Alex continued perusing the catalogue the Training Center had to offer and was, simply put, inundated by the sheer quantity of options. There were general courses on Pokémon type manipulation that progressed from basic to advanced before branching into highly specialized disciplines. Fire alone offered classes on tightly concentrated flames capable of piercing defenses, explosions focused on maximum concussive force, sustained burns, heat control, smoke manipulation, precision flame shaping, and, of course, wide-area infernos like those that had allowed Clarissa's Charizard to attain Master rank. Every type possessed dozens of similar branches, each built around a different philosophy or interpretation of its elemental properties.

The catalogue extended far beyond elemental training. There were hand-to-hand combat courses tailored for bipedal, quadrupedal, serpentine, amorphous, avian, insectoid, aquatic, and even enormous Pokémon. Other classes focused on aerial dogfighting, underwater engagements, cave warfare, urban combat, mountain operations, jungle survival, and fighting in extreme weather. There were lessons on synchronized team attacks, battlefield positioning, initiative control, endurance management, and exploiting terrain to force favorable engagements.

Statistical analysis and probability courses taught trainers how to calculate the optimal timing for status moves, weighing expected value against simply finishing an opponent before diminishing returns set in. Strategy classes ranged from official six-on-six League battles to military doctrine for commanding squads of a dozen, companies of fifty, battalions of hundreds, and even armies numbering in the thousands, covering everything from swarm tactics and logistics to command structures, communication networks, and battlefield directability.

The trainer-focused offerings were no less impressive. There were personalized consultations that promised the most cost-efficient growth path based on a Pokémon's species, personality, aptitude, and available budget. Others specialized in nutrition, breeding compatibility, injury prevention, rehabilitation, psychological conditioning, stress management, leadership development, team chemistry, and methods for guiding Pokémon toward the Master rank as a Champion ranked trainer. There were even courses dedicated to identifying hidden talent, breaking through training plateaus, and designing long-term development plans expected to span decades.

Needless to say, even after reading through the seemingly endless catalogue, Alex still had no idea what to choose.

“I’m overthinking this,” Alex said, shaking his head. “Let's focus on what actually matters, getting my Pokémon to Master rank. That rules out any battle-related training courses, which is more than half the catalogue. We can also get rid of all the psychological bullshit. No matter how useful it is, it'll just go over my head. The elemental specialization courses can go too. I don't think any of my Pokémon have the same obsession that Charizard does, so following her path probably won't help much.”

That left only the courses claiming to offer a path to the Master rank, which immediately made Alex skeptical. If they were even half as effective as advertised, the world should have been flooded with Master ranked trainers. Families with established legacies, in particular, would have produced generations of them every few decades.

That clearly wasn't the case. The overwhelming majority of powerful families, tribes, and organizations were led by a single Master ranked trainer, while their children and heirs often peaked at Champion rank. These courses would have been readily available to every one of those successors, yet the bottleneck remained. That told Alex the lessons weren't worth much on their own. There had to be something else that allowed a trainer to break through the ceiling and rise above everyone else.

Thinking back on Clarissa's upbringing, journey, and way of life, Alex asked himself what she had that other equally wealthy children didn't. The obvious answer was an obsessively driven Charizard, but was that really all there was to it? Wouldn't a psychic suggestion at birth be able to instill that same relentless drive in any Pokémon?

Apparently not.

That meant the answer wasn't simply knowledge, mentality, or emotion. There had to be something deeper, something that pushed a Pokémon beyond the limits of ordinary determination.

Alex sighed heavily. “It's willpower, isn't it?”

Willpower was the spark that allowed him to control his Aura and energy. Without it, he was nothing more than a battery full of power with no way to direct it. Pokémon were no different. If they wanted to go beyond simply using preset moves and truly master their own energy, they first needed the willpower to control it.

After all, Master ranked Pokémon existed in the wild without trainers. Most died long before reaching that level, but the few that survived were forced to overcome one life-or-death challenge after another. Every victory only earned them a stronger opponent or a harsher trial. A lifetime spent on the brink of death forged enough willpower to break free from the limits of their mold.

“How does that apply to my situation?” Alex asked as he rose and began pacing around the room. “Which of my Pokémon are the most willful?”

None of them.

The answer came to him almost immediately. Their lives were in his hands by design. As long as they followed his rules, they would be fed, protected, and given every opportunity to grow. They had stability, security, and purpose. There was no need for willpower among his Pokémon.

“Is that why Masters still limit themselves to their original six Pokémon? To promote individual growth without sacrificing too much strength to coordination?” Alex asked, realizing his team's size might be part of the problem. “No... I just need to fight stronger opponents, and everything should work itself out. More importantly, are there other forms of willpower I'm missing?”

Alex mentally ran through each of his Pokémon, searching for obsessions that could be forged into willpower. Just off the top of his head, there was Alcremie's obsession with sharing her flavor, Aegislash's unwavering sense of duty, Kommo-o's battlelust, Hydreigon's propensity for destruction, Gardevoir's hunger for human minds, Espeon's attachment to him, Mantine's longing for freedom, Gothitelle's desire for a lifelong trainer, Urshifu's pursuit of the Adamant Strike, and, of course, Grim's ferocity, Knight's focus on victory, and Guzzlord's insatiable gluttony.

The rest were largely content with their lives, happy to make use of the resources he provided as long as they performed well enough. They weren't being pushed to their limits, but that had never been Alex's objective when he recruited them. His relationship with his Pokémon was one of partnership built on mutual benefit, a promise kept, and, at its most transactional, a form of employment rather than close familial bonds.

That meant the burden fell on him. If he wanted them to strive for the Master rank, he had to give them a reason to seek power beyond simply maintaining their contract. Their willpower couldn't be driven by survival or securing life's necessities. It had to be directed toward mastery itself. He had to ignite a passion for strength or convince them that achieving their deepest desires required mastery over their own energy.

Creating artificial desperation wasn't the answer. He wasn't about to set up some pyramid-style competition where his Pokémon fought over limited resources just to pressure them into developing stronger willpower. It would be forced, disingenuous, and, quite frankly, a dick move.

So far, the only way Alex knew to nurture that kind of willpower was through battle. Not ordinary battles, but desperate ones filled with hardship and loss, battles that forced his Pokémon to confront their own mortality and burned the fear of death into their very bones.

“I was thinking about using up all of my money before heading out, but it's clear I'll have to push forward with my plans here in Kalos,” Alex said with a sigh as his resolve hardened.

Kalos was every bit as dangerous as Sinnoh. Master ranked trainers were everywhere, and many spoiled their children to the point that they committed atrocities without consequence. Picking a fight with even some random bully on the street could easily escalate into a battle against a Master ranked trainer.

The law of the League would be on his side, but the law of the jungle wouldn't. If he failed to finish the job properly, retaliation against his family was all but guaranteed. That meant every confrontation had to be decisive while keeping collateral damage to a minimum.

Alex let out a quiet chuckle as fear bubbled to the surface. Not fear for himself, but for the people he cared about. It had quietly crept into his thoughts, making him hesitate before throwing himself into the kind of reckless crusade that had once come naturally.

“I guess I've changed,” Alex muttered, shaking his head with a wry smile. “I've gotten soft. My instincts have been dulled by worrying about the consequences of my actions.”

Once upon a time, he had been free, like a wolverine picking fights left and right without a care in the world. Now he was cautious, someone who feared what his enemies might do to the people waiting for him at home.

He turned to the hologram listing the Training Center's countless services before slowly shaking his head. There was no point in choosing any of them for the sake of reaching Master rank, not yet. Not without the willpower to drive his Pokémon forward.

For that, he would have to do some truly reckless shit.

Over the course of the next week, Alex watched his Pokémon execute their formation drills beyond perfection. They were faster, more coordinated, and far more aware of one another's positions on the battlefield. From this alone, he was more than satisfied with the money he'd spent.

Ironically, their mastery of formations only reinforced his conclusion. They could overcome stronger opponents through teamwork rather than individual strength, the exact opposite of what was needed to reach Master rank. Hopefully, sooner or later, an opponent would come along to show both him and his Pokémon exactly why they needed even more power than they already possessed.

Suddenly, the door to the Training Center's training area slid open, and Clarissa rushed inside, her expression filled with concern.

“Alex! I think I figured out why you were sent to this world!”