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Blackthorn City Gym Leader: Clair

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Name: Clair
Moniker: The Blessed User of Dragon Pokémon
Region: Johto
Role: Leader of the Blackthorn City Gym and distributor of the Rising Badge
Type Specialty: Dragon


BACKGROUND

Blackthorn City is a quaint but thriving community that is home to the legendary Dragon Clan of the Japan area and is effectively the home of both a talented Gym Leader and Pokémon Champion that take their combat styles and type preference from the legendary Dragon Clan. Clair, the younger of these two people, serves as the Gym Leader of Blackthorn City, while her cousin Lance serves as the Indigo League Champion. Both of these individuals are talented to the extreme, but even then, they both have differences that help to keep them apart. Clair is a young, rambunctious girl that thrives not only off of her status as a future member of the legendary Dragon Clan but also her position as a Gym Leader that refuses to let anyone walk out of her Gym with the Rising Badge she is supposed to give to victorious trainers, even if they do manage to beat her fair and square. Clair is a bit more than hotheaded and feels a great deal of pride in regards to her battling skills, but the fact that she has yet to pass the test of Dragon Mastery to become a true member of the Dragon Clan has always made her more than a bit bitter about her life in the city. It is said that Clair continues to fail the test because she does not understand what it truly means to be a trainer, but this is only speculative at best; in fact, the only thing that can be said about her is that she sees her Pokémon more as tools than living creatures, something that the Dragon Clan never intended to happen. Even so, she continues to battle every day and is strong enough to have beaten the Indigo League Elite Four on occasions before, though she has never managed to score a victory on Lance. Whether or not Clair ever manages to become a true member of the Dragon Clan is uncertain, but as long as she remains Gym Leader, it is likely that only a few Rising Badges will ever find their way into the hands of trainers, leaving only the best of the best to challenge the Indigo League in kind.


BATTLE STRATEGIES

Clair is a powerful offensive fighter that generally relies on brute force and type-matching alone to win many of her battles, but she is wise not to limit herself to offense alone and has a bit of tactical skill to back up her team in the thick of battle. Although Clair specializes in the Dragon-type, not all of her team is actually associated with the type due to the rarity of Dragon-type Pokémon in the Johto region. This can make her a bit more difficult to type-trump than many would otherwise think, a trait that she takes great pride in and uses to her utmost advantage in battle. Most of her Pokémon know a wide variety of moves and are able to take full advantage of their natural abilities in battle, a trait exemplified by her cunning combat style and use of powerful Dragon-type attacks to deal steady damage against almost every single type of Pokémon out there. However, Clair tends to be a bit erratic in her combat style and may act on her instincts more than her mind in some cases, in turn potentially leaving her open to attack from trainers smart enough to exploit this sole weakness.


PRIMARY POKEMON

Dragonite: Although Clair's Dragonite might not be anywhere near as powerful as Lance's, it is still a formidable opponent that should be feared extensively for its immense physical power. However, Clair has chosen to take a different approach with the creature and has taught it a mix of both physical and special attacks, allowing it to deal a wide degree of damage with moves such as Outrage, Extreme Speed, Draco Meteor, Earthquake, Hurricane, Stone Edge and Dragon Rush. This does little to help it much in terms of defense, but if things become a bit hectic, it has access to a Safeguard technique to help keep it safe from status conditions as well as a Hone Claws technique to increase its offensive power and overall Accuracy, not to mention that it is always holding either a Sitrus, Yache or Liechi berry to help it out in a pinch. This creature may not have much to show in battle under Clair's control alone, but at the very least, it's durable enough to pose a significant threat to anything that dares to even approach it.

Kingdra: This strange creature is among the most powerful of Water-type Pokémon and is perfectly balanced so as to make it a dangerous opponent in any situation. In many cases, Clair will start of her battle by having Kingdra use a Smokescreen technique to limit the opposition’s vision, followed by a Yawn technique to put said opposition into a state of drowsiness. Once they fall asleep, the fish can then use its Agility and Dragon Dance techniques to heavily increase its Speed and physical offenses before pummeling away at them with Waterfall, Outrage, Ice Beam, Dragon Breath, Dragon Pulse, Surf and Hydro Pump attacks while still staying far enough away to keep itself from being harmed. This fish might not have much in the way of true offense to battle with, but considering it is only weak against Fairy and Dragon-type attacks (the latter of which can be countered with a held Haban berry) and can employ a Sitrus berry or a combination of Rest and a Chesto berry to fully heal its wounds, it is still a fighter worth preparing for before battle.

Druddigon: While it might not have the best stats out of most Dragon-type Pokémon, this brute is still a real monster and can more than make things uneasy for opponents with weak defenses. After using a Glare technique to incapacitate the opposition, this beast will waste little time tearing apart its opponents with devastating Superpower, Revenge, Sucker Punch, Dragon Tail, Dragon Claw and Crunch attacks. The Salac berry it occasionally hold can help give it a needed boost to Speed in a pinch, but in most cases, one will have to avoid direct contact at all, as the beast's abrasive skin and Rocky Helmet item can make direct contact damaging for both sides. Overall, this beast might not last very long, but if not taken seriously, it will find great pleasure in tearing apart anything and anything that gets in its way.

Salamence: This beast was never meant to take a whole lot of damage in battle, instead focusing on dealing catastrophic damage without holding anything back. As such, this beast wastes little time on techniques at any point in battle, relying solely on its offenses and striking down weaker targets with powerful Earthquake, Heat Wave, Dragon Pulse, Hydro Pump, Rock Slide, Outrage and Draco Meteor attacks. The fact that this beast almost always holds either a Dragon Gem or Petaya berry for emergency situations only makes it more of a threat in battle, though its weak defenses allow it to easily be wiped out with a single strong Ice-type attack.

Garchomp: What this beast lacks in terms of defense it more than make up for in agility and power and is definitely a monster worth preparing for before battle. This dragon will usually start off battle by using a Swords Dance technique to increase is overall physical offenses before lashing out in close quarters with devastating Dual Chop, Aqua Tail and Fire Fang attacks and from afar with Rock Slide and Earthquake attacks. The Focus Sash and Yache berry items this beast often holds can make it a tough opponent to drop in a single hit, which is a serious problem as Garchomp is faster than most Dragon-type Pokémon and can thus strike with terrible force after only a single execution of its Swords Dance technique. This monster should be approached with great caution and watched carefully, as it only takes a few moments for this beast to find a weak spot and strike before one's Pokémon can even prepare a counter.

Altaria: While not among the most powerful of Dragon-type Pokémon, Altaria is still an interesting creature that can quickly become a headache if not beaten promptly. In battle, this bird will utilize a combination of Toxic, Cotton Guard, Double Team and Perish Song techniques to level the playing field and make it very difficult to strike or even get near the beast without encountering trouble. Once this is set up, Altaria will take its time in lobbing Dragon Breath and Fire Blast (potentially powered up by a held Fire Gem) attack towards its target in battle. The Leftovers it sometimes carries might be enough to repair minor damage through the course of battle, but against a strong Ice-type assault, this bird still doesn't stand a chance and should not be much of a problem to eliminate.


RESERVE POKEMON

Gyarados: Despite not being a true Dragon-type, this monstrous fish is armed to the teeth with powerful attacks and is able to use moves like Waterfall to deal immense physical damage up close or, if distance is needed, can attack with wicked Earthquake and Dragon Pulse attacks from afar. Although Gyarados is already decently fast, a Dragon Dance technique can make it even harder to keep track of and effectively make it difficult to sustain a physical blow without experiencing critical damage in the process. Add into this the fact that it is holding a Wacan berry for protection against Electric-type attacks, and it can easily be seen how this beast can be an arbiter of destruction in battle.

Aerodactyl: This species was once a favorite of Lance's even though it was not a true Dragon-type, and Clair seems to have picked up on why it was so popular among the Champion years ago. Aerodactyl only has moderate physical strength and is somewhat lacking in regards to defense, but it is fast enough that it can easily scoot into close-quarters range and lash out with a Thunder Fang attack before quickly retreating and striking with Rock Slide and Earthquake attacks from afar. If needed, Aerodactyl can also utilize a Roar technique to effectively keep the opposition from defeating it easily, in turn potentially setting up a switched-out opponent for a surprise attack that they will be unable to react to and counterattack. This beast might not be very powerful, but at the very least it will be able to keep most opponents on their toes.

Charizard: Another old favorite of Lance's, Charizard is a fast beast that has more than given Clair's team the hope it needs against Ice-type opponents in battle. Up close, this beast can quickly lash out with Shadow Claw, Fire Fang and Dragon Claw attacks to deal immense physical damage before retreating to safety, where it can effectively pierce opponents from far way with its powerful Air Slash attack. Charizard might not be the sturdiest of fighters, but when it comes to delivering pain with style and Speed, this is one reptile that makes all anti-Dragon strategies involving the Ice-type quiver in fear.

Dragonair #1: Although this beast has yet to actually evolve (despite being the strongest Dragonair under Clair’s possession), it is still a powerful fighter that can hold its own for a decent amount of time in battle. From afar, this Dragonair will usually rely on Thunderbolt, Flamethrower and Fire Blast attacks to deal with any Ice or Water-type Pokémon that dare to enter the battlefield (as well as a Dragon Breath and Dragon Pulse attacks just for general situations); if forced close to the opponent, it will instead rely on its Slam and Dragon Rush attack to deal massive damage. Dragonair can potentially incapacitate the opposition with a Thunder Wave technique if needed, but in most cases, Dragonair will not last long enough to make much use of this; even so, it should still be taken out as quickly as possible, as it can still deal massive damage with its Dragon Rush attack despite only having relatively moderate offense abilities.

Dragonair #2: This weaker Dragonair might not be as strong as Clair would like, but it is still powerful enough to be a serious threat to less experienced trainers in friendly battles. This beast will generally try to incapacitate its opponent first with a Thunder Wave technique before hanging back and striking with potent Surf, Dragon Breath and Dragon Pulse attacks from afar while occasionally moving closer to its target and lashing out with Slam and Aqua Tail attacks in close quarters. It might be able to deal some decent damage when needed, but a strong fighter should have no trouble overcoming its moderate defenses and taking it out before it can make a serious impact.

Dragonair #3: This weaker Dragonair might not be as strong as Clair would like, but it is still powerful enough to be a serious threat to less experienced trainers in friendly battles. This beast will generally try to incapacitate its opponent first with a Thunder Wave technique before hanging back and striking with potent Dragon Breath and Ice Beam attacks from afar while occasionally moving closer to its target and lashing out with Slam attack in close quarters. It might be able to deal some decent damage when needed, but a strong fighter should have no trouble overcoming its moderate defenses and taking it out before it can make a serious impact.


OVERALL DIFFICULTY: 3/5

Despite the fact that Clair's best Pokémon are unable to use their best attributes in battle, fighting against her is not going to be an easy task and defeating her is more than a challenge for a team even with the right types of attacks on one's side. All of her Pokémon have been expertly trained and turned into ferocious fighters that feel little remorse for their actions, in turn making it dangerous to go up against her with any Pokémon that is easily hurt or damaged by direct attack. Claire's reliance on power in most cases limits her attack options somewhat and can be taken advantage of, but even then the window of opportunity is so small that it might be almost impossible to exploit it. The fact that a few of her Pokémon don’t fit her type theme is of little consequence to her and in fact makes her much more difficult to defeat, particularly since the type of moves that are super-effective against these team members have little effect on Dragon-types in battle. Clair might have a lot to learn about mastering the Dragon-type, but even now she is a formidable opponent and certainly not someone to mess around with in battle.


REWARDS FOR DEFEAT

Defeating Clair will allow trainers to have the Rising Badge, one of eight badges found within the Johto region. Clair is still trying to decide on what TM to give out to trainers that defeat her, as the TMs she used to give out containing the Dragon Breath and Dragon Pulse attacks have both been discontinued.

Professor Wormwood
A report on Clair, the Gym Leader of Blackthorn City. Enjoy.
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Franksuit's avatar
Why in the world would she have lava in her gym!?