It could be his rivals. For instance, Tracey or Paul might see Ash's potential in the new region as a threat and decide to betray him. They could try to sabotage his battles by giving false tips to his opponents or stealing his battle strategies.
Some of the gym leaders could also be involved. Maybe they feel threatened by Ash's new - found power as a champion. They might think that Ash will change the way the Pokemon battling world works and in order to stop that, they betray him. They could spread lies about Ash misusing his Pokemon or something similar.
In such a fanfiction, the plot could involve Ash being betrayed by his long - time friends. Maybe they envy his success in the Pokemon world. For example, Gary could spread false rumors about Ash in the new region, causing the local trainers to distrust Ash. This would make Ash's journey in the new region much more difficult as he has to not only deal with new Pokemon and challenges but also regain his reputation.
It could be a rival trainer. Rival trainers are often very competitive in the Pokémon world. Maybe this rival is jealous of Ash and May's progress and decides to betray them to slow them down. They might spread false rumors about Ash and May, causing other trainers to be distrustful of them.
Gary could be a likely character. He has always been Ash's rival and there could be a plot where his jealousy or some other motive leads him to betray Ash. Another could be one of his so - called friends from the Pokemon League who might be influenced by power or some dark secret. Or, in some really dark fanfictions, it could be a Pokemon that Ash trusted deeply but for some reason turns on him.
It could be Gary. Gary has always been a rival to Ash. Maybe in this fanfiction, Gary gets jealous of Ash's progress and decides to betray him by making false accusations to the Pokemon League about Ash using illegal training methods.
Maybe Team Rocket. They've been after Ash for a long time. If Ash comes back as a champion, they might see it as a threat and betray him in some way. They could pretend to be his friends at first and then stab him in the back to get what they want, like his powerful Pokémon or his championship title.
A fellow trainer in Alola could betray Ash. This trainer might be envious of Ash's success as a champion. He could secretly work with Team Skull or some other antagonists to undermine Ash. For instance, he might give false information to Ash about a battle location, leading Ash into a trap.
His rival could be the one to betray him. Rivals are often jealous and competitive. If Ash's rival saw an opportunity to gain an advantage by betraying him, they might do it. For instance, they could lie about Ash to the Pokémon League, getting him disqualified from important battles.
Perhaps in this new region, Ash discovers a powerful new Pokemon that others want to control. His friends, fearing the power of this Pokemon, betray him to protect the region. They might think that Ash is being too reckless with this new discovery and that it could lead to destruction. It could also be that there's a prophecy in the new region that Ash is somehow involved in, and his friends misinterpret it and believe he's the cause of potential harm.
Ash would probably be really hurt at first. He's always been so trusting of his friends. He might go off on his own for a while to clear his head, like he did when he had a falling - out with some of his friends in the past.