CHAPTER 8: Dr. Mario's Family Practice

The shining warp star crashed down in the courtyard of Battlefield City.

"Get someone!" Pikachu told Yoshi, "And quick!"

"Who should I get?" Yoshi asked frantically.

"I don't know! Get that Mario guy."

Yoshi ran to Mario's cabin and banged on the door.

"Oh, hello Yoshi," Mario said when he opened the door, "What's up?"

"We need your help! There's a sick Pokemon!" Yoshi cried.

Mario scratched his head. "What are you trying to tell me?"

"There's a sick Jigglypuff that needs help!!" Yoshi screamed. When Mario just stared at him blankly, Yoshi grabbed his hand and dragged him to the center courtyard, where Pikachu was making sure Jigglypuff still had a pulse.

"She's okay, so far." He told Kirby.

"Mamma-mia!" Mario cried when he arrived on the scene with Yoshi, "A sick Pokemon!"

"I think we better get her to a doctor right away," Pikachu said.

"You know what? I think we'd better get her to a doctor right away!" Mario said. Pikachu slapped himself. "Come on," Mario said, "I know a very good doctor. I just don't know how to get there from here…"

Kirby passed Mario his cell phone. "What is this?" Mario asked. He held it up to his ear, and heard: "To summon Warp Star, please input your destination."

"Dr. Mario's Family Practice," Mario said.

The phone beeped. "Searching… searching… Found! Please step away."

In a few seconds, another warp star came crashing down. They all got on and zoomed off.

The star crashed to the ground in front of a white building in the middle of a bustling city.

"God, it's been ages since I've been here," Mario said. "Here, let me hold the Pokemon." He gently picked Jigglypuff up, and then held the door open for Yoshi, Kirby, and Pikachu, and then walked in.

The doctor's office's walls were white, and there were pictures on the wall of Dr. Mario posing with various celebrities who knew him when they were growing up in the 80's. There were also drawings some of his child patients had drawn; some of nasty looking viruses, others of Dr. Mario holding shoving pills down the virus's throats, and some sloppy drawings of Dr. Mario himself. There were rows of chairs attached to the wall, and little corner tables with magazines on them.

"Can I help you?" Asked the doctor's assistant, Nurse Peach. (She's the Peach that fights against you with the Dr. in that one event match. F.H.)

"We need to see Dr. Mario, and quick!" Mario told her.

"I'm sorry, the doctor is with a patient right now. It'll be a few minutes."

"No, we can't wait!!" Pikachu cried. "Mario, tell her we need to see him NOW!"

"With all due respect, Nurse," Mario continued, "This is a life or death situation!"

Nurse Peach rubbed her chin. "Life or death? Hmm… hold on one moment." She got up from her desk and went into the office. Moments later, the door opened, and the nurse walked out followed by Dr. Mario himself!

Mario and Dr. Mario regarded each other for several moments before embracing heartily.

"It's been a long time, old friend," Dr. Mario said.

"Yes," Mario replied, then said, "You have to help us! There's a sick Pokemon here that's been badly poisoned."

Dr. Mario put his stethoscope on and said, "Bring her in the back."

Mario picked up Jigglypuff in his arms and went into the back office, followed by Kirby, Yoshi, and Pikachu, who jumped up on the table with Jigglypuff.

"Now, let's see…" Dr. Mario took Jigglypuff's temperature, looked down her throat, and took her blood pressure. "Well, to start off, she has a fever. It's about 103. Now, let's see if we can wake her up." Dr. Mario took some smelling salts and held them under the fainted Pokemon's nose.

Jigglypuff stirred, and then with a deafening cry of "JIGGLY!!!!" bounced awake and started swinging at everything she saw. However, this lasted only a few seconds, and then she coughed, moaned, and collapsed on the table again.

"Hello, Jigglypuff, I'm Dr. Mario." Dr. Mario said. "How are you?"

"He…asks…me…how I am?" Jigglypuff moaned to Pikachu. "(cough cough) Quack."

"Jigglypuff, I'm going to give you a shot to get rid of the poison, ok? It may hurt just a bit."

"A shot?" Jigglypuff cried. "NO!! No I don't want a shot!!!" Jigglypuff began quivering, but Pikachu held her and said, "Shh… it'll be over before you know it. And I'm here." He smiled at her as he said this. Jigglypuff smiled faintly, and then braced herself as Dr. Mario stuck her with the needle.

"There!" Dr. Mario said, taking off his gloves. "All done!"

"Th--that's IT?" Jigglypuff said, startled. "That was nothing!"

"Do you know what she's saying, Doc?" Mario asked.

"Nope. But I think she's probably glad to be rid of the sickness." Jigglypuff exhibited this quite clearly by bouncing over and latching onto the good doctor in a gigantic hug.

"Whoa there!" Dr. Mario patted Jigglypuff's back. "You were a good patient." When she got down, Dr. Mario took out his prescription pad. "I'm going to prescribe her some megavitamins. Just have her take one a day until they run out."

"Thanks so much, Doc," Mario said, taking the slip. Then he took out his wallet. "What do I owe you?"

Dr. Mario snatched the wallet from Mario, and smiling gently, put it back in Mario's pocket. "It was my pleasure," he said.

Mario grinned. "You're the best, doc."

"Remember, you can come see me anytime you need me." Dr. Mario added as they left.

"Can you walk, Jigglypuff?" Pikachu asked.

"No…" Jigglypuff said. "But I can bounce!!!" And with that, she bounced happily out the door, Pikachu following after.