10 Facts About Peony Hanada

1. She has light blue hair, a mixture of her parents’ colors, and blue eyes like her father. Her hair is a medium length and she usually keeps it tied back in a ponytail, though when they were younger (before their falling out), Heather would always like to play with her big sister’s hair and put it in all sorts of braids and fancy styles. Peony never learned how to do much beyond a basic ponytail or braid so those are the styles she sticks to now.
2. She’s very sporty, always needing to do some kind of physical activity each day so she doesn’t get restless. Her favorite is undoubtedly swimming, though unlike her water ballerina mother, Peony prefers swimming just to work out, usually doing laps or long-distance swimming if she’s in the ocean. Aside from swimming, she also enjoys running, typically putting on some music and just zoning out, often finding that she’s run a good deal further than she intended. Surge occasionally joins his daughter on her runs or to work out as well and it’s one of their typical father-daughter activities.
3. Peony takes after her father more, so it’s no surprise she trains electric-types like him. Her starter was an Elekid given to her as an egg by Surge when she was around 11 years old, as a present for placing first in her school’s track and field meet.
4. Being so similar to her father, Peony tends to be closer to him than her mother, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t get along with Violet. Violet taught Peony how to swim and also was her lifeguard instructor when Peony decided to get her certification. Aside from swimming, Peony also tends to feel more comfortable going to her mother for emotional support as for all of Surge’s strengths… knowing how to handle two teen girls’ emotional drama isn’t one of them.
5. Being athletic, motivated, and a skilled trainer, Peony has always been her father’s star child. She never really realized how much this hurt and her younger sister growing up. Heather would always try to impress Peony (and by extension their father) but it never seemed to work, so over the years she grew bitter and withdrawn from her family, eventually abandoning them and falling in with a bad crowd. Peony feels horrible for not realizing what her sister was going through, as she always assumed that Heather was fine being in her own niche and wasn’t interested in all the sporty stuff she and their father were into (though Heather was also keeping these feelings to herself, not even telling Violet about how she felt left out, so her running away came as a surprise to her parents as well.)
6. Because of what happened with Heather, Peony tries to be extra observant of others’ feelings now, not wanting to unintentionally neglect someone’s wishes or desire for attention again. As a Gym Leader, she takes her responsibilities very seriously and has a reputation for being both strict and fair.
7. She’s an absolutely horrendous artist, being unable to properly draw even a stick figure. This always frustrated her growing up, especially since her cousin Camellia is a far better artist than her despite being 9 years younger. Peony has quite a bit of pride since she tends to be quite good at most things, so being outdone by someone far younger in anything is always a bit embarrassing for her.
8. While she wants to find Heather and reconcile with her, a part of Peony also resents her sister for her actions. She knows that she is partially to blame for Heather’s ultimate alienation, but by leaving she also hurt their parents, who both also regret not realizing just how they had hurt her. Peony’s strong loyalty and protectiveness of her family cause her feelings to be at war – she both wants to find Heather so they can repair their sisterly bond, but she’s also mad at her for hurting their family by leaving.
9. Being the eldest of the ‘Cerulean cousins’, Peony tends to see herself as the big sister to all her younger cousins, which is welcomed by some and… not as much by others. She takes her family very seriously and is a bit of a bossy ‘big sis’, often trying to help her cousins out whether they want it or not.
10. Like Violet, she’s conscious about her appearance and usually tries to dress in a way that’s both practical and shows off her body, typically by wearing form-fitting athletic clothes that highlight her lean frame and long legs. She doesn’t necessarily do it in a flirty manner, but rather she wants to show off how athletic she is since she’s proud of her fitness.