What’s the worst that could happen?...

Disclaimer: I don’t own anything, not even my mortal soul. That belongs to Nintendo...

Summary: Sometimes, everything that goes wrong can be traced back to a single event. But what can you do about it...? Depends on how determined you are...

Note: The stuff in brackets is a flashback, okay?

Extra Note: Okay, even though I’ll be explaining the basics of the Multiple Universe Theory, it’s just the BASICS, okay? So, I don’t want anybody flaming me about how I didn’t explain this, or that, or your mum… It’s just, M.U.T for Beginners, okay?

Speech. Thoughts. Pokémon talking.

(“I wish you weren’t going...” “I know, but I have to do this, for everyone’s sakes, you know that, Myst.” Misty smiled at her nick-name. “Yeah, but, what if...” Ash stopped packing his backpack, turned and cupped her chin in his hand. “Don’t worry, Misty, I’ll be back before the big event, I swear.” Misty sighed as he wrapped his arms around her. “Promise?” Ash nodded into her shoulder. “I promise. I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Or even a Pokémon battle.” “Wow.” Misty giggled. “That’s serious.” “Yep.” Ash grinned back at her.) Misty sighed as she remembered the last time she’d seen Ash alive. “Grrrwllll?” Charizard lifted his head up towards her. “I’m okay, Charizard, really.” Misty muttered, wiping her face. “Just the cold wind stinging my eyes, that’s all...” “Grrroowlwwllll.” Charizard slowed down and descended a little. Misty smiled. “Thanks, but, we should get to Pallet as quickly as possible, okay? So, don’t mind me. Full speed ahead!”

Before long, Charizard drifted lower, and Misty could see, through the faint, low cloud cover, the windmill marking her destination. “Okay Charizard… I know it’s raining, and you’re a fire-type, but just bare it for a moment until I can recall you to your Pokéball, okay?” Charizard nodded and swooped down into the rain, the flame on the end of his tail hissing faintly every time a drop of water hit it. Misty pointed Charizard towards the cave that she’d picked out in advance, and the large dragon-like Pokémon carefully flew as close to the entrance as he could before landing with a solid thump. Misty jumped down from his shoulders and gave him a kiss on the snout. “Thank you Charizard… return now, and I’ll see you in a couple of days.” Charizard disappeared into his Pokéball with a flash of light, and Misty retreated into the cave. “Now, to wait until I’m needed…” she muttered, settling down for a much need sleep. It was going to be a long couple of days…

“Okay Tracey… now, bring me the male and female Oddish, so I can start comparing the leaf sizes.” “Right away, Professor.” Tracey walked into the Pokéball storage room, and pulled two Pokéballs off a shelf. ‘We’re discovering new gender differences almost every week now…’ He smiled happily. ‘I’m glad I’m a part of it, and the I get to work alongside Professor Oak.’ He walked back into the Professor’s lab area, double-checking the Pokéballs as he did. “Okay Professor, here they are, and…” The Pokéballs fell from his hands as Professor Oak stumbled, clutching his chest and panting heavily. “Professor… what’s wrong?!” He rushed forwards just in time to stop Professor Oak’s head from hitting the ground as he collapsed.

Tracey’s head whip to the side as the side door slammed open, and a tall red-haired woman raced in. She removed a small zip-case from her pocket, and removed a long needle, and a bottle of a clear liquid. “Out of the way, Tracey.” She commanded, and pushed Tracey off to the side. Calmly, she drew an amount of liquid from the bottle with the needle, and, after a brief test squirt, she pulled up the edge of Professor Oak’s shirt and rammed the needle into his chest, pressing the plunger. “Hey… What are you doing?!” Tracey moved to stop her, but she batted his hand away with her free arm. “Saving him… and you.” Tracey stared at the woman, and felt a strange feeling of familiarity. ‘Who IS she?’ The woman removed the needle and pulled the edge of Oak’s shirt back down. “Okay… He should start to recover soon. But I think that you’d better call an ambulance, just to be safe.” She stood up and walked to the door, pausing briefly. “Oh, and Tracey? When you get to the hospital, tell them to check for any heart conditions that could have caused this.” With that, she ran out into the light rain that had started to fall.

Misty watched from a hill as Professor Oak was loaded into the ambulance with Tracey standing nervously nearby, comforted by Delia Ketchum, Ash’s mother. ‘Hopefully, things WILL be different this time…’ she sighed and turned towards the cave she’d been hiding in. Later, as the light drizzle that had continued since her arrival finally petered out, she stepped out and threw a Pokéball. “Charizard, come on out!” The large dragon materialized, but instead of roaring proudly as he normally would, he looked down at her, questioning. Misty smiled and held his head. “With any luck, together, we’ve changed things just enough to make sure that our nightmare lives are just that… a nightmare.” Charizard growled softly, and crouched down. Misty grinned and climbed up onto his shoulder, once again nestling just behind his wings. Reaching forwards and taking hold of his horns, she gave the side of his neck a quick thump with one hand. “Let’s go home, okay?” Charizard started running, and finally took off, wings flapping furiously at first, then with strong even strokes.

“Hey guys, Misty’s back!” Max pointed into the sky as everyone stood up and cleared an area in the campsite for Charizard to land. As soon as he’d settled onto the ground, Misty looked around, startled. “Err… What on Pokéarth are YOU guys still doing here?!” May shrugged. “Well… we wanted to see if you were able to save the Professor…” Misty grinned and gave a thumbs-up. Ash grinned. “So… I’m not gonna die?” Misty rolled her eyes and jumped down from Charizards’ shoulders. “I don’t know… Planning on annoying me anytime soon?” Ash shrugged. “Yeah…but not til the next time I see you at the Gym…” Misty smiled. “Ah yes… I remember now. Just a tip… or an advanced warning…You might want to duck.” Ash nodded. “I’ll be sure to remember that.” Misty rolled her eyes. “Uh-huh… If I was you, I’d strongly consider writing it down…” They watched as Ash thought for a moment, before going over to his backpack and removing a small yellow book. “Annoy… Misty…, But… remember… to… duck…” he muttered as he scribbled furiously in his naturally untidy scrawl.

After a quick meal courtesy of Brock, Misty stood. “Well… I guess it’s time to go and see if things have changed in my time.” Max looked at her curiously. “But… if you saved the Professor… then doesn’t that means that you did change things?” Misty sighed and sat down again. “Not necessarily, Max. Do you know anything about the Multiple Universe Theory?” Max nodded slowly. “A little…” Misty removed a Pokéball from her belt and set it in front of her. “Well, for those who don’t… I’ll try to simplify it a little. This Pokéball is your universe. Professor Oak has just survived a heart attack.” She removed another Pokéball, and set it down next to the first. “This is my universe; the Professor died.” She drew lines from the two Pokéballs, and set another down at the end of each one. Misty pointed at one of the new ‘universes’. “This is my universe. A direct result of the Professor dying. Tracey killed himself, Pallet Town is at an all-time-low, and Ash is dead.” She pointed at the other ball. “This is the universe that I’ve probably created today; one where Professor Oak is still alive, and is probably playing with his great-grandson right now.”

Misty pointed back at the first Pokéball. “Now, I’m here right now…” she moved her finger back to the third Pokéball. “…and this is where I’m from. The thing is, when I leave here, I might go back to my world, and NOT the universe I just created, which will hopefully be a lot better…” She moved to the second Pokéball. “Also, if THAT didn’t blow your minds, think about this. If Tracey hadn’t killed himself... or if Ash hadn’t died… or if that businessman had gone through with whatever he was planning… My world could have been entirely different. Maybe not like this one…” she moved back to the fourth ball. “…but somewhere in between.” Misty placed another Pokéball between the third and forth balls, before she finally looked back up at the kids’ faces. “Do you understand?” Ash stared at the Pokéballs on the ground, trying to take in everything he’d just been told. “So… everything you just did… Travelling back here to save me, Tracey and the Professor… could have been for nothing?” Misty sighed and shrugged. “Yeah. But I won’t know until I call Celebi and go home. Besides…” she looked around at their sad faces as she stood up again. “It’s not so bad… I have people I’m missing really badly right now, so going home will be kinda a relief.”

Misty finished playing the crumbling flute, and the group gasped behind her as a Celebi appeared in front of her through it’s time-portal. “Cele-bi?” Misty nodded. “Yeah, I’m done. Thank you for helping me, Celebi.” She turned at smiled faintly at the group behind her. “Guys… I’m gonna give you some advice, and I hope for once that someone will actually take it. If anyone tells you that you can’t do something, and can’t give a legal reason why you shouldn’t, then ignore them, because you really don’t know how things are gonna be tomorrow. And remember; even in a future like mine, there are still some bright sparks.” She held up her left hand, and pointed at her ring finger, grinning as they stared at the ring in shock. “Okay Celebi, I’m ready to go now.” she turned back to the small floating legendary Pokémon, and Ash and his friends could only watch as she disappeared in a flash of green. “She’s married?!” They stared at each other.

Misty thanked Celebi and called Charizard back out of his Pokéball. “Okay Charizard, I guess it’s time to go see whether or not things are different…” she jumped onto his back and flew towards Pallet Town for the second that week. Cautious about raising suspicion, she directed Charizard to land just outside of town, and nervously walked into town towards the now-familiar house. As she opened the front gate, a small girl with short black hair ran out to her. “Mommy! You’re home!” Misty smiled and picked the girl up, giving her a hug. “Yep… and guess what Rayne?” “What, mommy?” Misty nuzzled her daughter’s cheek. “I missed you soooooo much!” Rayne giggled. “Missed you too, mommy!” Misty looked over Rayne’s head as the front door opened again, and froze as Ash stepped out, smiling at them. “A-Ash?”

Ash walked over and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “Hey Myst. Where you been?” Misty put Rayne down beside her and threw her arms around Ash’s neck. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you…” she whispered into his neck, grateful just to be holding him again. Ash smiled and blow gently on her ear, sending shivers down her spine. “Eh… I think you’d be surprised.” He winked as Misty pulled back and stared at him. “By the way... thanks for saving us...” he kissed her gently on the lips as Misty stared in shock. “You-You remember?!” Ash shrugged. “Well, all things considered, it WAS kinda hard to get all of that stuff you told us out of my head…” Misty shook her head in wonder. “And yet you can’t remember to clean up after you make a sandwich…” Ash grinned and wrapped his arms around her tightly. “Hey, just be glad I don’t forget our anniversary!” “Yeah, cause I’d kill you myself…” Misty added with a smirk.

Okay, okay… I know it ended kinda weakly. I’ve actually got to finish a bunch of different projects all at once, so at the moment I’m just thankful to get this one out of the way. I was stuck on it for AGES! Besides, if I later able to get the time to write a better ending… well, that’s what re-submission’s are for.

PROFESSOR WOLFSBANE.

15-Mar-10. (Finally finished!)

20-Jun-11. (Fixed up a bunch of typos. Thank Arceus for re-reads!)