Earlier that day, Lance's mother had given Clair 5 Pokeballs and being gym-leader, she gave them permission to enter the den. Karen, being 3 months older than Clair and Lance had already received Houndour and Lance had also gotten Dratini from saving one in the den a week ago.
"Houndour! I choose you!" The fiery devil dog appeared in a flash of like beside Lance's snake-like dragon. The threesome walked to the edge of the lake and Lance ordered, "Dratini! Go in the water and try and spot a Pokemon that isn't a Magikarp!" "Houndour light up this place with ember!"
While watching those two older trainers, Clair felt slightly jealous she hadn't gotten a Horsea for her birthday but just a Johto League ticket which would be held in Blackthorn Town for the first time in thirty years thanks to Mrs. Dragon-fire's efforts to convince the Elite Four.
Splash! Dratini broke up to surface fighting with a Horsea. "Houndour ember attack." Karen said. Houndour shot miniature flares at Horsea while Dratini launched ice beams at Horsea. "Pokeball go!" Clair who was now full with envy threw the ball with full force that it captured the already weakened Horsea without fail.
Clair made a victory sign and said, "Thanks Lance, Karen." She picked up the Pokeball and said, "Let's return to the gym."
The Blackthorn Gym was a big dome located in the center of the town when Clair, Lance and Karen entered, Elizabeth-Beth-Dragon-fire was fighting a five on five battle and had two Pokemon left while the trainer Frederick Adams had one.
The gigantic score board showed a Dragonite's picture while on the Player side, a Dewgong was there. Clair grimaced knowing Dragon-types were very week against the ice type. "Dragonite, dragon rage!" Beth called. Adams countered with a, "Dewgong blizzard attack now!"
Dragonite shot a blast of fire at Dewgong but the ice type blasted an icy beam full force at the Dragonite! Luckily, the fire burnt the attack and hit Dewgong!
The referee screamed, "Dewgong has fainted! The match and the battle goes to Dragon-fire!" Clair walked over to her mother and smiled, "Mom! I got a Pokemon! A Horsea." Beth nodded impressed. "Why don't you, Lance and Karen come with me to check out the four Dragon, Dark, Fire and Flying arenas?"
Karen, Lance and Clair hopped onto the Rapidash carriage while Beth directed the chauffeur to the fire arena. It was huge! "Seats two hundred thousand," said Beth while turning to withdraw four thin first-class elite box tickets. "Matches will start in the Fire arena in thirty minutes time," said Clair reading a program.
A few hundred people had already started to enter the stadium when the Dragon-fires and Karen reached the Elite Box. "Agatha!" Beth smiled when she saw her old mentor in her seat. Although Agatha looked forty, Clair knew that Agatha was already an elite 4 master.
28 minutes later, two trainers entered the stadium. The referee stood up and announced on the PA, "Joseph Leon and Christopher Potter! It will be a 3-3 battle! Let the match begin!"
A bell rang somewhere and Clair saw Leon, an African-American throw a Pokeball and a Squirtle appeared while Potter chose an Ampharos. "It looks like Potter wants and electrifying start as Ampharos starts with a thunder attack.
Clair saw the field's effect start. Out of nowhere, blasts of fire would suddenly appear from the bottom of the stadium. Ampharos, because of its weight could not keep balance as Squirtle's bubblebeam attack slowed it down and a blast of fire scorched it.
"Ampharos is taking heavy damage from Squirtle's hydro pump. Its thunder shock is no use against Squirtle's shell! What the!" the PA crackled. Squirtle shot three more powerful bubbles at Ampharos ending the match.
"Incredible," muttered Beth taking down some notes. Ampharos's picture was wiped out from the scoreboard. "Venusaur go!" Potter yelled, "Solar beam! "Squirtle, take down!" called Leon as his Pokemon dodged a blast of flames and slammed Venusaur, but it was too late, the beam had knocked out Squirtle.
"Go Quilava!" ordered Leon. PA: It seems that Quilava won't take that much damage in a fire field and fire is good vs. grass. "Quilava, flame thrower!" Quilava launched a blast of flames at Venusaur who tried to vine-whip Quilava but too late! "Venusaur has fainted! Potter has one PKMN left!" the PA declared.
Clair frowned, Christopher Potter had bee on TV twice in last year's Johto League semi-finals and during a battle at Violet City gym she couldn't believe Leon could defeat him so easily.
PS: This isn't only about Clair but also how she becomes a gym leader.