The Wooden House

In just one day, the entire Verdanturf Town had transformed into a picturesque winter wonderland.

When Yuga opened his window early in the morning, he saw everyone outside their homes, clearing away the accumulated snow.

A chilly breeze seeped through the window, making Yuga, who was still in his pajamas, shiver and hug his arms.

"Wigglytuff! Wigglytuff!"

At that moment, Wigglytuff entered the room and, upon seeing Yuga standing by the window, quickly closed it and scolded Yuga for exposing himself to the cold.

Yuga then put on the winter gear and layers provided by Wigglytuff, including a down jacket and thermal pants, and headed downstairs.

During breakfast, Yuga noticed that Windy was absent and curiously asked, "Where's Windy? Not having breakfast?"

Audino, sitting nearby, pointed upstairs, indicating that Windy hadn't woken up yet. She then pointed to the breakfast she was holding, signaling that she would take it to Windy.

Treating himself like a king, huh? Yuga couldn't help but shake his head. Could it be that he'd turn into a chubby couch potato over the winter?

With a helpless sigh, Yuga decided not to interfere. It was understandable that no one wanted to get out of bed in such cold weather, and he didn't want to set a bad example as the boss.

After finishing breakfast, Beidou pulled Yuga aside and whispered, "I have something to discuss with you."

Confused, Yuga followed him to the side and asked, "What's going on? Why are you beating around the bush? Just say it."

"I want you to come with me somewhere."

"Somewhere? Where?" Yuga was puzzled. Why not just say it directly instead of being so cryptic?

"Oh, you'll find out once we get there!"

Seeing that Beidou was unwilling to explain further, Yuga reluctantly agreed, "Alright, fine! I won't ask, but can we hurry?"

Beidou nodded and quickened his pace. Together, they ventured out into the winter morning.

Yuga complained, "Why are you in such a hurry? Couldn't we have waited a bit longer?"

Despite the cold, Yuga tugged his coat tighter around himself.

"Oh, you'll understand once we get there!"

Beidou exhaled a deep breath, and his words were accompanied by a puff of white mist.

Yuga gave in, saying, "Okay, okay! I won't ask more questions. But can we please walk faster?"

Beidou nodded and increased their pace.

As they walked, Yuga began to sense that the destination looked familiar. When they passed by an old factory, it suddenly clicked—this was where Muya used to live!

Although Muya had moved elsewhere, Yuga didn't really care. After all, he had no reason to be concerned about a Ghost-type Pokémon's place of residence.

Without stopping in front of the abandoned factory, Beidou led Yuga through a series of alleyways.

Finally, after passing several alleys, they stopped in front of a wooden house.

Yuga surveyed the area. Despite being covered in snow, it was clear that this area had been abandoned for a long time, with dilapidated factories that were no longer inhabited.

Beidou noticed Yuga's puzzled expression and explained, "This place used to be a paper mill, but it was shut down due to excessive pollution, thanks to the collective efforts of the townspeople."

Yuga couldn't help but wonder how Beidou knew so much about this when even the native residents like him were unaware of these details. But considering that Verdanturf Town's reputation was built on its pristine environment, it made sense that the residents wouldn't tolerate a factory causing pollution.

"These wooden houses were where the workers from the paper mill used to live."

Beidou pointed at the wooden house in front of them again.

Yuga became even more puzzled. He wondered why Beidou had first talked about the paper mill and now shifted to discussing the wooden house. What was he trying to convey?

Without further explanation, Beidou pushed open the door of the wooden house and led Yuga inside.

Upon entering the wooden house, Yuga's first impression was that it was run-down, but his second impression was that it felt cozy.

The wooden structure had deteriorated over the years, with visible signs of decay in many places. The floor was uneven, and cold drafts seeped in through the old windows.

However, the interior was surprisingly warm and inviting.

Pink curtains adorned the worn windows. Though not new, they were remarkably clean.

In the center of the room was a round table, surrounded by six shiny stools that had been diligently cleaned.

The most prominent feature of the room was the three not-so-large wooden beds, one of which had four small, carrot-like heads nestled on it.

As soon as Yuga and Beidou entered, the occupants of the room noticed them. Their expressions shifted from caution to relaxation upon recognizing Beidou, followed by excitement.

"Uncle Beidou, you're here!"

There were a total of five children in the wooden house, all very young. The girl who had just spoken appeared to be the oldest, but she seemed to be under ten years old.

"Good morning, Anya."

"Why are you here? Who's this big brother?"

Anya rushed excitedly to Beidou's side and asked.

Yuga couldn't help but notice the slight twitch in Beidou's face when Anya referred to him as a "big brother." He inwardly chuckled, thinking that men were sensitive about their age, too.

Apart from Anya, the other four children had been huddled together on one of the old beds, wrapped in what seemed like stiff blankets, clutching each other tightly.

Upon seeing Beidou's arrival, they eagerly climbed down from the bed and gathered around him, addressing him as "Uncle Beidou" with enthusiasm.

"Alright, haven't you noticed we have a guest? Be on your best behavior."

At this point, the elder sister, Anya, spoke up, and the four carrot-like children obediently fell silent, moving to the side.

Beidou smiled and said, "It's alright, Anya! These kids don't need to worry about me. Haven't you had breakfast yet? I brought breakfast for you all."

He then gestured toward Yuga, implying that Yuga was also a guest.

Upon hearing this, Yuga felt a bit offended. After all, Beidou had brought him here, so why say they shouldn't bother with him now? It was quite rude!

Unable to contain his irritation, Yuga shot a glare at Beidou, but Beidou seemed completely unfazed by Yuga's silent protest, engrossed in his conversation with Anya.

"But Akihiro, our big brother, has already gone out to buy us breakfast."

Anya hesitated to speak, but Beidou noticed her eyes wandering towards the food.

"Oh dear, we don't know when Akihiro will be back. Look, your little brothers are so hungry; their tummies are growling. You should go ahead and eat!"

Beidou placed the breakfast he had brought on the table and led Anya towards it.

Initially, Anya wanted to refuse, but seeing her younger brothers discreetly swallowing saliva, she decided otherwise.

Beidou placed the breakfast on the table, and as he gestured for them to sit, he happily began to eat the steaming breakfast himself.