General Info
Name: Oleander Hartley
Nicknames: Leander, Ollie to friends and family
Gender: Male ♂
Age: 23
Height: 5'9"
Occupation: Florist
Hometown: Diftveil, Unova
Current Residence: Tein Village
Nature: Careful - Strong willed
Trainer Class: Rich Boy
Appearance
Eye Color: Icy blue
Hair Color: Light brown
Hair Style: Lightly wavy and rakishly messy, often brushed back from his face and held in place by a headband
Accessories: His only piercings are flower earrings; tattoos are so uncouth!
Clothing Style/Typical Outfit: Only ever classy and refined, slightly feminine. Accessorizes plenty, his favorite being a fur stole and flowery adornments. Dandy, gentlemanly, but not too formal.
[Cutie!] [Patootie!] [Snooty!]
Personality
Leander is both everything you'd expect from such a princely-looking fellow and a complete bundle of surprises—just the way he likes it. A gentleman to be sure, master of etiquette and style, but by no means just a prettyboy airhead. This young man in the bloom of youth is focused and always looking for something new to learn in order to improve himself, determined to be self-reliant and make it on on his own in the world.
Despite how charming and amiable he may at first seem, Leander is strangely guarded and can even come off as cruel when he makes his true thoughts known. It's best to stay on his good side, but even that seems like a feat! But it might be worth sticking to him despite his oddly frigid demeanor. He can't truly wish to be completely alone, could he?
Strengths
Collected: Despite his delicate dandy looks, it's hard to get Leander worked up. Incredibly confident and self-controlled, not much scares him and not much can get him riled up, either. He simply won't allow himself to show weakness, always trying to keep his cool even when he is upset. He's the guy to go to in an emergency or when you need an objective opinion—he can detach himself from his emotions quite easily to give honest, if not sometimes blunt, answers.
Ambitious: Sure, Leander has basically got it made with his family's wealth and could probably coast on that for an easy and cozy life, but he's got his own ideas. Wanting to make a name for himself and stake his own claim in the world, Leander didn't even hesitate when he heard of an opportunity to volunteer in a new region. Everything comes down to bettering himself, and he won't allow himself to be deterred from his path.
Precocious: Near obsessive in his pursuit of knowledge, Leander figures if he can't very well master every new subject that comes his way, he'll at least try. Some might go so far as to call him nosy with how he questions and probes about new things, from personal information about a new acquaintance to more practical skills he can apply, but as they say, knowledge is power.Leander is more than willing to put in a tremendous effort to learn and gain that power.
Meticulous: Being a perfectionist helps with Leander's goals, certainly. Once he learns something, it's unlikely he'll forget, a flawless record-keeper of new information. He's also disciplined enough to keep up with skills that need practice, constantly revisiting whatever he's learned to at least stay competent. He makes a wonderful student, although his obsession with always having to do things "the right way, the first time" might lead to frustration when others—and inevitably he, himself—can't live up to such high standards.
Flaws
Arrogant: It should come as no surprise that Leander has a bit of an ego thanks to his high-class upbringing and his own confidence. Although he doesn't tend to make it obvious at first, taught to be demure and modest as a gentleman, Leander will look down on others he deems inferior and can quickly become condescending and dismissive even to those older than him. Exceedingly proud of his talents, he dislikes competition and can turn quite nasty if he so much as senses a threat.
Judgmental: First impressions are everything to Leander. If one messes it up, it's unlikely he'll have a high opinion of them anytime soon. And even if one does manage to impress him, Leander still has a habit of picking things and even people apart and noticing the flaws more than the good points. Of course, he sees nothing wrong in pointing it out, either... but he doesn't much appreciate his own flaws being pointed out in return. Hard to please, it takes a lot to win Leander's respect.
Distrustful: Go ahead, admire him all you like. Just don't expect Leander to accept any more that that or regard anyone as a "friend"—even when he likes someone, he prefers to stay distant, not letting on too much about himself or allowing himself to get too attached. Rather cynical at his core, Leander relies only on himself and refuses to open up to anyone or be helped. Winning his trust is an even more difficult than winning his respect, it seems. Leander holds little faith in others.
Underhanded: Just as Leander doesn't trust others, it's a wise idea not to completely trust him. He is an experienced thespian, after all, and is adept at putting on facades. He could very well convince someone with all of his charms that they got along just swimmingly, when in reality, he hides the most seething contempt behind a polite little smile. Not one for overt acts of aggression, Leander prefers to get back at people through sneakier means, be it petty passive-aggressiveness or careful manipulation and later feigning innocence. It's difficult to get along with Leander precisely because it's so hard to tell if he really likes someone.
History
Part of the old money scene of Driftveil, Leander was truly living the good life. Industry and excitement surrounded him from a young age, though the expectation that he should take the family business over kept him from pursuing any serious dreams of becoming a trainer. Instead, he focused on bringing the arts, particularly acting and music, to the city—but the nearby Season Research Lab had an especially profound effect in nurturing an admiration of both Sawsbuck and science in the young boy.
It goes without saying, but when the rebellious teenager stage hits... it hits hard. As much as Leander enjoyed living in the lap of luxury, he had no interest in big business and life became dull with such carefree routine. All that acting in plays about fantastical Pokemon adventures had Leander yearning for his own, and when he heard of EverMore Labs' experiments in fusions, the perfect blend of battling and science, not to mention open only to a select few and he was used to being special, Leander signed up right away.
Currently
...And, of course, Leander's family immediately cut him off. He only knows he's not completely disowned because he still gets the occasional sternly worded letter demanding he come back. Though not as pampered as he's used to, and his little flower shop absolutely pales in comparison to the massive business waiting for him back home, he's got high hopes in himself and his new partner.
