Daniel stretched his joints after wrapping up their first day of training. The teens were in high spirits, their energy still buzzing from the excitement of the first class. Most of them looked eager for the next session, except for Kiran, who occasionally coughed like he might lose his lungs, and Valerie, who remained unusually quiet. As it came time to say goodbye, the clock still read 4 p.m.


    “Good job everyone!” Daniel smiled at the boys and girls. “I’ll send the full curriculum of our classes by tonight and some reading material. I won’t be doing exams or sending you homework, but I recommend you read them."


    “Yes!” They answered with varying degrees of enthusiasm.


    “See you all at the same time tomorrow.” He waved at them with a smile. One by one, each left the training facility and went either to the hotel or the compound. When it was Valerie’s turn, Daniel put his hand on her shoulder. “Valerie, please stay for a moment, we need to talk.”


    When everyone had finally left, Daniel gestured for Valerie to follow and began walking away. They moved in silence for a few minutes, each lost in their minds. Daniel carefully considered how best to approach the situation, while Valerie thought about the training. Suddenly, a familiar aroma, reminiscent of home, grabbed Daniel’s attention, almost making him slip in his steps.


    It was coming from a small pastry shop called ''Patisserie Royale''. There were signs outside with names that sounded Kalosian, like macarons, éclaires, pain au Chocolat, and even Poke puffs.


    “Do you want to eat something?” Daniel asked, cooling down the surge of emotions he felt.


    “Yes.” She nodded at him and both entered the shop.


    The inside was much warmer than the outside. It shared similar artistic choices to other businesses around: white backgrounds with pink decorations, but the warm scent of freshly baked goods lingered in the air. Behind the polished counters, an array of golden croissants, delicate macarons, and intricate tarts were displayed like little works of art.


    The quiet, soothing atmosphere wrapped around him, and for a moment, he could almost hear the distant hum of his time in Kalos. The cold mornings spent with a cup of coffee and Poke Puffs, Aunt Genevieve’s pastries after a long day, and the memory of his first kiss with Jeanne. A wave of nostalgia hit him, but he quickly circulated his Fairy aura to its limits, keeping his strong emotions at bay.


    Looking around, he saw no other patron around, just a lady behind the register. She appeared to be around his age, her subtle wrinkles betraying a few years of experience. Metallic blond hair was tied in a neat ponytail, and freckles dotted her face, especially on her cheeks. Round glasses perched on her nose, reflecting a gleam from her deep blue eyes. Her uniform was a white chef''s coat with pink edges, a black apron, and a small pin of a Whimsicott wearing a berry crown.


    “Welcome!” She exclaimed with a radiant smile and a thick Kalosian accent. “I’ll give you the menu in a moment sir!”


    He nodded back at her with a smile and made his way to a table near the back of the store. Valerie silently followed, settling into the seat across from him. They stared at each other for a moment, Daniel feeling a brief wave of uncertainty about how to break the silence. Before he could gather his thoughts, the worker arrived, placing the menu between them with a soft smile.


    As he glanced at the menu, another wave of nostalgia washed over him. It was comforting to know he''d be enjoying a piece of home in this timeline. His Pokeballs hummed faintly, the subtle vibrations signaling that his team was sharing his sentiment. ‘Yeah, I’ll buy some for you guys too.’ He silently answered, using his aura to placate them.


    "A cup of coffee, no sugar. And 2 éclairs, please. One matcha and one dark chocolate.”


    "Sure thing! What will the miss have?" The woman nodded, quickly noting down his order.


    “Same as him.” She nodded at her.


    “I’ll be back in a bit!” The older woman nodded and went back behind the counter.


    "So.” Daniel crossed his fingers and tilted his head. “Anything you wanted to share?”


    “I thought you wanted to speak to me?” Valerie arched her brow and tilted her head in the same direction.


    “In a sense.” He nodded. “I noticed you were not exactly… thrilled about our arrangements for the training.”


    He stopped when he heard the soft clink of porcelain. The woman returned with their orders, setting down two cups of coffee and a small plate with two éclairs. Each pastry, about 10 centimeters long, was covered in a glistening glaze. Daniel took a moment to savor the bitterness of the coffee, letting it linger on his tongue before taking a bite of the éclair. The buttery, crunchy choux pastry gave way to the sweet, creamy filling, topped with a subtle bitterness from the matcha on top. The flavors blended so perfectly that it was almost enough to bring a tear to his eye.


    "Reminded me of my time in Kalos” He nodded at the woman with a smile. "Thank you, miss…”


    "My name is Anna. Nice to meet you!" She nodded enthusiastically. “I’m glad to hear that Mister!”


    He glanced at his companion briefly and smirked in amusement. The girl had a surprised expression as she gently chewed on her chocolate éclair. When she noticed he was looking at her, she composed herself and bowed to Anna.


    “They’re very delicious.”


    “Awww, thank you, little miss!” She bowed once more, a graceful motion, and took a step back. “If you need anything else, just call! We have free coffee refills!” With that, she turned and returned to the counter, leaving the two of them in silence once more.


    “Well…” Valerie ventured before taking a sip of her coffee. “I’m not convinced about you, Mr Joy.”


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    “Why would that be?”


    “You’re an unknown.” She narrowed her eyes once more. He subtly felt she gained a small edge to her, but not quite like Steel aura users… for now. “There’s nothing on you on Battlenet, the League’s database, or any paper trail of your existence. You just… popped out of Arceus knows where. And the documents you passed have information that I never read anywhere else.”


    The girl briefly glanced around, finding some comfort in the cameras that were recording them.


    “Well.” Daniel was stunned for a moment but recovered quickly. “The League knows who I am. Clay recommended you for this course, didn’t he?” He shrugged and took another sip of his coffee.


    “I know.” She furrowed her brows and stared at her cup.


    “And don’t forget that I traveled to other regions.” He put his cup down, making a clinking noise. “How else can you explain my Pokemon?”


    “I know.” She softly groaned. “But logic would be you’d be under surveillance, or working directly for the league, not teaching classes.”


    “I’m aware.” Daniel conceded. “But consider this. The league, and champion Iris, know as much as you do, yet they trusted me with children. Which means…”


    “You’re already being watched.”


    “Bingo.” He softly smirked and ate the rest of his matcha éclair. “Your job is getting stronger and mine is helping you with that, let’s stick to that for now.”


    The girl furrowed her brows again and stared back at him with an intense gaze.


    “I’ll be watching you. Teacher.” She huffed.


    “Warms my heart to know my students pay attention in class.” He lifted his cup with a smirk. “By the way. I’m not too happy with your behavior so far, care to explain?”


    The girl narrowed her eyes again.


    “I’m not saying you should be like Linda or Amelia or that you need to be their best friend.” He waved his hand dismissively. “You’re your person, with your dreams and goals. Just… please try to be a little more friendly to them. They’re their people too, with their potential to be great. I know you wouldn’t appreciate someone belittling your goal of surpassing Leader Clay, eh?”


    After a small stare down, the girl relented with a soft sigh. “Yes…”


    “Wonderful!”


    The rest of their small reunion passed in comfortable silence. Daniel was relieved to see the girl seemed more at ease now, no longer as tense as before. She quietly read on her Xtransceiver, absorbed in whatever she was following. After finishing his last éclair, Daniel slipped on his glasses, ready to catch up with the news. His device hummed softly as R2 dutifully entered, the screen flashing with bursts of orange and blue as the information loaded.


    ‘Would you look at that…’


    ***


    Boldness or naivete? Shocking declarations from the Galarian League!


    The new Galarian Champion, Leon Auer, has shocked the world with his first acts after assuming the prestigious position. At a press conference in Wyndon, the young star declared:


    "I want to cultivate a strong international community! To gather people around the world who enjoy this great sport and deepen our connections between trainers and Pokémon! My responsibilities prevent me from touring the world, but I want to take that first step myself! Show that I''m serious! I''ll be visiting the grand region of Unova in the hopes of making that dream a reality!"


    The Unovan Pokémon League has confirmed that the two young Champions will meet, though they have yet to specify the exact date. However, sources suggest the meeting will take place during the opening of the Vertress conference!


    ***


    Aftermath of Plasma!


    Following the defeat of Team Plasma, Unova is still healing from the scars left by their actions. The recent attacks on Opelucid City and Victory Road could have led to disaster, were it not for the timely intervention of the Pokémon League.


    Sources from the League confirm that the flying boat used in the attack on Opelucid was not part of the planned production for the movie being filmed at the time. Thankfully, Pokéstar Studios stepped in, using their props to help mitigate the worst of the assault and protect the citizens.


    Ex-Leader Brycen, alongside Leaders Clay and Drayden, is working tirelessly to repair the damage caused by the attack. Together, they are focused on restoring peace and finally putting this grim chapter behind them.


    ***


    He almost choked on his coffee reading the last one. He was aware that the League dealt with the potential backlash with a… creative solution, but seeing it work was another thing. He too had to thank Pokestar Studios for taking a bullet punch for him.


    When he lifted his gaze, he noticed Valerie was paying for both their orders with Anna. Daniel huffed good-naturedly, shook his head, and joined her.


    “Don’t worry, I paid for everything.” Valerie shook her head.


    “Thank you, Valerie.” Daniel nodded at her and smirked. “But don’t think good grades can be bought with éclair.”


    “I’ll be the very best with my efforts. No need for shortcuts.” She rolled her eyes and went to the door. “See you tomorrow, teacher.”


    "Take care!" Daniel waved back at her as she disappeared into the snowy streets. When he turned back to the counter to order extra pastries for his team, he paused. Anna was looking at him nervously.


    "Do you…" Anna bit her lip. "Are you from Kalos?"


    "My family, yes. Why?" He tilted his head and crossed his arms.


    "Really?!" she exclaimed, stars shining inside her eyes. "I''m from Coumarine City!"


    "Well, nice to meet you, fellow Kalosian.” He said with a smile. “My name is Daniel. I have some family in Lumiose and Santalune."


    ‘Technically New Lumiose and New Santasol, but close enough.’


    They exchanged stories and chatted about beautiful sights in Kalos. Daniel had to ''sanitize'' his, omitting details and changing some names. R2 and Donald were invaluable in pulling information on the fly to keep up with her topics.


    Anna was an immigrant who had arrived in Unova at the age of 17, running away from home in search of something bigger, a dream of striking it big in another region. It had been a moderate success, thankfully. While her food and coffee were more expensive than the competition, their novelty and the "high class" feeling they offered helped her carve out a niche. She couldn''t quite compete with the established giants in Unova, but it was enough to keep her going and make her small business a quiet success.


    It was hard for her to learn Unovan by herself in the beginning. She had some skills because of the Galarian classes everyone had in their schools, but it wasn''t enough. Even during her stories, he noticed her switching back to Kalosian unconsciously.


    "Oh! Let me!" She suddenly disappeared behind the counter, leaving Daniel puzzled. When she returned, she carried Pain au Chocolats and a couple of éclaires.


    "Sorry, I can''t-"


    "Non! This is a gift!" She said with a smile. "It''s been a while since I last spoke with someone from back home! There are some extras for your team, too. You’re a trainer, yes?"


    "Yes… Thanks for the gesture, but I can pay for them.”


    “Non means no, Mr. Daniel!” She said with faux anger.


    “Alright, Miss Anna.” He lifted his hands in defeat. “You win this round.”


    A bite of the bread was enough to blast him back home. Warm, buttery, flaky, filled with the sweetness of chocolate. The image of his aunt making some for both him and Aidan every other week. The small fights broke between the two when one of them had ''the bigger one.'' Ruining their first batches when they started to learn.


    "Tastes like home," Daniel said, wiping a small tear that threatened to escape his eye. "Sounds a bit corny, but my compliments to the chef."


    "Thank you! I made them myself." Her smile illuminated even more after that. "I''ve been doing them since I was young!"


    “And it shows.”


    After Anna packed the rest of the pastries for his team, Daniel left the store with a smile, already planning to come back in the future when he had more money to buy more treats. Anna, much like her pastries, was sweet and full of energy for a 41-year-old. More than that, it was refreshing to have friends who were unrelated to his mess. With a clear mind and lighter steps, he made his way home. It was time to prepare for his next lessons.