Japanese Title: Blaze, Nyabby! Overthrow Gaogaen!!
Original Airdate: February 22, 2018
US Airdate: July 30, 2018
...Really?
The mysterious champion of the Battle Royal is the Masked Royal, master of an Incineroar, the final form of Litten. When a rivalry develops after Ash gets a taste of the Battle Royal, Litten develops a rivalry, and will need to tap deeply hidden depths.
This episode contains examples of the following tropes:
- Crisis Makes Perfect: Litten has trouble mastering Flame Charge. Kukui decides to resolve this by challenging him as the Masked Royal, and as hoped, Litten fully masters the attack while on the ropes against Incineroar, setting off his evolution into Torracat.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Litten gets pasted both times he faces Incineroar, even after evolving into Torracat. Charjabug and Marowak suffer the same fate in the first instance.
- In an early scene, the Masked Royal's Incineroar is shown beating a Machamp, a Decidueye, and a Primarina fairly handily.
- Curb-Stomp Cushion: In the second battle, Torracat does at least manage to keep ground against Incineroar for a while, making it more frantic and even injuring it slightly with Flame Charge.
- Kayfabe: Professor Kukui takes keeping his identity as the Masked Royal a secret seriously.
- The Knights Who Say "Squee!": Ash, Sophocles and Lana all especially become fans of the Masked Royal, while Litten becomes mesmerised by his Incineroar's power.
- Mean Character, Nice Actor: Keeping to Kayfabe, Masked Royal's Incineroar acts like The Brute in the ring, but turns out to be a Friendly Rival to Litten and helps him master Flame Charge and evolve.
- Paper-Thin Disguise: Litten/Torracat is the only one who realizes that Professor Kukui is really the Masked Royal.
- Shaking the Rump: This episode has ALOT of butt-shaking, and it all stems from Ash helping Rockruff learn to shake it's tail again.
- Took a Level in Badass: Litten evolves to Torracat, and learns and masters Flame Charge.
- Trickster Mentor: Kukui uses his Masked Royal persona to help Ash train and evolve Litten.
- You Have GOT to Be Kidding Me!: Litten quickly figures out that the Masked Royal is Professor Kukui, and seems to be the only one of the Kukui household to know that. His frustration at that is palpable by the end of the episode, as seen in the page pic above.
