How different would the journey to Hoenn have been if Misty had not returned to Cerulean City to become the new Gym Leader, and instead carried on travelling with Ash? In this variation of events, Misty goes along with her friends to Littleroot Town...
Back at the lab, Joshua was waiting anxiously by the main entrance, when at that moment, May appeared on her bike and pulled beside him.
"Hi!" said May with a friendly smile. "I'm looking for Professor Birch. Is he in?"
"You must be May," realised Joshua. "The Professor had an emergency in the mountains, but asked that you wait for him here."
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"Oh, then I'll go and find him," said May as she immediately began pedalling towards the woods. "I've never been much good at waiting. Bye!"
Leaving a protesting Joshua behind, May pedalled deeper into the forest, when she became aware of voices crying out nearby. Turning her bike around, she soon reached the top of the slippery hill, from where she could clearly see Professor Birch and Misty hastily scrabbling up a tree and each climbing onto a different branch, so that they could escape the barking Poochyena at the bottom.
"Professor Birch?" asked a surprised May, as she got off her bike and wandered safely down the hill.
"Terrific! You must be May!" said the Professor in relief. "Great timing! Please, open that bag over there!"
He gestured at the satchel that he had dropped and was now lying on its side on the hill. Despite feeling confused as to what was going on, May crossed over to the discarded bag and opened it up.
"Now grab any of the Poké Balls inside and hurry!" instructed Birch urgently.
"Uh, which one of them do you want?" asked May nervously as she gazed at the three Poké Balls inside the bag.
"Any will do!" cried Misty impatiently. "Just please get on with it and rescue us!"
"Okay," said May hesitantly as she picked one of the balls at random and opened it up, releasing a small, amphibious, quadrupedal Pokémon. It had a blue body with a light-blue underside; a large head with black, beady eyes and a blue fin on top; orange, star-shaped gills on its cheeks; and a light-blue tail fin.
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"All right! A Mudkip!" said Birch approvingly.
"Oh, it's so cute!" said Misty with an adoring look. "Is it a water type? That's my favourite!"
