I have recently noticed a trend.

A stupid trend, most likely a spin off of the ever present toxin that is Betrayal Fics.

One in which Ash's father randomly shows back up in his life and somehow makes him go to school.

I have yet to see one such fic that has a single leg to stand on.

But if people must keep making such fics: here is how you set them up.

Ash had thought he had been having a decent day so far.

Sure, it always sucked to say goodbye to his friends, and he did miss Goodra and Greninja and hoped they would see each other again, but he knew he'd see them again one day. He saw Lapras again, he met with Pidgeot every so often when she was in the woods nearby, and Primape visited the Lab after the Sinnoh League. Ash had faith he would.

Like always a lot of his old Pokemon had ideas for helping his newer ones: Sceptile and Charizard were eager to spar with Noivern to help him master his power, Swellow, Starraptor and Unfeazant wanted to show Talonflame some impressive flying techniques, and Hawlucha seemed to have decided he wanted to teach Scraggy all he knew as an apprentice.

It was always good to see his old Pokemon help his newer ones, it was a reason he liked to let his older Pokemon train at Professor Oak's lab. It freed him of some guilt as he prepared to go on a new journey wherever life brought him.

After the reunion of his team old and new, he had hoped to have a nice meal with his mom to end the day...but then he showed up.

His father.

It was the first time he had seen the man outside of photographs, and Ash had always imagined how it would go.

At one point he saw a man who'd be a lot like Professor Oak: kind of silly but good-hearted and filled with a treasure trove of wisdom.

Later he saw the man to be like May and Max's father: a mighty battler who loved his children greatly, even if his job kept him busy

Recently Clemont and Bonnie's father was what he thought his father might be: loud and friendly, caring a lot for his children even from afar, with a motorcycle.

However this man...was none of them.

He was dressed in a business suit that looked unnecessary stiff, his face like a version of his own without happiness, joy, or sunlight. It made Ash want to reach for a stake for his and Pikachu's protection

The way he was looking at him held less positive emotion than he had seen his way from Lysandre, even mid 'I will wipe out most of the world' mode. It would probably be more akin to how he'd look if he had been possessed by the Zygarde control ray. Now wasn't that a scary thought.

"So, are you done playing?" He didn't even give a hello. Pikachu hissed in response, causing his father to level a harsh glare at him.

Ash didn't see his mom anywhere, and that was worrying. Hopefully she was just out shopping.

"What?" Ash had no response to what his father had just said. Done playing?

That was the first words he ever said to him, and in what context?

"This is exactly my point." His father stated tersely.

What point?

Now, Ash had never given his father's absence much thought. It had never bothered him when people didn't bring it up, and no one ever did. He was hardly unique in not having a father in his life after all.

He didn't have the father issues that some of his friends, like Brock and Roark, have/had.

However this conversation was starting to make him reevaluate how he had seen Brock's opinion on his father.

"You are still trying to be a Pokemon trainer? What a damn waste. You could have actually learned something useful."

Pikachu, at the comment that Ash was wasting his time training Pokemon, sparked his cheeks threateningly.

"Hey, you can't say that I haven't learned anything!" Ash was now starting to get annoyed.

"Do you know how to balance a budget, or how to use a computer, or even speak other languages?!

"I do pay for my own food, and I like to think I at least know how to start a computer up after using the Pokedex for so long" Ash replied in perfect Unovan.

Learning that language had taken a while: so much that it still took up a lot of his brain power to speak it compared to Kalosian or the native language of Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh. It also took a lot of time for him to train his Unovan Pokemon to understand both languages, more than it took his Kalosian because he had learned Kalosian a lot earlier during summer camp.

If this argument didn't kill him, he might want to see if Unova was easier to handle now that he fully knew the tongue.

His father scowled at him for his retort.

"If you weren't wasting your time, you'd have learned more by now." Debatable, he had heard his mother talk about education cuts.

Ash clenched his fist, he was really staring to lose his patience. However, he took a deep breath and tried to stay somewhat polite.

"Look, father, I know you must be worried about me, parents do that," a desire to comment about how long it took for him to care was held back, "However, I am doing fine. I've learned a lot, met a lot of people, and I have made money so if you are worried I can't support myself..."

His father burst into a mocking laughter at that last one.

"Money? What money can anyone make by roaming around with Pokemon? It's a stupid money sink with no returns of any value! I learned my mistake, and I am merely trying to ensuremy son doesn't make the same ones." he said 'my son' in a way that caused Ash to feel irritation in a way only Team Rocket's motto could, and Pikachu once again sparked at him. How long until Pikachu escalated this?

Ash tried to think of them of the best way to respond, but one thing just would not leave him.

"Wait, what about Pokemon battling not making any money? I mean sure I didn't earn much of anything early on, but after I got into the Top 16 of the Indigo League the first time I earned 151,000,000 Yen after taxes. Even after Mom took some of it to renovator the restaurant I didn't run out of it until Fortree City, and that was only probably because May eats as much as I do. By that point though I had earned another 290,000,000 Yen from placing Top 8 at Johto along with..." Ash stopped his explanation when he saw his father looking at him in disbelief, realizing he would not have to translate Unovan dollars or Kalosian francs next.

Good thing to, the math for that was painful.

"You lie."

"I do not!" Ash snapped back, not appreciating the criticism, "Do you want to see the bank statements; mom has them in my room. Really, it's like you didn't even know..." Ash trailed off as he looked at his father, a strange mixture of emotions stirring in him now.

Anger that he didn't know. Sadness he had never watched his battles. Baffling that he didn't know how much money he had earned.

And an growing a sense of revelation.

"You didn't know, did you? You never made it to a league, you just quit!" Ash accused his Father with a dramatic finger point.

As one might guess, the argument escalated.

A few days later

At the entrance to the Battle Tower, the purple haired Anabel, Salon Maiden of the Battle Frontier, blinked.

Ash, conqueror of the Battle Frontier and frequent league contender, blinked, one of his eyes blackened.

Anabel blinked again.

An entire army of Pokemon, including 30 Tauros, blinked back at her.

"Um..can I sleep on your couch...I'm having some family issues." he told her bluntly, though not unkindly.

She rapidly nodded before bursting into frantic, worried tones.

"Of course, oh Arceus Ash what happened...also I have a spare bed so you don't have to use one my couches...but really Ash what on Earth happened to you?!"

Ash tried to explain what happened, but Pikachu shouted something furious.

Now normally this would not help, but Anabel was different. As someone who could sense the feelings of Pokemon and what they were thinking, could quite clearly understand.

Hence her facial shift from 'are you okay Ash', to 'I will punch someone in the face'.

...

"...After he compared me to a golfer, I asked him if someone who can make a living as one shouldn't do so. After that we devolved into shouting, and I'm honestly amazed Pikachu didn't blow a hole in the living room at that point. I think I told him he wasn't the boss of me at that point and that if he wanted to be so he should have bothered to do so earlier, he didn't take it well."

Scott nodded, not looking nearly as jovial as he normally did. A few days had since past, and the eye had mostly cleared up, but it was still visible. Next to him sat Anabel, who was looking at him in concern and a look that still suggested she would slug his father in the face if she met him

"I got the rest of the story from Professor Oak, as well as the bits when your father followed you and saw the tail end of your little entourage leave for the hills: I admit I am impressed you didn't punch him back. That would have been completely understandable, though that would have made things legally tricky. Thankfully when a son and father argue and the son's the one with the bad eye it's hard to make that go away, no matter your money reserves." Scott mused as Ash's expression morphed into one of concern.

"He didn't do anything to the Professor, did he…."

Scott shook his head.

"He blustered a bit with some weight, given his influence in the government, but Professor Oak earns enough with his own work that he was fine. He did have some words on your father after the fact, but I think you'd prefer I not pass them on."

Ash still looked concerned, and noting it Scott continued.

"Your mom's fine too: she did tell him to leave and yelled at him, but unlike you she's not sporting a shiner. She did ask me to tell you that she had no idea he even knew what you had been doing, and also to

"He mentioned something about freezing my assets? I'm not entirely sure, but I think assets is a word for money...can he do that?"

"Assets are money, houses, cars, and stuff of that nature...and the answer is debatable. Are we talking legally, or with red tape that is vaguely legal? Your father is a known business partner of the bank the League partners with, so he could play the 'it's not illegal, I'm just telling the bank that my son might have problems in his account and they should freeze it pending delayed investigation' game."

Ash growled under his throat of the idea of his father doing that to try and make him come to heel.

"So, he's basically going to try and starve me out? That..." Ash turned to Anabel, looking sorry, "Well, I guess I might not be able to pay you back for the food after all."

Anabel waved him off energetically "It's not a problem at all! Please, don't worry about it. I have a ton on money, Scott pays more than enough for everything."

Scott rolled his eyes at that comment, but didn't say anything else.

"Think I can run to the nearest ATM and withdraw it all before he has a chance to do something?" Ash considered, trying to think how long it would take to get to the nearest Pokemon Center.

"I wouldn't do it personally. If you withdraw all your money at once to try and pre-empt your father, that's going to bring in internal revenue into this and that would be a headache for all of us." Scott mused before he snapped his fingers.

"I've got it! Spenser's going to be in the hospital for an operation for a month!"

"I'm sorry?" Ash wasn't sure why that was relevant. Anabel seemed similarly confused.

"I was wondering what I would do if someone came on the Frontier Trail and challenged the Palace Maven, but now I do. You can be the Substitute Palace Maven, and be paid for it. If your father is being an ass, this can expose it in a way that gives you a bit of a leg up, and if it drags on in legal hell you can still get money to feed yourself! It's perfect, and you don't have to feel bad about mooching off Anabel."

"He's not mooching." Anabel protested.

"That's a good idea Scott...but..." Ash gestured outside, where his Pokemon were at.

"Don't worry Ash, I know people. Barge people."

...

A month later found Ash on a beach, extending a hand out to his defeated opponent.

Said opponent, a familiar blond in orange and white stripes with a downed Empoleon, Heracross, and Roserade lying behind him, looked back at Ash, Pikachu, and the three Pokemon he had fought with himself (Hawlucha, Talonflame, and Noivern), with an impressed expression.

"Wow! Those Kalos Pokemon are even cooler in person than in the Kalos League. No wonder you didn't use that awesome Greninja!"

Ash chuckled at that, even as he threw out some of Spenser's ever present fruit to Barry.

A few bites later and the party of eight found themselves walking through the jungles of the Battle Palace, still in conversation and occasionally joined by other Pokemon in Ash's possession who happened to see them pass by.

"Man, I can't believe you actually beat this Frontier thing, man it's tough. That Lucy chick is scary, and that Tucker guy is smarter than he should be with that getup of his. I honestly don't know if Tobias could beat it…heck I wouldn't be half surprised if someone here has Legendary Pokemon too."

Ash laughed a bit at that statement, causing Barry to grab Ash and start shaking him.

"Don't tell me someone here does?! Alright, who has the Arceus, who has the freakin' Arceus!"

The resulting good natured humor (and Ash not spoiling anything), ended when the enlarged group exited the jungle and saw the Pyramid that wasn't there before.

Also the scowling man who was waiting for them.

"Ahh! Scary faced man!"

Said 'scary faced man' ignored Barry and turned to Ash.

"We have a situation." Pyramid King Brandon stated in a serious tone of voice.

….

"For too long, all of the Trainer Nations have been guilty. We've all put our children out into the world before they are ready. The world has broken them, killed them, ruined them. Think of the world we have now, and how much farther we could be as people if our children weren't wasting themselves for the slimmest chance of being a success in a single field! That's why I' m proud to announce the Fraxinus Children's Protection Initiative: to protect our children from pointlessly ruining themselves!"

The Television monitor in the Pyramid's War Room (also known as the Inter-Frontier Air Hockey Room when not in crisis) blared the image of Fraxinus Ketchum's statement on the international television networks, streamed and shared across internet and local channels.

Brandon's face was grim, Ash's was horrified, and Barry's….

"Wow, that guy's a jerk. Sorry he shares the last name as you Ash, that must suck for people to think you're related to that blowhard."

Neither Ash nor Brandon corrected Barry.

"Representatives from all the world's regions, along with leading psychologists, will now begin to create a new blueprint for the world's Pokemon Trainers to follow! When we're done fixing the world, the trainer age will be shifted to Age 18, and schooling for children will become required for all children up to that age! In addition…."

"Wait a minute: I'm not 18!" Barry shouted in surprise.

"Neither are Anabel or Greta…" Brandon added.

"Isn't there some sort of 'if you were that already you'll not going to be…." Ash tried to use his limited legalese to try and calm himself, even as Pikachu was looking ready to fry the screen (and was only kept at bay by Brandon's lengthy glare).

"….finally, to avoid the creation of a lost generation of youth, all trainers less than Age 18 upon our work being done will have their licenses revoked and will be returned to remedial education."

"…Is that even legal!?" Barry demanded.

"It is if they decide it is." Brandon stated.

"I have never met someone who deserves a bigger fine than that Fraxinus jerk." Barry growled.

"I couldn't agree more." Ash stated, feeling a sense of growing unease as the broadcast continued.

….

Within 5 days of this statement, support began to drip in from a wide variety of social and moral organizations, as well as experts on population dynamics, child psychology, poor and drug based charity organizations, and a wide variety of influential politicians.

Within 10 days a number of opponents emerged to the bill, many of them influential in their own. This included the League, Contest, and Showcase Committees, the Devon and Silph companies, and the Pokemon Professor's Association.

Within a month the first bills aimed at this agenda began to appear in national assemblies. They were defeated, but some made it quite far and cracks to push them farther became clear.

In that same time, vandalism began in protest to the bills. Most of it only helped the bill's proponents.

Several of these acts occurred in Pallet Town, on a certain home. They began with a simple spray-paint job in blood red color.

ASH KETCHUM IS A TRAITOR

This is how you write Ash's father as a villain: not as someone who can simply make Ash do as he wants, but one who can cause him problems that Ash is not used to dealing with.

Political/Legal ones.

From there, one can use this to build on a variety of ideas. Perhaps Ash having to start putting his experience to use campaigning for the future of kid trainers.

Or perhaps a story in which Ash has to come to terms with the fact that he is the exception and not the rule when it comes to kids who go out as trainers and has to come to terms with the fact that allowing him happiness causes others harm.

Heck, even having Ash go run off into mountains like a betrayal fic (also called a bad fic) could be done here as a reaction to these laws/being harassed by people who do not know him for being the son of the man pushing this law, though given that his friends and family (and Gary) know enough about Ash they wouldn't blame him for what his father does. Honestly the most likely people to get at Ash for this would be someone like Morrison or Paul, and that is hardly enough to make Ash do a Betrayal Cliche.

Heck with the way this is set up you could even have Ash not be alone on the top of a mountain hermiting until he's 18. I know, you could actually do a harem fic where Ash is put into that scenario over time and not just as he returns from self imposed exile as Badass McRed. Of course you would have to explain why 'insert characters here' are all hiding in the same place, seeing as (for random examples) Leaf, Kris, Anabel, Maylene, Hilda, and Korrina all have their own mountains to hide in and would have little reason to share one.

But this is but a framework created from several separate snippets, it's up to future writers (or even myself just to see what I could do with the 'mountain exile harem scenario') to make anything of this prompt.

Also for Reset Bloodlines fans the chapter is currently being written: I just have a lot of college and it's a big chapter.