If you were looking for the character of the day from Crisis at Ferroseed Research! with the Japanese name of "Clay", see Case.

Clay
ヤーコン Yakon
"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 LeaderBWB2W2
Pokémon TrainerB2W2
Generation V
Games Black and White
Black 2 and White 2
Leader of Driftveil Gym
Badge Quake Badge
Specializes in Ground types
Anime debut The Mighty Accelguard to the Rescue!
English voice actor Sean Schemmel
Japanese voice actor Tsuguo Mogami

Clay (Japanese: ヤーコン Yakon) is the Gym Leader of Driftveil City's Gym, known officially as the Driftveil Gym. He specializes in Ground-type 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".

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.

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. Another Trainer that can be battled inside the Driftveil Gym says that Clay stays at the bottom of the Gym to remind himself that he once had nothing. A backpacker inside the Nacrene City Pokémon Center says that Clay found Fossils on Twist Mountain and donated them to the Nacrene City Museum.

In Pokémon Black 2 and White 2, he returns as a Gym Leader. The TM Clay gives away remains the same, though he gives it out immediately after the battle rather than outside Chargestone Cave, as there is no longer any Galvantula web blocking the entrance.

After the Gym battle, Clay will take the player up his private lift to the entrance of the gym and then leaves. Outside of the Gym, he is with Hugh and notices that the player and Hugh are friends, and then proceed to show the two trainers to the Pokémon World Tournament south of Driftveil City. Once there, he goes inside and tells them both to join in the Driftveil Tournament. Cheren is already there and participates as well. After the tournament, Roxie turns up and learns about the tournament, and leaves again. Clay follows and leaves the player to continue the adventure.

Pokémon

Pokémon Black and White



Pokémon Black 2 and White 2

Gym Battle
Normal Mode



Challenge Mode



Pokémon World Tournament

Clay uses three of these Pokémon in Single Battles, four in Double and Rotation Battles and all six in Triple Battles.

Driftveil Tournament



Unova Leaders Tournament



Type Experts/World Leaders Tournament



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."
  •  During battle (the first non-KO hit)
"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!"
"I don't know how much potential ya got, 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."
  • 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

Pokémon Black 2 and White 2

Driftveil Gym

  • Before battle
"Harrumph! Kept me waitin', didn't ya, kid? All right, time to see what ya can do!"
  • During battle (the first non-KO hit)
"Impressive! That's some strength you've got!"
  • After sending out last Pokémon
"No hard feelings, but I'm extremely stubborn!"
  • When defeated
"Man oh man… It feels good to go all out and still be defeated!"
  • After being defeated
"Phew… You're really somethin'! Li'l whippersnapper Trainers who pack a real punch keep showin' up one after another. Mrmph. Here! Take this!"
"So this is yer fifth Badge, huh? If that's so, Pokémon up to Lv. 60 will obey ya. Here! Take this, too!"
"Well, I suppose… Come thisaway!"
  • In the Gym's hall
"Good dancers are crucial fer puttin' on a good show!"

In front of the Gym

"Oh, so you two squirts know each other, huh? Ya both ain't bad, so I wanna show ya somethin'."
"There's always room for folks to grow and change, ain't there? And, if ya only go after what ya think is right, ya might end up rejectin' all thoughts and opinions other than yer own. That's mighty dangerous."
"Ya ever heard of the Pokémon World Tournament? Trainers from all over the world gather on up to see who's toughest!"
"Well then, I'll be waitin' for you at the south end of town!"

Pokémon World Tournament

"Here we are! Whaddya think? Great buildin', huh? Here's where the Pokémon World Tournament takes place! Ain't she purty? Follow me, tads!"
"This time, I'm gonna have ya participate in the Driftveil Tournament. Anything goes in this here tournament! Eight people will be participatin', and if ya win three times, yer the champion!"
"Ya know somethin', Cheren. The one who's gotta show everyone what Pokémon battlin' means--is you. And yer pal ain't here, either! I'm countin' on the power of youth, 'cause everyone likes up-and-comin' stars! OK! Whenever yer ready, get on over to reception!"
"An outstandin' battle, runts! Now everybody's gonna want to join in on this here tournament an' show their stuff!"
"See what I mean? People are pourin' in already! If the strongest Trainers from all over join in, it'll raise up everybody's level of skill! An' then, li'l ol' Driftveil City will grow even more and make a heap of money! So keep on bustin' those battles and rilin' everybody up! See ya!"

Memory Link - Different Bones and Dreams

"Hey there! What's everyone all gathered up for?"
(to Burgh) "Found a Fossil in Twist Mountain. I came here to have Lenora look at it and see if ya wanted to keep it here or somethin'."
"Hmm? Well now... No matter who ya are or when ya die, bones are all that'll be left of ya. When ya think about it, it's amazin'. Even if ya die, ya can make money! Some Fossils are worth a lot, ya know!"
(to Lenora) "Here ya go! Whaddaya think? It's gotta be worth a mint as a specimen or as a collectible! Which is it?"
"That so? Guess my Twist Mountain still has unlimited potential! All right! I'll keep on diggin' my Clay Tunnel! Here, Burgh! That plain ol' Fossil's yours! Have a look at it and think about what bones mean to ya."

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

       
Clay's sprite from
Black and White
Clay's sprite from
Black 2 and White 2
Clay's VS sprite from
Generation V
Clay's overworld sprite from
Generation V

In the anime

 
Clay in the anime

Clay made his first appearance in The Mighty Accelguard to the Rescue!. Ash and his friends met him right after they had arrived at Driftveil City, and Ash asked him for a battle. However, he refused to battle Ash at the time because he had to check out a mine at the edge of town. Ash would try to battle Clay again in Stopping the Rage of Legends! Part 1 but he refused yet again. He claimed that he could not have a battle with him if he did not have any Revival Herbs. When Ash asked what they were, Clay criticized him for not knowing and said that he probably wouldn't be worth battling. However, he did promise a battle if he brought him some Revival Herbs.

 
Clay as a child

After Ash obtained the herbs in Stopping the Rage of Legends! Part 2, he immediately went to Clay in the next episode. He was surprised that Ash was able to get the herbs and finally accepted his challenge. Ash managed to defeat Clay and he gave him the Quake Badge.

Clay is shown to have started his life as a miner when he was around Ash’s age with his Excadrill. One of his mines would later become the Driftveil Gym. He greatly values experience through hard work and views Ash's youth and inexperience with contempt, though he later gains new respect for the young Trainer after their battle. Clay prefers a frontal assault style of battling and becomes enraged when Ash uses strategy like his Snivy's Attract to stop his Palpitoad.

Pokémon

This listing is of Clay's known Pokémon in the anime:

 
Krokorok
Clay's Krokorok first appeared in Battling the King of the Mines!, where it was used to battle Ash's Oshawott. At first Krokorok used dust to blind Oshawott, allowing it to land many successful hits. However, finally Oshawott was able to clean his eyes with his own Water Gun and then defeat Krokorok with Razor Shell.

Krokorok's known moves are Dig, Sandstorm, Bite and Stone Edge.

Debut Battling the King of the Mines!
Voice actors
Japanese Kiyotaka Furushima
English Marc Thompson
 
Palpitoad
Clay's Palpitoad first appeared in Battling the King of the Mines!, where he was used in a Gym battle against Ash. He easily defeated Ash's Oshawott, after which he battled with Snivy. Snivy started by using Attract on Palpitoad, which became infatuated, thus making him unable to attack and an easy target for Snivy, which hit him with all of her attacks and finally defeated him with a Leaf Storm.

Palpitoad's known moves are Hydro Pump, Sludge Bomb and Rock Smash.

Debut Battling the King of the Mines!
Voice actors
Japanese Akeno Watanabe
English Carter Cathcart
 
Excadrill
Clay's Excadrill first appeared in Battling the King of the Mines!, where it was used in a Gym battle against Ash's Snivy. It was easily able to block all of Snivy's attacks and then knock her out. Next Ash used Roggenrola. Thanks to its Ability Sturdy, Roggenrola could avoid being knocked out by Excadrill's Horn Drill. Later Roggenrola evolved into a Boldore and defeated the Subterrene Pokémon with its newly learned Rock Blast and Rock Smash attacks.

According to Clay, Excadrill has been his Pokémon since he was a kid, and has helped him with digging out and expanding the mine he was working on that would eventually become the current form of the Driftveil Gym.

Excadrill's known moves are Rapid Spin, Horn Drill, Drill Run and Rock Smash.

Debut Battling the King of the Mines!
Voice actors
Japanese Kensuke Satō
English Tom Wayland

Voice actors

Language Voice actor
Japanese 最上嗣生 Tsuguo Mogami
English Sean Schemmel
Mandarin Chinese 于正昇 Yú Zhèngshēng
Spanish Latin America Humberto Vélez
Spain Fernando Elegido


In the manga

In the Pokémon Adventures manga

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. Later, Clay goes to the Driftveil Drawbridge to fix it after it breaks, preventing anyone from crossing it. It was revealed that the cause of the malfunction was a Zorua that Black had met in Castelia.

Sometime later, Clay faces Black in a Gym battle and is defeated by Black's newly-captured Tirtouga. Later, they go through the Chargestone Cave and arrive in Mistralton City. They go to the Celestial Tower to meet up with the other Unova Gym Leaders.

After meeting up with the other Gym Leaders, Clay and his allies leave to Nacrene City to protect the Dark Stone from being stolen by the Shadow Triad. Despite their teamwork, Clay and the other Gym Leaders are defeated by the Shadow Triad's trump card, the Kami trio.

Pokémon

 
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. Later, it was used to battle Black in a Gym battle and tied with his Nite.

Excadrill's known moves are Drill Run and Dig.

Debut Defeating Stoutland
 
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. Later, it was used to battle Black in a Gym battle and was defeated by his Goura.

Krokorok's only known move is Sand Tomb.

Debut Defeating Stoutland
 
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. Later, it was used to battle Black in a Gym battle and tied with his Musha.

Palpitoad's only known move is Hydro Pump.

Debut Defeating Stoutland


Trivia

  • His Japanese Leader title is アンダーグラウンド ボス.
  • All of Clay's Pokémon in Pokémon Black and White are also owned by main characters in the anime, although Krokorok joined a main character's team after Clay's Krokorok's appearance.
  • Clay is also the first Gym Leader since Giovanni to specialize in Ground-type Pokemon.

Names

Language Name Origin
Japanese ヤーコン Yakon 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 Yakon Same as Japanese name.
Chinese (Mandarin) 老大 Boss Jú From 菊薯 júshǔ (yacón).


Gym Leaders of the Unova region
Striaton Gym  
     
Cilan Chili Cress
Nacrene Gym  
 
Lenora
Castelia Gym  
 
Burgh
Nimbasa Gym  
 
Elesa
Driftveil Gym  
 
Clay
Mistralton Gym  
 
Skyla
Icirrus Gym  
 
Brycen
Opelucid Gym  
   
Drayden Iris
Aspertia Gym  
 
Cheren
Virbank Gym  
 
Roxie
Humilau Gym  
 
Marlon


  This game character article is part of Project CharacterDex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each character found in the Pokémon games.