Clay

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Clay
ヤーコン Yacon
"The Underground Boss"
Black White Clay.png
Artwork from Black and White
Gender Male
Eye color Brown
Hair color Brown
Hometown Driftveil City
Region Unova
Trainer class Gym Leader
Generation V
Games Black and White
Leader of Driftveil Gym
Badge Quake Badge
Specializes in Template:Type2s

Clay (Japanese: ヤーコン Yacon) is the Gym Leader of Driftveil City's Gym, known officially as the Driftveil Gym. He specializes in Template:Type2 Pokémon. He gives the Quake Badge to Trainers who defeat him.

In the games

Clay appears in Pokémon Black and White as the Gym Leader of Driftveil City's Gym. This Gym will be the fifth to be challenged by the player. Trainers who defeat Clay will receive the Quake Badge. Shortly after, he appears on Route 6 to aid the player in removing the Galvantula web blocking the entrance to the Chargestone Cave. After his Krokorok removes the web, he gives TM78 (Bulldoze) to the player. He also reappears again at N's Castle where he and the other Unova Gym Leaders hold off the Seven Sages.

When the player is cornered by the Seven Sages, Clay is the first of the Unova Gym Leaders to march in. He asks the player if he is tired out yet, then the rest of the Unova Gym Leaders, with the exception of Cilan, Chili and Cress, walk in and take positions opposite each sage in pairs. Drayden then tells the player to proceed in pursuit of N.

Once the player gains access to the Driftveil Gym, Clay will be standing outside of the Gym, opposite Ghetsis and some Team Plasma Grunts. Ghetsis refers to Clay as the 'Miner King,' which is what the Driftveil Gym Leader is also known as.

One of the trainers the player can battle inside the Driftveil Gym says that Clay is a company president. However, it is not known what business Clay actually owns. When the player encounters the Driftveil Gym Leader inside of Twist Mountain on his/her first visit after obtaining the Mistralton Gym Badge, he will say that Twist Mountain belongs to him, and that the player and Cheren can train on it should they wish to do so.

Pokémon

Pokémon Black and White

Gym match




Clay's strategy throughout the battle can be unpredictable. Using his Krokorok, he likes to combine the use of Swagger and Torment to hinder the use of moves by his opponent. Should his Krokorok be defeated, he will send out either his Palpitoad, or Excadrill. His likes his Palpitoad to utilize Muddy Water in the battle, as well as using Aqua Ring to gradually restore Palpitoad's HP. His Excadrill is the strongest of the three Pokémon in Clay's team, and he likes to combine Hone Claws with Slash and Bulldoze to inflict massive damage on his opponents, as Hone Claws raises the base attack of Excadrill, boosting the power of its physical moves, which Bulldoze and Slash are two examples of.

Quotes

Pokémon Black and White

Driftveil City

"Hrmph! So yer the Trainer Elesa was talkin' about, huh. I'm Clay. I'm the Gym Leader 'round these parts. Don't be expectin' no welcome, now. 'Cause when we lowered that bridge, the Team Plasma guys we'd caught done escaped in all the ruckus!"
"Ya can say whatever ya want. But what's important is y'all showed up, and then Team Plasma escaped. Maybe it's a little heavy-handed, but you oughtta start lookin' for Team Plasma, too. Yer both talented Trainers, aren't ya? Tell ya what... If ya find Team Plasma, I'll let ya challenge my Gym! Life's all about give and take!"

Cold Storage

"Well, I'll be! Hidin' in a chilly old place like this... You guys take these Pokémon robbers!"
"You guys ain't so bad! Yup, a promise is a promise. Come on an' challenge my Gym!"

Driftveil City

"I don't need no thanks, now. Yer buddies were tryin' to steal some folks' Pokémon."
"Well, that sounds real nice, if it's true. I may not talk purty, but at least I'm an honest man. You talk real nice, but what yer sayin' kinda sounds like lyin'. So tell me plain, what are ya tryin' to say?"
"...Well, I can't tell if yer lyin' or not, but I reckon you've won this without a fight. Hrrmph. Fine. Take 'em and git!"
"Sorry to let Team Plasma go after you tracked 'em down, fellas. Say, why don't we cheer ourselves up with a Pokémon battle? Don't keep me waitin'!"

Driftveil Gym

  • Before battle
"Well.. Think it's about time fer myself what it is about yer skills that makes a Gym Leader like Elesa take such a shine to ya."
  • After the first move
"Well I'll be! Sure didn't see that coming."
  • After sending out last Pokémon
"Givin' up's the easy way out! If I wanted, I could have given up any old time!"
  • When defeated
"Well, I've had enough... and just so you know, I didn't go easy on you."
  • After being defeated
"Mrrrmph I see. But I sure don't like it! Fer such a young 'un, ya have an imposin' battle style. I know ya got people who can dig up yer potential. Mrmph. Here! Take this! So this is yer fifth Badge, huh? If that's so, Pokémon up to Lv. 60 will obey ya. Also, I'll give ya this TM. ...Well, that was the plan, but I just remembered there's somethin' I want. Wait in front of the cave at the end of Route 6, wouldja?"
"What's the problem? Go wait in front of the cave at the end of Route 6!"
  • Post game:
"Mrrrmph! You, huh? Remember what I done told ya? If ya think ya can go, go wherever, and if ya think ya can do somethin', keep doin' it. Do things how ya want! Decide yer own limits."

Chargestone Cave

"Thanks fer waitin'. Looks like th' nest of an Electric-type Pokémon called Galvantula. Don't know why there's a nest here, but if there are folks havin' problems, th' Gym Leader's th' one ta fix it. Krokorok! Take it out! And this here TM's yours. It's my favorite TM, so ya can teach it ta all of yer Pokémon! It's called Bulldoze. This move does damage and lowers the Speed of any Pokémon it hits. Some Ground-type Pokémon move a little slower than ya'd like. If ya use Bulldoze right, ya can cover that weakness! I don't know how good you really are, but if ya think ya can go, go wherever, and if ya think ya can do somethin', keep doin' it. Do things how ya want! Decide yer own limits."

Twist Mountain

"What a surprise. Seein' ya here while I was inspectin' Twist Mountain. Th' two of ya seem a bit more rugged than the last time I saw ya. A li'l bit, anyway..."
"By th'by... You folks seen that Team Plasma crowd lately? After all the trouble, we Gym Leaders met up and had a chat. But we've got no clue where they are. It's like they're hidin' under a rock. Well, not much to do but wait for 'em to move. Anyhow, this's none o' yer concern. Squirts like the two of ya should just enjoy travelin' with yer Pokémon. Twist Mountain's a fine place to explore! You'll have some fun if you just leave this here path... Weeell... Better ya just see it yerself, 'stead o' listenin' to me yammer. Be seein' ya, sprouts! Feel free to train yerselves on my mountain fer as long's ya like."

N's Castle

"Can ya manage that?"
"Still standin', are ya, <player>?"
"Hrrmph! Ain't just me!"
"Things aren't gonna go th' way ya fellas think they are! I'm sure o' that!"

Badge Case

Ya always want to live honestly fer yerself and yer Pokémon

National Gymquirer

Jingle: "Woo hoo! All right! It's 'The National Gymquirer'!"
Page: "That's right! We collect the hottest gossip about Gym Leaders seen around town! Here is today's letter. From someone going by the name Veildrifter. Thank yooou! 'You know how Gym Leader Clay never takes off his hat? Well, the other day I finally saw him take it off... And underneath his big hat was a fluffy knit hat! He wears two hats! Weird, huh?' Hmm... That seems like it would be way too warm! Still, I wonder if that isn't just Clay's hair sticking up all funny... 'The National Gymquirer'! We eagerly await your letters!"

Sprites

Spr BW Clay.png VSClay.png
Clay's sprite from
Generation V
Clay's VS sprite from
Generation V


In the manga

Pokémon Adventures

File:Clay Adventures.png
Clay in Pokémon Adventures

Clay makes his first appearance reporting the discovery of a mysterious stone he found at Twist Mountain to Lenora after her Gym battle with Black. It is shown that his Pokémon are guarding the mysterious stone while the Shadow Triad spy on them from afar.

Clay's Excadrill
Excadrill
Excadrill is Clay's first seen Pokémon. It was first seen guarding the Dark Stone along with Clay's other Pokémon while being spied on by a robot Roggenrola used by the Shadow Triad.

Excadrill's moves are unknown.

Debut Black & White chapter
Clay's Krokorok
Krokorok
Krokorok is Clay's second seen Pokémon. It was first seen guarding the Dark Stone along with Clay's other Pokémon while being spied on by a robot Roggenrola used by the Shadow Triad.

Krokorok's moves are unknown.

Debut Black & White chapter
Clay's Palpitoad
Palpitoad
Palpitoad is Clay's third seen Pokémon. It was first seen guarding the Dark Stone along with Clay's other Pokémon while being spied on by a robot Roggenrola used by the Shadow Triad.

Palpitoad's moves are unknown.

Debut Black & White chapter

Trivia

  • His Japanese Leader title is アンダーグラウンド ボス.

Names

Language Name Origin
Japanese ヤーコン Yacon From yacón. May also be from 坤 kon (kun), a trigram in I Ching that represents earth.
English Clay From clay.
French Bardane From bardane, burdock.
German Turner Possibly from "turnip".
Italian Rafan From rafano, radish.
Spanish Yakón Same as Japanese name.
Korean 야콘 Yacon Same as Japanese name.


Gym Leaders of the Unova region
Striaton Gym Trio Badge
Cilan OD.png Chili OD.png Cress OD.png
Cilan Chili Cress
Nacrene Gym Basic Badge
Lenora OD.png
Lenora
Castelia Gym Insect Badge
Burgh OD.png
Burgh
Nimbasa Gym Bolt Badge
Elesa OD.png
Elesa
Driftveil Gym Quake Badge
Clay OD.png
Clay
Mistralton Gym Jet Badge
Skyla OD.png
Skyla
Icirrus Gym Freeze Badge
Brycen OD.png
Brycen
Opelucid Gym Legend Badge
Drayden OD.png Iris BW OD.png
Drayden Iris
Aspertia Gym Basic Badge
Cheren OD.png
Cheren
Virbank Gym Toxic Badge
Roxie OD.png
Roxie
Humilau Gym Wave Badge
Marlon OD.png
Marlon


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