Clay

"Are you Bai Shi?"

A middle-aged man in a suit, carrying a pickaxe, appeared before Bai Shi and studied him with the sharp gaze of a beast guarding its food.

As soon as he heard that Lacey had taken his place in a Gym battle and lost a Badge to her opponent, he had rushed back from Mount Ros.

"Yes, I'm Bai Shi. May I ask who you are?"

Although Bai Shi recognized him, he feigned ignorance and deliberately asked.

"My name is Clay. I'm the Gym Leader of the Driftveil Gym."

"A little while ago, you won a Quake Badge from my daughter in a battle?"

With a serious expression, Clay sought confirmation from Bai Shi.

"That's right. Miss Lacey promised that I would receive a Gym Badge if I could defeat her."

Bai Shi nodded without denying it.

The Quake Badge is already in my hands. Surely he can't take it back?

To his surprise, however, Clay really did have something similar in mind.

"Lacey made that decision on her own. I knew nothing about it."

"She isn't the Gym Leader, and she awarded you a Badge without my permission."

"According to the rules, the Badge you obtained should be invalid."

"So, if you want to officially earn the Quake Badge, you'll have to make up that Gym battle with me."

Citing the breach of regulations, Clay challenged Bai Shi.

He wanted to see just what had allowed this young man to defeat his precious daughter.

"Uh... All right, then!"

Feeling rather helpless, Bai Shi could only agree.

The man was the Gym Leader, after all. Weren't the rules his to decide?

If Clay insisted on following them to the letter, Bai Shi really had no way to refuse.

The two then went to the Driftveil Gym for