Ladon

The Ferocious Skybearer

Ladon is an important NPC within the story of Pokémon Hamartia. He is a Skybearer, as well as a Gym Leader, and oversees the Dragon-Type Coronation.

As a Gym Leader, Ladon specializes in Dragon-Type Pokémon and, upon his defeat, gives out the Golden Badge alongside the TM for Dragon Dance. He has an on-going, but rather one-sided rivalry with his sister, proclaiming that he wants to make his battle even more entertaining than against her.

Ladon is first encountered at the end of Act I: Kalí Archí, in front of Mt.Rhodinada, preventing Team Veritas' Raphail and Hanno from entering it. After battling the two with him, he gives a short explanation as to who Team Veritas are, after which he returns to his Gym in Oros City, where he can be challenged. After beating him, you leave the gym to be proclaimed victor. He asks the Player for help against Team Veritas, explaining and offering to showcase Coronation if they wish to use it. He also tells the Player to visit the Gyms of Lycurge and Attica City, as they oversee the Steel- and Fairy-Type Coronation, respectively. He gives the Player a Written Note which permits them to use Coronation despite not being approved by the Supreme Skybearer, but says that they will want to test their skill regardless. He expresses surprise if the Player has already beaten Ari, the Gym Leader of Attica City.

As parting words, he says that he will wait for the Player on Mt. Oros after finishing some preparations of his own. Before he can leave, Alexia arrives, and requests to take his Gym Challenge. The two leave into the Gym, and aren't seen until the Player has obtained at least 5 Gym Badges. If the Player already has 5 Gym Badges, it instead requires 1 additional Gym Badge. Once the Player fulfills this requirement and ascends Mt. Oros, Act II: Perasména Dóxa begins, with Ladon telling the Player a bit about the Legendary Titans. Revealing that another one of Team Veritas' members had captured Regidrago, with Raphail and Hanno acting as a distraction, Ladon wants to prevent the other four from getting into their hands. Once Alexia and Thalis arrive, having been called to him like you have, he shares his plan.

His plan is rather simple; each of the Legendary Titans is hidden deep within a mountain or at its peak, and one person will be sent after each of them, in order to prevent Team Veritas from catching any others. The Titan the players are sent after differ depending on the initial Starter Pokémon; whoever picked the Grass-Type Starter Pokémon, Rodeen, is tasked to obtain Regirock, whoever picked the Fire-Type Starter Pokémon, Spox, is tasked to obtain Registeel, and whoever picked the Water-Type Starter Pokémon, Flote, is tasked to obtain Regice. Ladon himself will take care of Regileki, although he fails; after you caught the other 3 Legendary Titans, he tells you to come to Treis Island and enter the third of its three mountains, Trita. Just as you're about to enter, Platon leaves the mountain. He tells you that Hanno, the Leader of Team Veritas, waits for you in the Ruins of an ancient city. Platon then runs to Herathlon with the four of you in chase, but manages to get away. In the city, Annita tells you that she couldn't stop him, and that he is likely already off of the Island. Ladon expresses his fury, but quickly remembers something. He tells you to come along to meet Ekho, a fellow Skybearer and the Gym Leader of Pytho City.

At the highest allowed level of Mt. Arkhea, you meet Ladon again, talking to Ekho. She reveals that Team Veritas is most likely trying to enter the Pytho Ruins, an off-limits area. There, they hope to find the chamber belonging to the Grand Lord of Titans. As Ekho is currently preparing a festival, she says that the gates are closed shut, but Ladon is dead-set on at least verifying if this chamber truly exists. Hesitantly, she accepts, under the condition that Ladon continues to prepare the festival for her. And so, Ladon is not seen again until the end of Act II: Perasména Dóxa, as he is too late to witness the events that transpire. He continues to make small appearances throughout the story afterwards, but is no longer featured heavily.

Ladon is the Gym Leader with the least possible options in your Gym Challenge, being available only as your 4th or 5th Gym. This is shared alongside the Pytho City's Gym, only available as your 7th or 8th Gym.

* Although 4 Gyms are available initially, you do not have to beat all of them, making any one of them available at any time during your Gym Challenge.
* Defeating Ladon unlocks Lycurge City's Gym, letting you fight a 5th Gym to unlock Attica City's Gym without ever beating all 4 initially available Gyms. Beating all 4 initial Gyms allows you to battle only 1 of these Gyms, leaving the other for later.

Ladon bears a resemblance to Lance.

* Both have red hair and eyes, and both wear black clothing with a red inside (a cape for Lance, a coat for Ladon).
* Both are Trainers who specialize in Dragon-Type Pokémon. Both also use a Dragonite in at least one of their teams (although it is Agapian Dragonite for Ladon).
* Both have a female relative that is also a Pokémon Trainer (Clair for Lance, and Stella for Ladon).

Ladon also bears a resemblance to Cynthia, and by extension, Volo.

* Both Ladon and Cynthia wear black clothes, with all three having the same hair color as their respective eye colors.
* All three have a Dragon-Type Pokémon as their Ace (Garchomp for Cynthia, Giratina for Volo, Agapian Dragonite for Ladon).
* Ladon and Cynthia both research the myths of their respective regions.
* Ladon and Volo both watch over / own a Legendary Dragon-Type Pokémon (Giratina for Volo, Regidrago for Ladon), a trait also shared by Cogita and Enamorus.
* Ladon, Volo and Cynthia both use a Garchomp in at least one of their teams.