Clay is the Gym Leader of the Driftveil City Gym. His gym is the fifth gym to be challenged by the trainer. He specializes in using Ground-type Pokémon. He will award the player character the Quake Badge if defeated. His outfit resembles that of a Texan businessman's and he has a Texan accent.
Appearance
Clay is a large man with brown hair and eyes. Clay wears a large cowboy hat, with a yellow stripe and a teal gem on the front. Clay also wears a sleeveless jacket, with small ribbons on his chest, as well as a hazel shirt underneath. He also wears teal pants, with a belt with a yellow buckle, underneath his large brown ones, as well as a pair of dark shoes. Clay is usually seen with his large suitcase and has a watch on his left arm.
Personality
Judging by his appearance, Clay has the serious attitude of an industrious and time-constrained company owner.
Biography
Games
Black and White
Clay first appears after Elesa asks him to lower the bridge that links Nimbasa and Driftveil. He later blames the player character and Cheren for allowing Team Plasma into Driftveil. Since he blames them, he asks the player character to find the Plasma members. They can be found in the Cold Storage. After finding Team Plasma, Clay comes in and arrests Team Plasma but they escape. After that, the player character can challenge Clay.
He is later seen helping the player character in N's Castle by holding off all of the Sages alongside the other Gym Leaders, excluding Cilan, Chili and Cress.
Black 2 and White 2
In Black 2 and White 2, he has redesigned his Gym. After the player character defeats him. Clay will question Hugh on his rage towards Team Plasma. If Memory Link is used, it is shown that Clay interrupts a conversation between Burgh and Lenora about bones, by bringing a fossil for her to evaluate as he hopes to sell the piece at a high price. Unfortunately for Clay, the fossil was quite common, however with a rather unusual soil. This brings newfound hope for Clay to keep digging on his tunnel. Burgh questions Clay about what he thinks on bones. Clay replies that bones are what's left when one passes away. The three are seen satisfied with the many opinions on the subject.
Manga
- Main article: Clay (Adventures)
Anime
- Main article: Clay (anime)
Clay debuted in "The Mighty Accelguard to the Rescue!, though it was a short cameo. When Ash arrived to challenge him, he respectfully declined because he said he had to check on a mine he owned and left the Gym.
He appeared again in the first part of "Stopping the Rage of Legends!" where Ash challenged him to a Gym Battle but declined yet again saying he needed Revival herbs.
Ash finally battled Clay in "Battling the King of the Mines!" and after a hard fought battle and the evolution of Ash's Roggenrola, Ash won battle and the Quake Badge.
Generations
- Main article: Clay (Generations)
Sprites
| BW battle sprite |
| B2W2 battle sprite |
| VS. Sprite | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  |
Pokémon
Games
Black and White
 Krokorok  
|  Palpitoad 
|  Excadrill 
| |||||||||
| Lv. 29 | ♂ | Lv. 29 | ♂ | Lv. 31 | ♂ | ||||||
| Ability: Moxie | Ability: Swift Swim | Ability: Sand Rush | |||||||||
| Item: None | Item: None | Item: None | |||||||||
| Crunch | Muddy Water | Slash | |||||||||
| Swagger | Aqua Ring | Rock Slide | |||||||||
| Bulldoze | Bulldoze | Bulldoze | |||||||||
| Torment | Bubblebeam | Hone Claws | |||||||||
Black 2 and White 2
- Gym Battle
| Krokorok
|  Sandslash
| Excadrill
| |||||||||
| Lv. 31 | ♂ | Lv. 31 | ♂ | Lv. 33 | ♂ | ||||||
| Ability: Intimidate | Ability: Sand Veil | Ability: Sand Force | |||||||||
| Item: None | Item: None | Item: Sitrus Berry | |||||||||
| Bulldoze | Bulldoze | Bulldoze | |||||||||
| Crunch | Crush Claw | Metal Claw | |||||||||
| Sand Tomb | Rollout | Slash | |||||||||
| Torment | Fury Cutter | Rock Slide | |||||||||
- Driftveil Tournament/Mix Tournament
| Excadrill
|  Claydol 
| Krokorok
| Palpitoad
| Krokorok
| Palpitoad
| ||||||
| Lv. 25 | ♂ | Lv. 25 | - | Lv. 25 | ♂ | Lv. 25 | ♂ | Lv. 25 | ♂ | Lv. 25 | ♂ |
| Ability: Sand Force | Ability: Levitate | Ability: Moxie | Ability: Swift Swim | Ability: Intimidate | Ability: Hydration | ||||||
| Item: None | Item: None | Item: None | Item: None | Item: None | Item: None | ||||||
| Bulldoze | Bulldoze | Bulldoze | Bubble Beam | Sandstorm | Aqua Ring | ||||||
| Metal Claw | Psybeam | Assurance | Mud Shot | Swagger | Mud Shot | ||||||
| Slash | Sandstorm | Sand Tomb | Supersonic | Dig | Round | ||||||
| Hone Claws | Rock Tomb | Torment | Round | Bite | Rain Dance | ||||||
| Excadrill
| Claydol
| Krokorok
| Palpitoad
| Krokorok
| Palpitoad
| ||||||
| Lv. 50 | ♂ | Lv. 50 | - | Lv. 50 | ♂ | Lv. 50 | ♂ | Lv. 50 | ♂ | Lv. 50 | ♂ |
| Ability: Sand Force | Ability: Levitate | Ability: Moxie | Ability: Swift Swim | Ability: Intimidate | Ability: Hydration | ||||||
| Item: None | Item: None | Item: None | Item: None | Item: None | Item: None | ||||||
| Bulldoze | Bulldoze | Bulldoze | Bubble Beam | Sandstorm | Aqua Ring | ||||||
| Metal Claw | Psybeam | Assurance | Mud Shot | Swagger | Mud Shot | ||||||
| Slash | Sandstorm | Sand Tomb | Supersonic | Dig | Round | ||||||
| Hone Claws | Rock Tomb | Torment | Round | Bite | Rain Dance | ||||||
- Ground-type Tournament
- Unova Gym Leader Tournament/World Leaders Tournament
Trivia
- Clay's Japanese Leader title is アンダーグラウンド ボス / Andaaguraundo Bosu. "Underground Boss"
- Clay is the first Gym Leader from the old west.
- Clay's name is based on the type of rock found when digging.
- All of Clay's Pokémon are the same in both anime & game.
