Pokémon, at its core, is a series about the bonds you make. The bonds with your pokémon, with your friends, with your rivals. Even bonds with more nebulous concepts- the promises you make, to yourself, to the pokémon league, to your guild. The list could go on forever. Our memories color us, but our bonds make us who we are. Our bonds chart the path for us to forge into the future.
Bonds may play slightly differently at different tables, but their main asset remains the same: They are a way for your player character to make commitments, and a mechanical reward for sticking to those commitments. Each bond starts at the lowest rank, and through consistent roleplay, the player may earn a level up to their bond. Each level for a bond gives an extra Save Roll to skill checks related to the bond, as well as a point of experience. At the end of a session, everyone goes around the table, and each player that believes they may have advanced one or more of their bonds brings up those bonds. If there's disagreement on the subject, the GM can step in and make the final call. It is important to remember that bonds are meant to grow over the course of an adventure, though. As you commit more energy to your bonds, you gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for whatever you may be committed to. While it is tempting to apply an experience value to these, rather than gauging progress at the end of a session, it is recommended that you leave it up to vibes, as making it too mechanically rigid could make it so that player character's commitment to their bonds ends up shallow.
On the other hand, Breaks are what occurs when a deep enough Bond is broken. You gain strength from them, but you also gain points toward your overall Break counter. Your Break counter