A few minutes later—At the neighborhood playground

The twins and Elen had led Rowan and Marcy down the road to a small playground to begin their game. The playground consisted of a jungle gym, two swings, monkey bars, a wooden treehouse with both a ladder and a slide, and a large seesaw. There was also a clearing near the playground for the kids to run around on along with a tall grassy field behind it.

"So, how does the game start out?" Flynn asked.

"Yeah. What happens after the quiz is completed and you find out your Pokemon?" Sora added.

"We'd be greeted by our partner Pokemon who would lead us throughout our journey. Mine was a Pikachu which I named Bobby." Rowan explained. "He and I are supposed to go on rescue missions for Pokemon in need while also trying to find a way to become human again."

"Hehe. You named a Pikachu after Bobby." Marcy giggled.

"So does that mean someone has to play Pikachu?" Flynn asked.

"I don't think so. It can probably be any Pokemon? Bobby just happened to be a Pikachu."

"I nominate Elen to be our partner Pokemon!" Sora cried.

"What?!" Elen yelped.

"Be the partner Pokemon!" The twins cackled together.

"But I don't know what to say or do. Ro?"

"Ro? Forget about it. Flynn and Sora said we needed to be patient with her." Rowan gave her a chuckle before replying. "Bobby, my partner, would follow me and guide me around the Pokemon world. I haven't gotten too far into the game, but so far I have made friends with some of the Pokemon in the village."

"So, I just kind of lead you around at first?" Elen asked, hoping to receive a better clarification on what exactly she was supposed to do.

"Yep. You find us passed out in a forest, wake us up, take us back to the village, and guide us throughout our journey." Rowan explained. "I can play as the partner Pokemon instead, if you want."

Elen shook her head. "Just shut your eyes and pretend you're passed out."

The twins and Marcy laid down on their stomachs in the grass, while Rowan shut his eyes. There was a long silence as Elen began walking towards him. She suddenly stopped for a second before her footsteps could be heard moving towards Rowan's chair.

Rowan kept his eyes shut as he heard her growing closer. She suddenly sat on his lap and leaned towards his face. "…Uh."

*Sniff-Sniff*

"She's…sniffing me? Is she just playing around?" Rowan wondered. He didn't know whether to be uncomfortable with this or…okay, he was starting to become very uncomfortable with her nearness. He had only just met this girl for Pete's sake! "Elen, can you please-!" Rowan grew silent as he looked at the being on his lap.

"Pika?" A Pikachu asked as it cocked its head to the side in confusion. "Pika pik? Chu."

"Pika?" Rowan repeated, confused and stunned by the sight he was seeing before him.

The Pikachu gave him a weird look before quickly leaping off of his lap and dashing away back into the tall grass. Rowan stared after the Pikachu as the grass shifted and swayed, but was quickly brought back to his friends when he heard the sound of stifled laughter. All three of his new friends and Marcy were giggling and laughing.

"T-That was hilarious!" Sora cackled.

"Pika?! HAHA!" Flynn snorted.

"What? I panicked. What else was I supposed to say?" Rowan asked, half serious, yet half-jokingly.

"Human!" Elen cried. "Hum human hu man!"

"Boy bo-bo! Boyieo boy boy." The twins added humorously.

"Giiirr! GIRL!" Marcy shrieked happily as she joined in on their fun. "Lil girl!"

The group burst out laughing as they continued spouting possible comebacks Rowan could have used with the Pikachu. Unfortunately, it did last for very long as they quickly ran out of potential ideas, and their laughter died down to soft giggles.

"Uh-hehe, that was good." Flynn chuckled as he held his aching sides.

"So…back to the game?" Sora snickered as he proceeded to lower himself back onto the ground. Elen, however, suddenly grabbed his arm and pointed down the road. There was a look of uneasiness in her eyes.

The twins, Marcy, and Rowan's gaze followed in the direction she was pointing towards to see a tall man walking towards them. Marcy and Rowan frowned in confusion, while the twins tensed up. There was something about the man that neither the twins nor Elen liked.

"We need to go. Now." Flynn muttered as he helped his brother to his feet.

"How come?" Marcy asked innocently.

"Is he mean or something?" Rowan asked. The question was directed to anyone who was willing to answer. "Guys?"

The twins gave him a frightened look that seemed to translate as, 'don't ask, just follow'.

Rowan didn't hesitate to heed the warning in their eyes. "Come on, Marc. We gotta go. You can sit on my lap if you want."

Marcy frowned again, but climbed up onto her brother's lap. "Aren't we gonna play your game?"

"Later, Marcy." Elen said as she stole another glance at the man. "We need to go either to my house or to Sora and Flynn's house…my house is a little closer. We can play there. Okay?"

"Okay, but who is that man? Why do we have to leave?" Marcy pressed. Her curiosity was growing as she watched the man over Rowan's shoulder. He was following them.

"Don't look at him, Marcy." Sora ordered quietly.

"Shouldn't we go to Aaron's place? I'd feel better if we went to his home instead." Flynn insisted in an equally hushed tone.

"Fine. We can go to Aaron's. Just keep moving." Elen mumbled in a low voice. "Jo may be with him by now."

"Is this guy really that bad? I don't think we had someone like him back home." Rowan wondered to himself as he looked between him new friends. They all seemed scared of the man following them. "What did he do?...Why is he still here in this region? Shouldn't he be with all the other men fighting in the war?"

Elen walked in front of them, while the twins walked close to Rowan, flanking the boy's wheelchair on either side. In fact, both twins had a hand on his wheelchair as they pulled him down the road at their pace. They were moving pretty quickly…

"How worried should we be?" Rowan thought as he peeked back at the man from the corner of his eye. He couldn't see the man very well, but he knew that their group was still being followed. "This is getting really weird…and kind of creepy."

They all walked in silence back towards their homes. The sense of uneasiness grew among them as each one would occasionally glance back at the man from the corner of their eyes. He hadn't given up on tailing them, though he did keep his distance.

The pink-haired girl's head turned towards a small, two story house and made her way up the cement walkway. Rowan immediately recognized it as the house where he had seen the elderly man sitting. "This is Aaron's place. We can stay inside for a while." She rapped her knuckles on the door and waited for someone to answer.

It didn't take very long for them to hear some movement on the other side. The doorknob shuttered for a moment as if someone was turning the lock before it turned. The door was pulled inward to reveal the elderly man that Rowan had spotted earlier.

"Good morning, children. How are you all today?" He asked in a gingerly tone. His voice had a bit of a rasp to it, but there was still plenty of life and strength in it. "Aaron is upstairs in his room getting ready. Jo is in the kitchen having cereal. Would you all like some as well?"

"No thank you, sir." Rowan replied. "We've already had breakfast."

"Silly, little children." The old man chuckled. "Always quick with the formalities. Please, call me Grandpa Reece, Reece, or just Pa."

Rowan blinked. "Oh…okay."

Grandpa Reece opened the door wider for the children and gestured for them to enter. An Arcanine stood behind him and eyed the children curiously through the doorway. "Please, make yourselves at home. Knowing my grandson he's probably fallen asleep again. I told him to get up when Jo arrived, but that was a while ago."

Elen, Marcy, and the twins giggled as Grandpa Reece shut the door behind them.

Rowan, on the other hand, couldn't help, but smile. Grandpa Reece had a friendly and welcoming aura to him, which was something completely opposite to what the man who was following them radiated. Even though he had just met the elderly man, Rowan couldn't help feeling…safe.

"I'll go and get Aaron from his room. You all can wait wherever you want." And with that, Grandpa Reece disappeared up the wooden stairs for Aaron's room with his large Pokemon in tow. He had quite a lot of energy in him for an old man.

"He's nice." Marcy beamed as she slid off of Rowan's lap. "He's like Grandaddy."

"I agree." Rowan stated. He looked over at Elen and the twins to see that they were looking out one of the windows beside the door. They were still looking for the man. "He won't try coming to the door, would he?"

Elen cast a glance back at Rowan and Marcy. She still looked bothered. "No…um, Marcy, can you go into the kitchen and see if Jo is there? Mind you, Jo doesn't talk a lot so…just tell Jo that we're here, alright?"

Marcy gave Rowan a puzzled look.

"Go on, Marcy. We'll probably be here for a while." Rowan said as he nudged her towards the direction he believed the kitchen to be in. He wanted to ask the others why they were hiding from the man without Marcy having to listen in. If the reason was as bad as the other three were making it out to be, then he didn't want Marcy to know. "Just one more thing I may need to keep from her…"

Marcy obeyed and walked down the short hallway towards the kitchen.

Once he was sure she was out of hearing range Rowan turned towards Elen and the twins. Elen was watching as Marcy disappeared down the hall, while the twins were still peeking through the windows of the front door. "What's wrong with the man outside? Why did we have to leave the playground?"

Elen slowly shifted her gaze over to Rowan and grimaced. "My family and I have been here for a while now. Aaron and Jo have been here for more than half a year. Mr. P has been here for about five months, according to Aaron."

Rowan frowned. "What's your point?"

"Before Mr. P moved into the neighborhood, kids felt fine going to the playground on their own—individually." Sora began to explain.

"But once Mr. P arrived and started…watching us, we all felt anxious with his presence. Eventually, we just started going whenever he was not out." Flynn finished.

"And how is watching so bad?" Rowan asked. "Was he watching for his kid or something? Perhaps he was bored and wanted to keep himself occupied."

The twins and Elen stared at him for a moment. There was a hint of anger and disappointment in her eyes, almost as if she had been through this type of disbelief from others. "If he was bored, then his life must be pretty dry because he constantly returned to the playground whenever we were there playing."

"Sometimes, he was there, sitting on the bench waiting for us…er, kids. Not just us, but waiting for any of the kids in the neighborhood to show up." Flynn muttered as he and his brother continued to gaze out the window for Mr. P.

"…Okay. But why?"

"Why what?" Elen asked.

"Maybe he's just some normal guy-"

"No normal person sits on a playground bench watching little kids play each and every single day. We would walk over to the playground and he would arrive not soon afterwards." Flynn muttered.

"The only time that he left was either when we left, or when one of our moms came to get us. Though…he really took off when Aaron's grandpa and Arcanine came to the playground with us that one day." Sora grinned smugly.

"Yeah, he's scared of Grandpa Reece." Elen snickered.

More questions were flooding Rowan's head, but he knew that his new friends wouldn't be able to answer all of them. He glanced towards the window that the twins were still looking out of and rolled himself over to their side. "Is he still out there?"

"Uh-huh."

"He's slowed his walking pace."

"Why is he being so…strange?" Rowan asked.

Elen shrugged. "Aaron said that he has an idea why, but each time I ask him, he always says that I'm too young to know. He's told Sora and Flynn why." She muttered as she cast a dark look at the twins. They weren't paying her any attention. "He was also the one who gave him the nickname Mr. P."

"What does the P stand for?" Rowan pressed.

"I dunno. Aaron won't tell me, and nor will the twins." Elen sighed.

"You're too young, Elen." The twins responded without looking back at her.

Rowan turned back to the window that the twins were looking out of and peered out the window.

Mr. P was still making his way past the house at a gradual pace. At first glance, there seemed nothing unusual about the man. He wore a dark green windbreak and slacks. His hair seemed to be thinning a bit on top, but nothing about his appearance set off a warning flag for Rowan.

"How much longer will we need to stay inside?" Rowan asked after a few moments of staring at Mr. P.

"Until we know that he is a long ways down the road." Flynn responded.

"Have you told your mom about him? Have any of you guys told your moms?"

"We tried, but they just said we were all overreacting…and that we should be nicer to him." Sora huffed. "I wish our dad was here."

"Yeah, then maybe Mr. P wouldn't be so creepy. Dad wouldn't stand for Mr. P following us like this." Flynn said as he scowled at the man.

"Don't take it the wrong way with our mom. She would do anything to stop Mr. P from bothering us. It's just…she doesn't believe us. He spoke to her a while ago, and made himself appear like a good guy."

"My mom is a little iffy about him. She's been telling me to be polite to him, but to also be weary." Elen replied. "She said that he reminds her of some clown guy that she had read about in the papers a couple years ago, but she keeps brushing it off."

Both the twins and Rowan looked at Elen confused. "Clown guy? Could she have been talking about a Mr. Mime?"

Elen shrugged. "I dunno. She was mumbling about some article she had read back home when we still lived in Chicago, but quickly blew it off by saying that she was only being paranoid."

Rowan looked to the twins, hoping they knew about the 'clown guy', but they remained just as clueless as him. "So…Marcy and I should probably tell our mom about Mr. P then, huh?"

The twins nodded as they wheeled him into the kitchen. "Tell her before he can earn her trust. Then maybe she can convince our mom about the truth."

The kitchen was a little smaller than the one in Rowan and Marcy's home, but still big enough for the children to venture through. At the counter, with a small bowl of cereal sitting in front of him/her, was a hooded kid. Marcy was sitting beside him/her staring at the back of the box of cereal.

Rowan tried to get a good look at the kid's face, but it was too well concealed by the oversized hood and shades.

"Morning, Jo!" The twins called as they rushed over to his/her side.

Jo gave them a simple nod and scooped up a spoonful of Cheerios into his/her mouth.

"I see you met Marcy." Elen grinned. "This is her older brother, Rowan. Rowan, this is Jo."

"Eh, hi, Jo. How are you?" Rowan asked politely.

Jo just nodded again.

Rowan looked up at Elen with a blank, but obviously confused expression. "Is Jo mute or something?"

"Jo just doesn't like to talk. Aaron has been trying to get a few words out of the kid, but…well, Jo doesn't talk." Elen explained in a hushed tone.

Rowan frowned and glanced back at Jo, who was now putting away the empty bowl of cereal into the sink. "I kind of want to know if Jo is a boy or a girl, but it may be rude of me to ask. Marcy may have asked or at least gotten Jo to say something. I'll talk to her later."

"Can we start playing the Pokemon game now?" Marcy whined as she put aside the box. "Ppwweeaassee?"

"Sure, but can you wait, Marcy? Aaron isn't down here yet." Sora said.

"Give him another minute. Did you explain how to play the game to Jo?" Flynn asked as he glanced from Marcy to Jo.

"Not yet." She turned to the hooded kid and began explaining the point of the game that they had yet to play. "Got it?"

Jo nodded simply.

"What Pokemon do you want to be, Jo?" Marcy asked. She sounded determined to get him/her to speak. Rowan wouldn't be surprised if she managed to get a few words out of the kid.

Jo shrugged.

Before anyone could question Jo's decision or press him/her farther, the sound of footsteps sounded from the front room. The kids looked towards the hall to see a dark-haired boy walking into the kitchen.

Rowan quickly took in the tall boy's appearance as he smiled at the kids present in the room. He was about half a foot taller than the twins with long hair that reached down to the top of his eyebrows. He also seemed to possess an athletic look. "Aaron?"

The boy nodded. "Good morning. You're definitely new to the street."

"This is Rowan and his sister Marcy, Aaron." The twins responded.

Aaron looked between Marcy and Rowan and gave them a welcoming grin. "Nice to meet you guys. How long have you two been here?"

"Since sometime last night." Rowan responded.

Grandpa Reece appeared behind Aaron with a tan Trilby hat covering most of his gray hair and a brown coat on his arm. It looked like he was about to leave. "Do any of you kids need anything before I head out? I'll be running to the market for a little while."

"You're leaving?" Elen asked.

Rowan could see her paling a little.

"I'll be gone for only a little while, but Arcanine will be at the door. Just need to restock the pantry and refrigerator." The elderly man said reassuringly. "Though, Aaron and I have been suffering from a ravenous hormonous-teenageious. Ever heard of it? I've been told it'll last for about five more years…maybe." He teased as he shot a smug grin at his grandson.

Aaron smirked and rolled his eyes. Rowan and the others snickered at Grandpa Reece's joke, except for Marcy.

"Hormo what?"

"Grandpa's talking about me, kiddo. Apparently, I eat too much."

"It only means you're growing. I think I'd be more worried if you didn't eat, my boy." Grandpa Reece chuckled as he patted Aaron on the shoulder. "Well, I'm off. Be good while I'm gone, you hear?"

"We will, Grandpa." Aaron called after him as Grandpa Reece turned to leave.

"No promises on if the house will still be standing when you return!" The twins teased.

Grandpa Reece stopped at the door and used both his index and middle finger to point from his eyes to the twins, making a teasing, 'I'm watching you' gesture. "Bye-bye!" He waved before shutting the door behind him.

"Besides Mr. P, I think I'm going to like living in this region." Rowan thought with a grin as Aaron turned towards the group of kids in his kitchen.

"So, how are you guys?" Aaron asked. "What brings you all to my humble abode? Got tired of waiting for Jo and me to get outside?"

"We wish." Flynn huffed. "We were having fun playing Rowan and Marcy's game for a good while."

"But then our game was interrupted by Mr. P." Sora added.

The smile on Aaron's face faded almost instantly. He exchanged a quick glance with Jo before looking back at the others. "Did he follow you guys here? Where were you when he appeared?"

Rowan and Marcy looked at Jo to see his/her mouth hanging open slightly in concern. At least it looked like concern. They couldn't see Jo's eyes to fully tell what feeling Jo was trying to express.

"We were at the playground." Elen replied. "We saw him walking down the street towards us. We left as soon as we could, but he…" She trailed off when she looked at Jo. "He's long gone now."

Jo's mouth shut as s/he quietly looked down at his/her feet. S/He seemed to shrink within him/herself.

Rowan frowned as his gaze moved from Jo to his new friends. "What's going on? I'm only getting more confused." He shot Elen and the twins a puzzled look before breaking the silence. "So…why did we leave again?"

Aaron opened his mouth to speak, but stopped and directed his attention towards the twins. "Mind if you guys take Elen, Marcy and Jo into the other room. Find a game for us to play. The cards are still in the drawer and all of the board games are in the cabinets. We'll be with you guys in a few."

Neither the twins nor Elen hesitated as they guided Jo and Marcy into the next room. Whatever Aaron had to say to Rowan, he knew he couldn't say in front of Jo or the younger girls.

Aaron waited for a moment and shut the door to the living room before turning towards Rowan. He pursed his lips before speaking. "How much have you been told about Mr. P? What do you think of him?"

Rowan shrugged. "I haven't been told a whole lot. He watches kids a lot, which I understand is very strange. He doesn't look weird or anything. Mr. P looks like just any regular man. Other than watching kids, has he done anything else?"

"He'll make himself out to be a nice guy. He'll try giving you stuff like candy, or pretend to be your friend, but do not fall for this." Aaron said sternly.

"My parents already taught me not to talk to or take things from strangers. Mr. P is a stranger. I get that, but why are you lecturing me on something I already know?"

"You may know not to follow a stranger due to how dangerous they can be, but do you fully comprehend how real the danger can be? Do you know how convincing and manipulative they can be towards a child?" Aaron asked. His tone was serious and almost condescending.

Rowan scowled at the older boy. He wasn't appreciating the tone Aaron was using with him. "Are you trying to scare me?"

"Depends. Will fear help you be more cautious around Mr. P?"

"I'm not scared of strangers. They're just normal people."

Aaron shook his head. "Normal people don't stalk children back to their homes. Normal people don't hurt children and leave them both physically and mentally scarred."

Rowan narrowed his eyes, confused, at Aaron. "Huh? Wait, are we talking about Mr. P now? He hurt someone?"

Aaron nodded. "I believe so."

"Who?"

The older boy pointed towards the living room. "I don't know how or when, but the signs are there." He sighed and looked Rowan dead in the eye. "I believe Jo used to talk. I've never heard the kid talk before, but I have heard Jo whimper and cry. When? Whenever Mr. P shows up or gets too close."

Rowan's face slowly contorted to one of both confusion and fear. Aaron's words had unnerved him. "Those are…some interesting signs…Are you sure Mr. P doesn't just scare Jo?"

"I know he scares Jo. Jo is terrified of him, and there is a reason behind the fear. My only question is what it could be."

"Perhaps it's just fear." Rowan suggested.

The older boy shook his head. "If a stranger comes up to you and calls you by name, what is your initial reaction?"

Rowan frowned. "I'd how they know my name and get as far away from them as possible. Why?"

"I knew Jo for about a week. We just met and started hanging out at the playground with each other, when one day, Mr. P shows up and calls the kid out by name. Guess what Jo did."

"Fled the playground?"

"Fainted."

Rowan recoiled at Aaron's response. "Fainted?"

"And guess what Mr. P did." Aaron continued without skipping a beat.

"…Um, he…got help?"

"He offered to take Jo home while the kid was still unconscious by himself." The anger in Aaron's eyes was growing as he explained the event to Rowan.

Rowan's mouth fell open. "Y-You didn't let him do that, did you?"

"Like Hell I didn't! Excuse my language, but I dragged Jo back here on my own and told my grandpa what happened." Aaron snapped.

"And he believed you."

"Duh! I was carrying a comatose kid home. Plus, I'm not going to keep something like that from Grandpa Reece. Something like that shouldn't be kept a secret from anybody." Aaron huffed.

"So why is it so hard for all of the other parents in this neighborhood to know about Mr. P? What about Jo's parents?"

"I told you before, Rowan. People like Mr. P are manipulative. They will try to earn your trust and make themselves out to be your friend." Aaron explained. He glanced at the door to the living room and grimaced. "As for Jo's parents,…the kid's dad, I guess, is off fighting in the war. Jo's mom passed sometime before the war broke out. Jo lives with an aunt, who is, as fair warning, bitter to the core…and…"

"And?"

Aaron pursed his lips and tapped the side of his leg awkwardly. "Just…don't go by their house. If we need to pick up Jo for the day, let me go to the door. You and your sister can come straight here. Okay?"

Rowan frowned. He wanted to ask why, but he rather not let the subject get any grimmer. He was just starting to like his new home. "Okay."

"Quickly going back to Mr. P one last time, keep an eye out for him and watch your sister whenever he is around."

Rowan nodded. "You don't have to tell me. I will."

Aaron grinned with satisfaction. "So, Flynn and Sora said you guys were playing a game at the playground. What was it?"

A smile pulled at the corner of Rowan's mouth as the conversation suddenly began lightening up. "It's based off of a Pokemon game one of my old friends, Bobby, got me before my family and I left the States."

"Is it the Pokemon trainer simulator?"

"Nope! Instead of being a Pokemon trainer, you get to play a human turned Pokemon. Interested in playing with us?"

"A game where we get to be the Pokemon? Uh, duh! I'm game!"