Incineroar vs King
Heavy steps plodded through the locker room of the Armor King Memorial Gym, past old memorabilia and photos of its namesake's glory days. The massively muscular man in the photographs wore black breastplate-like armor with spiked pauldrons, a look that would be menacing enough even if it weren't for his mask in the shape of a black leopard, staring daggers out of the photos with its two-toned eyes.
A hand reached out to the shelf where Armor King's posed portrait stood as the focal point in the shrine, gently raising the frame. The man who grabbed it could see his own jaguar mask staring back at him in the reflection. Beneath the mask, he closed his eyes, letting out a solemn growl. Though the famed wrestler's death occurred 2 years ago, the weight still hung on him like a lead sheet.
King had become a regular at the Memorial Gym over the course of the past two years, finding himself here almost as often as he found himself at the orphanage. He couldn't let up, though, if he were to honor Armor King's memory in the ring.
He shook his head, letting out a low growl as he tried to shake the memories away. His hand moved to place the picture back on the shelf, his mind already wandering to the workout regimen for the day.
The bottom of the picture missed its place on the shelf as it banged into the wooden base. The picture tumbled to the ground before King could react, the glass shattering and skewing the photograph within ever so slightly.
King cursed under his breath, reaching down to brush the glass debris away. Under the glossy photograph was another picture, wedged and hidden beneath the first. The masked wrestler carefully picked up the frame, sliding the top picture of Armor King out of the way.
The picture beneath held another shot of Armor King, the breastplate and black leopard mask being a dead giveaway to his former student, but he stood arm in arm with a figure identical to Armor King, outfit and all. A third figure stood to the far right of the twin Armor Kings, one who King did not recognize. The third figure was about a head shorter than Armor King, though still equally as muscled as the trained fighter. Its legs and arms were striped red and black, all ending in large feline-like clawed paws. Around his waist was a belt that looked like it was made of pure fire. The head of Armor King's companion was tiger-like, with rows of gleaming white teeth spread in a wide grin, only accentuated by the large upturned tufts of red fur on its cheeks.
"Who… who are you?" King pondered, looking deeply at the photograph. In all his years under the tutelage of Armor King, he hadn't heard or seen a second Armor King, much less this tiger wrestler. He slipped the photo into his jacket pocket to focus on his workout, but as much as he tried, he could not get the image out of his mind.
[St. Fray Orphanage]
King's long walk back to the orphanage was wracked with curiosity, his eyes fixated on the photograph the entire walk. He pushed open the heavy oaken doors to the massive institution, almost bumping into a small child standing just inside.
"Sorry, Luis," King apologized, tousling the kid's hair with his offhand. The kid's eyes flashed to the photograph in King's hand, just before the wrestler tucked it behind his back. Luis darted behind King fast as lightning in only the way young children can.
"Do you know Incineroar?!" the kid welled with energy, bouncing up and down. King was a bit shocked, turning and peering at the picture once more.
"Do you know these wrestlers?" King asked, pointing to the clone of Armor King and the tiger wrestler. If this kid had a lead, he would be one step closer to finding Armor King's copycat wrestler.
The kid nodded emphatically, running to the television room and motioned for King to follow. The room had three couches set around a small tv, each couch filled with the bouncing bodies of excited children. King walked up to the back of one of the couches, standing well above the head of the tallest kid to give him a good vantage point of the television.
The tv showed a top-down view of a classic wrestling ring, two figures squaring off against each other as they circled within the ring. One of the figure was the tiger wrestler from King's photo, its piercing yellow eyes focused on his opponent. Across from the tiger wrestler was a four-armed man, his arms moving defensively.
"That's Machamp, he has the type advantage but Incineroar and the Masked Royal are really good. He already knocked out the other two competitors, he's only got one more now," Luis whispered to King, seeing the confusion in his body language. King, though not exactly understanding, nodded. A shirtless, masked figure hung onto the corner of the outside of the ring, his beaming white teeth in a wide grin.
"Now, Incineroar, finish it off quickly with darkest lariat!" the masked man shouted, pointing to target the Machamp. The tiger wrestler held out its paws as they lit with in yellow-orange fire. Incineroar threw itself into a blur of a spin, the television's camera not able to keep up with the rotation. Machamp tried to catch the blur with its four arms, but the attack broke through its grip as the tiger wrestler collided with its opponent, sending him flying out of the ring. The Machamp landed in the crowd, its eyes dazed as he was no longer able to battle.
The masked man pumped his fist with joy as he leapt the ropes of the ring, jumping into the arena to stand beside the tiger. He grabbed Incineroar's hand, lifting it up into the air as the bell dinged declaring the winner.
"The victor is Incineroar! That's 49 consecutive victories! It's invincible!" the announcer on the television shouted in shock and awe. King stared at the duo on screen as spotlights all shown down from above to highlight the victors. If this man and the tiger were consistently as impressive as he had just seen, there was a good chance Armor King really had encountered them in his past. The possibility that they could illuminate the mystery behind the second Armor King was slim, but it was the best lead he had in months.
The masked man was passed a microphone as the camera zoomed in close to the victors, the tiger wrestler in the background of the shot though hardly breathing hard at all after that victory.
"Trainers watching on tv, tomorrow you can challenge Incineroar and me, the Masked Royal, as part of a special event for our 50th Battle Royal!" the man smugly declared, pointing out at the screen. The tiger behind roared in agreement, its chest puffed. "I'm looking forward to a battle with heat! So, until then, enjoy!"
The Masked Royal struck a pose mimicking tiger claws as he spouted his last line, the Incineroar behind him striking an identical pose as they both flashed toothy white smiles before the television cut back to the commentator.
"That wrestling match, where is it taking place?" King asked a little one on the couch.
"That's in the Battle Royal Dome!" one of the kids, sporting his own homemade mask fashioned to look like the Masked Royal, spouted gleefully. "It's on Akala Island, but I heard it's a super far way away."
"Thank you," King nodded, turning to leave. He had a full 24 hours to find out where Akala Island was and how to get there, but the fire inside somehow let him know he would figure it out.
[Akala Island, Alola Region]
Professor Kukui sat cross-legged in the locker room, his hands placed on his knees, his eyes closed in meditation. Next to him, the giant red tiger Incineroar mimicked his meditation pose, his chest heaving with his heavy breathing.
"This is it, Incineroar, number 50," Kukui said calmly, his eyes still closed. Incineroar rumbled in acknowledgement.
"Next up, the 50th match for the Masked Royal!" the announcer's call reached the locker room through the loudspeakers.
Kukui stood, shedding his lab coat and pulling out his luchador mask from its pocket. He slipped the mask onto his face, turning dramatically to pose at his Incineroar.
"Let's give them a show!" Kukui's voice deepened into his gravelly signature persona of the Masked Royal. Incineroar's yellow eye peeked open with a smirk, the ember of a bright fire forming at the corner of its grin.
The duo of the Masked Royal and Incineroar jogged through the winding yet familiar corridors of the Battle Royal Dome, making his way to the tunnel marking his entryway. Though the tunnel was still covered, the light from the arena shone in gloriously, giving Kukui the slightest view of the ring and the crowd in the stands. Smoke started billowing from just where the tunnel opened up, obscuring the view of the inside but giving the wrestlers their cue to step forward.
The smoke parted, revealing the Masked Royal and his Incineroar as the crowd roared to life. The masked man walked into the arena with arms raised high, both him and his Incineroar with wide grins.
"Enjoy!" he called out, striking his signature pose alongside his Incineroar. The crowd echoed his catchphrase amidst the cheers, bringing joy to the trainer and Pokemon alike.
"Now who's ready for the most intense Battle Royal in history with the hottest flame in all of Alola, my Incineroar?!" the Masked Royal called out as he entered the ring. The crowd roared to life as the spotlights high above the ring scanned the crowd for competitors.
"Three lucky contestants will have the chance to battle the Masked Royal and his Incineroar," the announcer called out as people in the stands pulled out their Pokéballs, cracking them open and revealing all of their companion monsters. "Who will have that honor?"
One set of spotlights focused on a female trainer halfway-up the stands, her friends beside her ecstatic as a bright yellow mouse, Pikachu, in a wrestling mask hopped onto her shoulder. She rushed down to the stage. The lights focused on another trainer in the top of the stands, a middle-aged man with a small hawk-like creature at his side, a Hawlucha. He smiled, gave a polite wave to the camera placing him on the stadium screens, and he and his Pokémon made their way to the stage.
As the lights continued to search for the last competitor, a figure cloaked in darkness entered the arena from behind the Masked Royal. The crowd fell silent, alerting the professor and his Pokémon to the figure's presence, causing them to turn around. Every spotlight focused in on the approaching figure as he pulled on the ropes to enter the ring.
The spotlights illuminated a massive man, six and a half feet tall, his torso exposed rippling with muscles. He had a long cape, white on the back side and leopard print spots opening to the man's back, just below the jaguar mask he adorned which obscured his face.
"I like your initiative, trainer!" the Masked Royal joyously called out so the crowd could hear him. "Call out your Pokémon, and you've definitely earned your bout in the ring!"
"I have no Pokemon," the masked man growled, a finger pointing at Incineroar. "My name is King. And I have come because you knew my master. I will not leave until I get answers!"
Incineroar growled lowly, looking at the Masked Royal for instructions. The Masked Royal held his hand out for Incineroar to wait before addressing King.
"It's going to have to wait until after the Battle Royal, I'm afraid," the Masked Royal said. "But afterwards I'd be more than happy to answer the questions of a fan."
King pondered a moment. He was grateful for the proposal, but here, in the center of the ring, he felt a primal need to perform. He smiled under the mask.
"Thank you for your hospitality," King growled, "but if it's a show you're wanting to put on then I will be more than willing to participate in your ring. Let me show you and this crowd what a real wrestler can do!"
The crowd roared in approval, to which the Masked Royal just had to crack a smile at.
"I admire your tenacity, I accept your proposal as long as you don't hurt yourself," the Masked Royal nodded as he backed out toward the corner of the ring. He crossed the ropes just as the other two trainers from earlier approached the stage, each taking their own corner of the arena as their Pokémon entered the ring.
"You won't have to worry about me," King uttered to himself as he windmilled his arms a few times to loosen up, squeezing his fingers into fists as he eyed every opponent now in the ring.
The spotlights from above all circled the arena to fully illuminate the entirety of the ring, each participant standing about 15 feet apart and flashing eyes at every other wrestler. The tension was palpable as the seconds dragged on like hours waiting for the match to start.
"Let the Battle Royal begin!" the announcer called out as the harsh chime of a bell rang through the arena.
"Hawlucha, use flying press!" the male contestant called out at the colorful bird. King saw Hawlucha fly into the air, holding its arms outstretched as it began to fall directly at him. The masked wrestler stepped to the side as the much smaller bird smacked into the ground with a thud, though it raised itself off the ground immediately to view King towering over it.
King reached down to grab the Hawlucha a third of his size, bending backwards and slamming it to the ground behind his head. The Hawlucha did not get up, causing its trainer to rush to its side with the Pokeball ready.
'One down,' King thought, turning to approach the Incineroar across the ring. As he turned, though, he saw the tiger wrestler had dispatched of the electric mouse just as easily as the Pikachu was tossed into the ropes of the ring and clotheslined on the recoil, instantly taking it out of commission.
"A 'blink-and-you'll-miss-it' start, both Hawlucha and Pikachu are unable to battle, folks! We are immediately down to King versus your Alolan champion, Incineroar!" the announcer called out, followed by the excited rumble of the cheering crowd.
"Now, you face a real wrestler!" King snarled, pointing at Incineroar. He sprinted at the tiger wrestler, getting within striking distance and leaping into the air raising both of his feet for a double kick.
"Incineroar, bulk up!" the Masked Royal shouted as the fiery belt around Incineroar's waist burned brightly. His muscles thickened, bulging ever larger as the tiger wrestler increased its bulk just before King made contact. King's two feet slammed into Incineroar's muscly chest but the Pokemon didn't even budge as a toothy grin spread across its maw.
"Take him for a spin!" the Masked Royal shouted. Incineroar grabbed King by the ankles and began spinning him around. King flailed as the centripetal force kept him from leaning up and fighting back. The tiger wrestler finally let King go, sending him flying into the ropes of the ring. The ropes' elasticity bowed heavily before snapping and throwing King back at Incineroar.
"Throat chop!" the Masked Royal shouted as Incineroar's meaty palm flattened out, glowing with a dark energy.
King gained his footing just before reaching the tiger wrestler, seeing Incineroar's hand shooting up toward his neck. He grabbed the hand, forcing it away from striking him, and pulled himself into the air using the momentum gained from the rope bounce. He shot his own knee into the Incineroar's face in his infamous Shining Wizard attack, throwing the Pokemon backwards onto the ground.
Incineroar quickly regained his footing, embers crackling from the sides of his mouth as it roared in defiance.
"You're serious! I guess we've got to stop holding back!" the Masked Royal smiled.
King did not wait for his opponent to gather its wits, charging in with his elbow raised high. He brought the elbow down onto Incineroar's head, forcing the tiger onto one knee, before going to grab it by the shoulders like he did to the Hawlucha.
"Don't just take it, Incineroar! Use revenge!" the Masked Royal shouted just as King grabbed the tiger by the shoulders. Incineroar's body became cloaked in orange fire, giving King some cause for alarm as the fire concentrated in its fists. King was unprotected as Incineroar's balled fist shot upward, breaking the wrestler's hold on him and catching him square in the jaw. King stumbled backwards, finding himself once more at the ropes of the ring.
"Alright! Now we've got our fire burning!" the Masked Royal let out a roar. "Now hit him with a cross chop!"
Incineroar crossed his arms in front of his chest, leaping into the air and rocketing toward the dazed King. King shook the blurriness from his eyes just in time to see the tiger wrestler flying at him, putting his hands up in defense as Incineroar's attack collided with his forearms. Though the pain seared through his arms as he took the attack, King smiled underneath his jaguar mask, knowing he had Incineroar right where he wanted him.
King broke apart the cross-armed guard of the tiger wrestler, throwing his head into the Incineroar's face. Incineroar blinked quickly as he tried to regain his senses, but wasn't able to before King was able throw two devastating punches, one after the other.
"This one'll send you packing!" King shouted, bending down to grab Incineroar by the legs. He lifted the red tiger to where he was upside-down, his head just inches from the ground, and began running. King leapt into the air, bending his own knees and bringing both himself and Incineroar crashing into the ground in a power bomb, rattling the stage.
King tossed Incineroar to the side, rose and turned to the Masked Royal.
"Have I earned those answers now?" King asked. The Masked Royal, however, just grinned as King heard the Incineroar get to his feet behind him.
"Not quite yet! We've been waiting to show off this move today, Incineroar use darkest lariat!" the Masked Royal held out his hand, clenching his fist with the last word.
King recognized the called move from the television the previous day, sinking into a defensive stance as Incineroar's hands began glowing with orange fire. The red tiger then held his hands out at a 90-degree angle before spinning too quickly for King's eyes to see. Incineroar turned into a whirling top of danger, quickly advancing toward the masked wrestler.
Incineroar collided with King, his burning hands smacking into King over and over again. King gritted his teeth as he stood his ground against the hits, waiting for his moment to strike. Just as the tiger began to slow, King reached out, grabbing Incineroar and flipping him onto his back. Incineroar's eyes went wide as King leaned back, then threw his head forward to collide with Incineroar's crotch while still on the ground.
"Incineroar! Get some distance!" the Masked Royal shouted. Incineroar steeled himself, kicking upward to impact king's hips, sending him back a few steps. Incineroar rolled backwards, taking a few more steps back to heed his trainer's call.
"Now's the time, Incineroar! Get fired up!" Masked Royal continued, pulling up his arm to show a broad silver bracelet with a glowing red jewel in its center. "And incinerate the ring! Use Malicious Moonsault!"
Incineroar climbed onto the corner post of the ring, a yellow-orange fire enveloping his body as energy flowed through him. The Pokemon leapt into the air, his own light making the spotlights above seem dim by comparison, as he fell chest-first aiming for the jaguar-masked man. King looked up as the Pokemon descended, knowing he was unable to dodge this attack, and knew he only had one chance at finishing this.
Incineroar crashed into the ring as the energy around him exploded in a ball of fire enveloping the ring, causing the entire crowd to avert their eyes. When the smoke cleared however, King was still standing face to face with Incineroar, holding him tightly by the shoulders. The Masked Royal looked just as shocked as Incineroar did, eyes flashing to King whose cape smoldered with the remnants of the Malicious Moonsault flames.
King threw Incineroar against the ropes on the far end of the ring, getting pumped up to finish the fight.
"This one's from Armor King!" King growled before either of his opponents could rally themselves, charging and doing a cartwheel before using the momentum to slam his elbow into Incineroar's teeth. Incineroar recoiled, slamming into the ropes just to see King reaching for him again.
King grabbed Incineroar's arm, placing it over his shoulder and bending it against the elbow. Incineroar hollered in pain, but could react quickly enough as King grappled close with the Pokemon, bringing him to the ground. King began rolling across the ground, twisting and contorting his opponent as he continuously crushed his opponent in constantly new ways.
"That looks exactly like submission!" the Masked Royal couldn't help but gawk at the other fighter's prowess in moves. As the tornado of the two cat wrestlers ceased, King stood, leaving Incineroar on the ground.
"Incineroar is unable to battle," the announcer called out over the loudspeakers. "King is your new Battle Royal champion!"
King raised his hands into the air as the crowd went wild with cheers, confetti in pre-loaded cannons along the side of the arena firing off and showering over wrestlers. The Masked Royal held out his Pokeball, enveloping Incineroar in a bright red light before retracting him back into the ball.
"You did well, friend," the Masked Royal whispered to the ball before walking out into the ring. He walked up to King, standing a full head and then some above the professor, holding out his hand for a shake. King took it gratefully, with only a solemn nod as the announcer droned on above.
"You said you had questions?" the Masked Royal continued, looking into the jaguar eyes of King's mask as they both waved at the crowd with broad smiles. King nodded, reaching from behind him to pull out the small photograph and handed it to the other masked wrestler. The Masked Royal looked deeply at the photograph, nodding knowingly, before handing it back to King.
"Armor King?" the Masked Royal asked.
"So you knew them?" King asked excitedly. The Masked Royal smiled, nodding.
"Let us go to the PokeCenter and I'll tell you everything I knew," the Masked Royal said as the last of the confetti fell around the two men.
Winner:
King