Gladion

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Gladion (Japanese: グラジオ Glazio) is a character introduced in Pokémon Sun and Moon. He works for Team Skull as an enforcer, and serves as a rival character to the player in , . He is the only character in the games to have the Team Skull (Japanese: スカルだん Skull Gang).
==In the core series games==
===Character profile===
Gladion is a young boy who has made his debut in , who serves as a rival to the . As a part of Team Skull in the Alola region, he lends them their strength as an enforcer, often performing small tasks for the group. Other members of the organization don't often consider Gladion to be a true member of Team Skull, and will often antagonize him. Gladion starts off as quite rebellious, and along with his partner, a Type: Null, wishes to get stronger. Due to this behavior, Gladion comes off as unfriendly, telling others how and when to be serious and often doing things on his own. Despite this, Gladion cares deeply about his friends, family and Pokémon, thriving to get stronger to protect them. Gladion has many skills, including strength in Pokémon battles, often participating in Battle Royals. His English concept art describes the character as having middle-school arrogance. According to Pokémon Masters EX, Gladion taught himself how to sew.
Over the course of the games, Gladion warms up to doing things as a group and appreciative of the people he has met in Alola, such as Hau and the . In Sun and Moon, Gladion acts as the president of the Aether Foundation in his mother's place as she has gone to Kanto to be cared for.
Gladion also appears to be quite knowledgeable about Pokémon, including , the line and the Ultra Beasts, Pokémon being researched by the Aether Foundation. He had named the species.
Gladion's known relatives include his parents, Lusamine and Mohn, he also has a little sister by the name of Lillie. Gladion's grandfather, and Lusamine's father, goes unnamed, but he was known as a wealthy man who had loved Pokémon, creating the Aether Foundation. He had originally lived on Aether Paradise with his family before leaving with . Like his sister, Gladion had been treated poorly by his mother, being told to dress and act the way she had wanted, Gladion compares himself to Null in this instance. Despite having prioritizing Type: Null over Lillie, Gladion appears to have a good relationship with his sister and had worried for her.
===Appearance===
Gladion is a young teenage boy. Like his family, he has blonde hair and green eyes. His hair is mainly short, but he has long bangs that cascade over his right eye and the rigth side of his face. Gladion has sharp angular eyes, he has thick eyebrows that are the same color as his hair. Gladion has four cuts in his hair show his skin, two on each side of his head. He has two metal pierecings on the top side of his left ear.
Gladion wears a black sleeveless sweatshirt that rests. This sweatshirt has a large spiked hoodie, with two gray draw strings. A giant red gash goes through the middle. Underneath, Gladion wears a darker tight-fitting black shirt, the long sleeves reach down to his wrists and also contain multiple cuts. Gladion has a hair of black pants that reach down to his shins, again, multiple cuts and gashes are seen through his pants. These scrapes are likely from his Type: Null,, creating holes in his outfit. Gladion's red shoes have gray soles and black laces. He has a red waise bag with a single flap, a gray button is seen on the front of the flap, containing a 3 oval symbol. This symbol also appears throughout both of Lillie's outfits.
===Pokémon Sun and Moon===
====Background and pre-game====
Website blurb: This young man lends his strength to Team Skull as an enforcer. He places a high value on being strong in Pokémon battles. His partner Pokémon is the mysterious Type: Null.
Gladion had originally lived on Aether Paradise together with his mother, Lusamine, and his sister, Lillie. However, over time, he noticed his mother's obsession with the Ultra Beasts and realized that she could harm Alola if she let Ultra Beasts into the region. He decided to leave Paradise, only telling Wicke of his departure. Before leaving, he stole one of the three , Pokémon created to be weapons to attack Ultra Beasts, having felt bad for it and hoping to get stronger.
Upon leaving the Aether Foundation, Gladion had two goals: to stop his mother and to free Type: Null from the helmet that was meant to subdue it. He eventually worked as an enforcer for Team Skull but was never considered an actual member of the team.
====Main story====
Gladion first meets the on as a Team Skull member, but he does not seem to be interested in Team Skull's affairs, unlike the near him. In this interaction, he seems to be berating Hau for not treating Pokémon battles with seriousness. The player encounters him again at the Battle Royal Dome, to which he has a battle in a Battle Royal against the player, Hau and the Masked Royal. The player can meet him again in a motel on , but he will tell them to leave. Gladion won't appear again until he encounters the player with Hau on . At this moment, he informs the player to avoid letting anyone know about a if they happen to know of it, as this could threaten the safety of the region. At Aether House on Lillie gets captured by Team Skull while the player is battling Guzma in Po Town. Gladion appears before the player upon their return to the Aether House and battles them to express his frustration. There, he finds out that Lillie had stolen Nebby from Aether, prompting him to take the player and Hau to Aether Paradise to face Lusamine and save Lillie.
On Aether Paradise, Gladion, Hau and the player meet Faba, who has already alerted the organization of their presence, After battle, he takes the two to Paradise' secret labs, going into Secret Lab A while they take Secret Lab B. Gladion reveals that Secret Lab B was where the Type: Null were originally created, and he relates to them, being told to act and heave a certain way. After the player learns more about Cosmog, they make it back upstairs and he battles alongside the player in a multitude of battles against the Aether Foundation, including against another battle with Faba. Gladion and Hau battle a group of Team Skull Grunts as the player make their way to Lusamine's mansion. After the player has met up and protected Lillie from Lusamine, Gladion and Hau catch up, and it is revealed that him and Lillie are Lusamine's children. Lusamine has kept Nebby in a cage since Lillie's kidnapping, in hopes to use the Pokémon's power to open an Ultra Wormhole. Gladion and his sister plead to Lusamine to not use Nebby's power. Lusamine ignores their pleas, saying that despite all the love she had given them, they had rejected her and didn't deserve to listen after stealing Type: Null. Lusamine opens Ultra Wormholes around Alola, including in the trophy room they are currently in. This has caused Nebby to evolve into (but nobody seems to be aware of this). During this time, Gladion fights against any Ultra Beats that may come from the wormhole. Lusamine and Guzma leave for Ultra Space. The group resides in Aether Pradise for the night under the protection of Wicke. Gladion provides the player with a Master Ball and Lillie with the Sun Flute/Moon Flute before taking them to Seafolk Village on Poni Island.
At Seafolk Village, Gladion and his sister have a conversation about eachother and their mother, apologizing for leaving Lillie alone while Lusamine had treated her horribly. Gladion leaves to train, and trusts the player and Lillie with saving his mother. Gladion isn't encountered again until the player makes their way to the newly finished on Mount Lanakila. He thanks the player for stopping Lusamine and reveals that not only has he received a Z-Ring, but also managed to release his Type: Null from its restraint, evolving it into . His Silvally will be holding the memory of the type that is strong against the player's first partner Pokémon's type. After defeat, he also explains that he came to relay a message from his sister, to tell the player that they are the best Pokémon Trainer in the world, and provides them with 3 Max Ethers.
Gladion appears at the festival in Iki Town after the player has become . Gladion appears with his in a photograph, in Sun and Moon's credits sequence.
After the player has become the of the Alola region, Gladion has taken over as acting president of the Aether Foundation while Lusamine is away. He may be spoken to at Aether Paradise's conservation area, where he will give the player a Type: Null of their own, along with all of Silvally's memory drives. He thanks the player for helping out his family, especially for Lillie who he claims has never seen such a smile on her before. Gladion then explains to them that the cause for Lusamine's actions were likely a result of his father's research on .
Gladion is one of the possible challengers who may appear at the Pokémon League as the player defends their title as Champion.
====Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon====
Gladion's role is mostly similar as in Sun and Moon, although with several changes. As Lusamine is not obsessed with Ultra Beasts in this continuity, he instead left Aether Paradise with Type: Null due to Mohn's disappearance, seeking to become stronger to protect Lillie and Lusamine. After the player becomes Champion, Gladion leaves the Alola region to train at Kanto and Johto. Before leaving, he leaves a Type: Null and a set of memory drives in the possession of Wicke, who gives them to the player at Ancient Poni Path during the post-game.
A month after 's defeat, Gladion returns to Alola and can be faced in a Pokémon League Title Defense battle, where he will wield the fully evolved form of a Kanto first partner Pokémon, whose type matches the player's first partner Pokémon's type. After Gladion has been defeated in a Title Defense battle, the player can visit Aether Paradise to see Gladion witnessing a meeting between Lusamine and Mohn, with Lusamine letting her amnesiac husband continue his life of running Poké Pelago. Gladion asks Lusamine if she's sure about wanting to leave him in his current state, but Lusamine is simply satisfied to see Mohn being happy with his life.
===Pokémon===
Gladion has a that evolves into a , having stolen it from his mother at Aether Paradise. Silvally's type and form will change to the type that is stronger against the player's first partner Pokémon.
In Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, Gladion will gain an additional Pokémon when the player is defending their title as Champion after exploring Kanto and Johto. Here he will have either , or , whichever is the same type as the player's first partner Pokémon at the beginning of the game.
====Pokémon Sun and Moon====
=====First battle=====
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=====Second battle=====
The battle will end on the turn where any one of the participants in the Battle Royal is eliminated, including the player. The player will not black out and the story will progress regardless of the outcome.
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=====Third battle=====
Winning this battle is not mandatory. The player will not black out and the story will progress either way.
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=====Multi Battle with the =====
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=====Given to the player=====
====Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon====
=====First battle=====
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=====Second battle=====
The battle will end on the turn where any one of the participants in the Battle Royal is eliminated, including the player. The player will not black out and the story will progress regardless of the outcome.
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=====Third battle=====
Winning this battle is not mandatory. The player will not black out and the story will progress either way.
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=====Fourth battle=====
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==In the spin-off games==
===Pokémon Masters EX===
Gladion forms a sync pair with , , , and in Pokémon Masters EX. His Silvally can change into an opponent's type weakness once per battle. Gladion became a playable sync pair on September 14, 2020.
Gladion first appeared as an NPC during the story event Family Ties. He has also made notable appearances in one of the game's Main Stories, the Villain Arc. 
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==Quotes==
==In animation==
===Pokémon the Series===
In , Gladion is a recurring character and 's rival in Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon. He first made a cameo appearance in a photo along with his mother and sister . His first proper appearance was in A Glaring Rivalry!.
===GOTCHA!===
Gladion briefly appeared in GOTCHA!.
===Pokémon Evolutions===
Gladion appeared in a flashback in The Eclipse, in which he, Lillie, , Hau, and Guzma witnessed Lusamine use Nebby's power to open an Ultra Wormhole in Aether Paradise.
==In the manga==
===Pokémon Adventures===
Gladion debuted in The Decision and the Tournament of Six. He first appeared as a participant at an Iki Town festival tournament. He was absent when the tournament roster was being determined, but returned by the time the tournament started. He explained he was away checking an Ultra Wormhole his had sensed.
In The Announcement and the Prize, Gladion faced against Hau. When Hau mentioned he joined the tournament because he thought it'd be fun, Gladion called him weak and won the battle. In The Party Crasher and Guzma the Destroyer, Gladion's next opponent was Moon, who wanted to know about the Ultra Wormhole. Gladion agreed to tell her about it, but only if she managed to defeat him. Despite Moon's skill, Gladion eventually won the battle through luck.
In The Final Match and a Surprising Finale!, Gladion and faced each other in the finals. During the battle, Sun's attitude annoyed Gladion, who questioned the boy's motivation for joining the tournament. Gladion's words angered Sun, who accidentally activated a powerful that defeated Type: Null before passing out from exhaustion. Though Gladion still had an active Pokémon, Sun was declared the winner. Afterward, Gladon left to find a place to train so he may prepare to face the Ultra Beasts, mentioning that he lost his chance to meet the tapu.
In Going Ashore and Neighboring Akala Island, Gladion traveled to the Ruins of Conflict to meet . There, he met Guzma, who praised Gladion's performance in the Iki Town tournament and offered him a job as an Enforcer for Team Skull. Gladion immediately accepted, but asked to know about the person Guzma mentioned when he left during the tournament. Guzma feigned ignorance about his earlier statement and had Gladion follow him to Team Skull's hideout.
In Homecoming and the Brilliant Professional Golfer, Sun and Moon found an injured Kiawe, who was attacked by Gladion in order to learn where the Ruins of Life were located. After healing Kiawe, the three traveled to the ruins, where they found Gladion trying to take , who was healing from injuries it sustained from an earlier clash with a . Realizing Gladion wanted Tapu Lele to help fight off the Ultra Beasts, Moon suggested they work together. Sun refused to team up with someone who works for villains and decided to defeat him with his newly-mastered Z-Move. Due to not having a Z-Ring, Sun attempted to borrow Kiawe's, but it was destroyed by Type: Null before he could take it. Although Gladion claimed Sun wouldn't have won even with the Z-Move, a voice appeared, claiming that Gladion wouldn't have destroyed the Z-Ring if he believed that. The voice is revealed to be Kahili, who has her Pokémon distract Type: Null before delivering Sun his own Z-Ring. 
In Unleashing the Incredible Z-Move, Sun and Dollar fired a perfected Inferno Overdrive at Type: Null, causing its mask to crack. After switching for , Sun tried the Z-Move again, but failed, leading to Dollar's defeat. Gladion gave up on Tapu Lele, declaring it too weak to help him with the Ultra Beasts. As he left, Gladion revealed that something must be trying to break into their world through the wormholes.
 
In Flash and Cosmog's Secret, Gladion arrived at Po Town. There, he was attacked by the Team Skull Admin, Plumeria, who wanted to see if Gladion was skilled enough to be an Enforcer. Though Gladion proved himself, his negative attitude angered Plumeria to the point where she refused to accept him as a true member of Team Skull. When Plumeria told Gladion to follow her, Gladion complied, but was momentarily distracted when a jumped past him.
In Truth and the Mastermind Behind Team Skull, Gladion appeared at Po Town to battle the Ultra Beasts that Guzma summoned with the he received from the Aether Foundation. Gladion revealed Guzma was being used by the Aether Foundation president, Lusamine, so she could create a paradise for herself and the Ultra Beasts she covets. Guzma rejected Gladion's accusation, but was captured by a and dragged into a wormhole. The other Ultra Beasts escaped from Po Town's barriers, allowing them to wreak havoc on the rest of Ula'ula Island. When the Captains asked Gladion how they could help, Gladion refused to help and said they wouldn't be of any use before riding off with Type: Null.
In The Truth and Island Kahuna Hapu, Gladion, Professor Kukui, Molayne, Sophocles, and Acerola fought off a and at to prevent them from reaching Hokulani Observatory, which was being used as a shelter for those caught up in the Ultra Beasts' rampage. While Type: Null easily defeated Celesteela, Gladion was momentarily distracted when Lillie appeared and called out to him. Taking the opportunity, Guzzlord leapt in to attack Lillie, only to be easily swatted away by Type: Null, who evolved into a while doing so. Lillie revealed that three months ago, she stole Nebby and ran away from Aether Paradise after Lusamine tried to use Nebby's power for her own goals. When Lillie revealed she also stole a Sun Flute from Lusamine, Gladion decided that they should head towards the Poni Altar.
In Battle in Vast Poni Canyon, Gladion and Lillie traveled through Poni Island. Gladion revealed he planned on getting the Legendary Pokémon and to help him destroy the Ultra Beasts. As they traveled, a appeared and attacked them. Gladion and Silvally fought Xurkitree, but Nebby flew out of his hands and met with another . After Xurkitree was defeated, Lillie and Gladion met with Sun and Hapu. They learned that the Sun and Moon Flutes were a pair meant to played at the Poni Altar. The guardian deities of Alola appeared and took Sun and both flutes to the Poni Altar while Lillie, Gladion, and Hapu chased after them.
In Summon the Emissaries of the Moon and the Sun, Gladion and Lillie helped Anabel corner and capture Faba. At the Altar, Gladion and the others found that Sun and Moon managed to evolve Nebby and the other Cosmoem into Lunala and Solgaleo, respectively. Anabel received a call from , who told her that a large number of Ultra Beasts made their way to Poni Island. While Moon, Gladion, Anabel, and Hapu fought off the beasts, Solgaleo was possessed by a that appeared from a wormhole. Necrozma grabbed Sun and dragged him into the wormhole, forcing Moon and Lunala to chase after them.
Six months later, in Adventure in the Dark Dimension, Lusamine disappeared while Faba had managed to take control of the Aether Foundation, running it like a dictatorship. At the Aether House, Wicke told Gladion and Lillie that Lusamine was found on Poni Island playing with a group of Ultra Beasts. Gladion suggested going to get Lusamine, but was told to stay behind as he hadn't fully recovered from the injuries he sustained from being exposed to the energy from Silvally's evolution. Wicke decided the best option was for her to return to Aether Paradise and gather information before making their next move. 
In Ray of Light!! Through the Crack in the Sky!, Lillie told Gladion that their father, Mohn, was still alive in Alola somewhere. Hoping that telling Lusamine the information would convince her to return to her old self, Lillie decided to go and meet with their mother. Before Lillie left, Gladion suggested she do so dressed in the clothes she picked for herself, not the ones Lusamine picked for her.
Later, Gladion traveled to Aether Paradise, where he found Moon locked in a cell after Faba captured her. After freeing her, Gladion and Moon confronted Faba, telling him that his plans were over. Faba retaliated by tricking Ryuki into battling Gladion and Moon, buying him enough time to try and escape. Gladion allowed Moon to use Silvally in place of her actual Pokémon, which were taken by Faba and hidden away. While Gladion kept Ryuki busy, Moon went ahead to retrieve her Pokémon and make medicine for Gladion's injuries. After taking down Ryuki's first Pokémon, Gladion called off the battle, revealing Faba was using it as a distraction so he could flee. Once he learned others were fighting the Ultra Beasts elsewhere in Alola, Ryuki ran off to join them. When Silvally returned, Moon was absent, having gone elsewhere with Lunala. Gladion then left to stop Faba from escaping, only to find the man cornered by Sun's , Cent, who aimed to make Faba pay for his crimes. Faba's intense fear attracted several Nihilego that emerged from a nearby wormhole. Gladion and Cent were forced to watch as Faba was dragged into the wormhole, his fear turning into happiness as he was affected by the Nihilego's neurotoxins.
Months later, Gladion teamed up with Dulse of the Ultra Recon Squad to traverse through Ultra Space and rescue Faba. Ryuki chose to accompany them, much to Gladion's annoyance.
====Pokémon====
=====On hand=====
=====Temporary=====
====Achievements====
=====Pokémon competitions=====
* Iki Town festival tournament - Runner-up (The Final Match and a Surprising Finale!)
==In the TCG==
This listing is of cards mentioning or featuring Gladion or his Pokémon in the Pokémon Trading Card Game.
===Merchandise===
====SM3 accessories====
Rounding off the mainstream TCG releases on June 16, 2017 were a number of specially illustrated deck cases, card sleeves, and files. Deluxe items featuring Lillie and her relatives were subsequently released on June 17, 2017 as part of a Pokémon Center campaign.
:The Gladion & Silvally Deck Case & Sleeves (Japanese: デッキケース＆シールド　グラジオ＆シルヴァディ Deck Case & Shield: Glazio & Silvady) is another special release that comes packaged with a deck case and a set of 64 card sleeves. Both products feature Gladion and his partner Silvally. The artwork was illustrated by Megumi Mizutani.
Deck case images:
==General merchandising==
Gladion has appeared on multiple pieces of merchandise since 2016. 
He, along with Lillie and Lusamine, were given their own merchandise line titled (Japanese: リーリエ＆グラジオ＆ルザミーネ Lilie & Glazio & Lusamine) and released in Japan.
Below is a list of non-TCG related products that Gladion, or his Pokémon has been featured on.
;Lillie & Gladion & Lusamine merchandise line
The Lillie & Gladion & Lusamine merchandise line primarily focused on the family and their Pokémon during the events of . This merchandise line had multiple products made featuring illustrations from GAME FREAK's Megumi Mizutani. The featured artwork in relation to the line was also used in TCG products. Gladion and his Silvally are featured on two illustrations in this merchandise line.
File:Gladion Silvally Hand Towel.jpg| Gladion Silvally Hand Towel
File:Gladion Dialogue Stickers 1.jpg|Gladion dialogue sticker
File:Gladion Silvally Sticker 1.jpg|Gladion Silvally sticker
File:Gladion Silvally Paper Theater 1.jpg|Gladion Silvally paper theater
File:Gladion Silvally Clearfile 2.jpg|Second Gladion Silvallyo clearfile
File:Gladion Silvally Postcard 2 Front.jpg|Second Gladion Silvally postcard
File:Gladion Silvally Sticker 2.jpg|Gladion Silvally sticker
File:Lillie Gladion Lusamine Playing Cards.jpg|Lillie & Gladion & Lusamine deck of playing cards
==Gallery==
:For images on Gladion's animated series counterpart, see: Gladion (anime)
:For images on Gladion in Pokémon Masters EX, see: Gladion (Masters)
===Artwork===
====Standard====
 	
Art from by 	Sun and Moon key art of Gladion with illustrated by
 	
Promotional artwork for	Promotional artwork for
====Concept art====
 	
Conceptual artwork from	Concept art of Silvally's with Gladion being used for size comparison for
====Merchandise====
 	
Gladion and illustrated by as part of a merchandise line	Gladion and illustrated by as part of a merchandise line
 	
Theme artwork for , illustrated by 	Theme artwork for , illustrated by
====Raw TCG artwork====
For all images and products relating to this character in the TCG, see their In the TCG section
Raw artwork of the full art by for
===Game assets===
Ending screenshot with from
====Sprites and models====
 	 	
High-poly model from,	VS model with a from	VS model with a from
 	 	
Overworld model from,	Overworld model from,	Overworld model from,
==Trivia==
* Gladion shares some similarities with : both are rivals who stole their first Pokémon, are children of main antagonists and are initially cold to those around them until they go through character development and become warmer to others.
* Only in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, if the player character picks Litten as their first partner Pokémon, Gladion's Lucario will be level 55 during the battle at Mount Lanakila, while it will be level 53 if either Rowlet or Popplio was chosen.
==Names==
The Japanese names of all important members of the Aether Foundation and the members of Lusamine's family are based on German words for plants.
Language 	Name 	Origin
Japanese 	グラジオ Glazio 	From , also called "sword lily"
English, Indonesian 	Gladion 	Similar to his Japanese name
German, Spanish, French,Brazilian Portuguese	Gladio 	From his Japanese name
Italian 	Iridio 	From , the family that contains the genus Gladiolus
Korean 	글라디오 Gladio 	From his Japanese name
Chinese () 	格拉吉歐 / 格拉吉欧 Gélāji'ōu 	Transcription of his Japanese name
Chinese () 	格拉吉歐 Gaaklāaigāt'āu 	Transcription of his Japanese name
Hindi 	ग्लैडियॉन Gladion 	Transcription of his English name
Russian 	Гладион Gladion 	Transcription of his English name
Thai 	กลาดิโอ Kladio 	Transcription of his Japanese name
==References==
==Related articles==
* Gladion (anime)
* Images on the Bulbagarden Archives
Category:Rival characters
Category:Sun and Moon characters
Category:Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon characters
Category:Members of Team Skull
Category:Multi Battle partners
Category:Trainers with Z-Rings
Category:Pokémon Adventures characters
Category:Pokémon Evolutions characters
Category:Trainers with unique classes
Category:Trainers with Legendary Pokémon
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