4.

-x-

On the last day of training only Dawn, Lyra and the boy from Lyra's district turned up at the gym. Lucas hadn't even been out of his room when Dawn had left—she figured the boy was upset by his score. She could sympathize, but still felt a tad disappointed having been hoping that they could have spent the last hours of training together. Now it seemed that the boy was back to avoiding her.

Lyra told her to get over it.

"Some people just are dumb," she offered.

It didn't make Dawn feel any better.

As a final test before training time was over the girls decided to have a playful pokémon battle, but were soon stopped by the blue teethed instructor. Apparently all fighting between tributes was forbidden, including battling with their pokémon. When Lyra asked the instructor how they were supposed to battle in the arena if they couldn't practice, the instructor told them to get out of the gym and go prepare for the interviews or something. Defeated, the girls left without their pokémon and went their separate ways, wishing each other luck for the evening.

Dawn ate some lunch and had a meeting with Cynthia, before heading down to be fussed over by her pep team. Cheryl did her hair this time, going with a pretty hairdo similar to the one she'd had in the opening ceremony. This time they added a pink hair band that contrasted quite nicely with Dawn's blue-black hair.

"Riley's going for something different with your interview dress," Marley revealed while adding Dawn makeup. "He says that it's not enough to make you sweet and girly… he needs an edge, something to make you memorable."

That made Dawn eager to meet the stylist again. Luckily Marley and Cheryl were soon finished with her. This time though, they didn't leave but instead moved behind the folding screen that divided the room in two. Dawn fidgeted on her seat for a few minutes before finally the man walked in, dressed in his usual blue outfit. Riley checked her appearance and chatted a bit about how the girl was perfect for what he had planned, until Dawn was squirming with anticipation.

"Come on then," Riley said with a laugh, sensing the girl's obvious distress. "Let's not keep you waiting any longer."

He led Dawn by the shoulders to the back of the room, which had previously been hidden. Marley and Cheryl were holding an adorable dress that was missing the front. Riley left her to be dressed by the women, who made sure that she wasn't looking too closely. Because of them, she wasn't able to get a good look of herself before she stepped out from behind the folding screen and in front of the mirrors.

She had a black swimsuit-like skin suit with white lace on the neck and a pink trail that descended from her hips and had folds resembling those of a flamenco dress. Her shoes were a tad darker shade of pink than the trail, matching the cuff on her neck as well as the hair band.

"I used the old-fashioned can-can dancers of Sinnoh as an inspiration," Riley whispered scooping close to Dawn's ear. "I thought you might like it."

Dawn couldn't speak. She did like it—actually, she more than liked it. She absolutely adored the outfit.

When they had decided that she would be playing the good girl angle, she had feared that they would cover her in frills and bows and stuff and make her seem like a small child. Dawn knew that she was young, the youngest trainer in the games that year, but even then she was no baby. She was just beginning to reach womanhood and she rather liked to be treated like she was one of the girls, not like she was too young to really understand. Life back home, though admittedly easier than the lives of those on the poorer districts, was tough and carved strong men and women out of the girls and boys who struggled to make their way in the world. More than anything Dawn wanted to be an inspiration to those boys and girls and the outfit, which Riley had designed for her, was perfect for that.

"Oh, but there's one thing missing!" The man suddenly remembered. He snapped his fingers and Cheryl hurried to fetch something from behind the screen. The woman then returned with a large boa that seemed to be made out of something even fluffier than the usual feathers.

"Mareep wool," Riley revealed, gently offering the boa to the girl. "It'll look quite dramatic from the distant. It's the perfect last touch to the picture, wouldn't you say?"

Dawn had to agree.

-x-

"Ladies and gentlemen, a warm welcome to you all and happy 61st TrainerGames!"

The audience responded to Ms. Shauntal's greeting with a thundering applause that resounded all the way to the backstage where Dawn and all of the other trainers participating in the games waited in various states of distress. Only the boy from Kanto, District One, and the twins from Unova appeared to be immune to the effect of the roaring crowd.

"This is the moment we've all been waiting for… without further ado, I present you the trainers of the five districts! As usual we shall start with the first. Please welcome the girl whose razor sharp senses impressed this year's game makers greatly: Leandra Periwinkle, or as she prefers to be called, Leaf!"

The girl, who, Dawn noted, had been dressed quite naturally, took a deep breath before marching to the stage like she hadn't been pacing around just a minute before. Dawn had to admire her ability to steel her nerves and appear completely in control of the situation, even when the eyes of the whole federation were on her.

Shauntal chatted with Leaf for exactly four minutes before sending her off and calling the next one in. The boy from Leaf's district was really quiet, only giving out short answers or merely remaining silent. Soon enough it was Lyra's turn. Dawn brushed the girl's hand for encouragement as she walked past her.

From what could be heard backstage the interview amused the capitol audience greatly. Lyra was herself, rambling fast and cracking jokes left and right as she talked—it was different from the way trainers usually acted and it seemed that even the hostess herself was a bit surprised.

The boy from Lyra's district turned out to be a funny guy as well. It made Dawn wonder why the pair didn't seem to get along. Maybe there was something behind it like what he and Lucas had.

Dawn wasn't really prepared when Ms. Shauntal was suddenly calling her name. She stumbled forward from her seat, doing her best to steady her breathing and remember what she was supposed to do.

Like in the opening ceremony, the noise and the brightness hit her like a concrete wall, but this time she was prepared for it and didn't let it dazzle her. She kept on walking forward smiling and waving timidly to the audience, who gasped at the sight of her and started whistling. Riley had yet again outdone himself with her outfit.

"Dawn, welcome, please sit down," Ms. Shauntal gestured towards the comfy looking white leather armchair next to her.

Dawn settled on the chair carefully, worrying about wrinkling her dress. "Thank you Ms. Shauntal," she said. "I'm glad for the honor of being here."

The audience swooned and the hostess formed a surprised 'o' with her mouth.

"My, you're polite," she exclaimed. "Trying to win points, are you?"

"No, no, no…" Dawn blushed and quickly shook her head as the audience laughed. "It's all thanks to my mother. She taught me to be polite no matter what and I do try to listen to her at all times." She took a serious, but shy expression. "I have much to thank her for, you know."

Shauntal grinned. "I can believe that. Your mother must be very proud of you." She turned to the audience. "Right, folks?"

The resulting applause was near deafening.

"So, you have a mother back in… Hearthome City, right?"

Dawn nodded eagerly.

"Tell us a bit about home, Dawn. How does it feel to be so far away from your family?"

"At first I was terribly homesick," Dawn said truthfully and the audience gave sympathetic sigh. "But after I started training with Jo, it became easier to bear… she helped me settle in, kind of."

"Jo?" Ms. Shauntal asked curiously and Dawn blushed again, as if she'd totally forgotten that the others didn't know her nickname for the piplup, when in fact she had baited the hostess on purpose. It worked and the audience laughed.

"Ah, um, my piplup, I mean," Dawn hurried to explain, all flustered. "I named her Jo because… well my mother's name is Johanna."

The revelation resulted in another thunderous applause.

"So I take it you've grown fond of your pokémon, then." Shauntal smiled at her after the noise had calmed down. "What about the other trainers? Any plans of alliances?"

Dawn hesitated for a second. "Well, I've been spending time with Lyra… she's really funny we work great as a team, so it'll be really hard to beat us when we're together."

"Make a note of that folks, the all powerful girl duo is ready to face the games! Look out for Lyra, the funny girl from district 2, and Dawn, the little angel of district 4!" The hostess clapped along the audience, before turning back to face Dawn. "Thank you for your time, dear… it's been lovely talking to you."

Dawn nodded and beamed. "My pleasure."

As she walked away from the stage, everyone whistled and shouted and she kept grinning—she couldn't help it. All in all, it had to be one of the top moments of her life.

-x-

After her interview Dawn stuck around to watch Lucas from the sidelines. The boy wouldn't probably want to talk to her, but she still wanted to know how he managed. She couldn't stop caring about the boy even when she knew she should.

Ms. Shauntal and Lucas talked about his life back in Sinnoh and Dawn learned that Lucas actually had a big family, complete with three younger siblings. He explained very calmly that he was going to win the games for those sisters and brothers of his, who looked up to their eldest brother as a hero. It worked like a charm on the audience. Lucas was keeping his cool like in the opening ceremony, going with Volkner's plan.

The hostess asked him about his score but he dismissed it, giving off the impression that it may have been his intention all along to get a bad score. Dawn's smile dropped, because she knew the truth.

Then Ms. Shauntal abruptly asked him about his relationship with Dawn. Making the girl backstage freeze for a moment. Lucas wasn't fazed, but something in his eyes shifted and for as long as he talked about Dawn he showed more emotion than during the rest of the interview.

"Dawn's really nice," Lucas started hesitantly. "Almost too nice really. She's looking out for me, even when I try to keep my distance. I can't imagine her in the games… she just seems… too good for them."

The audience cheered wildly and Ms. Shauntal hinted that maybe the boy was feeling more than he let on. On the sidelines, Dawn stood alone in the dark and felt her heart break again and again.

Lucas spared her a guilty glance when he brushed past her walking off the stage. She remained still for a minute longer, for long enough to hear that the twins would have a joined interview, before following the boy. She met Cynthia outside and the woman congratulated her on a successful interview, before leading her gently into an elevator and back upstairs into their quarters.

That night it was hard to fall asleep, knowing that the next morning they would all be hurdled into a hovercraft and dropped into the arena. Well, not directly into the arena, but still. It was a terrifying thought that made her realize just how much she was not yet ready for this. But there was no helping her fate—she was going to the arena and that was that. No amount of worrying would let her escape the inevitable future.

She had accepted the possibility of her own death almost immediately after the reaping. She had checked the facts and acknowledged them, acknowledged that her chances were one to ten, before deciding that she would still try, if only because her mother wished so. So why was she scared, now? Why was her resolution faltering? She wanted to live, of course she did, and going to the arena meant near certain death, but that wasn't the reason her insides were turning to mush, not exactly.

Instead, the reason for that was the knowledge that she had no choice. There was no alternative. The hopelessness of that was almost too much to bear. Feeling far too restless to remain in her bed she slipped out of her room. She didn't know where she was going, but soon enough she found a stairway leading up and decided to check upstairs. She passed one more level before she came across a door. Opening it, she realized she had come to the roof of the training center.

There was a figure by the far edge. Dawn crept closer, only to recognize it as the silent boy from District One. Taking a deep breath she decided to get a grip and moved to stand beside the boy. He merely turned his head to check who the newcomer was, before resuming his hobby of staring into the distance. Something about the boy and his auburn brown eyes set Dawn on the edge, but out in the cool night breeze and with the stars twinkling on the sky he looked really beautiful.

"Last night of freedom," Dawn murmured. He didn't respond, but then again, she hadn't really counted on it. "Feels kinda surreal, doesn't it?"

Silence lapsed between them. The girl watched the city below them, neon lights blinking on par with the stars, people moving up and down the road. In the Capitol the night before the games was a celebration. Back in the districts people would be shut down in their homes, huddled together with their families. For them there was nothing joyous about at the games—they only brought suffering.

Dawn mused on that for a while longer, feeling herself calm down in the crisp air.

"It's such a pity," she started again after some time. "They say that we're privileged, getting a small sample of the Capitol before we're sent off to be slaughtered for their amusement. But… I think it's actually them who're missing out on the genuine way people in the districts lead their lives. The love shared between a family and the ties that knit us together even when it's tough… They don't know what that's like here and I guess… I guess that's a part of the reason why they so want to experience it, through the games, I mean."

The boy actually looked at Dawn, understanding shining in his eyes. She gave him a sad little smile.

"You're too soft," he said, not mean but like he was stating a fact. "You won't last like that."

"Maybe I won't." She shrugged. "Or maybe I will… there's no way of knowing beforehand. It's all up to chance."

Smiling drily, the boy muttered: "May the odds be ever in your favor."

She chuckled. "You too."

When she was walking back down she passed an angry, spiky-haired boy who felt really familiar. She was sure she hadn't seen her during the week and kept wondering about where she remembered him from. Only when she was falling asleep she recognized him as District One's champion from the 59th games. He must've been a there as a mentor and she wondered briefly if he was coming to get his trainer down, but soon fell asleep.

-x-

Cynthia's advice for her the next morning was simple enough:

"Eat. It could be the last good meal you get. Make sure it counts."

After that knights came up to take Dawn and Lucas to the hovercraft hangar. The girl's mentor reminded her that she would be there in the launch room, so there was no need for her to panic. Dawn wasn't sure if she would've been capable of such, when her mind was so blank. She spent the flight staring into the wall, only rousing from her mental white-out when one of the knights came around to stick a tracker into her arm.

From the hovercraft she was escorted into her launch room, where Cynthia, true to her words, was waiting. There was also Jo's pokéball on the table and a neatly folded pile of clothes, which Dawn quickly changed into. Once she was ready Cynthia made her sit down, saying that it would calm her. She wasn't even nervous—she was still feeling numb quite like she'd felt the whole morning.

"You know how this goes," Cynthia said gravely. "Once in the arena you'll be on your own so you'll have to make your own decisions but hear me out, one last time."

"Sure," Dawn mumbled weakly.

The blonde woman sighed. "Stay out of the Cornucopia. You know that the initial fight can turn into a real bloodbath. The careers will definitely try to seize control of the area, so unless you want to deal with them you get the hell out of there as soon as possible. Only grab supplies if they happen to be on your way. You have Jo to help you, so you don't really need anything else to survive, remember that."

The girl nodded. The previous year, when Iris had been on the arena, only three of the trainers had survived the fight at the cornucopia. Because of that the game makers had sent in as many as four wildcards, people who volunteered to fight on the arena without any training. Dawn could only hope that they wouldn't send in anyone this year—it was hard enough as it was.

"Head towards water," Cynthia continued. "Since you have a water-type pokémon, water will be a clear advantage. There's always more water on the arena than it initially seems, so try and find a source that's somehow sheltered. Also, since you wanted to stick around Lyra, make sure that quit the alliance when it's still possible. It won't be fun if you're the last two people left on the arena."

Dawn frowned. She couldn't even imagine killing the other girl.

The mentor handed her the pokéball and she tied it to her belt.

"You can do it, Dawn stone," Cynthia promised her and then, on a whim, pulled her close. The girl hugged her tight until the voice commanding her to get on the launch plate boomed in the room.

Dawn didn't want to let go. She didn't want to be killed. She wanted to stay here with Cynthia. The panic that hadn't crossed her mind all morning spread in her body like a forest fire. She let out a choked sob.

"Go on dear," the woman murmured gently. "I'll be waiting for you. It's all going to be alright, love. You know it is."

Dawn stepped into the tube, which immediately slid shut and began rising up. Something snapped inside Dawn. She lost her mind, clawing on the glass and screaming as the mentor watched, holding back her tears, but no matter what she did, she couldn't get out. Something about that realization brought peace to her and she went limp, leaning against the tube's walls and looked up where she could see the sun shining on a clear blue sky.

It was a beautiful day to die.

-x-

Her first impression of the arena was the ridiculous thought that she had actually somehow managed to skip the fighting to death part and had instead gone straight to heaven. She was standing on an incredibly beautiful field of flowers that was surrounded with a vibrant deciduous forest, not one bit similar to the ones they had back in Sinnoh. A river flowed through the flowers and suddenly Dawn realized that she wasn't in heaven after all, but on the arena, staring at the golden cornucopia along nine other trainers anxiously standing on their launch plates. The timer on top of the cornucopia was already at 34 and counting down.

Snapping into attention Dawn looked around, spotting Lyra some twenty meters to her left. The girl nodded to her but even she couldn't manage a smile. On the ground to her left was also a back bag, which Dawn supposed she could snatch easily while running. Left was the right direction, anyways, because the river flowed that way. There would be a lake somewhere in the forest.

The countdown broke the natural silence of the meadow, cutting her from her thoughts. She glanced around and her eyes fell on Lucas. The boy was even further to the left than Lyra.

"Three…"

Dawn stared at the boy. He was obviously terrified.

"Two…"

She shook her head, like shaking the boy off her mind, fixing her gaze on the back bag.

"One…"

Sweat prickled on Dawn's forehead. This was it.

"Ladies and gentlemen, let the 61st Trainer Games begin!"

Dawn was off her plate before she even registered it herself, dashing towards the bag. At the same time Lyra started running towards the edge of the forest. She could hear the sounds of pokémon being released from their balls already, but it seemed that luck was on her side and nobody was paying her much attention. Nobody, except Lucas. The boy had hopped off his plate fast enough but had then paused, unable to decide where to go. He was like glued to the ground, gaze darting between the forest, the fighting going on by the cornucopia and Dawn, who managed to fling the bag on her back.

Being frozen on the spot, Lucas couldn't see the boy from May's district approaching him from behind.

"Lucas, run!" Dawn screamed, unable to help herself.

The boy startled and was on his feet in less than a second, but the other trainer had apparently set his sights on Lucas and wasn't about to give up. Dawn was already reaching for her pokéball, running forward. She could see Lyra in the corner of her vision, running back towards them, but didn't let herself worry about that. If she could get Jo out before the boy caught Lucas, maybe she would be able to rescue him. She had to. She couldn't just let Lucas die.

Something hit the boy from District Three, causing him to still his running. He looked over and saw Lyra standing completely still, taunting him. He then made a sharp turn and before Dawn could react he had already reached Lyra, tackling the girl to the ground.

"Get out of here!" Lyra was yelling. Lucas was already running off into the other direction, never having stopped. Instead of doing as she was told, Dawn darted towards the boy who was now punching the screaming girl on the ground. She didn't even get half-way there when suddenly both trainers were engulfed in a flaming inferno.

Dawn screeched into a stop, backing away a few steps and watching mortified as the boy, who had seconds before been beating another child to death, howled in pain trying to get away from the flames. Still trapped underneath the other trainer, Lyra remained silent and motionless. May Birch was walking towards the fire with a smirk playing on her lips. On the ground by her side the little fire-type bird she'd picked was coughing up small flames. The trainer glanced up and her eyes locked with Dawn's.

Dawn turned around and ran.

-x-

A/N: Things are getting kinda heated…

Wild cards are an idea of my own. There's no such a thing in the books but I figured that, since there are only ten trainers in the Trainer Games, the Capitol has needed to come up with something. They don't want the games to end too soon, right? So to spice things up they send in wild cards in case many trainers die right at the beginning.

There are a few things that bother me about this chapter, so I'm probably going to edit it later. Right now I'm too tired for that… Sorry!