Secrets of Galar (Ash x reader)

Chapter Thirty Seven: Alone

Note: Forgot to mention, but this book turned 1 year old on December 10th. So, um, happy birthday, Secrets of Galar!

Dragging her feet across the pristine white snow, she noticed that there were more people surrounding the mansion than there normally would be, With its roofs caked in snow, it could almost be mistaken for a normal house from a distance. Not quite, though.

She didn't realise how long she had been in there until now. When she had walked in, the weather had been chilly, but nowhere near as blizzard-like as it was now. Reminiscing on the year before, she noticed with a pang that she was alone, again, at Christmas. Why did she feel so empty? It wasn't her first Christmas alone anyway, there was no need for her to feel that way. Gladion and Lillie were sometimes there at Christmas with her, but they hadn't said anything to her when they were kids.

Sometimes, they would leave, and she would be fine with that. They were never really friends, mostly due to the fact that they hardly ever talked to each other. They were only acquainted through their parents, and that was all.

But lately, Y/N felt that they were more than that. Maybe they were friends...could they be? Even with the history of their parents and everything they went through?

And as for Ash, Chloe, and Goh? She had only spent a single Christmas with them, but she felt that they were already a team. Perhaps she was being paranoid about Christmas. Who said she ever had to spend it with anyone?

Allowing her footsteps to trail behind her, she encountered an old man, ripping out small crumbs from a piece of stale bread. It reminded her of the fact she hadn't eaten. She pulled a muffin out from her cloak pocket, then reconsidered. She would be fine without food, but that man there wouldn't be. Who knew how long he'd suffered without anything to eat?

She handed him the whole muffin, which still seemed to be in perfect condition. Without saying anything, he took it and began to do the same to it, just as he had done to the bread. Then after he few seconds, he spoke.

'Ya don' seem like the kind o' person ta be wanderin' down 'ere,' he said finally. 'Tha' cloak o' yours ain't easy to scavenge.'

She said nothing in reply. If he realised who she actually was, it could spell trouble for her.

''Course not,' she answered, making her accent more pronounced.

'So tell me, little missy,' the man said suspiciously, 'why are ya in the slums instead o' at the city central?'

'Ask no question and you shall receive no lies,' she said coolly. 'What does it matter if I'm here?'

They both said nothing for a moment. Y/N knew that the man was right. Even though she didn't look wealthy, she looked like a normal person who could afford what she needed. She still didn't understand why she gave the man the bread; it was still an impulse she did not find reasoning behind.

'I had a family.' he said abruptly.

All traces of his accent was gone. His voice was thick with a poignant touch, which seemed like a complete change in how he was before.

'Long story short, they ain't here no more. What I'm saying is, little missy that if you have anyone, even if it's someone who isn't related by blood, anyone who cares about you, you should come back to them.'

His words left her with an uneasy feel. Did he really know who she was? No, that was impossible. A person like him wouldn't have access to the news, and there shouldn't be a massive search for her. It was perfectly legal to travel to her hometown alone, so she was in the right.

But even as she walked away, she saw an unsettling glint in the man's eye, something all too familiar that she couldn't quite put her finger on...