Jolene

Jolene
Species	Toad
First appearance	Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (2004)

“Mr. Champion! No, I mean, Mario... Please allow me to express my earnest thanks for defeating that foul Grubba.”

—Jolene, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

Jolene, also known as "X", is a female Toad who resides in Glitzville, and used to be the assistant of Grubba in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. She works in the Glitz Pit.

History

“Let me tell you everything. I had a little brother once, by the name of Mush. He's have done anything for me. Our family was always poor, so he became a fighter here to support all of us... But he suddenly went missing one day. Our family was inconsolable. I suspected foul play, so I got hired on as the manager and investigated in secret. As I looked for clues about my brother, I accidentally saw Mr. Grubba transform. Seeing what I was up against, I almost gave up hope...and then you appeared. So I decided to secretly guide you.”

—Jolene, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

Jolene first appears at the very beginning of Chapter 3, in Grubba's office. She leads Mario and his partners to their locker room, and then leaves. By talking to Bandy Andy, Mario can discover that occasionally, Jolene had been seen going into places (bathrooms and such), but never coming back out.

Mario enters the Glitz Pit, and as he advances in the rankings, some of the fighters start to go missing. He also starts getting e-mails from a strange person called "X". One such e-mail tells him to look in the attic of the building, where he finds the crumpled bodies of fellow fighters King K and Bandy Andy. While exiting the attic, he spies Jolene about to enter, then sees her quickly running out again when she sees him.

However, at the end of the chapter, it is revealed that Grubba is actually behind this. After Mario defeats Macho Grubba, Jolene walks in and tells him that she is actually the sister of the first champion of the Glitz Pit, Prince Mush. Prince Mush disappeared, and Jolene suspected Grubba of kidnapping him, explaining why she got a job as his secretary: so that she could learn his secrets. She also revealed that she was actually "X", and had sent Mario the e-mails so that he would unknowingly help her uncover the mystery, as she thought he would be the only one who could defeat Grubba.

Jolene in her regular outfit

Jolene without her glasses and suit

She goes on to question the now-defeated Grubba about her brother, but Grubba simply says that Prince Mush "ain't around these parts no more". Grief-stricken, Jolene is surprised when Prince Mush suddenly appears from the Gold Star Grubba was using to power his machine; Grubba had been using Prince Mush to give the Crystal Star more power. Happily reunited with her brother, Jolene grants Mario the Gold Star, so that the tragic events caused by it may never reoccur. She then goes on to become the manager and referee of the Glitz Pit, taking over the Match Reservation System and the rest of Grubba's duties for the remainder of the game.

She appears to be friends with Toodles, as suggested by one of the troubles at the Trouble Center that Mario can solve. Jolene has borrowed the wrestling magazine from Toodles, who wants it back. Jolene also has her own trouble at the Trouble Center, which involves disposing all the garbage in the storeroom by giving it to Goomfrey, whom she has contacted. She says that she could not stand the smell of rubbish and tells Mario to put it somewhere where she could not see it again.

When not at work, Jolene can be found at the Glitzville Fresh Juice Shop; though not stated outright, it is heavily implied throughout the game, mainly from her recognizable appearance. This would also explain her going into bathrooms and not coming out: she actually just changes her clothes and no one recognizes her, although it is also implied that she uses a certain "man-eating toilet" to warp from room to room via the bathroom, like Mario did when a security guard locked him in an abandoned locker room. Also, when X tells Mario to get the Super Hammer from Podler in an e-mail, "Jolene" is not present.

E-mail

Doing well?

Mario,
Or rather, the Great Gonzales...I realized that I never thanked you for handling my request, so I decided to e-mail you.

I never thought for a moment that you, a former champion, would end up taking care of the wrestling trunks for me.

After you left here, know what Mush said to me? He said, "There are some things that can only be understood by fighting." He's an odd one, Mush. He's actually training now...yes, he's planning a comeback!

You should come by the Glitz Pit if you get some time. You're just the type of star the fans crave, you know?

Take care, Jolene

Tattle

Goombella can use Tattle on Jolene after she escorts Mario to the minor-league locker room of the Glitz Pit but before Mario leaves for first match, when she is inside Glitzville's Fresh Juice Shop without her glasses and suit, and when she is in her Glitz Pit office (having succeeded Grubba).

Glitz Pit, as Grubba's assistant

• "That’s Grubba’s manager, Jolene. She strikes me as a very driven young woman. She’s a little cold, though... I mean, would it kill her to be a little nicer sometimes?"

Glitzville, Fresh Juice Shop

• "Wow, this lady is so pretty! I wonder what her name is. As far as I can tell, she always quietly enjoys her juice in the corner, alone. What is it that mysterious women do to become so mysterious? What a mystery!"

Glitz Pit, as a promoter

• "That's Jolene, the Glitz Pit promoter. She's a real strong businesswoman. Boy, I wouldn't want her mad at me, know what I mean? She's all business!"

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	キノシコワ Kinoshikowa	"Kinoshikova"; a portmanteau of「キノピオ」(Kinopio, "Toad") and "-ova" (a common feminine name ending for Slavic surnames)
French	Céno T.	Pun on c'est noté (French phrase meaning "it's noted")
German	Toadskova
Italian	Von Fungen	Von Mushroomen (faux German)
Spanish	T. Lisa