Pikmin: The Flora and Fauna

The Championship Title Bout For The Tree of The Century! (And hopefully lunch)

Within the deep recesses of a den buried deep in the ground, sunlight streamed through, revealing a small crater filled with flowers. A variety of wild species, dandelions, small chrysanthemums, etcetera, they filled the grass ground in the hole. Within the hole, there laid what seemed to be fallen rocks, collapsed as if they had been beaten down. At least, to the untrained eye. Though, I suppose if you can look through a multitude of sublevels in the first place, then it is already pretty impressive. Regardless, despite the fact they resemble rocks, they were in fact, living creatures.

Most of them, one was lying on the floor, their souls had gone off to a better place, tired eyes staring up at the ceiling. If that sounds morbid, it should not be, because Pikmin is an E rated game!

But regardless of ratings, they pretty much were dead. Olimar and Louie clustered around a fallen rock beast, a crowd of Pikmin staring down at it as well. It laid still, flowers crowding it. Interesting enough, while it was certainly an interesting specimen, the treasure it had by its side was even more intriguing. A fist, seemingly raised to punch the sky, sat on the ground, with a dark blue coat of pain as if it were a glove of sorts. With a whistle, Olimar ordered the Pikmin forward, who gladly walked towards the foreboding statue, picking it up, hoisting it back towards The Ship's Research Pod, humming along as they went.

While Louie poked the smooth rock creature, tapping a claw at its side which resembled a crab's, Olimar watched as his troops hefted the monumental fist underneath the ship, laying it on the ground under the beam of light that emanated from The Ship. With a whirring noise, the Research Pod suctioned the metallic glove up into its small hull. As it hovered overhead, the Pikmin finished with their task sighed, sitting down on the soft dirt, looking around absentmindedly.

"Brute Knuckles." The Ship announced, already gifting the object with a name of its own.

Tiny cheers from the Pikmin soon followed, with Olimar nodding over to Louie, who turned back in fright, giving a curt nod. One by one, the Pikmin began filing past their defeated foe, cheering on in their small victory. Ahead of them, a geyser spewed water up into the sky with brute force. Brushing past flowers and dirt, Olimar whistled, calling each and every red, white, and blue carrot doppelganger that was with them to hop in. The blue coworker seemed excited to leap out of the hole, making a whistling noise as well. Looking behind him, he noticed the Pikmin carrying his soon-to-be lunch, the very same creature that was as solid as stone. Olimar simply shook his head, leaping up on the water geyser, already rising high into the air. Louie followed close behind as the Pikmin finished their scavenging task, soon hopping into the burst of water with screams as though they were riding a rollercoaster. The Ship, having taken the yet to be named organism, (reluctantly) followed them as well, spiraling about the water as it flew up into the sky.

Like always, they managed to land, against all odds, in the exact middle of their camp, with the Hocotate Ship's body sitting behind them, the nose cone hovering down to tighten itself back in its rightful place, as the patriotic Pikmin came flying down through the sky, landing down by the collection of captains, who got to their feet slowly. Just then, something slammed into the ground next to them, startling Olimar and several Pikmin. Louie, however, had an ecstatic expression, at least as happy as Louie could get with a blank face, and ran over to the object, which, when the dust cleared, happened to be the strange creature from earlier.

"There, keep your lunch, but don't even think of bringing it near me." The Ship shivered while Louie licked his chops.

But meanwhile, unbeknownst to our heroes, two bugs stared back from the safety of a shaded tree. Compound eyes with multiple cells rotated restlessly, until they finally settled on the captains and their squadron of Pikmin down by their Onions. One, with bruised antennae, rubbed its skinny arms together menacingly, a high-pitched cackling coming from the bug, which, through the sunlight of the trees, could be identified as the Swooping Snitchbug, still holding on, back with a vengeance. Next to it, another bug glared down, lying down on the branch the two hid on.

This creature, while similar in appearance to its Swooping cousin, was somewhat different. Its face did not protrude out, instead, two beady red eyes were stuck next to its thick, spiky arms. Like its cousin, however, it had an impressive abdomen, which it laid on, two antenna twitching above its head, and, yes, it did rub its hands together rather forebodingly just as much as its companion.

While not currently visible to the two captains, this species of insect was known as the Bumbling Snitchbug, discovered by Olimar and Louie themselves. In contrast to its skinnier Swooping Snitchbug brethren. But, to make it simple, we shall just refer to the skinny one as Snatch and the chubbier one as Bump for story reasons, and because that is probably the easiest name we could possibly differentiate them by. Snatch, whose eyes narrowed, glaring at the group practically sitting ducks down below. It was a simple operation, the Swooping Snitchbug thought to itself, giving a quick glance to its companion. Bump buzzed eagerly, staring at Snatch, who gave an assuring nod, before pointing down below to where they sat, getting things in order. Bump nodded, hopped off the branch, and zoomed down through the air, raising its appendages out to strike.

As it did so, homing in like a missile, Louie gagged on the chunk of food he chewed on. The Mamuta that Olimar had recently named was certainly awful. The only possible way it could be edible is if it were converted down into nutrients, and the Pikmin were not keen on sharing those. So the budding chef coughed out the harsh meal, reached into the blue backpack he carried, and took out a notebook, writing in it quickly.

"Inedible." He wrote simply, tapping on the side of his helmet, smudges of barbecue sauce stuck to the side, wiping it off as he began writing again, "Tastes like chicken."

Describing his culinary experience, Louie leaned back on the dirt, while Olimar and The Ship spoke at the side. Sitting in front of Olimar was a rock, which was helpfully provided by the small soldiers at his side, holding the stone steady, the captain taking up a bit of an awkward fighting stance, bobbing back and forth.

The Ship cleared its nonexistent throat. "Now, unlike the Rush Boots where I may or may not have had a few technical issues, this upgrade will allow you to show the wildlife you mean business if they grow too close for comfort. Three punches are all you need."

Staring at the boulder in front of him, Olimar could not help but give a skeptical look back to the ship as he stared down at his gloves. At best, this could work wonders and provide Olimar with the self-protection he so needs in order to keep himself safe in times of peril. At worst, he could slam his fist on a rock and hurt himself. Reluctantly, he readied his gloved fist, staring straight at the rock. The Pikmin behind the rock gave him nods, some giving him thumbs-up. Breathing out slowly, the captain punched once, scraping the rock, twice, denting it, and finished with a final blow, bashing his fist into the rock. For a while, he breathed in and out, leaving his fist in the stone for a few minutes, then retracted his hand.

Unfortunately, the most that caused the rock was a minor fracture, but luckily for Olimar, his hands were safe. Still, he could not help but feel disappointed, the Pikmin staring at the small crater in the rock, shrugging slightly.

"I am not a miracle worker, I am a spaceship. Alas, if there was more I could do, I would grant you the power to level mountains. ...As long as it provides results." The Ship spoke up, "I have implemented it in both you and Louie's suits, so if you ever do get stuck in a pinch, you can at least beat back those nasty bugs."

Looking up to The Ship, his fist still raised, Olimar nodded his thanks. He then promptly sat on the ground, sighing, stretching his glove by wiggling his fingers, the sentient vegetables crowding around him, staring at his gloves curiously. As they did so, not one of them noticed the insect homing in on Louie. Up until the point they heard a fellow Pikmin's scream. Spinning around, they noticed Louie holding on for dear life, struggling to keep the Bumbling Snitchbug off of his legs. He held on tight to a Blue Pikmin, who in turn held on to a chain of other Pikmin, practically bawling in fear as Louie tried kicking away at the bug. Ironically, it seemed as though Louie's own hand had dealt the final blow; both of his gloves and the Blue Pikmin's hands he held onto were coated with a slippery, brown substance. Barbeque sauce. Before he could curse himself for not wiping his hands, he was spirited away through the sky, the only companion being a Blue Pikmin as they were kidnapped.

Olimar could not believe his eyes. Watching them as they were taken off into the nearest oak tree, he began whistling frantically, all of the Pikmin charging after them, running through towards the great shade of the tree, hoping to save their second captain. The Ship on the other hand just sighed and shook its head, detaching itself from its own body, and set off after them, grumbling to itself.

As if it were purely convinced it was a super-villain, Snatch laughed gleefully in its own Snitchbug way as it watched Louie dangling from the hands of his associate. It would only be a matter of time before Bump swung Louie down to the ground, where he would fall to his doom-

If Bump had not carried Louie directly towards where he was hiding!

Had Snatch had any vocal chords, he might have said, "No, you fool! What are you doing?!" But it came out as a collection of chirps.

Setting the two down in front of his companion, Bump stared at Snatch in confusion, buzzing as if to say, "What? Didn't you tell me to swoop down there and snatch them? Well here they are!"

Snatch's insect mandibles practically dropped to the floor. "You were supposed to drop HIM and only HIM to his doom! That was the entire plan!"

Before Bump could say anything, Snatch sweat the sweat only bugs could sweat, (if that makes any sense) glaring behind him. Louie and the Pikmin probably overheard their plot! Already he could see the rush of adrenaline in the blue pair's eyes…

The Swooping Snitchbug was not wrong. The Blue Pikmin that Louie had dragged along purely by accident was raring to fight, making noises that were probably meant to be threatening, but sounded more like a squid if it were standing on two legs. Louie on the other hand was just hungry. Since his last meal was out of the question, it appeared as though appetizers with wings sat in front of him, looking juicy and delicious.

With all these thoughts stuck in their heads, the four of them put up their dukes and prepared to brawl. While unaware of the upgrades in his arms, Louie raised his fists up, already throwing practice punches eagerly. His small companion glanced at him, and soon the Pikmin began imitating him, throwing punches left and right. Across from them, Snatch simply hissed, rubbing his arms together. Bump did as well, the Snitchbugs giving each other a brief high-five of sorts, before rotating their appendages as if they had their fists raised for a fight. The sound of a whistle underneath them cinched it, and the match begun.

Both Louie and the Pikmin charged, flying towards the insects in a rush. No matter how fast they ran, however, it seemed as though actual flight outclassed them as the Snitchbug duo just hovered out of the way, the two of them punching the tree instead. The bark crumbled a bit where they had punched, leaving a tan dent in the tree. Cackling like the budding evil villains they were, the insects flew about, dodging punches left and right. Eventually, as both Louie and the Pikmin grew restless, the two bugs retaliated, swooping in, grappling them both by their leaf or light antennae that sprouted from their respective helmets or heads. Carrying them up into the sky, they passed the tree tops, where the wind rustled somewhat. Both of them nodded at each other, then flung them down through the leaves, where they created a hole in the canopy, sunlight streaming through as both of them landed back on the branch, groaning as they rested on the wood.

While arguably the battle of the century escalated above them, Olimar and his Pikmin squad traveled up the tree, climbing up roots and branches which provided as sort of a spiral staircase up to the top, The Ship accompanying them. Silently, Olimar was rather pleased with how fast he and his squad were ascending; the Rush Boots certainly provided a spring in his step. As swift as he ran, he could not shake the feeling in his gut that something big was going on.

And indeed it was. If you count bugs smacking around a small spaceman and blue carrot "big", which probably looks more like a bunch of wasps attacking ants if you were to look at it from a regular, human perspective. Try as they might, Louie and his Pikmin teammate were getting decimated in terms of attacks. The Snitchbug tag team was too quick, either gripping them and swinging them back down or knocking them upside the head with a skinny bug arm, they were outclassed. Groaning, the Pikmin next to him seemed pretty exhausted, lying on the branch, its pupils resembling a dizzy spiral.

Louie, on the other hand, was fed up. He was hungry, and he did not want his food to constantly give him headache. Out of spite, he swung at the air. One, two, three went his fist, missing the first combo.

The bugs laughed.

One, two, three.

Snatch swerved around the branch, cheering himself on. "We've got them! Final attack!" He spoke to Bump, who nodded.

One… Two…

Winding up his fist, Louie launched a punch that seemed to momentarily dislocate his shoulder, lengthening his arm, and just as the Snitchbugs circled overhead.

"WHAT?!" Snatch's compound eyes opened wide.

Both he and Bump screeched as Louie's fist practically knocked them out of the park. They bounced off of the tree as Louie continually swung around blindly, still hoping to hit his opponent whom he unknowingly smacked.

Now, if Snatch and Bump could speak, they might have said, "TEAM SCARPANID'S BLASTING OFF AGAIN!" But they cannot, so terrified buzzes will have to do as they faded into the sky, disappearing in a flash of light.

Breathing in and out underneath the light flowing through the canopy, Louie's hand uncurled back into a flat position, lying by his side as he rested. Slowly, fatigue began to catch up with him, and, with the fleeting glimpse of a Blue Pikmin staring at him, he shut his eyes.

Olimar coughed, a tired parade of Pikmin following an equally tired captain ascended the tree, finally reaching the branch they had been looking for. Sighing, Olimar retracted his arm back into his suit, wiped his brow of sweat, and stuck his hand back into his spacesuit's glove, glancing ahead. Sitting on the ground, a Blue Pikmin stared over at a fallen captain. Laying on the ground, Louie appeared motionless, like the Mamuta before him.

Eyes wide open, everyone, Olimar, the Pikmin following him, and The Ship stared in disbelief. Shakily, Olimar walked over to Louie, falling to his knees, staring down at his coworker, setting the side of his head onto Louie's spacesuit's chest, listening intently for the sign of any-

"FOOD!" Louie shouted suddenly, his fist raising up.

Olimar grunted back, as he was flung into the crowd of Pikmin by Louie's punch. Already, there was a great commotion. One half of the Pikmin began cheering wildly as Louie got up to his feet, holding his stomach in disappointment, whereas another half carried Olimar under the ship, where he was beamed up, presumably to remedy the massive whooping he had just undertaken. With all that said and done, everyone filed back down the tree, with a merry mood among most of them, accompanied by Louie's irritated stomach rumbling like a drum.

An e-mail popped up on a computer screen, revealing an animated image of a man with large cheeks and ears, narrow eyes like lines and a curly strand of hair on his head being some of his most prominent features.

He spoke, "Now, Olimar, you are doing a grand job of solving Hocotate's debt problem, but what's this nonsense about taking a break? You can take the longest break you want after all of this blows over! Hop to it! Just look at me, for instance. Those debt sharks aren't going to avoid themselves!"

The screen shut down, with the room Olimar sat in being enclosed in darkness. Sighing, Olimar shook his head, got up to his feet, and walked one step.

He promptly collapsed next to his bed, and began snoring as his exposed face stuck to the steel floor.

AN: ROCKET PUNCH.

I love this upgrade man, it's so handy. I mean, being able to punch aerial enemies without jumping? Rad.

Rad abilities aside, let's get back to those reviews. Thanks S.P. and Piston24 for reviewing!

Thank you for your compliment S.P., and thank you for the suggestion as well! I really appreciate your help, and with that, I present- Or have already presented, that duo of dastardly deeds, the Swooping Snitchbug and Bumbling Snitchbug.

I'm glad to hear from someone else that I am improving, thank you Piston24.

Thanks again for reading, this is ThePizzaLovingTurtle, off to throw PikPik carrots at Piklopedia creatures, see you.