Junior Shrooboid

Template:Pitenemy The Junior Shrooboid is a green Shroob who appeared in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time. During the events of the game, this strange creature used Professor E. Gadd's time machine to travel from the past to the present. Eventually, Junior Shrooboid winds up in Princess Peach's throne room. At first, he does not move. As soon as he does, Mario immediately confronts the alien (while Luigi runs away scared). In battle, the Junior Shrooboid has 13 HP and attacks by spinning into an opponent. Unfortunately for the intergalactic fungus, Mario could easily Jump over this attack and stomp on the Junior Shrooboid. After the battle, Professor E. Gadd places the Junior Shrooboid in a fluid tube, keeping the alien alive for study. E. Gadd discovers that the Junior Shrooboid reacts strongly to the presence of the Cobalt Star shards. The professor hypothesizes that the Cobalt Star could be used to defeat the Shroobs, and commands Mario and Luigi to recover the remaining star shards. Unfortunately for the heroes, the Junior Shrooboid reacted so strongly not because the Cobalt Star could defeat the Shroobs, but because the Junior Shrooboid was aware that Elder Princess Shroob was imprisoned inside the artifact itself. It is unknown what happened to Junior Shrooboid at the end of the game, and it is possible that Professor E. Gadd is still studying it.

The battle with the Junior Shrooboid was merely a tutorial battle for Mario to develop his fighting techniques, similar to Baby Bowser's battle. It is impossible for the player to lose against Junior Shrooboid. However, Junior Shrooboid could be considered as the first boss in the game, as the boss music was playing during the battle.

Trivia

• In Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, while Mario and Luigi battle the Shroobs, eight Junior Shrooboids can be seen frozen in blocks of ice. Outside of the battle, one Junior Shrooboid is the only frozen Shroob that can be seen.
• Junior Shrooboid is one of the two bosses fought in the present Mushroom Kingdom. The other is Shrowser.
• Junior Shrooboid's coloration and its age to the Elder Shrooboid are analogous to Luigi is to Mario.
• Junior Shrooboid bears some resemblance to Starman Jr. from the Mother series: Both are member of an alien species, both share the Jr in their name, both are the first and weakest bosses in their respective games and both have at least two stronger members of their species.