Alex and Maria were sitting comfortably in one of the thirty-nine rooms of Alex's enormous mansion while watching television together.

Although the twelve specialized Pokémon training rooms were still under construction, the mansion itself was already more than large enough for them to live there peacefully.

The building had originally been designed for wealthy families and large groups of Pokemon, which meant that even with several areas still unavailable, there was still an almost absurd amount of space available for Alex and his Pokemon.

There's so much space that even Maria and her Pokemon who lived here have more than enough room.

Most of Alex's and Maria's Pokémon had spread themselves throughout the property.

Some were resting inside their Poké Balls, while others were exploring different parts of the mansion. A few had wandered into the enormous garden behind the house, where there was plenty of open space to move freely.

Others had chosen more interesting places inside the mansion, such as the home theater room, the music room, or the large lounge areas that had quickly become their favorite spots.

Meanwhile, Alex and Maria were sitting together on a large sofa in front of a massive television mounted on the wall. The screen was currently showing a news program reporting recent events across the Hoenn region.

Neither of them were paying extremely close attention to the broadcast. The television mainly served as background noise while the two of them enjoyed a rare moment of quiet relaxation together.

Alex understood very well that constantly working, planning strategies, or training Pokémon without pause was not healthy. Even the most disciplined trainers—and especially their Pokémon—needed time to rest and clear their minds.

Taking occasional breaks like this helped maintain both mental focus and long-term motivation.

Alex had a random thought and suddenly asked, "Hey Maria, if I were one of the Seven Deadly Sins, which one do you think I'd be?" 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

Maria didn't even hesitate. "Pride."

Alex looked a little offended by how quickly she had answered. Sure, he knew he could be a bit arrogant sometimes, but was it really that obvious?

"Why not Greed or Lust?" he asked.

Maria gave him a slightly sarcastic look. "Ha. With your body count of exactly one, you want to claim to be Lust? It seems Pride really suits you perfectly."

Alex really did have only a body count of one in this world, but that didn't make the comment any less offensive. Still, he managed to keep a small smile on his face.

"And Greed?" he asked.

Maria's smile slowly widened in a way that immediately made Alex slightly nervous.

"Alex, honey," she said sweetly, "you'd better hope you're not Greed. Because if you are, that means I'm not enough for you by myself. And if you ever cheat on me, then I would unfortunately have no choice but to—"

"Okay, okay," Alex quickly interrupted. "I get the message. I'm not planning to cheat anyway, so you can save the threat."

Then he added in a slightly exaggerated tone, "After all, I'm a one-body man. Perfect for a one-body woman."

Maria laughed. "Oh, you're acting like those things are comparable," she teased. "Sorry, hun, but that's not how the world works."

Alex chuckled. "Alright, you got me there. Fine, I'm Pride." He tilted his head slightly. "So what about you? Which Sin do you think fits you?"

Maria's expression softened. She leaned closer, wrapping her arms around him and resting her head against his chest.

"Oh," she said gently, "I think Wrath fits me best."

Alex thought about it for a moment. Then he slowly nodded. Yes… that was probably accurate.

Wrath fit Maria extremely well. Although Lust and maybe even Envy could apply sometimes, but Wrath was definitely the most fitting one.

Maria noticed his silent agreement and smiled slightly.

"So," she continued, "what about Daniel and Elise? Which sins would they be?"

Alex thought for a moment before answering. "Hmm… Elise would probably be Lust."

Maria snorted quietly but didn't argue.

"And Daniel…" Alex continued, "probably Pride."

It wasn't a perfect match. Daniel didn't really act arrogant most of the time.

But he was extremely indifferent toward most people, and in Alex's opinion that kind of cold indifference was also a form of Pride—placing yourself above caring about others.

Maria was about to continue the conversation when something on the television caught her attention.

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

"Wait…"

She picked up the remote and turned up the volume.

The television screen shifted to a recorded interview segment. A title appeared at the bottom of the screen:

"Pewter City Gym Leader Brock Announces Retirement."

Maria leaned forward slightly with interest while Alex watched more casually.

The camera showed the familiar figure of Brock standing in front of the Pewter City Gym. Brock looked calm and relaxed, wearing his usual vest and confident smile as the reporter stood beside him holding a microphone.

"So, Gym Leader Brock," the interviewer began, "many trainers across the regions will be surprised by your announcement today. After holding the position for so many years, you've decided to step down from your role as Pewter City's Gym Leader. Could you tell us why you made this decision?"

Brock nodded thoughtfully before answering.

"Yes, of course. Being the Gym Leader of Pewter City has been an incredible honor, and I've met many talented trainers during my time here. However, over the years I've realized that my true passion and talent lies in caring for Pokémon and helping them grow. Becoming a full-time Pokémon breeder suits me better, i think."

The interviewer nodded and continued. "Many people are curious—does this mean you're retiring from Pokémon battles entirely?"

Brock laughed lightly.

"Not at all. I still have some lovefor battling, and I'll continue training my Pokémon. I simply won't be acting as the official Gym Leader anymore. Instead, I want to dedicate my time to raising strong and healthy Pokémon that can support future trainers."

The interviewer asked another question. "Do you already know who will take over the Pewter City Gym?"

Brock shook his head slightly, a somewhat helpless smile appearing on his face."No, unfortunately not. Most of my family members are still far too young to take on a responsibility like that. So for now, there probably won't be a new Gym Leader immediately."

Then Brock rubbed the back of his head and chuckled. "Although… maybe I'll try convincing my father to take the position again. He used to be the Gym Leader before me, after all. If he actually agrees this time, it would certainly solve the problem."

The reporter nodded again before asking the final question. "Lastly, do you have any message for the many trainers who challenged you over the years?"

Brock smiled. "Yes. To every trainer who stepped into the Pewter City Gym—thank you. Watching young trainers grow stronger and overcome challenges has always been the best part of this job. I hope all of you continue pursuing your dreams with your Pokémon."

The interview ended shortly after that.

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if the story gets 150 powerstones in 24 hours, I will upload 1 bonus chapter tomorrow.

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