Olimar woke up inside the red Onion, sweating. He looked around at all the red pikmin sleeping around him, mooing whenever they exhaled. "So it wasn't a dream," he said to himself.
He lay back down and slept some more.
Olimar had the dream yet again. He remembered having almost every part for his ship, the Dolphin, and his 30 days had been up. He sailed into the night, waving goodbye to the Onions and his pikmin battalion. Suddenly, his engines had failed, and he fell back down. After that was barely discernable…but he did remember being carried around, like when he was attacked and the pikmin carried him back to the Dolphin to get healed.
Olimar got sucked up into the red Onion, and then he felt a floating sensation and then being plucked…he didn't know why, but it reminded him of an beet being rooted. He remember the small arms that grasped him and pulled him out. And that was where the dream ended.
The next day, the pikmin led Olimar out of the Onion. He looked around and saw the crashed Dolphin. He approached it, putting his hands on it. He had the hands of a hocotation, but they slowly morphed into little, red pikmin arms. He then fumbled at his head, and realized there was no helmet, but a little sprout. He grasped it and put it down in front of his face.
A leaf. He was a leaf pikmin. He fell over gasping, hyperventilating at how odd and scary this was. He was stuck on this distant planet, there was denying or escaping it.
He began silently weeping, at the sheer and utter fact he'd never see his wife or kids anymore, or his best friend, Louie, or even his annoying boss, the President of Hocotate Freight. Suddenly, a hand was placed on his shoulder. He looked up and saw a blue flower.
"Are you OK?" It came out as some gibberish, yet somehow, Olimar understood. He nodded, the flower helping him up. "Today, we're going to get the yellow pikmin some followers, then at the end of the day, we'll get some nectar."
Olimar nodded and stood. "You know who I am, correct?"
"Olimar, the leader, or, what you used to be," the flower said. "I'm Joe, by the way. You made me into a flower, even though I tripped a lot. Thanks for that."
Olimar nodded, and then realized he was the shortest of any pikmin there. The irony; he used to lead them all as the tallest of the bunch. Joe led him through the crowd of pikmin, and they came upon two more flowers, a yellow and a red. They seemed to be debating something.
"Friends, say hello to our finally awakened newcomer!" Joe said.
Everyone said hello, some a little more reluctantly than others, most of them being buds. "I'll explain later," Joe whispered in his ear. "Olimar, I'd like you to meet my co-leaders, Steve and Bob. Say hello, you guys."
The flower yellow and red walked forward and said their hellos. It was then Olimar remembered them. Steve was a blubbering idiot, or had been, until he had defeated a fiery blowhog so another pikmin could survive. Bob was a lazy, good-for nothing until he had distracted a bulbear from attacking all the pikmin and Olimar from behind.
And Joe. Joe had never been able to do anything right, even trip. He recalled the time Joe had stolen the nectar from some reds, but changed. He turned into the hardest working blue of the Onion.
Steve then stood at the head. "Alright, all. Today, we'll be doing something different. Joe will be taking all the blues for the Smoky Progg. They will be a distraction so that I can lead the reds at a flanking maneuver. Bob and the yellows will be up on that ledge right there, waiting for an ambush.
"When the reds attack, blues, Joe will bring you back to the Onion and get out different pikmin. Once Joe has done that, follow him back to us reds and yellows so we can have all colours defeating that Smoky Progg.
"This will not be an easy battle. I do not expect all of us will make it out. But if you follow your leaders orders, as we once did for Olimar, we will succeed. Move out!" Steve, Joe, and Bob moved out. The colours corresponding to these leaders followed.
Olimar followed Steve, and was impressed at how much the three weakest links of his battalion had now become leaders, and strong ones at that.
Steve led them into a crevice behind a wall. He beckoned Olimar over. "You'll be our message boy for now. Get to the yellows and tell them I want them slightly to the right."
"Yes sir!" Olimar replied, running towards the yellows position. He noticed the blues, led by Joe, approaching the giant egg. Olimar thought he defeated the Smoky Progg, but I suppose the Mamuta may have had another baby. He prayed to whatever pikmin god there was that this battle would be successful.
He saw Joe ordering pikmin forward. He was losing time! Olimar sprinted towards the yellows, and waved to Bob once he found some cover. Bob walked over. "Olimar! Get back to the reds!"
"Steve said that you all need to move slightly to the right!" Olimar whispered.
Bob looked at where the reds were and waved. "Good work, soldier! Back to your post!"
There was a scream. They saw the Smoky Progg howling and then bend down. A few leaves and buds were suddenly dead, their souls drifting up towards the heavens.
"Belay that!" Bob said, reaching down. "Come on, just stick with us."
"I can't jump as high as you!" Olimar squealed in fright.
"Jump as high as you can, I'll catch you!" Bob said. Olimar nodded and did just so, grabbing Bob's arms. Bob struggled to get him up, and eventually got him up. "Keep your head down."
Joe led the blues back towards dry land, the Smoky Progg with its soulless gaze following. Olimar watched in horror as another leaf fell, also falling to the hand of the Progg.
"I hope this plan works," said a female yellow.
The blues were approaching the Onions, and then the reds sprang out. Flowers led the way, jumping on the Progg. The buds and leaves followed. The Progg shook them off, eating a few.
Steve led the remaining reds towards the yellow's hiding place. The Progg, enraged, floated towards Steve, whacking him against a wall nearby water. Olimar wanted to save Steve, but Bob held him back. "But Steve!"
"He'll be fine, he's a red," replied Bob. "He's tougher than anyone in this battalion."
Olimar supposed that was true, but still showed happiness when Steve shook it off and jumped on the Progg, attacking it. Then, the blues returned.
"That's our cue!" Bob said. He stood. "Yellows – CHARGE!"
The yellows sprang from cover, running towards the Progg. Bob was the last to go. "Olimar, that means you, too!"
Olimar nodded, jumping over the side. He jumped on the Progg, coughing at the disgusting smells the Progg emitted. He smacked it with his leaf, and then was shook off. He noticed Steve and Bob had fallen next to each other. It was then the blues attacked again.
Steve began dragging Bob away, but the Progg shook off all the blues. It sprang forward, and ate Bob viciously. Steve had to run away to barely survive.
This enraged Olimar. He jumped back on the Progg, and began biting into it. The Progg started screaming devilishly and did something Olimar had never remembered it doing. It jumped into the air and almost flew into the water. Olimar began choking and crying. He felt the poison rush through his stomach. He began drinking the pure water, and felt he had enough, swimming back.
What was this? He couldn't swim back. He saw the Progg die, its venoms coursing through the water and eventually evaporating. But he'd die, after the marvelous defeat of the Progg.
He breathed in as much air as he could, but his height caused him to drown. Even if he stayed afloat, he noticed the yellow wollywogs hopping towards him, seeing a meal.
The blues appeared, carrying the gold pearl to dry land. The others guarded Olimar as Joe picked him up, carrying him back to shore.
Steve ran towards Joe and Olimar as they came back to land. "Olimar! Are you OK?"
Olimar began coughing up water, and sat up, tears rolling down his face. "Bob…oh Bob!"
"Bob died a hero's death," Joe said. "Do not grieve, but honor him."
"But I could have done something!" Olimar replied.
"He was actually dead before the Progg got him," Steve said with grim fact. "He also bit the Progg. Poor guy didn't have water nearby."
Steve stood. "Men, carry back the spoils to the yellow Onion. The yellows have suffered the most losses. It was a successful battle."
Joe and Steve walked over to watch the pikmin carry the gold pearl back to the yellow Onion. Olimar watched from a distance, still coughing. Then he saw Joe and Steve walk back.
They carried him towards some grass, and they began plucking it. A giant blob of nectar popped out. A bunch of buds noticed this, and started coming over, ecstasy in their eyes. Steve and Joe began slapping them with their flowers.
The buds looked hurt and confused, and so did Olimar. He didn't want his friends insulted like that.
"This nectar is for the pikmin who defeated the Progg," Steve said.
"Alone, may I add," said Joe.
"Leave this to him. You can have your share on that patch, over there." Steve turned to Olimar. "Olimar. Go on."
Olimar walked to the nectar, and with wonder and thoughts running through his head, he drank and felt the tingling sensation, and then felt something pop on his head.
Joe and Steve were smiling. Olimar's eyes widened, and he grabbed the stem on his head. He pulled it in front of his face.
A flower was there.
And although there was no way he could ever see his family again, he knew they still cared. And he still cared. He cared about the pikmin…and the Distant Planet.