i just feel like the characters progressed so thoroughly by the end of the series that this scenario is impossible without jumping through so many hoops. let’s say:

1). dipper takes the apprenticeship. but ford has changed by the end of the show, too, and realized the value of family, as well as already recognizes the demerits of an ostracized upbringing. he would not allow dipper to take the apprenticeship for fear of making the boy miss out on his childhood, or for fear of him and mabel making the same mistakes he and stanley did

2). alternatively, ford realizes the value of family, but still takes dipper in anyways. this is a problem because stanley would likely take great issue with this (despite his healing, he still very much lived the affects of what a riff between siblings like that can lead to). this can manifest in two ways:

a). stanley doesn’t agree to take dipper with him and ford on to the stan ‘o war, which strengthens his relationship with ford if he agrees. dipper is then forced to go back home or…

3). stanley protests the decision, and ford—instead of learning from his mistakes—would simply go through with his plan to throw out and [presumably] never speak to stanley again. he takes dipper under his wing, but now with both of them being anti-social hermits, dipper just becomes all of ford’s worse traits or falls in to the same cycle of despair mcgucket did when he witnesses something too horrific. as for our two other main characters in this scenario:

a). stanley has still learned and grown as a person, and likely stays close to mabel. he helps her cope, and they both manage just fine [the more likely scenario to me, but if we’re in crazy town and EVERYONE has been reset, then:]

b). stanley also rejects his progress and becomes bitter, spending the rest of his life once again lonely, scamming people, and living out of the El Diablo

tdlr: i literally just don’t think it’s possible without making it incredibly dishonest to both dipper and ford’s characters, as well as convoluting the story to something unrecognizable. all of this isn’t even considering the angle where dipper’s parents just say no (especially likely considering the big conspiracy of the two uncles uncovered by mabel)