Dawn (anime)

Dawn (ヒカリ Hikari) is a young Pokémon Coordinator that used to travel through the Sinnoh region along with Ash and Brock. Dawn started her journey at the age of 10, honing her skills as a Pokémon Trainer and focusing on becoming a top Coordinator like her mother Johanna. Her current team is consisted out of Piplup, Buneary, Pachirisu, Mamoswine, Cyndaquil and Togekiss.

She's notable for her confidence, even when she does not have much. She has learned a lot throughout her travels and battles and can get very emotional when it comes to win or lose in a contest. Throughout her Sinnoh travels she has developed rivalries with many coordinators such as Zoey, Nando, Jessie, Kenny and even a fierce one with Ursula, her latest rival.

Dawn's Biography
Dawn made her debut in the first episode of Pokémon: Diamond and Pearl, Following a Maiden's Voyage!. In this episode she met Ash's Pikachu after it had temporarily escaped from Team Rocket. Returning Pikachu to Ash would be how she met him and began to travel with him. Now Dawn, Ash, and Brock.

Dawn is a very confident person, when she makes a mistake she will often quickly recover and strive to do better. Sometimes she can be a little overconfident though, and it may cause her to make a mistake. Despite this, Dawn is carefree and is always confident in her abilities, even from the beginning of her journey. Dawn will usually say the phrase, "No need to worry!", to which her mother views this as a cause to worry more. Dawn's mother, Johanna, gave Dawn her very first ribbon in the first episode and now Dawn keeps it with her as a good-luck charm. Her old friends for some mysterious reason (which Dawn keeps trying to hide) call her "Dee Dee" (Diamond Dandruff). In DP161 it was revealed that the reason for the name was due to her hair glittering (ピカピカ pikapika) after being shocked by the class pets in her kindergarten, Plusle and Minun. Due to the trauma from being teased by her entire class with the nickname, she is very reluctant to let others know the origin of the name.With her hair ruined, Kenny spread the word and soon she was teased by the nickname.

Dawn seems to be more fixated on her appearance then the other two main female characters Misty and May. In an episode, Dawn would refuse to show herself to Ash and Brock until she straightened out her bed hair. She will also brush her hair thoroughly before appearing on T.V. Dawn also seems to have some talent in designing, as she designed a series of outfits for the Hearthome Collection and Buneary's outfit.

In her first contest, Dawn makes friends with a talented Coordinator called Zoey. Dawn loses her accessory just before the contest, and after much panicking and searching, it is revealed that she had dropped it and Zoey had picked it up. After returning it to Dawn, Zoey goes on to win the contest. Dawn cries at her loss and after a quick word of support from her mother, Zoey talks to Dawn about how losing is just a lesson that you should learn from. Dawn promises that she will become just as good as Zoey one day, and at this a rivalry is formed between the two girls.

For a while, Dawn seemed to be on a losing streak, losing in the appeal round of her competitions two times in a row. Though learning that the Gym Leader Maylene had similar problems and confidence issues she agreed to battle her in the episode Crossing The Battle Line!. Though she lost this battle, it motivated her to train harder and she did. She eventually would go on to win the Wallace Cup, defeating May in the process. From here on Dawn currently has three ribbons and is strongly pursuing her goal.

Her goal proceeded as she participated in her fourth Pokemon Contest in the episode 'Another One Gabites the Dust!' where Dawn faced a rather mean and arrogant girl named Ursula. After insulting her, the two coordinators developed a fierce rivarly. Soon enough, two girls faced each other at the finals where Dawn's Pachirisu barely managed to beat Gabite from Ursula though winning the battle. Dawn won the contest and so won her fourth ribbon. Now only one ribbon is keeping her away from the goal of participating in the Grand Festival and possibly fulfilling her dream of becoming the Top Coordinator

As she learns about the double appeals in the upcoming contest, Dawn is determinated to create a new combination. At first she lacks of ideas, but soon develeops a Ice-Fire combination idea consisted out of Mamoswine and Cyndaquil. While using Flame Wheel, Cyndaquil is trapped inside of the ice block. Dawn however fails to perfect her combo and it's not until her fifth contest in Daybreak town where she faces Ursula that she manages to use it succesfully. With the help of Plusle and Minun, Ursula manages to make Dawn's hair glitter again embarassing her in front of everyone. Dawn relives the flashback from the past, but soon finds encouragement as she orders one final combo from Cyndaquil and Mamoswine. Within Mamoswine's ice block, Cyndaquil manages to form an ice rocket powered up with a Flame Wheel from inside. The attack succesfully collides with the little Plusle and Minun assuring Dawn her fifth and final contest ribbon then she says that if Kenny or Ursula call her Pikari ( Dee Dee in the dub) again she will shake it off and insult them back if she needs to.

Since her last win in the Daybreak town, she has been training hard for the upcoming Grand Festival and has come up with many new combinations such as Pachirisu and Mamoswine combo and Buneary and Cyndaquil combo.

In episode 171 Dawn passes through a town where a pokemon contest(Last one) before the Sinnoh Grand Festival is about to start. Dawn enters the contest as of everyone's surprise (especially Jessie) but the truth is that a Princess who resembles Dawn enters in, posing as Dawn with her Togekiss. /Meanwhile, Dawn was posing as the princess. During both Appeal and Battle Round the princess enters with her Togekiss and actually winning it. But Later she gives away the Ribbon to Jessie for her hardwork and gives Dawn her Togekiss so that it may continue to participate in contests. Thus Dawn acquires a Togekiss to her Team.

In episode 172 Dawn teaches her new pokemon Togekiss about battles and to maintain elegant looks.

In episode 174 the grand festival begins. All the co-ordinators start-off against each other in the Appeal Round. During the First Round, Ursula uses two Eevees which were evolved into Flareon and Vaporeon, Nando uses Altaria and Kricketot, Zoey uses Gastrodon and Lumineon, Jessilina uses Seviper and Yanmega, Kenny uses Empoleon and Floatzel, Dawn uses Buneary and Cyndaquil and the Festival continues with others. Kenny's performance is flawed when his Empoleon's Flash Cannon hits Floatzel's Whirlpool which knocks Floatzel down. At the end of the day, the results are announced. Except Kenny, all of Dawn's rivals including Dawn make it to the Battle Round.

In episode 175 Dawn battles Ursula once again and after 4 minutes of intense battling Dawn defeats Ursala. After Ursula's defeat she admits that she is weaker than Dawn and the two go from rivals to best of friends upon leaving the hotel.

In episode 176 Dawn manage to reach the top 4 of the grand festival. There finds herself against to no other than Jessilina. In the end Dawn won and advanced to the final to face Zoey who beat Nando in the semi-finals.

In episode 177 the Sinnoh Grand Festival starts between Zoey and Dawn, they both showcase their skills as top coordinator; but as the time runs out, with only few points difference Zoey wins the title of Top Coordinator and the Sinnoh Ribbon Cup so she gets in the second place. She promises to her Pokemon that they will not stop trying until they reach the top.

In episode 191, this is Dawn's last appearance as a main character. Upon returning to Twinleaf Town, Johanna informs Dawn that Paris from Hearthome City wants Dawn to model Buneary and the outfits she designed. Johanna then tells her that there are no contests in the Isshu region. Although Dawn was originally going to leave with Ash and Brock to participate in the Kanto region Grand Festival, this now leaves the implication that Dawn will remain in Sinnoh and now become a Pokestylist.

Ash, Dawn, and Brock arrive at the port at Jubilife City, where they are getting supplies. Dawn thanks Ash and Brock for all their help and wishes them luck in their futures, while Ash and Brock wish her the same. Ash and Dawn give each other one last high five before parting. As Ash, Brock, and Pikachu board the ship, Dawn feels very saddened and looks away as the ship leaves the harbor. Ash then calls out to Dawn, reciting her phrase "No Need to Worry! We'll meet again someday!". Dawn then brightens up and she and Piplup run out to the harbor and wave goodbye to Ash, Brock and Pikachu as they sail away in the sunset.

Grand Festival Ranking
Dawn placed in the following Grand Festival competitions:
 * Sinnoh Grand Festival (Runner-up)

Trivia

 * Dawn's bike was destroyed by Pikachu's Thunderbolt, a sort of on-going gag that has been used with the other two girls, Misty and May.
 * Both Hikari and Dawn mean some type of light.
 * Dawn is the only female character to travel with Ash and Brock to lose in the appeal round in a contest.
 * Dawn is the only female traveling companion to always dress up for a contest.
 * She is the only character to lose to Jessie in an appeal round.
 * Dawn's Pachirisu is somewhat like May's Skitty; both are playful and chase their own tails.
 * As revealed in DP161, Dawn's nickname Pikari/Dee Dee is tied with her fear of Plusle and Minun.
 * Dawn is the first main character other than Ash to see a Legendary Pokemon right at the beginnning of her journey with her destined Pokemon. Ash saw Ho-oh with Pikachu on his side while Dawn saw Mesprit after saving Piplup.
 * Dawn is the first of Ash's companions to have caught an electric type Pokemon, Pachirisu.
 * Dawn's personality reflects the one of the emotion pokemon, Mesprit.
 * Dawn is the first female protagonist who has traded Pokemon with Ash.
 * Zoey and Dawn battle in the Sinnoh Grand Festival Finals and Dawn becomes the Runner-Up, while Zoey wins it.
 * Dawn is the only main character who has never met Misty, Max, Delia, or Tracey.
 * Dawn is the only female character who did not get to travel to Pallet Town, and also did not travel alone with Ash when they started their journey; Brock was with them at the time.
 * Dawn is the only character who did not have a particular reason for traveling with Ash and Brock through Sinnoh.
 * Dawn is the only character besides Tracey who only traveled with Ash for one course of a region.
 * Dawn is the only character that recognizes Team Rocket in disguise.
 * Misty and May left Ash to return to their hometowns, whereas Ash and Brock left Dawn behind and returned to their hometowns.
 * Because Dawn decided to stay in Sinnoh, it is heavily implied that Dawn may now become a Pokestylist or participate in the Sinnoh contests again.
 * Although Brock has been confirmed to guest star in Pokemon: Best Wishes!, it was stated that Dawn will only make a cameo appearance during the series, similar to Marina's cameo on television in Pokemon: Diamond and Pearl.