AN: This segment is essentially just me pointing out a bunch of character tropes betrayal stories. Now don't get me wrong, like any story it is very much possible to make it good and worth putting in my Reading List. Just that 90% them are not that good. I am not targeting any fic in particular, so if you feel called out, well that's just coincidence. If you get mad at me, well that's tough. Get mad, but don't let everyone know, they don't need to know, nobody's interested. With that out of the way, let's meet the cast!
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Director walked down the streets of Pokemon Hollywood, heading towards the appropriate studio. He has been called to direct a Pokemon fic film called "Ash Betrayed" or something like that. No big deal, just go in, do your best, and maybe he'll get invited to direct another film. Director stops in front of a large building and checks the sign with a piece of paper in his hands.
Yep, that's the one. Betrayal Studios. He took a deep breathe and entered the building.
Greeting Director was a sight he has stumbled upon more times than he can count in his career. Film crew walking about, setting up lights, cameras, props, and green screens. Actors are also milling about the area, some of them relaxing and mingling with the others, some practicing their scenes and lines, and others applying their costumes and makeup.
"Hello everyone! Good morning!" Director announced and waved, greeting everyone within earshot. Most people in the area looked at his direction, some of them waving back before going back to work. Director then saw an actor with spiky, raven black hair and an athletic build walking up to him and offering a handshake.
"Good to see you director!" the actor said.
"Pleasure's all mine. I assume you are playing Ash Ketchum in this story, yeah? Tell me a bit about your role!" Director replied.
"Well, of course as you can tell, I'm Ash Ketchum, the hero of this story. To sum up, I have been accused of committing a terrible crime yet am completely innocent, or I have lost one too many Pokemon leagues. One way or the other, I would return home where all of my old traveling companions will have gathered, telling me to give up on my dreams because I am weak, despite there being zero chance of this actually happening in the anime."
"Anything else?"
"Oh right! I will then depart towards some isolated mountain or island where I will train rigorously for a few years and come back super buff, overpowered, and edgy looking. Chances are I also have at least one legendary or mythical Pokemon with me, which I will suddenly reveal, shocking everyone!"
"Ah!" Director said, "And let me guess, you will adopt a very edgy or mysterious name like Ghost or Shadow, and none of your friends will recognize you, despite Pikachu being on your shoulders, and you having the exact same Pokemon and battling style as before!"
Ash chuckled. "Yep, now you're getting it. Yet deep down inside, there will still be that nice and noble boy that the viewers will be used to from the original anime!"
"Hey guys!"
The two turned around to see a short, female actress (likely playing a little girl) running towards them, only to nearly trip on a wire. She regains her balance and stood next to Ash.
"Well watch it m'am. We need you to get hurt while we're filming, not before." Director joked.
"Sorry sir, I'm just getting into character." the actress said, "I'm the character who's new to the art of Pokemon training! Usually I am picked up by Ash early on in the story, and plays the role of a little sister or morality pet. My main job is be taught the art of being a Pokemon trainer, and putting myself and those around me in danger with some minor villain! I'm also the one who runs into the frontlines of dangerous situations, yet inexplicably survives the entire story!"
Director nods, before noticing a pair of actors who are practicing on a scene. One actor appears to be playing dead. "Hey um, who's the feller playing dead over there?"
Ash replied "Ah, that's the forgettable character of the day from an anime filler episode that no viewer likely cared to remember. They're usually a pretty decent albeit somewhat forgettable character, but he is doomed to die about halfway into the story in some horrible manner, in order to establish a new villain team who will be the ultimate antagonist of this film, and give us viewers a sense of danger while the main cast remains none the wiser."
He then pointed to the other actor. "That is the person who is the main villain's loyal and powerful sidekick, who will defend her boss to the death, but only because she had been threatened and /or lied to by the main villain. Once she find out of the deception, or have been convinced by the heroes to find the goodness within her heart, she will perform a heel-faced turn and sacrifice herself against the villain, giving the good guys a chance to fight back and win!"
Shortly after Ash finished his explanation, the group is approached by an actor covered in blue and black paint, and wearing a costume making him look like an anthropomorphic jackal.
"Hey guys!"
Director shook the actor's hand, which are thankfully no longer covered in wet paint. "Ah, based on what you are wearing I take it you play a Lucario?"
"That's right" Lucario confirmed. "I'm the Aura sensitive Lucario that Ash has rescued from evil poachers while I was just a Riolu. We then rigorously train in the mountains until I evolved, becoming one of Ash's strongest Pokemon! I'm also the type to be overly suspicious of everyone and usually distant and cold to the rest of Ash's team and especially people. I also have a complex where I absolutely have to prove myself to Ash, and overexert and get myself hurt, complicating the situation for everyone, and when I apologize, Ash shows his kindness by instantly forgiving me, no matter how wrong I was and how much shit I put everyone into! I also constantly call Ash "master" despite him hating that name!"
Suddenly, there was the sound of something crashing, instantly alerting everyone to the direction of the noise, only for the source of the noice to be a little Eevee, who looks at the cast with beady brown eyes. A female crew member then runs over and scoops the creature up in her arms. "Sorry sir, Eevee went crazy again!"
"No harm done! Care to explain the role Eevee will play?" Director asked.
"Ah yes!" the worker said, pushing up her glasses. "This is character whose entrance makes everyone think its a dangerous creature, only to reveal itself to be a harmless, cute Pokemon, which the new trainer that Ash is mentoring-" she explained, pointing at the short actress, "will catch and become her partner. This Eevee is also the type to get kidnapped, prompting its trainer to go on a dangerous solo rescue mission instead of contacting people such as Ash who are more fit for these situations. This will prompt the team to launch a double rescue mission where someone will inevitably die! Oh sorry, I got to get back to work." The crew member bid everyone farewell and left.
Two more actors approached the group and introduced themselves. One actor has black hair, and wears a primarily red outfit. The actress has honey blonde hair and wears a pink fedora.
Director greets both of them and turned to the actor wearing red. "So who would you be?"
"I'm playing the role of Red in this story." he said, "I'm the trainer who's too strong to be just a trainer. I usually play the role of Ash's disappeared father who came back to this global tournament. Red will play the role of the strongest trainer in the world despite there being no basis of this in the anime until rather recently. You will note my lack of spoken dialogue, and my insistence of keeping distance from Ash despite it being in my best interest as a father to be by my son's side at his time of need."
Director nods and looks at the blonde actress. "I assume you play the role of Serena?" he asked and checked his notes, "Well, this isn't an amour story though so, what will you do?"
Serena's actress explained "Well, I'm the companion that, along with a few others and Ash's dedicated love interest, who was not on board with the whole betrayal scheme, key reason being my romantic feelings for Ash! You can identify me and the other loyal friends by the way we seem distant and in some form of conflict with the so called traitors. The writer will also set up a romantic conflict, with Ash having romantic feelings for both me and the main female protagonist of this story. I will have a few sweet and fluffy scenes with Ash which proves to everyone I'm still on his side. This will establish an emotional connection and so that when I am eventually killed off, it will make everybody sad! I will then tell Ash to 'Be happy, she's the one for you' giving Ash the excuse to marry the female protagonist guilt free!"
"I assume the same goes but the characters are reversed if this film was Amour focused?"
"Yep, I've been in enough of these to know how it goes." Serena confirmed.
Director flips through his notes. "Let's see, there's also the male player character from whatever game the female protagonist was from, the obligatory rival characters from the anime, and the leader of the villain team called some obscure latin word the writer think will sound smart or intimidating. Well I'd love to chat with them, but we don't have the time. Well come on everyone, we got a film to make! Oorah!"
"OORAH!" all the actors cried out in unison, and they followed Director into the studio.
The End
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AN: Now I've probably gone and made some people mad. That's tough, and I don't care. Well, until next time, StrangeFryingPan out.