Pokemon Black - The Driftveil Gym

I got my team all to Level 29 through training, and I was ready to take on the Driftveil Gym. When I got there, I found Cheren watching the Gym Leader, Clay, holding onto Zinzolin and a couple Plasma Grunts as Ghetsis and a small army of Plasma Grunts confronting him.

Ghetsis introduced himself to Clay, telling the Gym Leader that he came to pick up his associates that Clay was holding. Clay told him that they were trying to steal Pokemon from Trainers, and Ghetsis claimed they only freed Pokemon from wicked people. Clay called him out on his bullshit, but then Ghetsis told him that Team Plasma had an interest in Driftveil City, and that they had many more members than the small army already there.

Clay wasn't sure if Ghetsis was lying about that, so he decided to hand the Plasma Grunts and the Sage over without a fight. Ghetsis complimented Clay on his decision, who took Zinzolin and the Plasma Grunts with him. I felt frustrated that Clay, a Gym Leader, just let them go after all that, especially with Cheren and myself there ready to battle them all.

Clay apologized for letting them go after we tracked them down, then suggested that we cheer ourselves up with a Pokemon battle. Clay went inside, and Cheren was glad to have avoided a fight in the middle of the city. Cheren believed that Ghetsis wasn't just an ordinary person, and I had to agree. I thought that perhaps Ghetsis was just using Team Plasma for his own ends, and I wondered if I would have to help N to take Team Plasma back from Ghestis and the other Sages.

My team consisted of:

Arthur (Simisage, Grass, Lv. 29)
Cole (Pignite, Fire/Fighting, Lv. 29)
Nora (Palpitoad, Water/Ground, Lv. 29)
Madelyn (Tranquill, Normal/Flying, Lv. 29)
Mason (Zebstrika, Electric, Lv. 29)
Zach (Liepard, Dark, Lv. 29)

Cheren left to do training, but I was ready to battle. I found out that the Driftveil Gym used elevators to get around, and that Clay was a Ground-Type Gym Leader. I went down on the first elevator, and then got into my first battle. After the battle, I went down one elevator, then moved about and went up another to get into another battle. Cole grew to Level 30 during the battle, and I moved around on some walkways to get into another battle.

Arthur grew to Level 30, and I went down an elevator before I found myself across two different elevators. I took the one on the right up, and got into another battle. Madelyn was knocked out in a battle, but I had a Revive ready to get her back up to fighting strength. I found that the elevator was a dead-end, so I went down it, and went up the other, and moved along a walkway to get into another battle.

I went far, far, far down below into the mine on the last elevator, through giant steel doors and down to a mining operation down below. I saw crystals being sent up, and I found Clay standing in front of a giant crystal.

Clay was interested in seeing my skills, wondering what it could be that made a Gym Leader like Elesa take a shine to me. I was happy to show him by beating his team harder than he thought possible.

I sent out Nora against his Krokorok, and she started by missing with Muddy Water before it used Swagger to raise Nora's attack and leave her confused. Nora was confused, and hurt herself in her confusion, then she got hit by Bulldoze for great damage. Krokorok used Torment next, then it avoided another Muddy Water attack. Next up Nora was hit by Crunch, a critical hit that knocked her out after she did absolutely nothing.

I sent Arthur out next, and he hit Krokorok with Seed Bomb for massive damage, and it was knocked out instantly. I sent Cole out against Excadrill, and it used Hone Claws to increase it's attack and accuracy, then Cole hit it with Rock Smash for great damage. Excadrill used Bulldoze to knock Cole out, and then I had to switch to Arthur again. Arthur used Seed Bomb for massive damage, and Excadrill was knocked out!

Arthur grew to Level 31, and Paplitoad was sent out last. Arthur was extremely powerful against a Water/Ground-Type Pokemon like Palpitoad, and so his Seed Bomb was an instant KO. I had won the battle, and thus my fifth Gym Badge!

Clay wasn't happy with his loss, but complimented me on my "imposing" battle style. Clay knew there were people I had who could dig up my potential, and then he handed over the Quake Badge. With the Quake Badge, Pokemon up to Level 60 would obey me. Clay was going to hand me a TM, but remembered something he needed. He asked me to wait in front of a cave on Route 6, and it didn't seem I had much choice.

I left the mine to reach the Pokemon Center and heal my team. I found myself disappointed in Nora's performance, how she couldn't land a SINGLE hit to win what should have been an easy battle, especially with a powerful move like Muddy Water. I was also frustrated about what little damage Cole managed against the Excadrill when he used Fighting-Type moves against the Ground/Steel Pokemon.

Current Team:

Nora (Palpitoad, Water/Ground, Lv. 29)
Madelyn (Tanquill, Normal/Flying, Lv. 29)
Arthur (Simisage, Grass, Lv. 31)
Cole (Pignite, Fire/Fighting, Lv. 30)
Zach (Liepard, Dark, Lv. 29)
Mason (Zebstrika, Electric, Lv. 29)