TV-Series
Description
Harley is a Pokémon Coordinator who serves as a primary rival to May during the Advanced Generation series of the Pokémon anime. He is originally from Slateport City and made his first appearance on Izabe Island, where he and May were both participants in the same Pokémon Contest.
Harley is a tall, slender man with long purple hair and teal eyes. His most distinctive physical feature is his flamboyant outfit, which is designed to closely resemble his signature Pokémon, Cacturne. This costume includes a green, spike-adorned tunic and go-go boots. His overall appearance and fashion sense are highly extravagant, and he carries his Pokédex in a manner resembling a compact mirror. His gestures, way of walking with a sway of his hips, and running style are often described as effeminate. He frequently addresses others with pet names like honey or hun, and may use phrases such as toodle-oo when taking his leave.
Underneath his polished exterior, Harley possesses a scheming, petty, and vindictive personality. His rivalry with May began not from a major conflict, but from a series of minor perceived slights during their first meeting. He was offended when she did not recognize his Cacturne and had to consult her Pokédex, when she described Cacturne as scary-looking, and when she said that his homemade cookies were not half bad, which he took as an insult rather than a compliment. He keeps a notebook containing photos of those he considers enemies, and after this initial encounter, he placed May's picture inside and drew a skull and crossbones over it.
Harley's primary motivation is to get revenge for these insults by any means necessary, primarily by humiliating May and ensuring her defeat in Pokémon Contests. He is highly manipulative and shows no qualms about using underhanded tactics. Among his schemes are giving May deliberately poor strategic advice during a battle, which nearly cost her the win. He has also recorded May's younger brother Max telling an embarrassing story about her childhood involving a group of Tentacool and played it for an audience during a Contest to stress her out. He has even allied himself with Team Rocket on multiple occasions, even lending them his own Pokémon to use against May, in an effort to sabotage her chances of earning Contest Ribbons. Beyond plotting against May, his actions in Contests are designed to shock or frighten the audience, such as having his Ariados cover the stage in webs.
In the story, Harley functions as a recurring antagonist and rival for May throughout the Hoenn and Kanto Contest circuits. Despite his constant cheating and deception, he is a highly capable Coordinator who has earned many Ribbons, more than enough to qualify for major competitions like the Grand Festival. While he manages to defeat May in a Contest at least once, he loses to her on most other occasions, including their battles in the Hoenn Grand Festival and the Kanto Grand Festival.
Despite his antagonistic role, Harley has a complex background that adds depth to his character. A flashback reveals that when he was about four years old, a young girl who bore a striking resemblance to May ate a special octopus-shaped sausage he had been saving, an event that traumatized him and subconsciously fueled his grudge against May years later. He also demonstrates a very subtle character development. While he is usually duplicitous and hostile, he once competed against May without using any tricks and won fairly. Furthermore, after the Kanto Grand Festival concluded, he gave a frustrated and uncertain May some harsh but genuine encouragement, suggesting that underneath his petty exterior, he may have developed a grudging respect for her.
Harley is known for keeping a team of Pokémon that reflect his mischievous and theatrical nature. His signature Pokémon is Cacturne, which he dresses like and shares a strong bond with. His other known Pokémon include Banette, Ariados, Octillery, and a distinctly sharp-eyed Wigglytuff. He uses these Pokémon in Contests to execute performances that are often dark, frightening, or dramatic. In a notable incident meant to rattle May before a battle, he cross-dressed in an elaborate costume to imitate her appearance, complete with a wig and her signature bandana.
Harley is a tall, slender man with long purple hair and teal eyes. His most distinctive physical feature is his flamboyant outfit, which is designed to closely resemble his signature Pokémon, Cacturne. This costume includes a green, spike-adorned tunic and go-go boots. His overall appearance and fashion sense are highly extravagant, and he carries his Pokédex in a manner resembling a compact mirror. His gestures, way of walking with a sway of his hips, and running style are often described as effeminate. He frequently addresses others with pet names like honey or hun, and may use phrases such as toodle-oo when taking his leave.
Underneath his polished exterior, Harley possesses a scheming, petty, and vindictive personality. His rivalry with May began not from a major conflict, but from a series of minor perceived slights during their first meeting. He was offended when she did not recognize his Cacturne and had to consult her Pokédex, when she described Cacturne as scary-looking, and when she said that his homemade cookies were not half bad, which he took as an insult rather than a compliment. He keeps a notebook containing photos of those he considers enemies, and after this initial encounter, he placed May's picture inside and drew a skull and crossbones over it.
Harley's primary motivation is to get revenge for these insults by any means necessary, primarily by humiliating May and ensuring her defeat in Pokémon Contests. He is highly manipulative and shows no qualms about using underhanded tactics. Among his schemes are giving May deliberately poor strategic advice during a battle, which nearly cost her the win. He has also recorded May's younger brother Max telling an embarrassing story about her childhood involving a group of Tentacool and played it for an audience during a Contest to stress her out. He has even allied himself with Team Rocket on multiple occasions, even lending them his own Pokémon to use against May, in an effort to sabotage her chances of earning Contest Ribbons. Beyond plotting against May, his actions in Contests are designed to shock or frighten the audience, such as having his Ariados cover the stage in webs.
In the story, Harley functions as a recurring antagonist and rival for May throughout the Hoenn and Kanto Contest circuits. Despite his constant cheating and deception, he is a highly capable Coordinator who has earned many Ribbons, more than enough to qualify for major competitions like the Grand Festival. While he manages to defeat May in a Contest at least once, he loses to her on most other occasions, including their battles in the Hoenn Grand Festival and the Kanto Grand Festival.
Despite his antagonistic role, Harley has a complex background that adds depth to his character. A flashback reveals that when he was about four years old, a young girl who bore a striking resemblance to May ate a special octopus-shaped sausage he had been saving, an event that traumatized him and subconsciously fueled his grudge against May years later. He also demonstrates a very subtle character development. While he is usually duplicitous and hostile, he once competed against May without using any tricks and won fairly. Furthermore, after the Kanto Grand Festival concluded, he gave a frustrated and uncertain May some harsh but genuine encouragement, suggesting that underneath his petty exterior, he may have developed a grudging respect for her.
Harley is known for keeping a team of Pokémon that reflect his mischievous and theatrical nature. His signature Pokémon is Cacturne, which he dresses like and shares a strong bond with. His other known Pokémon include Banette, Ariados, Octillery, and a distinctly sharp-eyed Wigglytuff. He uses these Pokémon in Contests to execute performances that are often dark, frightening, or dramatic. In a notable incident meant to rattle May before a battle, he cross-dressed in an elaborate costume to imitate her appearance, complete with a wig and her signature bandana.