Early the next morning, the quartet left the wild area and headed back to the Pokemon Research Lab. Passing by Turffield along the way, Jun picked up an assortment of berries from the farmers who were just setting up their stalls for the day.

Wedgehurst was bustling as usual, even at this early hour. Farmers corralled their Wooloo across their fields and trainers strolled by in duos and trios, chatting excitedly about their recent battles or the Pokémon they'd caught.

As Jun entered the lab, the familiar scent of books and various Pokémon supplies welcomed him. However, he didn't see Professor Magnolia, instead, he was greeted by Marco, a tanned man in his late twenties with an easy smile, always ready to lend a helping hand. Marco had been like a friendly older brother ever since Jun began his journey in Galar, always offering advice and support.

"Hey there, Jun!" Marco called, waving a handwritten note. "Your satchel of tracking tags just arrived!"

Jun's eyes lit up as Marco approached, handing him a well-worn satchel filled to the brim. "Fifty tracking tags, just like Professor Aria requested. I wrote down the instructions too; you never know when you might need them! Where are you headed off to today?"

"Thanks, Marco!" Jun replied, his eyes sparkling with anticipation. "I was planning to head to Route 1 to begin Echo's training. I talked to Professor Aria a few days back and he said that Echo should be fine to do some light sparring with other baby pokemon , that's why I'm heading that way." He gestured to the small Blipbug nestled snugly in his hood, still dozing away due to the early hour.

"Great choice!" Marco grinned. "You'll need these potions then," Marco said, swiftly rummaging through an open cardboard box and retrieving half a dozen potions, thrusting the items into Jun's arms. "Don't forget to heal both Pokémon after their battles. And remember, Echo's still young. Be gentle!"

"Thanks, Marco! You're the best!" Jun chuckled as he stumbled a bit under the weight of the potions and tracking tags, barely managing an affectionate wave goodbye as Marco gently pushed him out the door.

Route 1 welcomed Jun with its scenic views, the trees whispering with the wind, birds chirping a welcome tune, and wild Pokémon moving about, curious and playful. With a deep breath, Jun felt the thrill of new adventures bubbling within him.

He set down his backpack, gently taking the now awake Echo out from his hood, and placing him on the ground. "Alright, Echo! Today's the day we put everything we've learned to the test!"

'Battle! Battle!' The Blipbug chirped enthusiastically, ready to take on the world.

Gardevoir stood watch nearby, her serene presence radiating protection and support. Jun released Toxel who glanced up at him with bleary eyes. "Gardevoir, could you keep an eye on Toxel while I battle?" Jun asked, picking up the purple dino and handing her over to Gardevoir. With a graceful nod, Gardevoir positioned herself, beside him, her focus split between cradling the resting Pokémon and Jun's upcoming battle.

"Be good for Gardevoir, alright?" he whispered to Toxel and booped it on the nose. She squeaked in response before curling up against Gardevoir's soft, green arm.

Turning away from the duo, he glanced around at the patches of grass, searching for a suitable opponent.

"Okay, let's start with that Caterpie over there!" Jun pointed towards a nearby Pokémon, the green bug type leisurely munching away at some daffodils. Blipbug, ready for his first challenge, inched forward aggressively, his massive head swaying from side to side with determination.

As the battle commenced, Jun quickly realized the challenges ahead. Caterpie, with its slightly higher stats, and the moves Tackle and String Shot, was basically of the same template as Echo, who had the two moves Struggle Bug and Sticky Web. Once the battle began, Blipbug tried to follow commands, but soon gave into instincts and the battle devolved into a messy brawl, both Pokémon ending up entangled in sticky silk and bruises.

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Holding his hand to his forehead, Jun took a deep breath. "It's okay, Echo! We'll learn together." Afterward, Jun knelt, liberally spraying both Blipbug and Caterpie with Potion, apologizing to the latter for the messy confrontation. He rewarded each with a berry, hoping they could share a laugh over the outlandish sight they'd created. After watching the Caterpie crawl off with its prize, he brought Echo to a new spot and found another Caterpie. Despite the many subsequent defeats and occasional wins, Jun noticed that Echo's determination shone brighter with every battle.

As noon approached, Jun decided to break for lunch. He summoned Gardevoir, who elegantly floated over, with Toxel nestled against her bosom. They all shared a hearty meal of local curry, the warmth of the food bringing a sense of camaraderie.

"Thank you, Gardevoir," he said between mouthfuls. "I couldn't have done this without your help."

Toxel squeaked happily, while Echo chirped in agreement, its antennae swaying with energy, despite the losses it had accumulated in the morning. They finished their meal, and despite the surge of motivation Jun felt, he called the team in for a nice midday nap. Echo was still barely a week old after all, and he did promise Marco to go gentle on the training.

Gardevoir settled down beside him as Toxel clamber onto her lap, Echo followed suit onto Jun's own lap and as Toxel circled around to find a comfy angle to lay in, Jun gently stroked Echo's head, bringing up his SystemDex to check on his progress.

The first page was no different than yesterday… no, wait a minute, something had changed.

Name: Jun

Age: 15

Talent: [Bug Affinity I]

Pokemon(observed): 192

Pokemon(owned): 1

Pokepoints: 94

His pokepoints had gone up. Thinking back on what could have caused this, he quickly recalled that his Blipbug had won 3 fights in the morning, why then had the points only gone up by two? He decided to go full Detective Pikachu in his head. He had won battles before, even back in Trainer School, but his points had never increased, which meant that battles only counted for bonded Pokemon, maybe? But then Echo had won 3 fights… maybe it had to do with levels. He would have to check on that later.

Flipping over to Echo's page, he smiled.

Pokemon: Blipbug

Name: Echo

Ability: Telepathy (+)

Gender: Male

Nature: Bold (+Defense/-Attack)

Level: 4 (+)

Moves: Struggle Bug, Sticky Web (+)

Stats: [expand]

Items: N/A

Status: Drowsy

The two won fights seemed to have pushed him over to level 4, not a bad start. Setting the alarm on his watch for 45 minutes, he joined his pokemon in blissful slumber.

*Bzzz… Ring…. Bzzz … Ring*

The piercing sounds of the alarm woke up all the members of the party, Toxel grumpily shoved her face into the crook of Gardevoir's arm as Jun turned the obnoxious siren off.

"Alright, Echo, back to training!" Jun exclaimed, determination coursing through him.

Several hours passed as they battled various wild Pokémon—Caterpies, Grubbins, and even a Hoothoot. With each skirmish, Echo learned and adapted, slowly but surely refining its skills. Jun watched in awe as his little Bug Pokémon absorbed his experiences in battle and slowly internalized it. The little Pokémon began to avoid the attacks better, employing cunning little tactics that made Jun beam with pride.

The first fight Echo won in the afternoon was against another Caterpie, and his pokepoints did not increase. As Jun went over to apply potions to both Echo and the Caterpie, he briefly brushed against the green Pokemon's skin. Opening up the SystemDex showed the Caterpie's details.

Pokemon: Caterpie

Ability: Shield Dust

Gender: Male

Level: 3

Moves: Tackle, String Shot

Ah, it must be the level then, he just needed one more verification then he would have figured out another avenue of gaining points.

Back on the battlefield, Jun's resolve strengthened. After a few more bouts with more challenging Pokémon, including a surprisingly resilient Grubbin and a particularly agile Hoothoot, Echo began to improve through sheer will—driven by Jun's unwavering belief in him.

"Sticky web, Echo! Cover him with it." "Dodge the Vice Grip." "Spray his wings, take him down." Jun's commands constantly rang out in the fields of Route one.

By the time the sun began to set, casting an orange hue across the sky, Jun had figured it out. With the defeat of a level 4 Grubbin, Jun realized that he would only gain points if his bonded Pokemon, in this case Echo, defeated a Pokemon of equal level or higher. With another 5 pokepoints in hand, Echo had leveled to level 6. "Look at you!" Jun exclaimed, sweeping Echo up in excitement. "We didn't win every battle today, but we're one step closer! Tomorrow, we'll train even harder!"

Jun felt immense pride as Echo raised his head high, offering a determined chirp that echoed into the twilight.

Satisfied with their day, the quartet headed back toward Wedgehurst and the lakeside, aware that every challenge faced was merely preparation for the great journeys ahead.