"Meow-ha-ha, look over there! That yellow-haired girl from ages ago is back, and she's looking for the little twerp too. This time, we should catch them all in one go, meow!" Meowth said, pointing at Misty.
Jessie and James spotted Misty as well. "Oh my, it really is quite the reunion at Professor Oak's lab! So many rare Pokémon inside—this time, we'll learn from our past mistakes and make sure we're fully prepared!" Jessie said with determination.
"Exactly!" James agreed. "The twerp has only just returned to Kanto, so let's use this chance to reset and start fresh!"
"If we catch all the twerp's and Professor Oak's Pokémon, we can bring them all to the Boss!" James added excitedly.
"That's right! Our dreams of promotions and wealth will finally come true!" Jessie cheered, and Wobbuffet popped out of its Pokéball to join their excitement.
"Alright, let's get to work and plan how we'll capture all the Pokémon in Professor Oak's lab, as well as those with the twerp, meow!" Meowth suggested.
"agree!"
….
At Professor Oak's lab, Ash and his friends were chatting.
"Misty, didn't you say you were going back to Cerulean City to help your sisters with the gym?" Oak asked.
Tracey, was surprised when he heard this.
"My sisters can handle the gym. Even if they want to travel, two of them can go while one stays behind. I've decided to continue my journey to become a master of Water Pokémon!" Misty declared.
For some reason, seeing Ash and May getting closer and hearing about their plans to keep traveling through Kanto gave Misty a strange feeling—as if something that was once just hers now needed to be shared.
Ash noticed the subtle change in Misty's behavior, realizing that the original storyline seemed to have taken a bit of a detour.
However, he still had something important to take care of: Max.
The little guy was intelligent beyond his years.
Ash was certain that Max wouldn't want May to travel without him, but if Max started voicing his objections in front of everyone, it might cause some awkwardness for both May and Misty.
Ash glanced at Max, who adjusted his glasses, looking like he was about to speak up.
Ash quickly interrupted him, "It's great to have you with us, Misty. You know Kanto better than I do, so you'll be a big help on our travels. Besides, Max probably won't be joining us this time, so having you here will make our journey livelier."
Max: ???
Max looked at Ash in disbelief. What did he mean by "not joining them"?
May stepped in, "Actually, Max, Dad and Mom already talked to me over the phone. They want you to return home soon to start preparing for the Pokémon Academy courses in Petalburg City."
Max, still stunned, couldn't believe he was being left behind. Studying at an academy wasn't nearly as exciting as traveling!
Ash knew that in the original storyline, he would have helped Max persuade his father Norman. But this time, he was actually relieved that Max wouldn't be joining them on this journey.
"Alright, let's go! I'll show you my new Pokémon!" Ash said, leading Misty and May to see the Pokémon he'd caught during his previous adventures in Kanto. He also introduced them to the Pokémon he'd caught in Hoenn.
Meanwhile, Tracey and Max didn't join them; instead, Max stayed back to learn more about sketching Pokémon with Tracey, something he was interested in.
As Ash, Misty, and May stepped out of Professor Oak's lab, Ash sensed a familiar presence using his Aura powers: Team Rocket was coming, as dramatic as ever.
"They're here," Ash thought, pretending not to notice. "Let's see if Team Rocket lives up to their reputation as 'eternal assists' this time!"
Team Rocket's first custom-built robot burst onto the scene!
The loud crash came from a net-launching cannon designed to capture Pokémon without any risk of electric shocks.
Unfortunately, the aim seemed to be a bit off, and they were unable to capture the Pokémon on the grassland!.
But no worries—Team Rocket had prepared for a second entrance with new lines for their debut!
--------------
T/N:
Access 30 Chapters in Advance on my P@treon: p@treon.com/PokePals
(Replace '@' with 'a')