Dawn

Dawn as seen in Pokémon: Diamond and Pearl Versions
Dawn
Species	Human
Hair color	Black
Relatives	Player Character Johanna (Mother) Rival Character Rowan's Assistant (father) Grandfather, Mother, Sister
Debut	Pokémon: Diamond Version/Pokemon: Pearl Version

Dawn is the main female character of Pokémon: Diamond, Pearl and Platinum Versions. Depending on the gender chosen by the player at the beginning of the game, Dawn will assume the rule of either the player character or the secondary rival character (although calling this character a rival is somewhat of a misnomer as he/she is never battled throughout the game), with the male character filling the other role. Lucas is the alternate male lead.

Background

Playable Character

Dawn lived in Twinleaf Town with her mother. She had an energetic best friend, Pearl, whom she often engaged in shenanigans with. At the beginning of Diamond/Pearl/Platinum, Pearl coerced her into coming up to Lake Verity in search of rare Pokémon. While there, they overheard Professor Rowan and his assistant Lucas. After they leave, they notice Rowan had accidentally left behind his suitcase. No sooner do Dawn and Pearl retrieve the suitcase then they are attacked by wild Pokémon and forced to "borrow" a Pokémon (either Turtwig, Chimchar or Piplup) from Rowan's briefcase to defend themselves with.

Lucas promptly returned to retrieve the suitcase, before leaving to report Dawn and Pearl's actions to the professor. The professor confronted them shortly afterwards and then left after simply inviting them to visit his lab. Returning home, her mother gave her some Running Shoes and told him who the professor was. Dawn then visited Rowan's laboratory in Sandgem Town. There, Professor Rowan not only forgave Dawn and Pearl for using his Pokémon but let them keep them as well. However, he also appointed a special task for Dawn by giving her a Pokédex and asking her to record data on all of the Pokémon found in Sinnoh.

After telling her mother about this and receiving a journal as a present, Dawn set out to begin her Pokémon journey. She traveled across Sinnoh, challenging and defeating the eight Pokémon gym leaders while collecting various Pokémon. She met up with Pearl multiple times and they battled often to measure each other's progress. Dawn met a variety of other trainers along the way, such as the helpful veteran trainer Cynthia. She also had a variety of run-ins with Team Galactic, the mysterious criminal organization that was terrorizing Sinnoh, and she often had Lucas or Pearl's help in fending them off. This all culminated in the Galactic Boss Cyrus summoning Dialga, Palkia or Giratina (depending on the version) from atop Mt. Coronet using the three mirage Pokémon. In the first two instances, it was over when Dawn defeated or caught the legendary Pokémon that was summoned. In the latter instance, Dawn then entered the Distortion World with Cynthia, where he eventually defeated Cyrus again and defeated or captured Giratina.

After having collected all eight gym badges and defeated Team Galactic, Dawn traveled to the Pokémon League and battled Sinnoh's Elite Four. She defeated them and their champion, Cynthia, at which point she registered her and her Pokémon in the Hall of Fame. Afterwards, she received an updated Pokédex and several new items such as a Pokéradar for use in catching more Pokémon. She also gained access to the Battle Zone, where she could embark on further adventures and continue to build up her Pokémon team.

Rival Character

Dawn's Platinum costume.

Dawn lived in Sandgem Town with her family. Her father was an aide to Professor Rowan, so Dawn naturally came up to also serve as an assistant to Rowan. At the beginning of the game, Dawn helped Professor Rowan with his research at Lake Verity and retrieved the briefcase when he left it behind, while noticing Lucas and Pearl's "borrowing" of Professor Rowan's Pokémon. After Professor Rowan enlisted them into helping with the Pokédex, Dawn gave Lucas a tour around town and suggested that he tell his mother before leaving on the journey. She also demonstrated how to catch Pokémon and gave Lucas several Pokéballs.

At Jubilife City, Dawn showed Lucas to the Trainer's School. Later on, Dawn and Professor Rowan were attacked by Team Galactic members at the city's northern entrance, and Lucas teamed up with Dawn in fending them off. Dawn then came to Lucas by the Cycling Road with more gifts, in the form of Vs. Seeker and Dowsing Machine applications for his Pokétech. In Veilstone City, Dawn's Pokédex was stolen by Team Galactic grunts. She called for Lucas's help and together they defeated the grunts. Professor Rowan later assembled Lucas, Dawn and Pearl together at Canalave City's library to discuss the mysteries of Pokémon evolution. However, at that moment there was an explosion reported at Lake Valor. Everyone split up to investigate, with Dawn going with Rowan to examine Lake Verity. There they managed to fend of the Team Galactic members with some help from Lucas.

After Lucas defeated Team Galactic's boss Cyrus, Dawn and Rowan encouraged him in his battle with the legendary Pokémon, congratulating him afterwards. Afterwards, Dawn stayed in Sandgem Town where he continued to give advice to Lucas when he visited. In Platinum, she would also come to visit Lucas's villa either on random days or after he buys the sofa, exclaiming jealousy of him and also that they have similar tastes.

Pokémon Roster

As the rival character, Dawn utilizes the following Pokémon:

• Turtwig/Grotyle, Chimchar/Monferno, Piplup/Prinplup - Dawn's starter Pokémon is whichever one was not chosen by Lucas or Pearl. This Pokémon will have a type disadvantage to the player character's starter Pokémon. Dawn first uses this Pokémon in the Pokémon catching tutorial, and it evolves by the Veilstone City double battle.
• Clefairy
• Kadabra

The latter two Pokémon are only used in the Veilstone City double battle.

Other Appearances

• Dawn is featured in the Diamond & Pearl episodes of the Pokémon anime as a main character, being one of Ash Ketchum and Brock's traveling companions in the journey across Sinnoh. She is shown as a confident young trainer who aspires to become a Pokémon Coordinator and sets out to compete in all of Sinnoh's Pokémon Contests.
• In the Pokémon Adventures manga, she is known as Miss Platinum Berlitz (her first name not being revealed at first due to Platinum having not been announced at the time). She is shown as being part of Sinnoh's oldest and richest family with an initially snobbish attitude, and she goes on a journey to Mt. Coronet to gather the materials to make her family crest with the help of two bodyguards, who by accident are unknowingly replaced by traveling comedians Diamond and Pearl. She grows closer with them as time goes by, eventually telling them her first name when she trusts them enough. She also takes on gym and Pokémon Contest challenges throughout the journey in order to experience as much as possible.

Trivia

• As a playable character, her name is chosen by the player; however, her name is automatically Dawn when she acts as the rival character, so that is assumed as her canon name.
• It is mentioned that her (as the player character) father was a great trainer and shared a relationship with Pearl's father Palmer similar to that which the player character had with Pearl (complete with starting their journeys being attacked by wild Pokémon at a lake with the implications of a professor being involved).