A Biologist's Journey
Book 1: Forest of Arrival
Chapter 1: Arrival and Red Pikmin
A/N: Greetings, humans, and welcome to a new project I've been planning for a while: "A Biologist's Journey"! This project was inspired by Deadly Raptor's "Pikmin World Safari", but I plan to use mostly my own Pikmin and creatures. You can read about my custom Pikmin in "Colors"; the new monsters you'll hear about as this story goes on. Also, the story involves my own OC; I'd planned to use this chapter to provide his backstory and details, but I don't feel like it; if I have to do that, I'll get bored and never get to the good part of the story. So I'll leave it at "he's a biologist who's finally getting to study PNF-404" and let the rest unfold in time. Instead of the detailed backstory, I'll just give a quick background in the Author's Note:
It has been 200 Standard Galactic Years (about 80 Earth years) since the events of Pikmin 3. After decades of bureaucracy and red tape, the planets of Koppai and Hocotate have finally joined forces and formed a united research team to investigate the native life forms of the mysterious planet of PNF-404, the planet of the Pikmin. Research stations have been set up across the surface to study the creatures without interfering, and dozens of orbiting satellites now provide data about what is going on in remote areas. The planet now has regular service to all corners of the galaxy, and the greatest researchers in the Galactic Civilization regularly visit the planet and learn about the spectacular variety of live which thrives on the mysterious world. And now, a new researcher is arriving, one who has always wanted to see PNF-404 in person and is finally getting his chance...
Journal Entry #001: Research Station 83B
I can't believe I'm finally getting my chance to explore PNF-404! Ever since I first read about the great voyages of Captain Olimar and the journey of the S.S. Drake, it's been my dream to travel to the planet of the Pikmin and learn all about the incredible variety of life there. When I first heard that the Biological Council had secured the rights to form a team to research the planet, I immediately signed up. It may have taken two years to process my request, but now here I am on the most incredible planet in the galaxy.
But perhaps I'm getting ahead of myself. My name is Eric Ezpil; I'm a Koppaian biologist who has spent the last eight years traveling between planets in the Delta Quadrant, taking notes on so-and-so butterfly and whatever flower the Council asks me to take notes on. But I've always dreamed of traveling to PNF-404, home of the most diverse forms of life in all the galaxy. When I found out my visa had gotten approved, I practically trashed my apartment on Disudrann in my haste to pack for the voyage. A small ship picked me up at the local spaceport, and after a five hour Cosmic drive trip we were in orbit around the planet.
I must say, looking down at the planet which I'd spent so much time reading about gave me a feeling to incredible excitement. Looking down I could see the super-continent which included most of the land on the planet's surface; the rest was in the form of tiny archipelagos and a small second continent on the far side of the planet. As we descended to the surface, I saw us pass one of the orbiting observational satellites which provided data about the entire planet to the various research stations. Soon I would be using that data to research the flora and fauna of this strange world.
As the ship descended still further, the rockets starting to fire to slow its reentry, I noticed that we were landing in what appeared to be a dense forest; I vaguely recognized it as an area known as the Forest of Arrival. A fitting name, I thought. In the distance I could see all kinds of biomes and terrains, from jagged deserts to frozen tundra to a massive lake which filled much of the eastern view.
The ship landed on a landing pad outside of the main complex, which was shaped like a large dome. Of course, most of the facility had been placed underground to prevent the structure from interfering with the natural cycles of life on the planet's surface; the dome was used only for entering and exiting, and for equipment which could not function in an underground environment, such as detailed radar devices and the hovercraft field researchers used.
I am currently writing this from the room assigned to me in the underground tunnels that make up most of Station 83B. It's much nicer than the room I had on Disudrann, but I don't think I'll be using it much; researchers deemed to be experienced enough are permitted to take hovercraft out for overnight trips. I intend to prove myself experienced as fast as possible; I have heard that the nightlife on this planet can be quite...hectic.
I personally haven't been able to leave the base yet; as a new arrival, I have to spend five days within the base so I can acclimatize to the new planet, and so they can sterilize all of my belongings to avoid introducing any new bacteria to the planet. However, I have already seen a sort of "sneak peek" at the kind of things I might encounter on this planet. It was on my first day of arrival; George, a researcher who has been here for almost a year, was taking me on a tour of the edges of the base. He showed me the Invisible Fence, a kind of force field which kept hostile fauna from entering the area of the research station. Contrary to its name, it was not invisible: if you looked closely, it was possible to make out a slight shimmer forming a dome over the dome. This was fairly standard practice, but it never ceased to fascinate me. The wonders technology gives us nowadays!
At that moment, several Red Pikmin burst from a bush at the edge of the clearing the station was situated in. They looked exactly like the photographs I had seen in the books on the planet. There were about seven of them, and they all seemed panicked. I was about to ask George why they were running, but suddenly I got my answer: with a roar, a Red Bulborb burst from the bushes behind the Pikmin and came charging after them. The Pikmin let out tiny screams of fear and ran.
I found myself apprehensive of what would happen to the Pikmin. I knew that, when directed properly, they were capable fighters; however, these Pikmin were clearly wild, never having been commanded by a captain. Without skills in combat, how would they survive? I found myself hoping the Pikmin were smart enough to scatter, allowing at least a few of them to get away.
Sadly, the Pikmin did not seem to be smart enough; in fact, they all immediately ran into a corner formed by two fallen logs. At first the Bulborb couldn't seem to believe its luck, but it quickly began to trundle toward the corner, soon blocking the Pikmin in. It seemed in no hurry; lunch, it was now sure, was assured. I winced, sure the Pikmin would be messily devoured.
Next to me, George chuckled. "Don't give up on them so easily," he said.
I was confused. What could the Pikmin do to escape? They were blocked in by the massive creature, and surely a mere seven Red Pikmin wouldn't be strong enough to kill a Red Bulborb. As I watched, the predator advanced. It was large, even for a Bulborb, large enough to swallow all these Pikmin in a single gulp.
Suddenly, something unexpected happened. Without warning, the Pikmin's demeanor changed. Suddenly there was no fear in their stance. One Pikmin, seeming to act like some sort of leader, gave a strange cry I had never heard on the recordings; it almost seemed to be some sort of signal. It turned out to be exactly that: suddenly, a small shadow appeared over the Bulborb's head. It just had time to look up...before the bulky form of the Purple Pikmin came down hard on its face.
I blinked in confusion. Where had that come from? I looked up into the branches of the large tree directly above the clearing and saw, perched there, several yellow Pikmin; the light was blurry, but their large bat-like ears were quite unmistakable. Sitting among them were a handful of Purple Pikmin; as I watched, the Yellows pushed two more of the Purples off the branch and onto the Bulborb. With a cry of pain and anger, the Bulborb reared up and collapsed on its back, dead.
As my brain unlocked, I realized what had happened: it had all been a trap! The Red Pikmin had been used to bait the Bulborb, appearing to let it trap them in a corner...but it was a corner they had selected earlier. The Yellow Pikmin were stationed up above, ready to push the Purples onto the predator when it tried to attack the Reds. As I watched, the Reds gave a triumphant cry and gathered around the corpse of the Bulborb, lifting it up and carrying it away back into the forest.
Clearly the Pikmin are more intelligent than I thought. I will have to remember that what I have read thus far about them may not be accurate.
A/N: And there you have it! I'll update again soon, and I also now have new chapters of CQ out. Until the next update!