Sick Mao

"If he swings the sword one last time, germs come to spread"

"Sick Mao" is the 12th episode of the first season of Mao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart, and the 12th episode overall.

Synopsis
When Mao Mao won't admit that he's sick, he puts the town in danger.

Plot
The heroes wake up to another monster attacking Pure Heart Valley. Badgerclops and Adorabat jump out of bed and get ready to fight the beast, when they are startled by a visually sick Mao Mao. The deputies express concern about his health, although Mao Mao denies being sick, as it would be a sign of weakness.

Approaching the scene on their aero-cycle, they are suddenly shot out of the sky and crash land in the middle of town. The monster reveals itself to be an ice dragon, having covered the kingdom in snow and ice during its rampage. Mao Mao attempts to fight, but his sickness prevents him from being effective, and is ultimately trapped in a block of ice. Adorabat and Badgerclops manage to shoot one of the dragon's wings, causing it to plummet to the ground. The monster recovers and flies away.

Mao Mao congratulates the team for their success, now looking much more sick than before. Badgerclops and Adorabat encourage Mao Mao to take a rest, but he insists that he is fine and continues about his daily duties as sheriff. His deputies follow closely behind, destroying everything he touches to avoid getting the Sweetypies sick.

When Mao Mao tries helping a Sweetpie cross the street, he begins to hallucinate. His friends try talking to him again, only for him to pass out in a fountain. They take him to the castle to be treated by the magical technicians, Camille and Honey. Camille tries to cure Mao Mao using a giant leech, but he sneezes inside its mouth, causing the creature to flee is disgust. Suddenly, the ice dragon returns to continue destroying the kingdom. Badgerclops and Adorabat go to fight the monster, leaving Mao Mao to rest. Mao Mao tries to get up, but sees his reflection in his sword and relents that he is sick.

Adorabat distracts the monster while Badgerclops charges his new "Badger Blaster" attack. Firing a massive laser at the monster, it counters with a blast of ice which overpowers Badgerclops and leaves him trapped in ice. Adorabat is soon frozen as well. Back in the lab, Mao Mao feels bad being unable to help. Camille wonders why Honey is now wearing a hazmat suit; the flying squirrel points to a poster on the wall that shows how germs can spread. Mao Mao looks at the poster and gets an idea on how he can defeat the monster.

Back outside, the ice dragon prepares to finish off Badgerclops and Adorabat. Mao Mao hobbles towards them, barely able to stand, and draws the beast's attention. The dragon tries to freeze the sick sheriff, but his intense fever makes him invulnerable to the creature's icy breath. The monster responds by eating Mao Mao whole. He retaliates by rubbing his body all over the inside of the dragon's mouth, causing it to become extremely sick and explode. The trio celebrate their victory with a hug, only for Badgerclops and Adorabat to get sick as well.

Back at their home, the monster alarm goes off, but is unceremoniously turned off by being hit with a kunai. The heroes are taking a sick day, watching TV together on the sofa. Mao Mao remarks that they should take sick days more often, as Pure Heart Valley sets on fire in the distance.

Characters

 * Adorabat
 * Badgerclops
 * Benny
 * Camille
 * Chubbum
 * Giant Leech (debut)
 * Honey
 * Ice Dragon (debut/death)
 * Ketchup
 * King Snugglemagne
 * Mao Mao
 * Muffins
 * Pinky
 * Slim Pigguns

Locations

 * Pure Heart Valley
 * Sheriff Headquarters
 * Camille's Lair

Trivia

 * Despite owning a poster on the topic of hygiene, Camille was unaware of how germs spread.
 * It is also revealed that Camille has a collection of germs/snot, which is the source of the mass infection in this episode.
 * In March 2020, this episode was unavailable on the Cartoon Network app, as a means to avoid audience discomfort. Since January 2022 or possibly sooner, the episode has returned to the app and the Cartoon Network website. It also remains available on HBO Max as well as other video on-demand services such as iTunes.

Continuity

 * Badgerclops is seen sleeping on the top bunk bed, which was given to him in "Ultraclops".

Cultural References

 * The title itself is a literal translation of the Chinese phrase 病貓 (sick cat), which is used for describing somebody who is severely under the weather.
 * What Mao Mao says in the dragon's mouth is a reference to the Domon Kashuu special attack called "Shining Finger Sword" from the anime "Mobile Fighter G Gundam". Interestingly, the music is a nod to G Gundam as well, called Shining Gundam (シャイニングガンダム).

International premieres

 * March 25, 2020 (Poland)