A/N: Just as a quick note before we start, this chapter contains 1 last OC. For a brief explanation, I had the idea to have the dexholders adventures happen in waves. So the first wave was the Kanto dexholders, and the second wave was the Johto dexholders. However, the third wave consisted of the Hoenn, Sinnoh and Unova dexholders having their adventures simultaneously and the fourth and most recent wave consisted of the Kalos, Alola and Galar dexholders having their adventures simultaneously. And I thought since I was including Wally to give Hoenn 4 dexholders and Unova straight up having 4 dexholders, I thought it would be only fitting to give the Sinnoh team a fourth member.

This OC is Topaz. She is based off of the Sinnnoh Underground, comes from a family of miners and is a specialist in fossil pokemon. Hopefully her presence isn't too jarring here.

Platinum sat on a bench near the train station. While her demeanor remained calm, she was excited. She'd been planning this day for some time. The weather could scarcely be better for it too. It was a rare cloudless summer day in Sinnoh, and a brisk breeze blew through the station, wafting the scents of wild grass and flowers. A fine day indeed for a reunion that Platinum had been looking forward to for months.

Plantinum turned her head as Rapidash snorted next to her. Idly, she swatted some flies off of his back. Rapidash neighed gratefully. Platinum smiled. Her oldest and first Pokemon was as loyal a companion as any. He watched her back and she watched his. And sometimes, that meant brushing flies off of Rapidash's back.

But it was not enough to distract her from her excitement. It wasn't very often that she and her fellow Sinnoh dexholders had the opportunity to reconvene and reconnect. Which was why she savored the moment all the more when it arrived. Her Poketch buzzed, and she quickly checked it. It was her butler, Sebastian. A smile found its way to Platinum's face. They'd managed to get the lobsters in time after all. Just a few years ago, she would have been fretting endlessly about having any visitors at all. Now, she would have gotten on her yacht and gone fishing for the lobsters herself if she had the time. Oh, how things had changed.

Idly, Platinum wondered how cousin Alabaster would have reacted to that. Though related by blood, the two were cut from completely different cloth. Alabaster had started her own luxury fashion brand while Platinum poured her time into science and research. She would have wrinkled her nose at the idea of doing "commoner" work. But Platinum had different experiences. Experiences that included three "commoners" that she had become quite fond of.

"Hiya Platinum! We're here!" shouted a voice from down the path. Platinum looked up to see Diamond, Pearl and Topaz walking towards her. Platinum smiled as they drew close. Diamond and Pearl were in their usual attire, while Topaz was wearing a thankfully dirt-free yellow long sleeve shirt, overalls and boots. Looked like she hadn't come straight from the mines. The maids were going to be feeling relieved.

Platinum stood up. "Hello! How have you all been doing?"

"We're doing great!" said Pearl excitedly. "How have you been?"

"Not bad myself," said Platinum. "Assisting Professor Rowan with Pokedex Project research in the new regions has been quite the eventful matter."

Diamond smiled. "You're going to have to tell us about the new guys!"

Topaz said, "Let me guess, they've already defeated evil teams already, just like we did?"

Platinum sighed. "A good guess."

"How many of the newbies have been following our footsteps?" asked Topaz.

"All of them," said Platinum as they began to walk back to her mansion while Rapidash trotted alongside them.

"All three?!" asked Pearl.

"All three," confirmed Platinum. "The Kalos team was instrumental for taking down Lysandre and Team Flare, and the Galar team was responsible for stopping Chairman Rose and his plans. Actually, the Alola team did the most. They fought both the Aether Corporation and Team Skull. They even went into Hyperspace during the Ultra Beast Crisis. So yes, all three of them."

"Hyperspace?" asked Pearl curiously.

"I'll tell you about it when we sit down to eat," said Platinum. "Its…a long story. Well, actually, three long stories."

"Sounds like it!" said Diamond. "You've sure kept yourself busy!"

"Ah, one could say that," said Platinum. "What have you all been doing?"

"Just got back from tour!" said Pearl. "Diamond and I have a lot of stories to tell from it, so we'll let Topaz go first."

Topaz shrugged. "Working with Professor Cosmo has been pretty interesting, let me tell you. We've excavated several major fossils though, and apparently, it's been groundbreaking for his research. Did you know that Bastiodon and Rampardos would butt heads in battle sometimes, just like Rampardos would against mating rivals?"

"They did?" asked Platinum.

"They did. We found a Bastiodon skeleton with similar neck fractures to Rampardos who had been in mating duels. Dr. Cosmo is actually off to some symposium in Hoenn to talk about it right now."

"How many gems have you been finding as you excavate?" asked Pearl.

"Not many," said Topaz. "But he pays well enough that I don't need them. Working for rich people is great. Say, Platinum, you need any digging done around your area?"

They all burst out laughing.

"When you think of Pokémon," said Pearl suddenly.

"When you think of Pokémon," said Diamond, right on cue.

"Don't you know that Rampardos used to butt heads in mating duels?" said Pearl.

"Really now?" said Diamond.

"It's a dangerous game though," said Pearl. "Some Rampardos were known to break their necks in these duels."

"Really?" said Diamond. "That sounds dangerous!"

"I bet it was! But it's all to impress the ladies!" said Pearl.

"No kidding! Seems like an impactful way to make a good impression!" said Diamond.

Platinum giggled as Topaz sniggered. "That was pretty good!"

"Your improv has gotten better since last time," said Platinum with a smile.

"Aw thanks Platinum," said Diamond bashfully. "We're always trying to improve, so I'm glad its showing."

"And we're still going to improve even more till we're the best!" said Pearl.

Platinum smiled. "Of course, you'll improve! I'm sure you'll be the best comedians in all of Sinnoh soon enough!"

Pearl grinned. "That's the spirit!"

Diamond smiled. "Of course! It's our dream after all!"

Platinum nodded as they made their way to the front door.

"Well, since we're at the house, let's eat. We can talk further on the patio after we're done," said Platinum.

"All right! I'm starving!" said Pearl.

"Calm down, chow hound," said Topaz. "We're not even inside yet."

Platinum just smiled as they began to bicker. Yup. These were her friends all right.

Almost an hour later, Platinum and her friends found themselves seated around the firepit as a large fire crackled into the gathering twilight.

"And so, this doctor professor botanist lady, after slipping in the mud, bumping her head multiple times on low parts of the cave and accidentally falling in one of the underground lakes and getting soaked from head to toe, has just had it. She's caked in mud, her hair's all messed up, and she's got this look on her face like a cat being forced to take a bath, and she looks like she's just walked 100 miles. So finally, we get out of the cave, and she runs out and immediately hugs the nearest tree she sees. I don't think I've ever seen somebody so relieved to see daylight! And all that just to study some cave moss!"

Platinum giggled as Diamond and Pearl howled with laughter.

As Topaz continued her story of the unfortunate botanist, Platinum zoned out of the conversation, staring up at the stars. She wished this moment could last. Just the four of them, without a care in the world. But she knew that it couldn't. The night would end. Everybody would have to go back to their jobs and lives. Time would pass. Who even knew how long they'd be able to hang out like this? Especially with Diamond and Pearl, they were already getting a few offers for larger events around Sinnoh. And it wasn't like Topaz had a ton of free time either. Of course, things had begun getting busy for her friends just as Professor Oak and the Pokedex project had gotten bogged down by League interference yet again, leaving her schedule freer than it had been in months.

She almost felt guilty. She wanted her friends to stay. She wanted them to be around. And yet….she wanted them to succeed too. So why did one have to come at the cost of the other? For all of her life, she'd been able to get everything she'd ever wanted. And now…. she wanted something that no amount of money could buy.

It was strange, now that she thought about it. When had she been so invested in people? As a child, she'd been the consummate bookworm, reading every book imaginable day in and day out. Her library was one of the most complete in Sinnoh, and she took the time to reread large sections of it on a regular basis. Even now with her busy schedule, she still read as much as she could.

Now that she thought about it more, Platinum realized how much she had truly changed and grown. She'd pursued her interest in research and had gotten herself a spot working on the cutting edge of new discoveries. She'd even been able to acquire something of a taste for danger and battle. Her 15 year old self from three years ago would have shrunk away from all of that faster than a bolt of lightning.

But since when had she wanted to be around people? Platinum still hadn't forgotten the day her father had attempted to bribe her to go outside with ice cream and pony riding lessons to no avail. The outdoors were simply less interesting then her books. And anyway, she'd only been at home for five weeks. Real shut ins were defined in the literature as somebody who did not leave their residence for 8 weeks or longer. She wasn't a shut in, she had planned an outing into the garden mid-way through the 7th week.

"Oh, Diamond, that new one, the one we came up with last night!" said Pearl excitedly. "We gotta do that one for Platinum and Topaz!"

"Oh yeah!" said Diamond. "All right, let's go!"

"When you think of Pokemon!" started Pearl.

"When you think of Pokemon!" said Diamond.

"It's said that Rapidash are faster than the wind!" said Pearl.

"Really?" asked Diamond.

"Yeah!" said Pearl. "They're so fast, that they can interrupt wind currents!"

"Wait, isn't that dangerous?" asked Diamond.

"Why's that?" asked Pearl.

Diamond shrugged. "Well, if you have a flaming horse that breaks wind, don't you think that's a recipe for disaster?!"

Platinum broke out into giggles.

Topaz let out a chuckle. "All right, all right. That one's not bad!"

Pearl grinned. "All right! One more for Volume 5!"

"Volume 5?" asked Topaz.

"We say volume to refer to different comedy acts!" said Diamond. "We're working on putting enough jokes together for a 5th act! We're about halfway through filling it, since it's gotta be about an hour long."

"Yeah, we gotta be careful to not reuse the same routines too often," said Pearl. "It's a good way to bore your audience."

Platinum smiled. Of course, her reason was in front of her. Well, reasons.

She hadn't had any friends before. That was the price she paid for being a bookworm, and she remembered her father having to drag her to social gatherings. Oh, how she hated those social events. None of the girls or boys her age had anything interesting to talk about. All of them were so absorbed into their own worlds. Though perhaps she was guilty of that as well, but at least she was into something more interesting and useful then dresses, dolls and sports. It was a complete chore until the ball when she had bumped into a kindly old professor with whom she had been able to form a friendship. Platinum smiled fondly, remembering how long she had talked with Professor Rowan that night, learning new information and throwing around ideas. He had been the first true friend she'd made. It was also how she'd gotten on the professor's radar for the Pokedex project and how she eventually became the first recruit of the Sinnoh team.

Of course, her father had been all for it. He was more than happy to support his daughter's interests, especially those that would help her contribute to society. And anything that got his little bookworm out of the house probably didn't hurt either.

It was what had started the chain of events that had brought her so much happiness. She loved being part of the Pokedex Project and she had made so many friends. But it was also what had started the chain of events that led her to her current dilemma. She supposed that it always had been coming, and she'd known that it had been a possibility, but the idea of having to split up the group hurt just the same now that it was here.

"Say, Platinum, what's with the sad look?" asked Diamond.

"Oh, it's nothing," said Platinum, jumping out of her thoughts. She hadn't looked that dour, had she?

"You looked pretty down there," said Topaz. "You know, you can tell us what's going on. We're your friends after all."

Platinum sighed. "All right. Does it seem to you that we're…. drifting apart?"

The others went silent for a moment.

"I mean…. I didn't think we were…." said Pearl.

"What makes you say that?" asked Diamond.

"Well…. we've all seemed to have gone in our own directions. Diamond and Pearl are off doing their comedy routine. Topaz is doing research with Dr. Cosmo on top of her mining job, and I'm doing research with Professor Rowan. We're all doing our own thing. And we're seeing each other less because of it."

"I didn't think of that," said Pearl.

"I'm not saying it's a bad thing, I love that you're all succeeding at things you love! But at the same time…it gets lonely. I miss you all," said Platinum. "And I know that as time goes on, the more and more we'll probably not see each other. Does that mean…. we won't truly be friends anymore?"

The others went silent.

"Because you are all my valuable friends and I…I don't want…."

Diamond spoke up. "You're right. It isn't the same without you guys when it's just me and Pearl on the road. I totally understand how you feel."

"But we aren't drifting that much are we?" asked Topaz. "We still meet every now and again, even if it's tough for our schedules to all line up."

"Yeah…. we're definitely still friends, right?" said Pearl. "I'm still excited to hang out with you! And we've planned these hangouts as often as our schedules line up…."

"So, then I think the question is what does it mean to be a friend?" said Diamond.

All eyes fell to Diamond.

"Because, let's say I don't see Pearl for a few months, and then bump into him at the store, and I'm still happy to see him, does that mean I'm not his friend because I haven't seen him in a few months? No, not at all!"

"Ok, that makes sense," said Topaz.

"So, even if I don't see Pearl for a long time, maybe a few years, but then I see him again, and we're glad to see each other and want to hang out, that means we're still friends, right?"

"Ok, that makes sense too," said Pearl.

"So then apply that to us all. Sure, we might not see each other for long periods of time. But as long as we're glad to see each other when our paths cross again, we're still friends, I think," concluded Diamond.

Platinum smiled. "Thank you. Because….I would hate to lose your friendship. That goes for all of you."

"Aw shucks," said Topaz, rubbing the back of her head.

A grin found its way to Pearl's face. "Aw thanks!"

Diamond just smiled widely. "We feel the same about you too, Platinum!"

"Though what if we got some sort of deal that lets us all work together again? That could happen, right?" said Pearl.

"What kind of deal would that be?" asked Topaz.

"Probably something to do with the Pokedex project, honestly," said Platinum. "That's the only thing I could think of."

"I mean… the Pokedex project was worth putting our comedy skits on hold for," said Diamond. "And I think we made for a really solid team! I remember hearing that the Unova team had some personality conflicts. And uh… there's also the Hoenn team…."

"Oh, yeah…. that was pretty awkward…." said Pearl.

"We would be a good choice if they needed a veteran team," said Topaz. "We have a really well-rounded group. I have brawn, Platinum has brains, Diamond gets along with everybody and Pearl is the guy who knows how to make things happen. We have a lot of potential."

Platinum smiled as Diamond and Pearl chorused their assent. She didn't know how likely that opportunity was, to be perfectly honest it was probably a longshot at best. But it was the thought that counted. She was grinning like a madwoman just thinking about it. If only…..

"Anyway, who has the bag of marshmallows?" asked Topaz. "I could go for some more!"

"When you think of S'mores!" said Pearl jokingly.

"When you think of S'mores!" said Diamond, right on cue.

"Oh, come on, seriously?" groused Topaz. "Now we're making s'more jokes?"

"You know, S'mores are really easy to make! You just need graham crackers, chocolate and marshmallows!" said Pearl.

"Sure thing!" said Diamond. "It's a sweet treat for sure!"

"But what happens when you deny your local miner her rightfully deserved marshmallows?" said Topaz.

"You give her some more S'mores!" said Diamond.

"Hey! No generic puns!" said Pearl.

"Why? You mean you don't want some more? All right, no marshmallows or chocolate for you!" joked Diamond.

"Hey!" yelped Pearl.

Everybody burst into laughter.

Platinum blinked for a moment. She could see the sparkles in her friend's eyes as Diamond tossed Topaz the bag of marshmallows in a game of keep away from Pearl.

She smiled warmly. This was what memories were made of, wasn't it? She was lucky to have her friends. Their bond had stood the test of time. And now she was sure that it would continue to stand. And that was a wonderful feeling.

It was fun to write something a little more hopeful for this chapter! I don't want quite everything to have completely fallen apart for everybody, and the Sinnoh team honestly seemed like the best candidate to have fared relatively well, since they have some of the best synergy of all dexholder groups.

The Unova crew will be up next time! See you all then!