McLeod, Conall

[Lex]

Name: Conall McLeod
Nickname: Con, Cloud
Age: 24
Gender: Male
Birthplace: Six Island, Sevii
Family: Arden McLeod (Deceased Father), Esta McLeod (Mother)

Trainer Orientation: Chaotic Neutral
Trainer Class: Detective
Starter Pokémon: Diglett

Character Theme:
Keane ~ Is It Any Wonder? (Instrumental)

Versus Theme (Normal):
Calvin Harris ~ The Girls (Instrumental)

Warne [Male Dugtrio] - You say you wander your own land.
Since Conall's father gifted him with Warne as a Diglett, he has been Conall's constant companion. It was common for the two of them to play together at his house, outside in the garden, and late into the night. Warne took unending care of Conall when he was sick, and Warne would also make Conall feel better when he fell and scraped his knee. It is clear that Warne and his trainer have a very strong bond, and as a result, he is very protective of him. Additionally, and surprisingly to some people, he is a very skilled and experienced battler.
-Received from Arden McLeod.

Ability: Arena Trap
Nature: Timid
Move Pool: Earthquake, Reversal, Stone Edge, Memento, Stealth Rock,
Level 89

Ankara [Male Weezing] - I'm waiting for this cough syrup to come down, come down.
While exploring Renbow Island's wilderness, Conall and Warne encountered Ankara as a Koffing. Having exhausted himself by sleeping all day, Ankara was far too docile and lazy to put up much of a fight. Rather than being considered a potential travel companion, Ankara was mostly considered to be a fascination. After the Koffing evolved, however, it showed a much bigger personality than Conall had initially anticipated.
-Caught at Rasp Cavern.

Ability: Levitate
Nature: Bold
Move Pool: Will-O-Wisp, Pain Split, Clear Smog, Fire Blast, Haze, Thunderbolt, Sludge Bomb, Flamethrower, Taunt, Rest
Level 91

Oracion [Male Aggron] - I see your face in every star.
Though Conall loves Warne with all his heart, Oracion remains the pride and joy of his life. A Pokémon that is a hulking brute can be incredibly vicious and terrifying when it wants to be. Conall wins battle after battle because of the terror he brings to the battlefield. Conall's winning streak has become so impressive that most of his friends whisper that he can no longer be beaten with his Aggron. This Pokémon is usually seen in a Mega Evolution state, which makes it much more brutal than an average Aggron.
-Caught at Wireless Tower. This Pokémon is holding a legitimately purchased Aggronite.

Ability: Sturdy / Filter
Nature: Relaxed
Move Pool: Rest, Sleep Talk, Heavy Slam, Iron Head, Earthquake, Ice Punch, Stealth Rock, Thunder Wave, Rock Slide
Level 86

Contrary to the rest of his genetics, Conall sports burning red hair (albeit, it is a shade darker than the rest of his blood), which is complemented by his burning red iris. Hair like this is often very scraggy and unkempt, defining the phrase 'bed head' in its literal sense. Often, it is arranged horizontally and vertically. His nose is quite prominent, but it makes his face more symmetrical. There is sometimes an impression that he is squinting angrily because of his small but sharp eyes.

The way Conall dresses is different from the way others dress. The way that he looks is unlike anything else you'll find. Firstly, his face is adorned with a number of piercings. The bottom lip of his mouth is punctured with snakebites. His left eyebrow is also pierced, both ears are pierced with helix piercings, and his left ear is pierced with a rook piercing. The upper chest of his body is also tattooed with the Flag of Sevii and numerous shining stars around it. Conall will usually wear a multitude of different pieces of jewellery, such as a pendant or necklace, various rings, wristbands, or bracelets, even when dressed in a simple, printed t-shirt. However, he usually wears formal attire.

It is not uncommon for him to sport outlandish clothing. He is often seen as dapper and well-dressed for a man his age regardless of the weather and when out and about in public. A combination of ties, bow ties, cravats, ascots, and scarves complements smart suits in a variety of vibrant and loud colours. This fascination with odd or unconventional clothing will leave a lasting impression on anyone who meets him.

As Conall explored the real world, he soon realized that not everything was what it seemed. He used to tell himself, "Pragmatism, altruism, enthusiasm.". It seemed to him that if he could base his entire life on those three attributes, everything would be fine. Despite his best efforts, Conall has trouble forging his own personality, and he isn't always pragmatic, altruistic, or enthusiastic, even when times are prosperous. Conall is a damaged and battered person, if nothing else. The young Conall Kale McLeod is timid, tired, overworked, and at the end of the day, very lazy.

However, his personality can fluctuate from work to home and vice versa. From being a professional, well-spoken, and dedicated member of a well-respected legal team, he becomes a reclusive introvert who craves nothing but junk food and self-gratification. When he returns home from work, no matter what needs to be done around the house, it is immediately ignored. Instead, chocolate fudge cake and endless rounds of computer games will be on the menu. When Mr McLeod returns to his homestead, no matter how hard he works during the day, or whatever motivation is thrown at him, he has an uncanny tendency to fall into a warped form of depression, and the same man that was lively, eager and ready to work a few hours ago becomes a... rotten person.

The problem isn't entirely his fault, though. Conall grew up thinking this was a natural way of life, since he had no role model or figurehead to look up to. His time management has always been terrible, slamming the door as he arrived and raiding the cupboard for something instantly edible, no effort to prepare a proper meal. Inspecting the fridge briefly and determining there's nothing he can consume right away. Innumerable attempts have been made by him to free himself from his terrible habits, but to no avail. It doesn't matter how hard he tries, he can't change.

However, there is one thing that can change that. Whenever he hears music, his life shifts into gear and he moves his ass. When a memorable song comes on, Conall is suddenly energized to do things he would usually pass up. When he's on his feet, he listens to his playlist. As a result, he wants to spend time travelling, to write a book, to invite friends out for dinner, and to tidy his whole apartment. His favorite songs inspire him to make changes in his life - and for a while, they do. Once disconnected from his flowing melodies, Conall's life returns to its quiet state: he turns back into the shadow of a man who dreads getting out of bed, who remains for weekends without trousers, who causes his computer to overheat...

Although Conall struggles with an awful hindrance in his life that he seems unable to overcome, he has some really admirable qualities as well. Aside from his social insecurity (including his inability to look at mirrors and his avowal not to smile), he has a wonderful sense of humour that often saw him as the class joker at school and on social occasions afterwards. He got the attention of the right people, even his teachers, with his quick, dry wit. His secret need to travel has made him an adventurous friend, and he's always eager to embark on an adventure. The ideal holiday for him would be a camping trip with all his friends, lots of alcohol and music, a campfire in June, and a lot of alcohol. It would just be him and his closest friends enjoying the good times. Being honest and thoughtful, he would never deliberately do anything crass like sabotage or offend. It's not uncommon for him to keep his opinions to himself, especially when he doesn't know the person well. Further, he has a desperate need for success in order to compensate for his terrible flaws. Often in over his head, he always aims high, but his lust for improvement is something he can never satisfy.

It was always a source of worry for him that his classmates would outdo him in every aspect. As far as education and obtaining a diploma or enrolling in university was concerned, he was not interested. His goal was to get into work as quickly as possible and earn money. The main goal he had at that point was to be better than his classmates - to be known as victorious and dominant. The plan did work, and he got a paying job much earlier than many others. He was the one who received the glory.

It was then that he began to have stability issues. His bank account suddenly bulged with cash. As if by magic, Conall felt the need to buy things he didn't need, or wanted, or had no use for. Spending money on gadgets and trinkets he couldn't actually use was a waste of his money. As well as buying lunch at work when he had already packed one, he wasted a lot of money on crap food. It was just a matter of having money for the sake of having money, and he had no idea about financial security. Within a week of receiving his paycheck, his stability was put into question. Within a short period of time, he became very aware of how he was exploiting his sensual pleasure to the detriment of everyone around him, including himself. Despite the fact that he felt like he was throwing his money away, it felt like success at the time. Having a wallet that wasn't empty felt right.

After getting his act together, Conall realized that he was adept at stuff. There were things that he was proficient at, and he was competent at a lot of things, but he really wasn't adept at anything in particular. He specialized in doing things that everyone could do. Typing, writing, reading, coughing, and tutting were all things he knew how to do. In order to take advantage of this, he ventured into administrative work. His friends mocked him at his interest in becoming a proofreader or doing secretarial work, but the joke was on them once they became aware of his salary. The acquisition of information soon became his forte, and his general knowledge (which was already a significant skill of his) grew in scope. His brain was fed with useless, stupid facts that kept him amused and entertained. He knew things that others did not know. His automatic laziness was briefly broken by these facts. Additionally, he was interested in politics at that time in his life, and he liked to debate. Despite his dislike of politicians, he considered pursuing that career path mostly for money. When he realized how much he hated them, he changed his mind. In fact, he became associated with the cleverness of his colleagues, and several of them sought his advice before making decisions.

Then his father passed away. Just got up to wash one morning and collapsed. Conall also felt like his heart had stopped like his father. One of the only times in his life when things seemed to be looking up was quickly shattered. In Conall's life, he had never lost anyone to anything. He had never had a pet so was unused to the idea of mental loss, and yet he was alone when he needed protection from it all. Then he took a month or so off work, adding to the excuses every time he considered returning. Day by day, his personal hygiene was nonexistent as he stared at a computer screen. In addition to itching, redness, and blotching on his face, he would stay up late for hours just 'being'. It was clear he needed some serious nurturing, but when he turned to his family, they weren't there - they had been crushed by the loss of a loved one as well, and family values had disappeared. It seemed that he disintegrated, dissociated, and vanished into thin air. This is unlike most families who would band together and strive to be stronger after the death of a family member. He decided to immortalize his grief in a book while on leave, rather than wallow in woe-is-me self-pity. During his long rant, he compiled, compressed, and portrayed every emotion he experienced from birth to his father's death.

That's when it happened. It was mostly for his own sake that he published the book, but he liked the idea of receiving a royalty. There was one publisher, Harpendale's, that agreed to bind and publish the book. The significance of this was immense. They had actually agreed to do it, he couldn't believe it. To be honest, he sent them the manuscript more as a way of proving to himself that he hated wasting time. He was contacted by them within about three weeks, and they said they would like to explore developing it further with him. In a flurry of excitement, he agreed, and three major high street stores began selling the book. It was a big deal. It was now like a huge deal. Conall was amazed that this was happening, and even though he was not much better off, it was better than returning to work in mourning. As people discussed the book and him on forums and social media, they hoped there would be a sequel. It can be said that Conall had unintentionally achieved fame even in the smallest of ways. There were so many people he cursed out in that book as he complained about life. Despite that, he had a touch of anxiety, but it was nothing compared to this new phase of his life. As well as taking his mind away from his dad, it almost made him forget about him. Essentially, the book served as a cathartic experience. He had also made some really pleasant new acquaintances, including some influential people. They helped guide him when it came to dealing with questions and emails, showing him some enlightenment.

In time, Conall returned to work (a mere inconvenience that had interfered with his mourning and book deal) and decided he would do better. Nothing would get in his way or drag him down this time, and that dad's death was the most terrible thing that could happen. Although he was praised by colleagues for the book, Conall knew he would be destined for a career of service - he was just another underling. After sweeping his apologies under the rug regarding his prolonged absence, and all those fiddly details to the higher-ups straightened out, he returned to work. Despite his hopes, he was slightly better off than before his father's death. However, if he wanted a higher salary or to achieve more, he knew that loyalty to this piece of crap law firm was the only way.

Conall's life did not change after the book was published, and despite its huge popularity, he remains at the lawyer's office today. His usual routine was to walk through the front door, change into his clothes, play online games, or sleep. In spite of never receiving a promotion, he is still employed as an administrative assistant on a relatively friendly team. In a society where pragmatism, altruism, and enthusiasm are quickly eroding, Conall hopes his cry for pragmatism, altruism, and enthusiasm isn't too far off.

"...obviously that would indicate we will need to alternate between several clients simultaneously, which personally, I think is really key to..."

"...yup..."

"...and we have to anticipate another GDP downturn, especially when-- oh, also, I forgot to mention how you'll be liable for any errors you create while multitasking if you don't feel that..."

"...yup, sure..."

"...furthermore, despite your previous work environment, we do now undergo several different programs a week which could strategically diversify how you'll be..."

"...yeah, absolutely.... yup.... mhm..."

It had been the same crap she had been droning on for the past forty-two... forty-three minutes now. He had left the job for only sixty days, seventy max, and already Conall was regretting even the notion of returning to his workplace. Some dappy, nerdy cow had come in with her work ethics and production schedules. This is the general bullshit you'd expect from someone that graduated from a university you can't even pronounce. Just then, he would kill to be at home playing either with himself or by himself. In fact, at that very moment, a raspberry creme doughnut would have been down a treat. After his last departure, they rolled in this pathetic trialling ceremony that was exhausting enough to listen to, let alone participate in. He could sense it already, but Conall was certain he wouldn't be returning to his old team. If he wasn't, then this was going to be just another crappy day at work with many more to follow.

"....are you still listening, Conall?..."

"...mhm, ye-no, no, of course I am?... I really think it's important to...er, maximize creati--, like for example, if I was to say to you..."

But if there was anything he was proficient at, Mr McLeod was extremely talented at worming his way out of situations. That's why, before he left, his work, although inconvenient, was easy enough. Typing wasn't so troublesome, neither was answering the phone - and the law, although complicated, wasn't difficult to understand. He'd washed over a hundred people like this jobsworth. In fact, it was his job to prepare lawyers for clients like her. Rabbiting on about functional output and nonsense like that, if they were giving him his job back, all they had to do was say so.