Here's something some of you may have been waiting for. With all the Pikmin 3 notes I've written, I've decided to try my hand at writing an actual story on Pikmin. This story is a concept I've had in my mind for a while, and it's about time I give it some life and share it with all the kind-hearthed, reasonable, and decent folks on the internet. So, just a few things before we start. Number one, most of the Pikmin in the story wear some form of clothing. So, when I say a certain Pikmin, I don't know, has socks on his feet, just go with it. Number two, the Pikmin here speak English, but have some differences in what words mean. Also, Pikmin will have their own curse words, so that should be fun. Anywho, here's a little dictionary to help you out.
Year- cycle. Example: He has been dead for two cycles.
Man- min. Example: You are a sick min. (It's a unisex word, so it works for both boy and girl Pikmin.)
God- Olimar. Example: Oh my Olimar.
Ass- Louie. Example: Get off your Louie and do some work.
Coward- Flint Beetle. Example: Go ahead and run, ya Flint Beetle!
Wise guy/Smart ass- Alph. Example: You are such an Alph, ya know that?
Glutton- Brittany. Example: That Brittany just ate a whole bowl of nectar by herself.
Someone overconfident/Self absorbed- Charlie. Example: That Charlie is gonna get himself killed.
Hm... yup, I think that's all of them. Ok, you can enjoy the story now. Well, you know, if you find it enjoyable. Probably not... But regardless, please review and tell me EVERYTHING I did wrong. Or, who knows... Maybe some of you out there will actually like this and want to tell me it was good. You can do that too.
Pikmin's Log
Life without an Onion has been a rough transition these past couple of cycles. Luckily, my "friends" and I have been able to adapt to this lifestyle well enough. However, I fear this cannot go on forever. After running several tests for the last few days, I theorize that this ecosystem will not be capable of supporting us for much longer. The nectar is drying, the berries have become few and far between. If we stay here we will all surely die. There is no doubt in my mind that we won't. Not that this comes as a surprise to me. We Pikmin are not built to live in these conditions. We need an Onion, there is not arguing this fact. If we want any hope of survival, we must find a new one. I realize that the odds of us finding a new Onion are not in our favor, but at this point I see no other viable option. Since we've been living in this area inside of this accursed tree for over two cycles now, I highly doubt one will land here any time soon. No, it seems our only option is to go out and search for one. It will be difficult to convince the others to go with me on this dangerous adventure, seeing as how they don't trust me very much. And I will not lie; I have given them reasons not to. But I am positive that once I've shared what I've learned they will join me in search for a new home, right? Hm… Well, no matter. For the time being, I must prepare my case to present to the others.
-Glass
Glass let out a small sigh after finishing his latest journal entry. It was tiring work being the only Pikmin with troubles or worries. The others seemed so oblivious to this situation, but not Glass. Glass felt it was his duty to be wary of the dangers the others ignored, even if it was a heavy burden to bare.
"Hey Glass, you Ok there?" a voice called.
Glass's ears twitched at the sound of his name. He looked up to see his "friend" Brick, a Rock Pikmin. He was sitting in his usual spot near the wide opening in their hollow tree.
"You're look'n a bit down," Brick observed. He seemed genuinely concerned.
"Oh no no, I'm quite alright. Just a tad sleepy is all," Glass said in response. He removed his glasses and wiped the lens with his lab coat. He then made he's way over to the opening where Brick sat and stared out into the horizon. He took a deep breath to take it all in. Despite his obvious disdain for living in an old, crummy tree, he couldn't complain about the view. He loved looking outside and into the sky. It's what helped him get by every day. It's what made this all bearably. He could just sit there and stare at the clouds for hours.
How he hated it for that! Glass hated that it had the power to distract him so. The other Pikmin were easily unfocused by everything. They loved to slack off and waste the day playing or daydreaming. That's another way Glass was different. He was never idle for too long, if ever. He was always working or testing or studying. He hated the idea of wasting time doing nothing. But, when it came to this view; to watch as that bright ball of light slowly sink behind the mountains, it was mesmerizing. If not snapped out of his daydreaming, he would stare at it until it completely vanished.
"Glass? Glass!" Brick yelled.
"W-what!? What? What is it Brick?" Glass asked.
"You were staring out into the sky again. I know how much you hate when you do that, so I'd thought I'd wake you up."
"Oh, uh, yes. Many thanks, dear Brick. I could of spent hours in that slothful activity. I have far too much to accomplish today to afford such mindless behavior."
"Uh, yeah, don't mention it," Brick said in a slightly annoyed tone. Glass talked way too much, which would have been fine if anyone could understand him.
Glass returned his gaze back to the outside world, this time focusing more on the ground. He wanted to locate his friends and get them to the tree as quickly as possible. However, he couldn't spot a single one of them. This meant they were probably playing far from the tree. It would take some time to find them, and he didn't have any time to spare.
He then glanced over to his companion, who was also staring outside, and an idea sparked in his head.
"Say, Brick, how would you like to assist me in something? You know, a favor of sorts."
A nervous look came across Brick's face. He didn't like where this was going, as Glass's "favors" often involved provoking predators so he could record their reactions and hunting methods.
"That depends. What kind of favor?"
"Relax; I don't need you to play as bait, at least not today anyways. I just need you to gather the others and escort them here. I have something of the utmost urgency to tell them."
Brick still looked a bit uneasy. Any Pikmin who knew Glass well could tell you you've got to be cautious when doing favors for him.
"And that's all I have to do, right? No catch?"
"Yes, that's all it is. There is no secret plot or anything. I cross my stem. Now get it done. Time is of the essence!"
"Alright, I get it! For Olimar's sake put a pellet in it." Brick snapped. He then got up and hopped off the edge of the tree's entrance, landing on a pile of small mushrooms surrounding the base of the tree.
"Ugh, I never get use to that landing," Brick groaned to himself.
Once he had both his feet on the ground, he looked around for any sign of his friends. He took a quick jog to all the hot spots where the others normally played. He first checked the small cave. The other Pikmin often played a game call "No eyes" inside of the cave, where one Pikmin would shut their eyes and search for the others. They stopped playing the game often after the mysterious disappearance of a few other Pikmin.
After not finding any of his friends at the cave, Brick then walked to the flower patch. The flower patch was a very popular playground for the Pikmin. In the past, they would often play a game they called "High climb", which involved climbing the flower's stems to see who could climb the highest. However, the game was quickly tabooed after an incidence where two Pikmin were snatched and carried away by a Snitchbug. They were never seen again.
To his surprise, Brick didn't find his friends at the flower patch today. By this point, he was becoming slightly paranoid, so he hastefully continued his search for the others in the third place he'd thought they'd be, the tree stump. The Pikmin would sometimes come there to dance, sing, or tell each other stories, but this too was becoming less common. Not because something bad happened there or anything, but a few months ago, Glass spread rumors that an evil blob made of water lived inside of the stump and would kill those who disturbed his slumber. No one has ever seen the monster, but they also didn't want to take any chances. The rumors apparently still haunt the remaining Pikmin to this day, as Brick found no one there.
Brick stood at the edge of the tree stump (making sure not to go near the center) and thought of where else they could be. There was only one last hang-out in the area, the shallow pond. He prayed to Olimar that they were playing there, or he'd really get nervous. After running with as much speed as he could muster, he eventually arrived at the large puddle, where he was relieved to finally find his pals playing.
He first took noticed of the Purple and White Pikmin sitting together on a rock near the edge of the pond. The purple one, named Big, was wearing a red tie. The white one, named Tiny, was sporting a pink bow tied to the bottom of her stem. Even for a White Pikmin, Tiny was especially petite. Sitting right beside the rock was a Red Pikmin wearing a large blue scarf, named Love. Swimming in the pond was a Blue Pikmin wearing an identical scarf, only red, named Care.
Tiny was the first to noticed Brick approaching them. "Hey, it's Brick! Brick finally came to play with us!" she gasped.
The others turned to see if Tiny was telling the truth, as Brick almost never came out of the tree for anything, much less for playing. However, they were met with a welcomed surprise to see that Brick was indeed running over to them.
All the Pikmin immediately ran towards Brick to greet him. Once caught up to him, they squished him in a giant group hug.
"Hey Brick! What are you doing outside today?" Love asked.
"Yeah, you always stay inside the tree. What brings you here?" Care added.
"You came to play with us today, right?" Tiny cheered.
"Huh, guys, can you let go of me? I feel like I'm getting squashed by a Wollywog," Brick pleaded.
Love, Care, and Big all let go of Brick, while Tiny still remain latched on to him.
"Tiny, I told you that you have to stop hugging others so tightly. You could poison them," Big advised.
"Oh, right. Sorry Brick," Tiny apologized.
"That's fine. No harm done," Brick assured.
"So, what do ya wanna do first? Chase the Beetle? Toss a berry?" Care playfully asked.
"Well, I have to be honest, I'm not really here to play or hang out. I'm just doing a favor for Glass," Brick informed.
At that second, the others Pikmin's faces turned from cheerful to uncomfortable and horrified. Tiny was even starting to tear up a bit.
Brick, seeing the sudden change in their mood, could tell they were misunderstanding the situation. He quickly tried to calm their worries.
"Oh no, not those types of favors! He just wanted me to tell you guys to gather at the tree. Apparently, he has something really important he wants to talk to us about."
Sighs of relief came from the small group. However, Big still remained a bit suspicious. What would Glass want to talk about? Why would he need all of them? Before he could continue to ponder about what Glass's intentions, Brick interrupted his train of thought with a question.
"Oh, by the way, have you guys seen Troop, Dig, and Fly anywhere? Glass will probably want them for this meeting too."
Love and Care shook their heads simultaneously. "We haven't seen Fly today," Love answered.
"But we did see Troop and Dig," Care proceeded.
"They said they'd be hanging out near The Sands today," Love and Care said in unison.
"What?! The Sands? What could they possibly be doing there?" Brick wondered aloud.
"I remember they said something about looking for bomb-rocks. The Sands is filled with them, so they probably went there to grab a few," Big predicted.
Brick shook his head and sighed in disappointment. "Great, I guess I gotta go and get those two Charlies before they get themselves killed. You guys should probably head back to the tree now. I'll meet up with you guys there after I fetch Troop and Dig. And if you see Fly on the way, tell her about Glass's little meeting and all that."
"Uh, actually, why don't we come with you? You know, so we can go to the tree as a whole group," Big suggested.
"Yeah! Oh, can we please go with you Brick? Pretty please?" Tiny begged.
"Um, I'm not too sure about that Tiny. This is The Sands we're talking about. It could be dangerous," Brick warned.
"We know that. But I think I'd rather take my chances at The Sands than being alone with Glass," Big joked.
"Hm, I guess I can't really blame you for that. Alright, you guys can tag along, but keep your wits about yourselves when we get there," Brick cautioned.
"No problem," Big replied.
"I'll be good. I swear!" Tiny promised.
"Don't worry about us," Love and Care chanted.
Brick let out a sigh in response to their cheers. Despite their attempts to reassure him, he was still rather unsure about bring them to such a treacherous place. He wasn't too worried about Big, but the other Pikmin weren't very experienced when it came to fighting. Still, he knew he wasn't going to change their minds.
"Alright, let's get going. Best we don't keep Glass waiting," Brick said with a nod of the head. The other Pikmin also nodded their heads with enthusiasm. However, once they realized what Brick meant by not keeping Glass waiting, they ran ahead of him in a panic, leaving Brick behind.
"Ugh… I need to stop doing favors for Glass."
While Brick was on his voyage to gather all his friends, Glass was still inside of the tree working tirelessly on his presentation. He was feeling quite content with himself at the moment. He didn't think he'd be able to work on his studies and get the others to the tree at the same time in such a short notice, but he was actually able to pull it off. Normally, Pikmin would do everything themselves, and Glass was no exception. But, having Brick run this errand for him made him realize how fast things could get done if they worked together more often. On the other hand, that would require friendship and trust, so Glass quickly discarded the pointless thought and returned to his work.
However, Glass's peace and solitude was soon interrupted by a pink blur that flew into the tree at a neck breaking speed, which then crashed in to a pile of dead leaves and grass at the corner of the room. Glass didn't even have to look up from his writing to know who it was. It was Glass's other "friend" Fly, a Pink Pikmin who wore a stereotypical pilot's hat. She was Glass's second least favorite friend.
"Salutations dear Fly, how has the day been treating you?" he greeted.
"Hehe, my day's been going gre- no, wait. It's been really bor- no, it's been kinda… It's been going great!" Fly laughed.
"Fly, you haven't been consuming those spicy berries again have you? You know that those things do to your circulatory system."
"Dude, I don't even know where my circulator organ is."
"No, it is not an organ, it a … never mind. I have far more important things to do then to lecture you on the inner workings of the body. I'll have you know I am currently working on a presentation for our friends to show them the limited resources of this ecosystem and that we need to evacuate this horrid place with haste, so I would ask that if you plan on staying in this tree that you remain silent."
Fly let out a long yawn. "Don't worry; you just knocked half the life out of me with that speech of yours, so now I'm too tired to do anything."
Glass ignored her comment and focused his attention back on his work. He quickly scanned through his notes for what seemed like the hundred time to see if they still satisfied him. To any other Pikmin, these notes would have seemed to be nearly perfect, as if they were written by Olimar himself. But to Glass, they were just Ok. Not great, or even good, just Ok. However, as he skimmed notes again, he noticed something he failed to realize the other times. The data on the remaining berries in the area was several days old. He mentally slapped himself for not updating such vital information. He wanted his presentation to be its very best, but without these figures it would not be as credible.
He took a small peek outside and saw the sun approaching the mountains, signaling the coming of sunset. He knew it was far too late to go out to check and make it back in time to prepare. He let out an annoyed groan in frustration. Fly, hearing Glass's loud sigh, got up from the pile of rotting plant life and flew over to the smaller pile of rotting plant life.
"Aw, what's wrong Glass? Has the boredom of your life finally caught up with you? Hehe."
"I'll have you know that if it wasn't for me dedicating my existence to science and studies, you wouldn't have a life. You'd be a speck of decomposing waste giving nourishment to mushrooms and Sheargrubs. And if you continue to insult the way I choose to spend my life than I promise you the fate I have sparred you from will come to reality by my hands."
Fly rolled her eyes. She seemed unfazed by Glass's threats, which angered him.
"So tell me, what's got you bummed out?" Fly asked.
"If you must know, my data on the berry count is a tad obsolete. The day is too far gone for me to go check on those berry plants and make it back to ready my presentation."
"Well, if you'd like, I could go check all that stuff for ya! I need an excuse to get back out there anyways."
"Are you certain? The plants do grow rather far from here."
"Don't worry about it. I'll be back in a flash!"
With that, Fly adjusted her hat and flew straight out of the tree, her image getting smaller and smaller with the more distance she flew until finally vanishing. Glass, meanwhile, slowly shook his head as he watching her fly off.
"Oh dear, that Pikmin is going to get herself killed one day. Now if only I could decide whether or not I'd care. Oh well, best I get back to work."
"Ugh, Dig, are you done down there yet? The sun is starting to go down ya know," a Red Pikmin yelled towards a hole in the ground.
"Don't get your stem in a twist Troop, I just wanna find one more bomb-rock before we head back. Just keep an eye on the sunset; I'll be done in a second," a voiced called out from the hole.
"You've said that like two times already. Will you just pick up the pace before sun down please? I wanna get out of here before those creatures wake up."
The white Pikmin's head quickly popped out of the earth with a perplexed look in his eyes.
"Now hold on a sec there hot shot. I only brought you along 'cause your one of the few min left who doesn't flinch at the sound of a Bulborb. Don't tell me you're suddenly going soft."
"Pfft, please. I'm not scared of a few stupid Bulborbs! I can kill a whole pack of 'em with my eyes closed! Still, like you said, not all of the others are as super strong as me. They need me there to protect them."
Dig rolled his eyes as he went back to digging. "Super strong, huh? You do remember the countless times that I and almost all the others have had to save your Louie from some beast, right? If anything, our lives would probably be a lot easier without you."
"I guess, but they wouldn't be as fun either!" Troop pointed out.
"Oh yeah, what's not fun about needlessly facing death and endangering the lives of others for nothing!? Eh, sounds like something that freak Glass would say," Dig said in repulsion.
Troop noticed Dig cringing just at the thought of Glass, and he couldn't help but find it hilarious. It was no secret to anyone in the group that Dig hated Glass with a passion. And, while it's true that no one was ever very fond of Glass, Dig was the only one that downright despised him. It could be because, for one, the two constantly argued over things, whether it be over important decisions or beliefs. Another thing Dig hated was Glass's lack of morality. It is well known to everyone that Glass has almost of a hobby of putting others in harm's way simply so he can watch for his own amusement. Glass calls this activity "testing", and it is the main reason why the Pikmin try their hardest to avoid making any contact with him.
However, despite all this, Troop, along with the others, believe that the main reason for Dig's hatred towards Glass was that Glass was practically always right. Say what you will about the demented creep, but there was no denying Glass's intelligence. He was by far one the smartest in the group, and could outsmart and outwit Dig in almost every argument. And, if the two argued over something that had no clear answer, then both would just continue to debate until either one gave up, or the others begged them to stop. However, they would never admit defeat. The two were extremely stubborn Pikmin, and they would sooner die than say the other was right.
After digging for several more minutes, Dig finally popped back out of the ground again, this time carrying a Bomb-rock in his hands.
"Here, hold this for a second," Dig ordered handing the bomb-rock to Troop. With his hands now free, Dig lifted himself out of the hole.
"Alright, let's grab the others rocks and go home."
"Ah, about time! I thought we'd be stuck here forever. So, uh… how are we gonna get all these bombs home?" Troop asked.
"What do you mean? All we gotta do is pick'em up and…" Dig slowly turned silent as he realized that there were seven bomb-rocks to carry home, and only two of them to do it.
"Oh for the love of Olimar…" Dig groaned as he put a hand on his face. He had just spent the entire day digging these bomb-rocks out of the ground, and now it looks like he was going to have to leave most of them behind.
Troop, noticing Dig's frustration, attempted to comfort him.
"Hey, i-it's Ok Dig. We can just grab some, leave them at the tree, and come back for the others."
"Don't be dumb min. Just look at the sun. We'd be lucky to get ourselves home at this point. *sigh* Whatever, let's just grab two and head for the tree. I'll come back tomorrow and see if I'm lucky enough that at least a few didn't get taking by those damn Dweevils."
Dig walked over to the pile of gathered Bomb-rocks and examined each one carefully. After a few seconds, he finally grabbed the bomb he found most preferable and tucked it in between his left arm, holding his hand-made shovel in his right.
"Alright Troop. Let's get moving," Dig sighed.
"Okie dokie," Troop said while adjusting the green handkerchief he wore around his neck. He then went over to the pile and also inspected the bombs as well, but only for the sake of mimicking Dig and pretending to make an important decision. After making his choice, Troop happily began skipping back home, with Dig following a few paces behind. However, after only a meager couple of steps, the two Pikmin stopped in their tracks by a sound that suddenly arose from a near by bush.
"Troop, you hear that?" Dig whispered over to his red companion.
"Oh YES! The Bulborbs are waking up early today!" Troop shouted. He then casually tossed his bomb-rock over to Dig, who was too distracted by the sound to even attempt to catch it. With his hands free from holding the bomb, Troop dashed towards the noise of the shaking shrub, ignoring Dig insults and the hissing bomb-rock. Once he had cleared the distance between him and the sound, Troop leaped into the air and dived towards the unknown presence, ready to attack. However, Troop was quickly knocked back to the ground by the yet to be seen being.
"Ow... What was that? Felt like I just head butted a rock," Troop groaned as he shook his head.
"Ah, there you are!" said Brick as he stepped out from behind the leafs. "I thought I felt something brush by my stem."
"Wow, I must of reeeeeally knocked myself out because I'm actually hallucinating that Brick is outside. And he's talking to me! Hehehe..."
"No min, I'm really here. The others are here too." Brick turned around to look at his friends that has followed him, only to see that they had fallen way behind. "Well, they sort of tried themselves out running. But they'll catch up soon."
"Troop, you stupid Snitchbug! You just threw an explosive bomb-rock at my face! Are you trying to get me killed!?" Dig said as he approached Troop, who was still laying on the floor. "Wait... Brick? What are you doing here?"
"Looking for you! Listen, we have to get our Louies back to the tree. Glass has something important he wants to tell us," Brick informed.
"Glass!" Dig growled at the sound of the name.
"Brick!" yelled Big, Tiny, Love, and Care as they finally caught up with him.
"The others!?" Dig said astonished that everyone was here as well.
"Troop..." Big mumbled with worry as he helped the nearly unconscious Troop to his feet.
"Dig?" Troop said nervously as he glanced over at the active bomb-rock which now had bright beams of light flashing through it's cracks.
"Tiny!" Tiny said shouting her own name as she jumped in the air in delight.
*BOOM*
The Pikmin stopped their commotion and turned their heads to the location of where the bomb had been, which was now replaced with a centimeter deep crater with gray steam emanating from it. The group, besides Troop who was still nearly unconscious, frantically looked around for any sudden movement in their environment. They knew that an explosion as loud as that, combine with the nearing of sunset, could wake any beast within a four foot radius. Sure, that may not seem like much to us, but remember, these are Pikmin.
A few seconds went by, and most of the Pikmin dropped their guard, focusing on trying to get Troop on his feet. Dig, however, reminded vigilant. His eyes scanned through the area repeatedly with an cold glare. Just as he was about to turn and help the others in bring Troop to he's senses, he spot a Red Bulborb wandering from behind tall grass. Next to the red beast were a few of it's miniature clones, the Dwarf Bulborb.
The Red Bulborb eyes were seemingly in a daze. It was obvious it had been woken by the explosion. The confusion in it's eyes were then replaced by hunger when it took notice of Dig and his friends. More Bulborbs, both dwarf and giant, began appearing from surrounding plants and rocks; all their eyes glued on their distracted prey.
"Olimar damnit..." Dig cursed under his breath. He was going to kill Troop for this. That is, of course, if the Bulborbs didn't kill them first.
Oooooh, a cliffhanger! Well, it doesn't really matter though. After all, this is just the beginning of the story, so it's pretty obvious none of them will die. Still, you have to wonder just how they're gonna get themselves out of this one! You know, originally this chapter was going to be longer. But, I figured since I'm already pass the 5k word mark, this be a good place to end things.
So, what did you think? Not to horrific is it? Please tell me what you thought! I'd love some feedback on how I did with this, especially on what you think of the characters.
A special thanks to my good friend Keifren1ooo, who was the unlucky soul who had the questionable honor of beta reading this first chapter. But don't tell him I said that. I can't let him know about my feelings for him. H-he'd... he'd never accept me. *sniff* Oh Keifren... If only I wasn't such a coward.
