Author's Note: I'm working on getting to the end of Ash's involvement with Marin for at least a little while. Please note that Ash will eventually have to decide which life he wants to live. Please give me your input. If I don't get enough votes to go one way or another, I'll just have to flip a three sided coin.

*

Yellow was very pleased with his daughter, Misty. She had proven herself to be a very exceptional trainer. She had Yellow's black hair and Marin's emerald eyes. Even though neither Yellow or Marin had many fire type pokemon, Misty had really taken a liking to the fire type. She even had begged Yellow to allow her to take care of the Ponyta that no one had seemed to be able to get near when it came to the orphanage. Yellow had been very reluctant to let Misty to try to take care of the Ponyta, but Yellow knew that Misty eventually had to learn things her own way and Yellow was very surprised when Misty was able to somehow get the Ponyta to accept her.

Tarin was just the opposite of Misty in appearance. He had his mother's flaming hair and Yellow's black eyes. In every aspect Tarin was just Misty's opposite. Even their temperament was the opposite of each other. While Misty was open and eager to talk, Tarin was just as content to stay silent unless he had to talk. It was difficult when he got in trouble for Yellow and Marin to find ways to punish him that would get the lesson to stick.

It had been eight years since Yellow had woken up and not a glimpse of his memory had started to return. Yellow had been thinking of talking with Marin about him traveling, but wasn't certain how to begin talking with her about it. He wanted to know his past that always seemed to elude him. Even though he loved Marin he still felt that it wasn't with his whole heart. Who did his heart belong to then? Was a question he often asked himself. Even though Misty was still six, she seemed quite able to take care of herself. Though, she was very strong-minded and often would get herself into situations that usually were beyond her control.

Yellow was often stalking after her when she tried to sneak off for time to run around with no parents around as she often ended up in situations that would get her in a predicament that he would have to intervene with. This time however, as he followed her, he noticed that she had her Ponyta with her and that she was going to where she knew trainers often gathered. Yellow could only watch in horror as she challenged a trainer to battle.

The trainer looked at Misty like she had two heads. "You couldn't possibly be able to beat me."

"So I guess then that all trainers here are just scared," Yellow could hear Misty comment, obviously to get to the trainer.

"What!? I'll have you know that I will never be scared of a small girl. Bring it on!" the trainer called, angrily.

"Okay!" Misty called back, waving one hand behind her, her own personal battle stance that she had created, pointing at the trainer. "Ponyta! Go!"

The trainer seemed a little surprised, but called out in return, "Phanpy! You're up!" The trainer threw out a pokeball and a small Phanpy came out.

Yellow was watching the battle from the trees and was hoping that Misty wasn't going to get in a situation that she wasn't going to be able to handle again. If anything, this would prove how close she was to Ponyta. He saw the battle begin quickly.

"Phanpy, we'll start slow! Tackle!" the trainer called out.

"Ponyta! Jump its attack and stomp it!" Misty cried out in return.

The trainer's Phanpy tried to tackle Misty's Ponyta, but Ponyta jumped out of the way and landed on Phanpy, stomping it into the ground hard. The trainer was in shock. It seemed that usually his Phanpy would last several rounds instead of fainting almost immediately. Yellow walked over to where Misty was hugging her Ponyta in excitement, as the trainer was walking off.

"That was pretty good. You seem to have done quite well," Yellow praised.

Misty turned, too excited to be surprised to see her father there. "Yes I did! All thanks to Ponyta!"

Yellow chuckled to himself. He had no idea that Ponyta was that experienced or that Misty and Ponyta had gotten that close. If anything, Misty would soon be ready for the league challenge if she continued to get this close to many different Pokemon. Yet, he could tell that she still wasn't ready for the challenge, because she still only knew how to battle and not how to care for Pokemon. He would need to talk with Marin about teaching Misty all that important information as he could see that she was very much into battling. She even might be able to eventually beat the current reigning champion, Yellow thought to himself. With that thought, Yellow suddenly felt like it should have been him champion, instead of the current one. No matter what he told himself, he couldn't shake the feeling, but he didn't know why.

"Let's go tell mom!" Misty called to Yellow.

"Of course, Misty," Yellow said, picking her up, and putting her on his shoulder. "We'll go tell her how you won your first battle."

"Yeah!" Misty replied. "We'll tell her how I fought off hundreds of Phanpys just me and Ponyta!"

Yellow laughed. Misty had begun to extremely exaggerate things that she told. Yellow carried her back to the house with Ponyta following and when they got there, Yellow set Misty down and she ran to put Ponyta in her stall while Yellow went inside to talk with Marin. Marin was just finishing bandaging their newest arrival at their small Pokecenter when Yellow came in. Yellow looked at the Pokemon and saw it was a Cubone.

"How is Misty?" Marin asked, putting the bandages away.

"She's fine. She battled a Phanpy that a trainer had and won. Now she's very excited about it," Yellow answered.

Marin laughed, "I bet. She always seems to be thinking of herself as the Pokemon champion."

"Well, I was thinking that in a few years that she would be ready for the league challenge if we taught her all that she would need to know. I think that I could show her how to survive in the wilderness and you could teach her how to take care of her Pokemon," Yellow said.

"I guess, but I just don't want her to get hurt herself, and keep her and not let her get in danger," Marin said, turning away from Yellow, looking out the window.

"No matter what we do, she'll want to do her own thing. It would be best to support her in it, so she can feel like she has a home to come to. She also might visit while she's out."

"I know, but I just don't want it to happen. It's all too soon."

Yellow came over to Marin and pulled her into a hug. "It's too soon for me as well. But at least we can help prepare her to go. I never saw her more lively than when she fought that battle. It seemed that she really loves to battle."

"Well, what if something happens to you? How will I help her learn to survive in the wild if you're not around?"

"I still have those logs about how to survive in the wilderness in almost any situation. You can read those and show her how to survive yourself. Though, I will do what I can to help her."

"Alright. But, she won't leave for a few years right?"

Yellow nodded. Marin turned around in Yellow's arms and rested her head on his shoulder. "In a few years," Marin whispered mostly to herself.

The next day, Yellow took Misty out on an excursion to the woods nearby to teach her how to catch Pokemon and how to tell where she was if she was lost. Misty seemed to be quite a natural at catching Pokemon, though she didn't seem to be very interested in looking at the sun to know where she was when she knew exactly where home was. Yellow sighed when she wasn't paying attention again. Soon, he figured that if she didn't know where she was she might be more willing to listen, so the next day he blindfolded her and took her about a mile northeast of the house. When the blindfold came off, Misty looked around and did not recognize the clearing that they were in, nor did she recognize the gorge that was nearby. This time Yellow was able to get her full attention and eventually she was able to point out where the house was. Yellow sighed in relief. Though, since there were different Pokemon here, he decided to teach her differences in catching pokemon of different types and species. They were doing well when Yellow heard voices ring out of the trees.

"Prepare for trouble," one voice rang out.

"And make it double," another voice rang out.

"To protect the world from devastation."

"To unite all people's under our nation."

"To denounce the evils of truth and love."

"To extend our reach to the stars above."

"Jessie."

"James."

"Team Rocket blasting off at the speed of light."

"Surrender now or prepare to fight."

"Meowth that's right!" a third voice rang out.

"Who are you?" Yellow demanded, as three figures emerged from the trees. A Meowth, a man, and woman. Yellow didn't know why, but he was getting a feeling of dread from those three just being there.

"All we want is." the woman began, then all three just stared.

"What is it?" Yellow called, then whispering to Misty, "Leave quickly. I'll take care of these three."

The man and Meowth were the first to recover. "Twerp!?" they both said at the same time.

Yellow was confused, they seemed to recognize him, but he didn't recognize them at all. He didn't even know what to do if he should try to act like remembers and be one of them or run. And he also was surprised to hear the Meowth talk without anything in Pokemon.

"What are you doing here?" the woman asked.

"Minding my own business. Anyway, who are you three?" Yellow demanded.

"What? You mean you don't recognize us?" the man asked, in open surprise.

"Should I," Yellow asked, mentally noting that Misty was almost out of sight. If he could just keep their attention for just a little longer. Yellow knew he didn't have any Pokemon on him as the only one they brought was Misty's Ponyta.

"Yes. We're Team Rocket!" the three strangers make a pose that shows to Yellow that they really are complete morons.

"So, how would I know who you are if I've never come across you? I don't even know your names," Yellow said, putting his arm behind him, making it look like he was reaching for a pokeball that he didn't have.

"Well, that's just great. We give the best presentation of our lives and it's to someone who looks like the twerp," the woman said, sounding very depressed.

"Then, I think I will leave now," Yellow said, backing up towards the gorge.

"You can go after you hand over all of you pokemon!" the man said, holding his hand out.

"I'm sorry, but I don't have any," Yellow replies, still inching away.

"Then what do you have behind your back?" the Meowth asked, in a suspicious tone.

"Nothing!" Yellow said, not expecting them to believe it.

"Nothing?!" the woman cried, "You must think us fools!"

When did I question that you're not fools, Yellow thinks to himself almost to the edge of trees.

"If you don't give us whatever pokemon you have, then we'll have to take it by force!" the man cried out, pulling out a pokeball and calling out, "Go Weezing!"

The pokeball flew out and a Weezing appeared and the man then cried out, "Weezing use smog attack!"

The Weezing then began breathing a smoke that was very thick. Yellow decided to try to run for it and began running along the gorge upstream. He thought that he had gotten away from the three who said they were Team Rocket. However, he was surprised to hear a voice ring out, "Arbok poison sting!"

Yellow was hit full on with the attack that came from the side. Yellow lost his footing and fell into the river at the bottom of the gorge. As he was falling he heard another voice ring out, "Arcanine roar!"

Yellow fell in the water and basically landed on a rock just beneath the surface. He blacked out immediately and was swept away in the current.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Gary had entered Cherrygrove city that morning. He hadn't found anything in Kanto and had just come to Johto. He began asking questions about the area, not wanting to become labeled as a fool for thinking that Ash was still alive. He soon learned about a man who had been in the hospital for a year in a coma and had been living around for eight years as a guide for trainers. Gary calculated that up and realized that it was the same amount of time that Ash had been gone. He then quickly found out where he lived and decided to go there that day.

However, shortly after he was out of Cherrygrove city, he heard what could only be Team Rocket. He decided to help whoever they were after as he could see someone running from them. Suddenly Gary recognized who it was. It was Ash! He knew that he had to act fast. He brought out Arcanine and looked for Team Rocket. Jessie was already launching a poison sting attack with her Arbok. Gary watched in horror as Ash fell into the gorge. "Arcanine Roar!" Gary called out, hoping that he could save Ash from the river below.

Team Rocket was startled into running when they heard Arcanine roar. Gary then ran down the near vertical side of the gorge as he wanted to do what he could to save Ash. Gary could already see that he was unconscious, but was still close to the narrow path that ran alongside the gorge. Gary quickly caught up with Ash and grabbed his hand. Gary saw the wedding ring and thought that Ash must not have taken it off forgetting that his wedding ring had been found during the initial search for him. However, the wedding ring was all of Ash that he could pull out of the river as his hand slid right out of Gary's. Then all Gary could do was watch in horror as Ash was pulled out into the faster current in the middle of the river. Gary knew then that he could not save Ash, and that he might not be able to find him again, but he at least had found him once. If his luck held, he would find him again. Gary then climbed back up the cliff, not realizing that he left the wedding ring that came off of Ash's hand down at the bottom of the gorge.

*

Author's Note: how is it? Where should Ash go now? Does anyone want to know where I got this basic idea from? Chapter 5 should be coming along soon now. Expect it to get different than it has been. Plenty of Paradoxes are in this story. I just love a good Paradox.