Actions speak louder than words. Now, Patisserie Soapberry is no longer the tiny shop where Katy had to play multiple roles. Several pastry chefs and staff have been hired, so Katy can leave for a while without any issues.
After giving out instructions, Katy left Patisserie Soapberry with a beaming smile, taking Lucas through the back door to a small apartment she had rented specifically for practicing her pastry skills.
Coincidentally, that place was near the Paldea League office. With Katy's permission, he also brought along Arven to join as a taste tester.
"Although making poffin involves basic steps, it truly tests a pastry chef's touch and skill. Precise proportions, proper mixing speed, and accurate oven temperature are all essential."
Whenever she entered teaching mode, Katy's warm and friendly smile would disappear, and her tone would become much more serious. This was the most effective teaching style she had discovered.
Being too friendly would make many new trainers disregard your advice, but being too stern would just make them overly nervous.
Lucas thought Katy would make a great teacher.
Confident in his own fundamentals, Lucas tightened the apron around himself and looked over at Arven.
Arben, who was originally just along for the ride, was now listening intently and jotting down notes in a little notebook, leaving Lucas speechless.
If only Arven could put half as much passion and interest into Pokémon battles and training as he did into cooking, plus the motivation from all the dreams Lucas had painted for him, he might not surpass Nemona, but could at least make it to the Elite Four.
After a period of explanation, Katy personally demonstrated the poffin-making process for Lucas and Arven.
The ingredients for poffin weren't much different from regular desserts. In Katy's quirky mind, poffin could be summed up as—"poffin is basically baked mush."
Katy's movements were skilled and practiced. She began by chopping the prepared berries into small pieces and setting them aside. Next, she prepared a saucepan, added the right amount of water, poured in the berries, and started heating and stirring slowly.
Once the heated berries had fully dissolved into the water, Katy picked up flour, eggs, fresh milk, and maple syrup, mixing them according to the recipe to make a suitable batter. She then poured the batter into the pot in batches while maintaining a smooth, steady stirring motion.
"Be sure to pay attention to your stirring rhythm and speed. Don't let it burn, but also don't splash it everywhere. Keep the heat low and stir for about ten minutes for best results."
Despite the need for concentration, Katy could still keep an eye on her two temporary apprentices, Lucas and Arven, and give them advice as needed.
No wonder she was a famous pastry chef in Paldea.
Time passed quickly. Katy turned off the heat and, instead of immediately picking up the pan, gave another reminder:
"Don't rush to move the pan after turning off the heat. Wait for the temperature to drop a bit and the structure to stabilize. The poffin will taste even better that way."
These were lessons Katy had learned through countless trials and errors. Lucas memorized them gratefully.
After a short wait, Katy picked up the saucepan and, without any tools, skillfully poured the batter into the molds with incredible accuracy. There was no overflow or mess.
Next came the baking. Katy set the oven to 170°C for eleven minutes.
When the oven dinged, Katy put on oven mitts, took out the poffin, and a tantalizing aroma quickly filled the kitchen.
Staring at the golden poffin, Arven exclaimed, "Is this... one of Patisserie Soapberry's signature desserts—the special maple poffin?!"
His mouth watered uncontrollably. He grabbed one, inhaled its fragrance like it was a treasure, and carefully tasted it.
Lucas was also curious about this signature dessert and picked one up to try.
As soon as it entered his mouth, the maple syrup's clean, gentle sweetness—different from honey—came through first. Then the poffin's delicate, fluffy texture was so addictive he immediately wanted a second bite.
Under Katy's smiling gaze, the small batch of baked poffin was quickly devoured by Lucas and Paipa.
As a pastry chef, this moment of satisfaction was her favorite and most addictive.
Katy even saved some poffin for Milcery, who ate with sparkling eyes and looked at Katy with admiration.
It was just too delicious!
"That's the basic process. Since you've already memorized the steps, here's the kitchen key. You can use it for the next three days. I'll stop by to help whenever I'm free. Practice hard!"
Katy handed Lucas a set of keys, then took out a Poké Ball and released a Pokémon that looked very familiar to Lucas.
"Teddiursa~"
It was a Teddiursa, the little bear Pokémon with crescent-moon fur.
"This little one has a sensitive palate and a unique understanding of taste. Let it try your test batches!"
With that, Katy hurried out of the kitchen.
Knowing another Gym Challenger had come to see her, Lucas watched her leave with admiration. He knew he'd go crazy with such a busy schedule.
Teddiursa seemed to know its job. After Katy left, it somehow found a stool just the right height for itself, sat down, and waved at Lucas and Arven:
"Teddiursa, Teddiursa~!" (If the food isn't tasty, don't blame me for getting mad!)
Lucas & Arven: "..."
They couldn't understand Teddiursa, but their instincts told them it probably wasn't anything nice.
Watching Teddiursa sitting there like a boss, Lucas got an idea.
He called Arven over and whispered, "Has your Skwovet eaten yet today?"
Arven shook his head blankly.
"Then let's use this poffin-making opportunity to teach you something," Lucas said, looking like he was about to pass down some secret technique. "If you want to solve a Pokémon's laziness in training—especially a glutton like Skwovet—food is the best motivator. You want it to form a mental equation: training = delicious food!"
"There's a saying: 'For Pokémon, food is everything.' For most Pokémon, food is the most important thing, especially for gluttons like Skwovet."
"If you want Skwovet to be enthusiastic about training, the best way is to use food as motivation. Keep training until it forms the habit: training = treats!"