Dawn lives in Twinleaf Town with her mother and dreams big, so she and her best friend (and soon-to-be rival) have high hopes of catching the legendary Pokémon of their nearby Lake. After meeting Professor Rowan and his assistant Lucas, they are attacked by wild Pokémon and as a last resort, use the Pokémon in the briefcase the Professor has forgotten. After bringing the Pokémon back Dawn receives the Pokémon she used as well as a Pokédex and goes on to gather the eight badges of Sinnoh, defeat Team Galactic and conquer the Pokémon League all before taking on the Battle Frontier.
If the player chooses Lucas, she will become Rowan's assistant for the game. Dawn lives in Sandgem Town with her little sister, grandfather, and father—who works as an assistant of Professor Rowan. She is already the Professor's assistant at the beginning of the game. She also demonstrates to the player how to capture Pokémon by capturing a wild Bidoof.
"Professor, there isn't anything out of the ordinary on the other side, either!"
"Professor, how are you enjoying being back in Sinnoh? After being away for four years, it must be exciting again?"
"I beg your pardon... We'll be on our way."
After battle
"Oh! There's the briefcase! The professor would have been furious if I'd lost it... Huh? Oh, no! Did you... Did you use the Pokémon in here? You did?! Oh, my gosh! What's the professor going to say...? ... This is so not good... I'll take this briefcase for now."
"Oh! There you are! Please, come with me! The professor is waiting! This is it! Our Pokémon Research Lab! Let's go..."
"Wow, what was that? Your friend sure seems to be really impatient. Well, anyway... Let's go inside."
In Professor Rowan's lab
"I'm sure glad that you're kind toward Pokémon! If you weren't, I'd have to... Oh, I just can't say it..."
After receiving the Pokédex
"I've got one too!"
"The Pokémon that I used for the first time was a Turtwig/Chimchar/Piplup! If you'd have chosen a Turtwig/Chimchar/Piplup at the lake, we'd have the same Pokémon now! Not that it matters, but... Anyways, I'm Dawn. I also help the professor add pages to the Pokédex. So, in a sense, I'm just like you. I just got a little head start on you, that's all. I'll be happy to teach you things. Glad to meet you, <player>!"
Before town tutorial
"OK, <player>, I'll act as your mentor. I've got a bit more experience than you as a Trainer and as the professor's assistant. OK, follow me!"
After town tutorial
"Oh, that's right! <player>... Don't you need to let your family know that you're going to be helping Prof. Rowan with the Pokédex? You may need to go far away, so I think you should let someone know. Oh, but before you go, heal up your Pokémon at the Poké Center. It will be a lot less scary that way. OK, bye now!
"Oh, that's right! <player>, I haven't taught you how to catch a Pokémon. I'll demonstrate how to catch one, so just watch me, OK?"
Catching tutorial
"OK! It's HP is down! It's ready for a Poké Ball!"
After tutorial
"Giggle... See? Isn't it neat? Actually, it's better to lower your target's HP more than I did. It's important to get the Pokémon's HP as low as possible. This is because a healthy Pokémon is very difficult to catch. Oh, Pokémon also get easier to catch if you make them sleep or something by using a Pokémon's move. OK, <player>, to get you started, I'll give you five Poké Balls."
"If you have lots of Pokémon with you, it will be safer on long trips. Plus, it will be a lot more fun having your Pokémon friends along. OK, I need to get going. Bye, now!"
"Hi, <player>! Are you catching Pokémon? ...Um... I think you'd feel a lot safer if you were to catch some more. In Jubilife City, there's the Trainers' School, which... Well, you know. <player>, you should visit it. You'll get some tips on Pokémon. Oh yes, Barry went to the Trainers' School earlier. OK, bye now!"
In the events of Platinum, Dawn and Barry instead go to visit Professor Rowan at his lab rather than go to the lake in search of a Pokémon of the same rarity as a red Gyarados. They receive their Pokémon on Route 201 when Professor Rowan realizes that they are so dedicated to Pokémon as to attempt to travel from Twinleaf Town to Sandgem Town through the tall grass without any Pokémon of their own.
In addition, Team Galactic attempts to use both Dialga and Palkia, but they are stopped by Giratina. Finally, Dawn has to go to the Distortion World and face Giratina, in order to stop both worlds from destroying each other.
She will again be Rowan's assistant if the player chooses Lucas.
Years later, her exploits are referenced by Cynthia, who remembers a young Trainer who defeated her.
"Hi, <player>! How's your Poké Radar? When you use it, do you sometimes see more than one patch of tall grass rustling? I've heard that patches farther away give you a better chanse of seeing the same kind of Pokémon in a row."
"So, <player>. I'm also helping the professor put together the National Pokédex. Catching Pokémon can be really challenging, can't it? But, it's also so much fun!"
"Sometimes a patch of grass sparkles when a Poké Radar is used. People say a different-colored Pokémon is hiding there! Could that be true?"
In both English and Japanese, Dawn shares her name with an evolutionary stone. However, it is not the same stone: her Japanese name is the same as the name of the Shiny Stone, not the Dawn Stone.
Dawn is 4'6" (1.40 m) tall and weighs 75 lbs (34 kg).
The majority of her Japanese default names are shared with Leaf and Lyra. She also shares all of Kris's alternate Japanese names.
