In The Land Of Pikmin
Part 1
This story takes place two hundred years after the initial discovery of the Pikmin Planet.
A small band of settlements that were originally set up by Olimar himself sustained the trade between the two worlds of the pikmin and the home-world of Olimar, Hocotate, and through this trade the pikmin had learned many new things. Speech, War and Culture were all becoming modernized in the image of Hocotate. To prove that the pikmin had learned well, an army was raised in order to claim the pikmin planet for its rightful rulers. The pikmin are striking back against the beasts that have haunted them for so long.
Disclaimer: I do not own Nintendo or Pikmin. As much as I wish I did, I do not.
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Flamer
Flamer woke to the sound of many beating drums. Drowsy, tired and a bit confused he sat up, stretched and slid down the leg of the bright red onion. He grabbed a reed from the tiny marsh nearby and brushed his leaf back into position. He wandered on over to the area where the beats of the drums were coming from to find that the army was already marching through. The army consisted of about ten percent of the pikmin from his base, as well as a fair share from the other bases. Here's when the memory of the last few weeks hit him like a twenty pellet thrown from atop the highest cliff.
Flamer had been living in an onion close to the HTC Headquarters (Hocotate Trading Co.) since he was a seedling. He was a harvester, meaning that he spent most of his days gathering berries for the sprays that the armies used. Those berries were heavier then they seemed, and Flamer had built up his strength over the past few years. His work was hard, but he earned enough Pokos to support himself in this way, and he sometimes had enough left over to splurge on the very strange alien technology of the Hocotate Co.
The pikmin race had learned a great deal from the funny looking beings from Hocotate. They had learned how to speak after a great deal of effort, how to groom and take care of oneself in a rapidly modernizing world, and how to make a living for the pikmin planet itself. The army had advanced as well. They had boots, and small armor plates to help them survive in the battles. There were the bitter sprays and the boosting sprays, which also provided jobs, and many technologies that were still being tested. The pikmin had also learned formations and how to handle themselves in battle. In addition, they had small zap pistons (A name that they made themselves) to shock smaller enemies into unconsciousness, if used correctly.
Anyhow, lately the army had been recruiting many of the bud and flower pikmin from the major bases of onions. The higher ups thought that the best way to make the pikmin population safe and to show that the pikmin race was now much more civilized to the Hocotates was to exterminate all of the nearby colonies of 'creatures'. Flamer was glad he didn't have to go on this strange mission. Or so he thought.
Little did he know that his fate was intertwined with that of the army…
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Zap
Zap slid down the glowing yellow onion's leg and ran past the blue and purple onions towards Flamer. After Olimar & Louie's adventure on the planet, white and purple pikmin had decided to go ahead and live on the surface with the other colors, so they designed their own onions. Life had become crowded with just one onion, so the pikmin expanded the number across the plains. There were approximately forty-five of each type of onion spread out among forty-five different bases around the HTC Headquarters, along with several minor camps. Underground tunnels and caves connected the bases, so the pikmin could get around easily.
Zap was supposed to meet Flamer an hour ago to watch the army march! But with a single glance at the red pikmin, he could tell that he had also just woken up.
"What happened to 6:45?" exclaimed Zap over the drums as he ran up to Flamer
"You slept in too!"
"Yeah… well… I was up till twelve experimenting with that new thingy… the toaster?
Many new technologies had been shipped to the pikmin planet, and the pikmin were amazed by the magical things they could do. The microwave could heat up leftovers without a flame! The Leaf-blower could clear the yard without causing blisters on the hands! (It was also a fashionable way to style your leaf, bud and/or flower!!)
"You mean to say that you stayed up until midnight, playing with the new technology?"
"I was trying to find out where the bread went!"
Zap had been Flamer's best friend since they were seedlings. They both worked in the same harvesting field, and sat together at break time. Flamer had once saved Zap's life from four hungry sheargrubs, earning the red pikmin a small scar right below his stem. One of the sheargrub's shear-like mouths was still proudly displayed on a wall in the yellow onion. Most of the other leaf pikmin begged Zap to take it down because it was scary, but Zap thought of it as his memento of his best friend and everything they had been through together.
"C'mon, let's head down to the lake to watch them off!" Both friends took off in a sprint.
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Smog
The little white pikmin tried to keep up with his troop. But his little legs were not very sufficient in supporting his body plate.
"Smog! Get up here now, soldier!" yelled his commander fiercely.
"Sir! May I dispose of this uniform until we arrive at the battle? It is awfully heavy…"
"Fine! But stay near the middle of the formation! That armor is there to protect you!"
Smog heaved the plate onto a cart then ran back to his formation. He had never wanted to be a soldier; it was pure dumb luck that he had to join the army. He was drafted only a few weeks ago and had been training hard since then. He didn't know very many of the others outside of his squad.
His fiddled with his bud upon his head as he jogged up, and wasn't watching where he was going as he collided with a yellow and a red, both leaf, watching the army go by.
"Hey, watch it!" yelled the yellow, "Flamer, didn't you say that this was a highly advanced army? Yet they still crash into random pedestrians!"
"S-sorry. I was t-trying to c-catch my troop-"
He was cut off as a large watery blowhog smashed through the flowers, heading right for them.
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Flamer
A single though entered the young red pikmin's head as the watery blowhog charged straight at him.
Run away.
But his little legs were not listening, oh no. See, like so many other pikmin, Flamer had a deathly fear of water. He was fine if it was just a small lake, like the one they were currently near, just so he didn't have to get within 50 yards of it, but this time the water was coming to him. As a result, his legs locked up, and he was utterly frozen in fear.
Zap grabbed Flamer by the stalk and ran with him towards the stock-carts.
Currently being loaded were the crates of dried food, one of which was open slightly.
"FLAMER! SNAP OUT OF IT!" yelled a bewildered Zap. "Let's hide in there, the troops can handle that guy!" Zap gestured to the open food crate.
Flamer came to his senses, and dove into the crate with Zap.
The captain of Smog's troop finally noticed the beast, and quickly assembled a force of blue pikmin, who began to fight the monster.
"Will we be safe in here?" whispered Flamer to Zap.
"Yeah, just so they don't close the box and padlock it," He said as a soldier closed the box and padlocked it. The soldier then proceeded to close the back of the cart, and it began to move.
"Great, what were the chances of that happening?" said Zap to an angry Flamer, who leapt at him, knocking him into the back of the crate.
"Ow! Stop that! Look at the bright side, we don't have to do our chores today…
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Smog
Smog leapt onto a moving armor truck, and rode it up to the formation of the rest of the foot soldiers. He looked back at his Commander, who had nearly finished with the watery blowhog. The fight was going very well.
Smog knew that the group would be marching for a full eight hours at least, with only two breaks. He wondered why the troops just had to go and recruit him. The reasoning of his poison killing the enemy if he was eaten did not calm him at all. He was not looking forward to the battles that would come.
Smog was not comfortable with his situation. He had heard that he may not be back for a few years. He felt that he was being cheated out of his life. At least when this was done, the pikmin race could live in relative freedom from war.
As much as he did not want to go to war, he had a very good reason to. His two best friends had been eaten by a Greater Spotted Jellyfloat. That was two years ago. Now he was part of a quest to save the pikmin race from greater harm.
He had heard that the army would be headed for the Buggy Hills, a full week march away. Unluckily for the army, the zap-pistons did not work on the larger of the beasts, so they would have to fight hand-to-hand. (Bud-to-Bulborb?)
His Commander marched back with the blue part of the troop, with no injuries or fatalities. Smog didn't care much for the leader of his troop, but he trusted him, he had only lost three men in the two years he has been a general.
He noticed that the two pikmin he had ran into, literally, just a while ago were nowhere to be seen. He assumed that they had headed back for their onions. Smog followed closely behind his general.
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Zap (in a box)
"So… How long do think were going to be trapped in here?" Zap lazily tossed some dried berries around the crate. Zap had an ability to get in the strangest of situations. There was one time that he had managed to get trapped underneath a ten pellet. Zap never told anyone how that happened, not even Flamer knew. But Zap brought the comical relief that the two always needed when bad things happened, so Flamer could never stay angry at him, no matter what. Already, Flamer had almost forgiven him for trapping them in a crate.
"We should be thinking about what will happen when we get out of here," said Flamer jokingly. "Oh yeah Mr. General, the crate was open, so we just climbed in. But it isn't our fault. See, you should really lock these earlier, and make sure that no morons have gotten trapped inside first."
Zap laughed out loud and then threw a fistful of berries at his friend.
Thankfully, there were enough small holes in the box so they could both breathe, but it wasn't very comfy to sit on a pile of dried berries for who knows how long.
"Hey Flamer"
"Yeah?"
"Next time I suggest we climb into a crate… throw me into the lake!"
"I'll hold you to that!"
And he would.
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Smog
Smog woke with a start. He was not in his bed; but he quickly remembered where he was.
The army had marched for far too many hours the previous day, on and on. His little legs were crying out in pain when they were allowed to rest at last. Smog had to tough it out, however, because he was a sub-commander, along with the only girl in his troop. Smog was the fastest to be promoted in the army; he had a natural knack for strategy and the like. He had been training for barely a week when he had been told he was being promoted.
He had been so tired; he fell asleep before dinner was served. His stomach, which was apparently listening in on his thoughts, growled angrily.
"Yeah, I get the idea, this is not my best day by far." He mumbled as he stood up and brushed the dirt off of himself. True enough; the only other time he felt like this was when the onion threw him as it took off. He had been thrown seventy feet into the ground, slamming into the ground headfirst. He awoke the next morning in the HTC Headquarters, after being rescued by a passing worker. He was lucky to have survived that fall, and he didn't feel much comfort in his current situation either.
Smog got up out of the tent and wandered. He guessed that it was about three A.M. That put him at around ten hours of sleep. He was no longer tired after this welcomed rest, but his legs were not happy with him.
He stumbled along the line of wagons; finally locating one carrying dried berries, and picked up a crowbar conveniently located nearby. Skipping dinner probably had not been a good idea the previous day, and stealing food was probably a bad decision too. Smog was going to get in a lot of trouble if he was seen. He checked around him one last time to make sure nobody was around, and opened the crate.
He jumped back in fear as two small figures tumbled out.
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Zap
"FREE AT LAST!! FREE AT LAST!!" Zap shouted enthusiastically as he danced all around, flinging berries everywhere. A small hand grabbed him around the neck.
"Shut up you moron! You'll wake everyone! Geez, am I the only one with a brain here?" Flamer tossed Zap back into the box then turned to their rescuer.
"Hey! It's shorty again!" He shook his hand wildly then kissed the ground at his feet.
"Umm, Flamer, I hate to tell you this, but that ground is probably covered in all sorts of unhealthy substances. Who knows what sort of creatures have relieved themselves in that exact spot?" Zap laughed and threw a handful of berries at his friend.
"Whatever. Oh yeah! I am Flamer, and this idiotic fellow is Zap. Who the heck are you?"
Zap tried to hold back laughter as he saw the white pikmin had fainted from fear, while still standing.
"I did not know that was possible!" said Flamer as they shook the white pikmin wildly.
"WAKE- oops, I mean- Wake up!" Zap heard the sound of feet some ninety yards away. Yellows have the ears for that sort of thing.
"Uh-oh, someone's coming Flamer!" They ran past all of the carts looking for a place to hide. That's when Smog decided to wake up.
"Who? What? Where?" Smog shook himself free from Zap's grasp, who had been dragging him along.
"You again! What in the name of Lord Olimar is going on?"
"Please, hide us! We got trapped in a crate of berries back at our base! Someone's coming!" Zap pointed back, to where the footsteps were coming from.
"Why should I help you?"
"Would you like your commander to know that you were stealing rations?" grinned Flamer.
"Blackmail? That's not fair!" protested Smog; although he knew he didn't have much of a choice. He led them wildly through several rows of tents until he located his own. He would have to hope that the broken crate and the spilled berries would be overlooked.
All three ducked inside the petite tent as the footsteps came closer…
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I have lost count of how many times I have edited this exact story. But if you see any mistakes, let me know with a PM. And also, make sure you review. I don't care if it's only a six word review, just do it! And pay attention to new chapters that will be appearing.
I began writing this story in late 2005, but stopped after the files were deleted after my computer crashed in early 2006. In late 2007, more than a year later, I recovered the files from another computer that I hadn't even realized contained the story! I continued writing until May 2008, when I took a very long break. And now, I'm back and ready to see this thing through to the end.
-SkippingZombie, originally written 2005, revised countless times, then re-written and extended August 2008.
P.S. Please review.