If you don't want to use Clay as an example of a bad Gym Leader, then there's always Volkner. Funny how everyone keeps ignoring the Sunyshore City Gym case; Volkner was just giving out badges, yet the fanbase was okay with it. Even the main characters didn't seem to mind; I think Ash might've been shocked, but everyone fails to remember that Brock (who worked in the Gym Leader business) didn't give a damn about what Volkner was doing. You didn't see him throw a temper tantrum, yet our friend Cilan went on a witch hunt the moment he realized what Skyla was doing (and she wasn't doing much harm to begin with).
I already addressed that.
Ash was pissed at the idea of getting a badge without battling, just like he is with Skyla.
As for Brock? Brock has never been entirely passionate about being a former gym leader.
The difference is Brock would stare onward in confusion and be like "What? This isn't really how gyms are supposed to work." But won't get bent out of shape.
Cilan on the other hand, has been proven to be a lot livelier and passionate about things (even Brock's crush gag was technically dull and mild). Since he still considers himself a gym leader, of course he's going to be upset when gym leaders don't give challengers a chance of to earn a badge.
Again what Clay did, is incomparable to Skyla.
How is delaying a gym battle for various reasons even anywhere near to the offense level as denying anyone a chance to earn a badge.
Ash was even pissed at Fantina because she wasn't at her gym every time he was at Hearthome.
Seriously stop singling out Cilan just because you people do not like him. It's getting ridiculous.
If Ash gets upset with a gym leader's antics, then it shouldn't matter one way or another if Cilan gets passionately involved because he's a gym leader as well.
Plus there's a difference between inconvenience-not-right-now-refusal (Clay) to straight out denial (Skyla). I mean after all the only reason why Cilan got to battle Skyla was because people wanted to see gym leaders battling each other. Likewise the only reason Ash was able to battle Skyla was because people wanted to see Skyla actually battling a challenger.
Um, wat. There are two other gym leaders in Striaton City who are perfectly happy to battle their challengers in Dent's place... It's not like there's nobody there.
Exactly. Really I mean does it say that Striaton has to have 3 gym leaders in order to be a gym. Or is it simply because there are triplets and wanted all to be gym leaders. And the Pokemon league allowed it.
After all if Black2 White2 are any indication. A gym with more than one leader, isn't exactly desirable.