it and crouched behind a table, grabbing a rolled up newspaper and pretending to sift through the contents.

''Awesome Cynthia, now we have a reason to reject that Lame-O,'' Brock said casually, folding his arms behind his back.

Cynthia turned to him, unusually quiet and brooding. ''Ash...he's evil!''

Everyone stared at her curiously, except for Paul. ''He's not like that!'' Dawn said. The rest of the girls nodded too, confused by the sudden news.

''He tried to rape me,'' Cynthia whispered, tears in her eyes, and everyone gasped. ''He almost did too, if Paul didn't come and save me.''

Paul nodded. ''I found her screaming for help, with Ash trying to pull off her clothes.''

''That's not...it's not him!'' May cried, wiping away tears. ''He's not like that!''

''He is.'' Paul suddenly said, which took everyone by surprise. He stood up, and swept his gaze across them. ''Stop believing in his acts of honesty. Can any of you say for sure he won't do it?''

He let that question digest in their heads. Ash sucked in a breath; he would NOT do anything like that! Why can't they see it?

''The Ash we know was lost when he lost that Unova league championships,'' Paul said coldly. ''He's gone.''

''But still,'' Serena said, unsure of whether what she heard was real, ''It's not like him to do something like that!''

''I thought so too.'' Cythnia said without meeting her gaze. ''But that changed when he...he tried to...'' She couldn't finish that sentence and sobbed into Drew's shoulder.

''That's terrible!'' Drew shook his head, and patted Cynthia's hand sympathetically. ''What's wrong with Ash?''

Ash felt like tearing apart the paper, and wrestling Drew to the ground. But against all of them, he knew he had no chance, and decided to lie low for a bit longer.

''I can't believe he'd do something like this.'' May said. ''He was my idol!''

''He was mine too,'' Cynthia sobbed. ''But...but...'' She continued crying.

''I didn't do it!'' Ash shot up from his table, startling the girls. ''I swear!''

''You got the nerve to show up here, after what you did?!'' Drew said angrily, shoving Ash back. ''You don't deserve to be here!''

Ash staggered back, and looked at them in anguish. The girls were all huddled behind Drew, and Brock was shaking his head disapprovingly. Cynthia was sobbing on Paul's shoulder now, and he glared at me.

''Fine. If that's how you all see me, then so be it!'' Ash declared, throwing his cap down. ''I thought you all had more trust in me. I thought we were friends!''

''Ash, wait-'' May timidly walked in front of Drew, placing a hand on Ash's chest. ''I believe you.''

''Thanks,'' His eyes softened. ''But they don't.'' He gazed at the group now, the people he once called 'friends'. Now they just stared at him with a mixture of emotions: shock, disappointment, anger. ''Mark my words when I say I didn't do it. You're all going to be sorry one day, when you realize Ash Ketchum was innocent all along.''

''Go and rape someone else, Ketchum.'' Paul said, and Ash stormed out of the tower.

''I didn't do that to Cynthia. I didn't!'' Ash said to himself over and over again. ''Why can't they believe me?''

''Because they're not your friends.'' A voice suddenly said, and Ash stumbled to the ground. He back up to a tree, cowering. ''H-Hello? Who's there!''

''Ash Ketchum. Do you want to be powerful?''

''Huh?'' Ash said. He never really thought much about being powerful, especially after the incident today.

''What if I told you, you can be more powerful than Tobias? More powerful than anyone, and able to take revenge on the people that smeared your name.''

Ash stood up angrily. ''I'm not going to fall for it! I'm not going to betray my friends!''

"Will they return the favor? Be smart for once, Ash Ketchum. Your friends sold you out, turned their backs on you because of a simple plea from Cynthia and a word from Paul.''

''A word from Paul...a word from Paul!'' Ash said to himself, ''That little b-''

''Save your anger. He didn't do it.''

''W-Wha?!''

''It doesn't matter. What matters now is that you want revenge. I can feel this rage, ferocious and thirsty for blood, boiling in your bloodstream. Forget your friends. Do you want to have unlimited power to exact your revenge? To repay what they did to you tenfold?''

Ash stared at the ground. He'd been with his friends for years, struggling against the hardest of challenges, thwarting Team Rocket's plants together, for years they stood side by side. All shattered by a single accusation. He wanted revenge. He didn't see the world as black and white now, just red; a torrent of anger, contempt, and sworn vengeance against the people he once would love to fight in a Pokemon battle.

''I do.''

So unoriginal, the story plot. But I tried, and I'm pleased with the outcome?

How did I fare? Was it good?