[heirtothemonado]

This had been a rather basic procedure, for the most part. Stomachaches were one of the most common reasons to seek medical help, after all. With the famine that was refusing to go away, some of the...less intelligent people around the Life Sphere sometimes tried eating things that were not meant to be eaten. But....the nurse in charge of looking after Jr until Dr. Moon showed up had never seen anything like this before. Usually, when someone did that, they stopped once they realized that what they just ate wasn't supposed to be eaten. But the prince...He looked like he'd swallowed almost everything he came across!

The nurse paced the room Jr was staying in for the time being. The Koopa Prince himself was unconscious, she having put him under soon after he arrived. It would probably be better if he was like that when Dr. Moon and the others showed up, lest he panicked too much. As the nurse continued to pace the room, lost in her thoughts, another person entered the room. The head nurse had called her to act as a guide, in case something went wrong with this....special procedure.

"Hello Yello!" Starlow called out as she entered, but her face turned serious as she floated up to the nurse. "So, he's following the footsteps of his father, I see. Great. Just wonderful. Like I need to go through all that again" she complained.

"Hush." the nurse said. "Dr Moon is almost here. Once she and the rest of them get here, I need you to guide them. You've had experience and I don't think they'll be able to do this without you"

"Fine, fine. I'll help. But I'm not happy about this...." Starlow scowled, floating near where Jr lay. She looked down at him with a...mixed look on her face. On one hand, he was a kid, but on the other....he was Bowser's kid. Still...if anything happened to him, Bowser would definitely not be happy, so she'd better give these guys a hand. Hopefully they could hold their own. While the nurse monitored Jr's condition, Starlow waited for the others to show up. The sooner she was done with this, the better

[Coolshaymin]

There was a few knocks at the door before a voice spoke up. "The doctor is in!" a voice declared as she opened the door. She was dressed in an outfit more dedicated to taking care of others... and keeping herself clean since she did not exactly have a pleasant memory of other ickiness... Still, she had a vow to take care of any patients at the hospital, no matter the problem.

"Since we don't know all exactly he ate or... how this'll work exactly I had to go pick up my quiver. Hopefully I don't need to use it but better safe than sorry," she explained as she motioned to her quiver on her back. It housed pokeballs on the side as well as her medical arrow supplies for more... direct occasions as well as a good chunk of her Pokeballs. She looked between Starlow and the nurse for a moment. Even if this was her job, his dad was apparently a scary individual so extra caution was needed. "So, is she here to assist her? No offense but you really don't look... properly dressed for it..." she remarked... Not sure you can be properly dressed for this honestly but she felt the need to say it. She never really saw anything like her before either.

Moon HP: 130 Shield HP: 40	Robin HP: 150 Shield HP: 50 Status: Bagged	Nebby HP: 170 Shield HP: 60 Status: Bagged	Talon HP: 130 Shield HP: 40 Status: Bagged

[TartoonHand94]

“Halt! Nobody move.” An authoritative voice commanded as the door swung open, revealing a pair of beady white eyes that scanned the room sweepingly. “Oh behalf of his majesty, King Bowser Koopa, I am here to announce that this operation is officially under fortified surveillance…” The figure announced his arrival from behind a surgical mask and under an outrageous blue mane tightly bound with a hair net.
“…Courtesy of me, Dr. Ludwig Von Koopa.” He introduced himself, seeing as his most recognizable features were wrapped behind scrubs. “As medical professionals, I would hope you are aware that your patient is no common Koopa Troopa. He is a future head of state. And his current incapacity puts our entire dynasty at risk.” He stopped his march to change directions and pace before the nurse. “As I am even more confident that you are aware of our…ambitious history, over the years, the Koopa Troop has gained a gallery of… less than amicable acquaintances.” A sliver of pride broke through the crack in his cold monotone. “A sizable statistic of which are more than likely to take antagonistic advantage of our vulnerable position.” He stopped his pace to take a breath for dramatic emphasis. “Which as his medical attendants, puts You at risk.” A sudden clawed finger was pointing them like an assassin’s dagger ready to strike. “Which fortunately for you all, is why I’m here: To protect you from saboteurs who might compromise your mission, and to protect the prince from you should you prove to be compromised.” The claw returned to his chest. “And trust me, I would know if that became the case. I myself am a doctor as well.”

Dr. Ludwig
130/130 HP
40/40 Shield
Status: Normal

[Nostalgia]

Tap tap tap tap came little tiny footsteps running down the hallway. From the doorway came bursting a... Very tiny bug, wearing no medical equipment, or anything at all really besides a cloak and a needle on their back. They glanced briefly to Moon and Ludwig before their eyes fell on Jr, ragged wings popping from their back as they flew over and hovered next to their friend in a similar manner to Starlow. They glanced over the sleeping koopa a bit worriedly, not saying a word to any of the others.

[heirtothemonado]

Both Starlow and the accompanying nurse smiled as Moon walked in. At least there was one person here that knew what they were doing "That's probably a good idea" Starlow commented. "I've had some experience with his species biology and it can be...hostile to intruders. Best be prepared..." she trailed off. She didn't know how much Jr would differ from his father due to his age, but if it was anything like that at all, Moon would do good to be prepared. Though when Moon made a comment about her, she started to get a little annoyed. "Excuse you? I'm perfectly dressed for this! I'm wearing shoes, thank you!"

The next arrival...puzzled the nurse in charge. He claimed to be a doctor but...she'd never seen here around here before. "You're...a doctor?" She asked. While she had her skepticism, the nurse couldn't really afford to be picky. Plus he claimed to be related to the patient. So it might be a good idea to bring him along. However, Starlow wasn't as welcoming

"Urgh.....why'd it have to be you... I know Bowser Jr is your brother, but still...." Starlow sighed, resigned. "Guess I don't have a choice, do I? Fine then...Just don't cause any trouble"

Starlow's gaze then fell to Vessel. Now this was someone she didn't recognize at all, but they looked like they were pretty concerned for Jr. While she didn't like the idea of a random stranger coming in off the street to help out, they appeared to at least know Jr, so there was a low chance of them actively hurting him. Offering no comment to the small bug, Starlow turned to look at the nurse, who was calling everyone's attention, holding what looked like a miniature warp pipe in her hand.

"Alright, attention everyone. Now I don't know what exactly happened, but I can say that it's not going to be pretty in there. The prince's immune system might think you're a type of virus, and react accordingly. You may defend yourself as necessary, but be careful! We don't want to do unneeded damage to Bowser Jr's insides. Your goal is to find what's causing the prince's stomach ache, and deal with it as you see fit. You'll get in using this." The nurse holds up the small pipe. "The other end is inside him, so entering and exiting will be easy. Starlow will be in contact with me, so I can monitor his condition. Once the cause is removed, we'll work on getting you out."

Once everyone was ready, the nurse tossed the small pipe onto the ground. As soon as it landed, it expanded up to normal size, allowing everyone plenty of room to go through it. "Good luck everyone. See you when you return."

Starlow nods to the nurse, then hovers over the pipe, waiting for the others to enter it. "Well, we don't have all day. Let's get going!"

[Coolshaymin]

".... Huh, well I guess I would not know what else you would wear... They are nice shoes. Good to know we have an expert. Admittedly this is my first time working with a Koopa of nobility..." Moon remarked as she rubbed the back of her head. ".... When your entire species is pushed into the Black Market, kind of hard not to...." Moon pointed out as she glanced to Ludwig's... entrance. "Sorry if I don't believe you and I assure you I have plenty of partners that can 'bodyguard' me. Still, as long as you don't get in the way you can come along," Moon waved off  "Moon, Dr. Moon," she said as she looked from Ludwig to... the bug thing? A weird guest but he seemed concerned for Jr so no reason to push him back.

"... So does the Warp Pipe shrink us down too?" she asked, looking from the pipe to Jr... No way they would all fit in there and be able to actually accomplish something otherwise... "Right, I'll make sure that damage to the patient is kept to a minimum while we look for the cause. Alright, let's get going," Moon said as she jumped onto the pipe and looked down... So this was a warp pipe huh?... How exactly did these things work anyway? It made no scientific sense-In the process of looking down Moon fell into the pipe to end up at the other side.

[TartoonHand94]

“Why yes, as a matter of fact, since you so kindly asked,” Ludwig asserted to the skeptical nurse. “After making great use of my MSS and PhD in Military Studies, I enrolled in a correspondence course with the University of Goom and obtained my PharmD.” He showed her a photo of his Pharm D framed on his trophy wall. “So yes, I. Am. A. Doctor.”

“Why did it have to be You. I know you where involved that time it happened to the King, but still…” Ludiwg scoffed, crossing his arms in near echo. “Like I said, I take my hypocritic oaf very seriously.”

“So in addition to competitive pet-fighting licenses, they grant children doctorates where you’re from as well?” Ludwig glanced Moon up and down bemused. “A little Pidgit told me you’ve had interior experience before. But heed my warning: the inside of a King Koopa is a whole other beast than what you are used to.” He leaned in close, despite needing to stand on his toes to do so. “It’s going to take one to know one. You’ll. Need. Me.” He assertively poked her in the chest with his claw.

In the time it took for Ludwig to make clear to his colleagues his vitality to the mission, he had barely noticed the Vessel walking into the room. Funny how you tightly you can get wrapped up in your own ego.

“One two three four, largo larghetto everyone!” Ludwig rounded up the other doctors and led them into the warp pipe. “On the down beat!”

Dr. Ludwig
130/130 HP
40/40 Shield
Status: Normal

[Nostalgia]

The others mostly ignored Vessel, probably for the best. They could hear them talking about medical degrees and science, silently slumping a bit as they lamented their own lack of knowledge. But still, they just wanted to help, in any way they could. The Blue Vessel's wings slowed and they hovered down to the ground with a little tap on the floor, turning to the others and hesitantly raising a little hand to wave to each.

Their head tilted slightly at the sight of the tube. Even for someone that didn't understand science and used magic, this pipe thing was a bit much. But it seemed like the others were at least trying it, so why not? They said it would work, and if it helps Jr then it could only be good. tap-tap-tap-tap-tap came the Vessel's little footsteps as they ran to the pipe, hopping up on the last step to fall directly into the pipe, cloak fluttering around them. 

[heirtothemonado]

Starlow rolled her eyes as Ludwig commented on her involvement. "Yes, well, the staff thought having someone here that was familiar with this kind of thing, and I'm the only one that fit the bill that wasn't already busy. Or would you rather have the plumbers handle this?" Knowing that would get to Ludwig at least a little bit, the Star Sprite dove into the pipe after everyone else.

With a noise familiar to those used to traveling via Warp Pipe, the four would soon come to the light at the end of the pipeline, popping out of the other end of the pipeline to find themselves in a...very strange place.

There were broken pipes all over the place. Some of them were stuck in the red walls, like the one that they had just come out of, but the majority of them were just broken, lying on the floor. Was this seriously what Jr's insides looked like?

"I don't know what I expected. It does look very similar to his father. Just a bit less...developed." Starlow said as she floated ahead of the group. Looking around, she tried to discern where exactly they were in Jr's body. "Hmm...If I remember right, in Bowser's body this place was around his ears...don't ask how these got here though." She looked around at all the broken pipes, before shaking her head. "According to the nurse, the main problem seems to be in the lungs and stomach. So we should probably try and make our way there. His chest should be a good place to start. Hopefully things don't get too rowdy before we get there."

---

Location: Pipe Yard

Bowser Jr Health: 150/150

[Coolshaymin]

"..." Moon was about to retaliate until heavily blushing and looking away at the comment. How the heck did he know about that? Not even many of her own coworkers knew about that incident. "Yeah, well, a Pharmacist's knowledge isn't going to help too much or we wouldn't need to go inside him in the first place. And I may not know how you know so much, but I'm not a child and I'd appreciate less assumptions while we work. As much as I don't like it, this is a professional setting," she retaliated as she crossed her arms. She did not waste too much time arguing the point. Sure she was just a teenager but she worked hard to do what she does competently. "Besides, we have Starlow for knowing him," she added as she observed the surroundings a bit more... Yeah, this definitely wasn't normal a placement on an individual...

"... Do I even want to know why things you eat go into your ears, Dr. Ludwig," Moon questioned as she looked back. He did imply he'd have an answer to these kind of oddities. "Sounds good to me. That would be a good place to get a vantage of most of the system..." Moon nodded as she adjusted her bow a bit and walked forward. "So is there an easy way to the chest from here or do we walk?" she added.

[TartoonHand94]

(“Or would you rather have the plumbers handle this~?”) [/sub][/i]Ludwig mocked under his breath behind Starlow’s back. _{(Go ground pound on a flagpole. That’s what I’d rather have…)}

“Those are some hot fireballs you’re throwing from your ice palace. Professionally speaking, what exactly is your PhD in, again? So I may no longer assume, of course.” Ludwig wasted no time in addressing Moon’s potential self-own. Considering how often the Koopaling title gets confused with Koopa Kid, Ludwig could understand what it’s like to want to be taken seriously and not as a child.
“At any rate I agree, let’s keep this strictly professional. If fighting is inevitable, may it not be amongst each other.”

“Near his ears, huh? Explains why it’s so roomy in here.” Ludwig chuckled with a stretch. If he wasn’t going to roast his partners for the rest of the mission, Somebody was going to get burnt.

“Actually, this is where residue winds up when one doesn’t properly brush his acrodont teeth.” Ludwig gladly answered Dr. Moon’s question, only wishing that Bowser Jr. could hear it. “The easiest way to his lungs and stomach from here would be to follow the trail of debris to his mouth then go down his throat, but it’s also the most dangerous.” Ludwig deduced with a warning. “You wouldn’t want to accidentally wander into his Fire Sack instead.” He stifled a chuckle at the thought. “Dental hygiene’s especially critical for a healthy Koopa’s development. I’ll need to have a word with him once this is over…” He sobered up as he took the mental note.

Ludwig
130/130 HP
40/40 Shield
Status: Normal

[Nostalgia]

Blue Vessel tilted their head slightly in confusion as they popped out into the other side of the pipe, looking around at the massive assortment of things that should DEFINITELY not be inside of someone's body, even Vessel knew that. They already started wandering around worriedly, looking at the destroyed pipes with light careful steps trying not to hurt Jr. The two doctors fighting didn't fill them with confidence on Jr's well-being... But when they stopped they seemed to know a good bit about what was happening. Maybe this wouldn't be too terrible.

The two foot tall Vessel hesitantly walked over beside Ludwig, reaching into their cloak to pull out a small dark slab. they held it up to try and show to the koopa, running their hand over the surface as slightly messy blue writing was left in its wake.

Are you one of Jr's brothers? You know how to make him wake up right?

[heirtothemonado]

Starlow simply nodded at Ludwig's assessment of the situation, not surprised that he'd have an impressive grasp on Koopa biology. "Indeed. Jr's throat is probably where we want investigate first. From there we can check his lungs, stomach, and anywhere else that might be affected by....whatever's causing this to happen to him. His Fire Sack might be included there, actually" Starlow said, going over a mental checklist in her head. "Luckily, if Jr's anything like his father, getting around his body should be pretty simple. Since all these pipes ended up here, there's gotta be a direct path to Jr's mouth that we can follow." With that, Starlow started floating toward what looked like the exit to the area, beckoning the others to follow her.

Before Starlow could lead the group there, however.....something started making a commotion from the exit. Some rather...strange creatures ran into the Pipe Yard, their beady black eyes glaring at the new arrivals angrily. Seems that the nurse was right, Jr's immune system was acting pretty quickly to get rid of these new intruders. Although Jr's immune system took on some fairly....strange shapes.

"Goombules!" Starlow called out. These things weren't exactly tough, but in higher numbers they could be a bit overwhelming. They probably should take care of these while they were still manageable. "We should probably take them out before they start overwhelming us. Don't worry about damaging Jr, they're just cells. Just be careful!"

Just as Starlow finished speaking, the Goombules all charged the group simultaniously, trying to headbutt them into submission....hey, just cause they're prompt doesn't mean they're effective

Everyone! All three Goombules are attacking you at once! Make a DEX roll of 10 or higher to avoid getting, ah, trampled for 10 DMG

Goombule HP: 100	Elite Goombule HP: 120	Goombule HP: 100

[Coolshaymin]

Moon gave Ludwig a... rather surprised look at his apparent sympathy. Huh, that caught her rather offguard. She kind of already had him marked off as a blowhard but he actually is competent and has a heart. "... Well, since you asked, PhD is a bit of a stretch. We kind of do a lot of things different back home... I took a medical exam a year back," She said as she took out her trainer case and showed a card behind her trainer card. "I'm an officially licensed field medic. I am trusted to perform emergency and general care on Pokemon and humans outside normal health centers, primarily the Wild. I don't have an exact field and I try not to limit myself too much. I have to take care of people regardless of circumstance after all... This is probably one of my... weirder cases but it's part of my job, as a Medic and a Nurse at Lightweather," Moon explained before putting her case away. "Now that that is clarified we should be-..." she began before seeing the cells heading straight for them... those were some oddly familiar cells. Did she see them somewhere before?

QceDV8Rnp_1d20+3

Moon jumped over the charge, using the blue hatted one as a stepping stone. She drew her bow in the next jump and knocked an arrow on to it and firing it at the Goomblue. "These are probably the strangest cells I've ever seen... It should be fine to take these ones out but let's not be excessive about it. They will probably get in the way if we ignore them but that doesn't mean we should destroy every cell we see..." she stated as she landed.

p_1d20+3(Heavy Draw on Elite Goomblue, deals 28% damage, Moon takes 5)

She drew out another arrow, this time having a Pokeball attached before firing it into the air. "Go, Robin! Use Brave Bird and Leafage!" she declared as the ball opened to fire a beam higher up, producing a feathery archer who had a rather dark aura that filled his arrow before he shot it at the Elite Goomblue Moon fired at earlier. He then took out another quill arrow before firing it without the intense aura of darkness. After that shot he disappeared into darkness before reappearing at Moon's side, ready to defend her should the need arise.

p_1d20+4(Brave Bird on Elite Goomblue, 28% damage, Robin takes 5)

p_1d20-1(Leafage on Elite Goomblue, 18% damage)

Moon HP: 155 Shield HP: 55	Robin HP: 155 Shield HP: 55

1d20+3·1d20+3·1d20+4·1d20-1

[TartoonHand94]

He may not have looked like it, but Ludwig listened to Moon with his ears rather than his eyes.
“I see… Well you shall certainly soon find your versatility a boon in this case.” He could be seen nodding in understanding as he studied the state of Bowser Junior’s interior. “While surly they would have assigned a more experienced physician to operate on royalty, all experience must start somewhere.” He shrugged in admittance. Moon should take this as encouragement. _{“Raises the question why they hadn’t assigned another Koopa doctor to this, perhaps reached out to Dr. Topper…”} He folded his arms and mumbled to himself. _{“But on the other hand, if the Koopa Troop had more doctors in our ranks, we wouldn’t need as many necromancers…”} He pondered out loud before being interrupted by the Vessel.

Having briefly forgotten they were here with them, Ludwig shook off his initial flinch and inspected the small dark slab.
“By a sour technicality, yes indeed, we are brothers.” He disclosed formally. “Not bound by blood, but through our father, who selected me to adopt into the royal family and enlist into his elite Koopaling septet…” He recounted with a rather nostalgic tone. “And later had him, _{through means of which we do not speak.}” He folded his mouth soberly. “Regardless of my sentiment on the matter, Prince Junior is the chosen future leader of my tribe and his preservation is my duty of the utmost priority. As if he were King Dad himself!” He reaffirmed, likely needing to hear it the most.

And like clockwork, it would be quickly proven that Ludwig was not alone in his endeavor to protect Junior.

(hDLsD2f|p_1d20+1 Ludwig's Dodge of Goombules. Success!)

“These guys are smarter than I thought.” Ludwig snorted to himself. “Best to keep a safe distance from them. They aim to beat you down so that they may absorb you and escort you out. Ranged attacks preferred.” He began to instruct the group as if it were a reflex. “Mind the arena, the battlefield can Feel you. If the floor senses danger, it will send more!”

And with that, Ludwig engaged, returning fire on the Goombules with… Fire.

(p_1d20+3 Ludwig's Fire Breath @ Does Goombule A. Does 15% Damage and 10% chance to inflict Burn status.)
(p_1d20+3 Ludwig's Fire Breath @ Does Goombule B. Does 15% Damage and 10% chance to inflict Burn status.)

Ludwig
130/130 HP
40/40 Shield
Status: Normal

1d20+1·1d20+3·1d20+3