The Lab and Star Dust
Version: v0.8.18 | Updated: 2026-10-22 | Evidence: in-game captures + purchase-by-purchase logs (BonkKing account) All prices measured on the day; raw purchase log in notes/lab-purchases-20261022.json.
Where Star Dust comes from
In-game tour, step 1 (quoted): end-of-run rewards (farther = more), boss kills, shiny captures, achievements and quests.
Measured additions (BonkKing, 2026-10-22):
- Daily quests: reset UTC 00:00; three quests (easy/medium/hard), e.g. "Smash 8 golden rocks +60", "Reach level 22 in one run". Clearing all three: +50 bonus. Streaks reset if you miss a day.
- Achievements: 70 total. Measured big ones: "Clear a map on Hard +400", "Clear all 4 maps on Hard or Nightmare +1500".
- Auto-grant: completed quest/achievement rewards are paid out automatically when you interact with the Lab (we observed +1820 arrive mid-purchase — accumulated rewards from previous days).
The Lab has two layers
Layer 1: Permanent attributes (12 tracks, 71 levels)
| Upgrade | Per level | Max | Lv1 cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Training (训练) | Damage +4% | 8 | 85 |
| Toughness (韧性) | Max HP +8 | 8 | 85 |
| Agility (敏捷) | Speed +2.5% | 6 | 100 |
| Study (钻研) | XP +5% | 6 | 100 |
| Trading (贸易) | PokéDollars +8% | 6 | 85 |
| Fortune (财运) | Luck +5 | 6 | 120 |
| Magnet (磁力) | Pickup range +0.6 | 5 | 70 |
| Leftovers (吃剩的东西) | Regen +0.2 | 5 | 100 |
| Shell (护壳) | Armor +2 | 6 | 100 |
| Precision (精准) | Crit +1% | 5 | 170 |
| Swiftness (迅捷) | Attack speed +2% | 5 | 185 |
| Reach (扩张) | Area +3% | 5 | 170 |
Layer 2: Run team — slots, options & tools (12 tracks, 38 levels)
| Upgrade | Effect | Max | Lv1 cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4th Move Slot | Unlock a fourth move slot | 1 | 1275 |
| Vitamin Slots | +1 vitamin slot per level | 2 | 1020 |
| Reroll | +1 reroll per run | 6 | 100 |
| Skip | +1 skip per run (gives PokéDollars) | 6 | 70 |
| Banish | +1 banish per run (remove an option) | 6 | 130 |
| 4th Option | Level-ups offer 4 cards | 1 | 2550 |
| Vitality Shard | Start with a vitality block | 1 | 4250 |
| Research | Research progress +25%/level | 4 | 215 |
| Support Team | +1 support boss slot (2→3) | 1 | 2975 |
| Archive | +5 archive slots (ban items from runs) | 4 | 510 |
| Attunement (协调) | Ultimate charge +4%/level | 5 | 215 |
| Big Backpack | Carry 3 items per run (was 2) | 1 | 3400 |
Total 109 levels. Expensive tracks show as locked while you can't afford them.
Price curve: each level costs ~×1.4–1.5
Tour step 2 says it plainly: "each level costs more than the last". Measured Lv1→Lv2:
| Upgrade | Lv1 | Lv2 | Factor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Training | 85 | 120 | ×1.41 |
| Toughness | 85 | 120 | ×1.41 |
| Trading | 85 | 125 | ×1.47 |
| Magnet | 70 | 100 | ×1.43 |
| Leftovers | 100 | 150 | ×1.50 |
| Shell | 100 | 150 | ×1.50 |
| Reroll | 100 | 145 | ×1.45 |
| Skip | 70 | 95 | ×1.36 |
| Banish | 130 | 180 | ×1.38 |
Extrapolating, maxing Training alone costs 2000+ dust — maxing everything is not realistic; pick for your build.
Purchase log (2139 → 1499)
BonkKing went from 0/109 levels; 13 levels bought for 2460 dust (including the +1820 windfall):
| Purchase | Level | Cost | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skip ×2 | Lv2 | 70+95 | Official route; skips pay PokéDollars |
| Reroll ×2 | Lv2 | 100+145 | Official route |
| Banish ×1 | Lv1 | 130 | Remove poison cards |
| 4th Move Slot | Lv1 | 1275 | Officially "the run-defining upgrade" |
| Training ×2 | Lv2 | 85+120 | Official route; +8% damage |
| Toughness / Shell / Leftovers / Trading / Magnet | each Lv1 | 440 | Cheap first levels of survival |
Reload persistence verified: balance and levels survive a page refresh (server-side save).
Recommended buy order
- First: 4th Move Slot (1275) — the tour itself calls it the biggest run-changer.
- Second: the tool trio — Skip (70/95/…) + Reroll (100/145/…) + Banish (130/180/…), 1–2 levels each. Draft quality decides run ceilings.
- Third: first levels of Training / Toughness / Shell / Leftovers (85/85/100/100). Small absolute values, best cost-per-value at level 1.
- Later: Vitamin Slots (1020/level), 4th Option (2550), Vitality Shard (4250), Big Backpack (3400), Support Team (2975).
Item pool (Items tab)
- 126 items total; 67 start "in your Poké Balls", 59 need unlocking (150–1400 dust, median 500).
- Unlocked items appear in Poké Balls and Meowth's shop during runs. Tour step 5: "you don't need them all — pick what fits your build."
- Rarity tiers: Common / Uncommon / Rare / Epic / Legendary. Full list with effects: item pool data.
Archive
Store unwanted items to remove them from runs (Poké Balls and shop) — a build stabilizer. Slots require the "Archive" upgrade (510 first level, +5 slots).
More in the guide library
All PokeBonk guides and data tables — beginner basics, meta progression, builds, world, catching, bosses, economy and the data tables.