That took... a very... long... time. But, HERE IT IS! The fifth day! As promised, it's ridiculously long. Yet, I really shouldn't have taken so long to post it. I have been working somewhat on revising my other work, The Dreamland Story, and haven't been giving this one the attention it deserves. However, I have now realized that completing Through Red Eyes should take priority. Maybe I can make better time with upcoming Days.
By the way, I fixed the script problems in Day 4 and added something about the ship being golden. Took me long enough to realize the Day needed those changes.
Also, I do believe another big thanks should be in order for those of you still reading this. I sure hope you're out there.
Anyway... I'm really proud of how this Chapter/Day turned out. So, enjoy!
Day 5
My back is stiff after sleeping on the hard floor of the storage vessel, but that does not affect my desire for action. I feel that today shall be filled with adventure. But, maybe I'm just itching for a challenge. The Dark Leader hasn't taken us anywhere interesting yet. Maybe he will today; the prospect of experiencing the challenge of his guidance makes me wonder if I should be excited.
I hear him talking outside the storage vessel already.
President: "So, what is this glorious money-making scheme that you've thought up, Olimar?"
Olimar: "You don't waste any time, do you Sir?"
President: "Nope! And you shouldn't either!"
Olimar: "Well, on the last day Louie was with me, we uncovered the entrance to an underground cave. Louie and I frequently entered underground areas during our excursions and they were always loaded with treasures. I propose that we venture down into said cavern today."
President: "How do I know this isn't just an attempt to find Louie? This is where you lost him, isn't it? So, now you're persuading me to come back here by offering me nonexistent riches."
Olimar: "I would never dream of such a thing! I simply know of a good cave in this area. Louie may be down it; he may not. It is... of no importance to me. Yet, if we do find him, along with many riches, of course, then wouldn't we be killing two birds with one stone? There's no harm in that, right?"
President: "...I suppose it couldn't hurt... But, no funny business! In fact, no business at all! Because I'm the master of business around here!"
Olimar: "Of course, Sir."
Pod: "My scans of the underground passage that you marked on the map, Olimar, have revealed that the optimum number of Pikmin to bring down into those depths would be... 25 red, 20 yellow, 25 blue, 15 purple, 15 white."
President: "What is this! I didn't authorize..."
Olimar: "I've learned to trust it on matters like this. This is standard procedure."
President: "You didn't consult me before doing so! That's strike one for you today, Olimar. Do not disobey my orders again!"
Olimar: "Yes... Of course... Sorry, Sir."
President: "Now, you call the Pikmin from the Onions. I'll get out the ones in the ship's hold."
The Dark Leader's whistle rings out. He is calling for fifteen purples and fifteen whites! I race to the exit nozzle and jump out.
We are back in the area where I last saw the Blue Leader. The muggy air hits me hard and I choke slightly. I look upwards and see that the sky... has turned a strange light-grey color. What could this mean?
Olimar: -bows- "May I lead us to the entrance to the underground, Sir?"
President: "And get a move on, too! We have to come back out by sundown!"
Olimar: "Oh, that reminds me. There's something I should tell you. This planet gives off very strange magnetic currents that run through subterranean lodes. Because of this, we can stay underground as long as we want and still come out without any time elapsing above ground." -turns to lead the way-
President: "I knew that! You waste too much time! MOVE!"
I watch in horror as the Dark Leader kicks the Red Leader hard in the back, knocking him over.
President: "No griping! Get your ass off the ground and lead the way, O leader!"
The Red Leader gets up slowly and starts walking down the slope away from the Dark Leader, who follows. All us Pikmin do too. There are some of every type, but I'm too preoccupied with the Red Leader to count them.
I rush to the front of the group. Since the Red Leader is walking at a slightly slower pace than usual, I manage to get in front of him and see his face. Traces of saltwater have left streaks on his face and his eyes are quivering.
I jump slightly as he looks down at me. His mouth turns up slightly at the sides. It's a smile... He's smiling at me...
He brings his hand to his face, evidently trying to wipe the saltwater streaks away. But, his hand comes in contact with the clear barrier around his head. He stomps the ground and looks forward again.
The sound of the Red Leader's stomp makes me look at the ground. I see that we are crossing a bridge over the drained puddle from two days ago. I am thankful not to have to squelch through the mud again.
We arrive on a sandy bank that leads to a very hard area. I mean, the surface of the area is as hard as stone, but... not like stone. It is bluish and shiny. Something about it makes me feel uneasy. This stuff can't be natural.
We arrive at a hole in the ground. This is it! We must be going underground! Looks like I will get an adventure today!
Olimar: "H-here it is, Sir."
President: "Then let's go!" -looks at the hole again- "Actually, you go first."
The Red Leader and then the Dark Leader jump in the hole. All Pikmin follow.
We fall into a bright blue cave. I blink and look around. The walls and floor are made of that same shiny light-blue material. Yet, the whole place smells... clean. I don't quite understand it.
The Red Leader looks wildly around.
Olimar: "What the... It's WAY too bright in here! How is this possible! We're underground!"
Pod: "If you recall, Olimar... When you destroyed the Man-at-legs and brought back the item it had, I tried to explain to you what the Stellar Orb allowed me to do, but you cut me off. I have modified the item's sun-like qualities to create my Solar System, which lights up underground areas. That is why we can now see so well. No more fumbling around in the dark!"
President: "AH-haaaa! Good job! Both of you! Now... Let's get a move on! What have you found to be the best way to start in a situation such as this, Olimar?"
Olimar: "First, I propose we neutralize the electrical nodes surrounding this room... if I can call it a room. But, we must be very careful not to attr-"
President: "I'm on it!"
The Dark Leader calls all the yellow Pikmin to him and runs off toward two small metal spikes that are shooting electricity between them.
Olimar: "You didn't let me finish!"
President: "I know what I'm doing!"
I watch the yellows, which the Dark Leader instructs to attack the metal spikes.
Olimar: "We mustn't attract any enemies! Sir! Watch out!"
A jet of water washes over the yellows attacking the spikes. As each Pikmin is hit, its head is encased in a bubble of water!
I watch helplessly as they all panic. The bubbles are suffocating them! Someone help them!
The Red Leader rushes in, blasting his whistle as loud as he can at the frantic yellows. As each Pikmin hears him, its bubble pops! Amazing!
But, the long-snouted creature that had shot water at the Pikmin is still firing water around and the Red Leader is having a tough time restoring order. With every Pikmin he frees from a bubble, another gets trapped.
President: "I'll handle this, Olimar! You get the blues!"
Olimar: "But, Sir..."
President: "Get them NOW!"
The Red Leader dashes over to us, calls the blue Pikmin and dashes back.
Without a word, the Dark Leader calls the blues to him and tells them all to attack the water-spewing beast.
Olimar: "Sir! No! It's standing right next to electric nodes!"
The Red Leader calls back the blue Pikmin, which are promptly sprayed by the creature. Yet, they walk through the water without suffering bubbles!
Olimar: "We can't let the blue Pikmin get shocked! It's too dangerous for them to attack the Watery Blowhog! The nodes must be shut off befo-"
The Red Leader is suddenly bowled over by a stream of water.
President: "Then I'll do that!"
The Dark Leader calls Pikmin wildly and commands an attack on the metal spikes. They do so, swarming the spikes and whacking them with their flowers.
The Dark Leader proceeds to save every one of the yellow Pikmin from bubbles with extra-loud whistle blasts. I have never heard the Red Leader whistle as loudly.
Then something terrible happens: A blast of electricity connecting the two spikes surges through a number of blue Pikmin. Every blue that is touched by the deadly current is instantly reduced to smoldering ash on the ground.
My eyes widen in terror. But, an instant later, there is a fizzing noise and the metal spikes stop sparking. The Pikmin have shut them down.
And yet, more water from the creature rushes over the Pikmin. The yellows are sent into a panic again.
The Red Leader rushes back into the fray, still recovering from the blast of water that had hit him earlier.
President: "You organize an attack! I'll save the yellows!"
The Red Leader has no time to issue a response. Instead, he calls the blue Pikmin to him and commands them to swarm the creature, while the Dark Leader makes more extra-loud whistle blasts to save the yellows.
The creature rears back on its hind legs, but the Red Leader calls a retreat. The blues jump away from the creature just as it lunges forward, a blow that would have thrown the blues everywhere if they were still attacking. Then the Red Leader beeps "attack" again.
With one final swarm, the blues hit the creature so hard that it falls over, dead.
Both Leaders stare at the dead creature, panting. The blue Pikmin that had killed it pick it up and carry it back to the floating vessel.
The Leaders now look at each other, not speaking. They are still breathing hard.
Without a word, the Dark Leader calls the yellows to him (he had managed to save every single one) and walks across the square area we are in to another pair of sparking metal spikes. He looks past them first, presumably checking to make sure there isn't another water-sprayer around, and then orders the Pikmin to attack the spikes. When the spikes no longer spark, he moves on to the final pair on another side of this square-shaped enclosure.
But, when he arrives at the last one, a shadow appears over the yellows, getting bigger with every passing moment.
Olimar: "SIR! MOVE!"
When the Dark Leader hears the Red Leader's shout, he notices the ever-growing shadow and manages to fling himself out of the way just in time. A few of the yellows aren't so lucky. A huge boulder falls from above, crashing down on and crushing three yellow Pikmin. The boulder crumbles to dust upon contact with the ground. The squashed Pikmin remain flattened. They didn't stand a chance.
Only a short time into this unnatural cave and Pikmin are already dying. This is bad.
The Red Leader seems to release pent-up anger upon the deaths of the three yellows.
Olimar: "Sir, you have to pay attention! Unless you are ALWAYS FULLY AWARE of your surroundings, we'll never get to the bottom of this chasm alive!"
President: -throws out chest- "I can take care of myself, thank you! I don't need your gripe!"
Olimar: "Yes, but can you take care of all the Pikmin! They are our most important allies! Without their unswerving loyalty, I wouldn't be standing here today! They are our saviors and need to be treated as such!"
For a few moments, there is silence, but then...
The Dark Leader commands his yellow Pikmin to attack the Red Leader.
But, before the yellows can even move, the Red Leader gives them the temporary dismissal command.
I sigh in relief. My heart had skipped a beat when the attack was commanded!
Olimar: -smiles- "Let's move on, shall we?"
The Dark Leader makes a huffing noise and calls all the Pikmin to him. We all congregate in a swarm, ready to move.
Olimar: -steps in front of the President- "Well, actually, it would probably be a good idea if I do some scouting before you move in with the Pikmin. I don't want you, or the Pikmin, to be endangered by enemies you have not yet learned how to fight. Plus, my footsteps will dislodge any more rocks from the ceiling that might fall on us. It's a safety precaution. I really don't want..." -looks at the Pikmin- "you... hurt."
President: -frowns- "Hmm. Very well, but don't take too long, Olimar. We've got plenty to do and I don't want to be kept waiting."
Pod: "Me neither!"
President: "Oh, shut up, you!"
Pod: "Sorry, Mr. President."
Olimar: "Okay, well, my Treasure Gauge says that there's treasure in" -points- "that direction; so, I'll take a look and see what obstacles we'll have to get by to collect it."
The Red Leader turns around and walks out of the square area. I hear the sound of falling rocks smashing into the ground. Is the Red Leader okay? What happened? Moments later, I sigh with relief as he reappears.
Olimar: "Okay, I have dislodged the falling boulders in that area, but in order to collect the treasure, we will have to pass an enemy that you don't know how to fight: a Wollywog."
President: "I know how to fight any creature on this planet! I've been watching you do it with the pod's camera, remember?"
Olimar: "But, you have not yet learned the commands necessary for taking down a Wollywog. You have to know how to tell the Pikmin to move out of the way when an attack is coming and you also need to know how to tell them to hold the enemy to the ground, preventing it from jumping."
President: "Fine. Let's make this quick."
The Dark Leader dismisses us temporarily. When he does this, I hear a voice to my left.
"We sure showed that water monster! What did you think of that?"
I look and see the blue Pikmin that I befriended yesterday.
"You could have gotten fried by that electricity!" I respond. "I wouldn't have been too happy after such a dangerous battle. It sounds frightening!"
"Yeah, but I got away. No sweat."
"You were really lucky not to have been hit. I can't bare to think what might have happened."
"Then don't think about it! Trust me. That's the best way. You'll probably have your share of close calls. It's a part of life."
It walks over to me. I look up into its eyes. The expression is thankfully warm.
"Actually, I should ask," it says. "How old are you?"
"This is my fifth day," I reply. "And you?"
"Ninth. But, us blues went completely unused for two of them."
"It must be really terrible when that happens. I'm nearly always itching for action."
"Yeah, I always try to be the first out of the Seed Hut when some of us are called. When I'm lucky, we end up going in places like this." It gestures around at our surroundings.
"I... I don't really like this place," I say, shivering slightly. "It's unnatural."
"Well, I didn't mean lucky for you," replies the blue, somewhat devilishly. "A lot of water has come through here. I know you can't detect that, but blue Pikmin can. It's a good sign. The farther down we go, the more likely it'll be for us to find water... and that's where us blues come in. I predict that we'll get plenty of use today."
At this moment, we are called back to attention by the Dark Leader and are led into another area.
Olimar: "Now, remember. When the Wollywog jumps..."
President: "I know what I'm doing! Quit your whining!"
Ahead is a grey creature. It sits between us and a huge, shiny, roughly cone-shaped thing.
The creature spots us and leaps toward us, the jump carrying it above our heads. Immediately, the Dark Leader directs us (with a number of beeps) out of the way of the creature. Then he commands us to rush on the creature and hold it to the ground.
We obey instantly. I run up to the creature and sink my claws into its flesh. Then I whack it repeatedly with my flower. My fellows swarm the creature as well, climbing all over it, digging their claws into it and beating it into submission. The creature makes a lurching movement, attempting to jump out of our grip. We hold it down. It makes another, more frantic attempt at a jump, but it cannot budge. With a croak, it lies still.
Along with a number my fellows, I lift the carcass slightly off the ground and take it back to the floating vessel. Moments later, we are joined by the Leaders and a group of Pikmin carrying the large, shiny object.
Pod: "Initiating valuation of recovered treasure. The artifact is worth... 90 Pokos. I hereby dub this object... the Merciless Extractor."
President: -claps- "AH-haaaa! Excellent!"
After this, we repeat the process: The Red Leader explores an area first and the Dark Leader follows with us Pikmin. We fight another grey creature and bring it back to the floating vessel.
Olimar: "Good, now I think we should break the egg beyond the last electric nodes. It's always best to leave the breaking of eggs for last in every sublevel, for a number of reasons."
President: "Very well; I'm going to go with your logic in this case, but in the future you are to tell me your reasoning before we do something; do I make myself clear?"
Olimar: "Uh, but I haven't even told you my reasoning for not breaking the egg unt-"
President: "DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?"
Olimar: "Yes. Yes, of course."
The Dark Leader issues a command to attack an egg (or, at least, my instincts tell me it's an egg) positioned just behind two metal spikes that had been shut off earlier. By the time I get to it, the rest of the Pikmin have already broken it. The smashed egg leaves behind a puddle of yellow goo. The goo looks sugar-packed, but as I already have all the energy I need, I do not touch it, nor do any other Pikmin.
Olimar: -frowns- "That's too bad. It was just nectar and all our Pikmin are still flower-bearing."
President: "Well, let's get a move on! No point crying over spilled nectar! Let's go back to the place where we fought the second Wollywog and break down the root wall."
Olimar: -sighs- "Yes, Sir."
The Dark Leader calls us and leads us into another area where we find a root wall. We are commanded to knock it down and we have it completely decimated in a matter of seconds, revealing a hole in the ground on the other side.
President: "Excellent! Onward!"
Both leaders jump in and we all follow.
The next area is bigger, but not much different. The Red Leader opens his mouth, but the Dark Leader begins speaking first.
President: "I see gas-producing pipes over there" -points- "and a number of bugs over there." -points- "I'll take the white Pikmin and attack the pipes while you take the purple Pikmin and eliminate the bugs."
Olimar: -raises one eyebrow- "I cannot hide my surprise at how readily you devised that plan of action, Sir. But, if I may say so, there are some gaping holes in it. For one, it is always good to have backup when fighting an unknown number of enemies and you have sent me against them with nothing but our fifteen purple Pikmin. Furthermore, you have proposed to leave all the rest of our Pikmin unattended. Unless we have thoroughly established that no hostile creature will find them, it is NEVER safe to assume they will come to no harm while we are gone. And not only that, but I'm, uh, not so sure it's a good idea for us to split up. You, well, aren't... fully trained yet... and..."
President: "I can look after myself just fine, thank you!"
Olimar: "Yes, but can you look after the Pikmin? That's the question!"
President: "Look who's talking! You wanted backup fighting the big, nasty bugs! As if you really need it. If you can't deal with a couple of critters without my help, then I will have serious doubts about your capabilities."
Olimar: -eyes widen- "Oh, no! That's not what I said at all!"
President: "Then stop complaining! You take way too many precautions, Olimar. It's a waste of time!"
Olimar: "I told you already: Time doesn't matter while we're underground, so better safe than sor-"
President: -throws arms wide- "Why are you still talking! Shut your pie-hole and get to work! I want every bug in this area dead by the time I return!"
The Dark Leader calls all the white Pikmin to him and stomps away from the Red Leader. Where is he taking us? The Red Leader isn't following!
The Dark Leader leads us into another square area of the underground. Here there are a number of round things that are jutting out of the ground and spewing poison gas. The Dark Leader commands us to attack the poison-spewers. We race around, whacking them with our flowers until they stop releasing their poison. It takes a while, since there are so many. I feel grateful for this chance to use some of my energy. Destroying these things is risk-free and really satisfying.
Beyond the poison-spewers is a huge, white, rectangular object. The Dark Leader orders us to pick it up, but we can't. It is too heavy for only 15 of us to lift.
The Dark Leader calls us back to him and takes us back to the floating vessel. He then shouts into the air.
President: "OLIMAR!"
The Red Leader comes running from another area.
President: "Where are the purple Pikmin, Olimar?"
Olimar: "I assigned them to carry back the carcasses. I didn't think you'd approve of me taking the rest of the Pikmin here without your knowledge."
President: "You completed your mission?" -raises eyebrows- Excellent! You may now use the rest of these Pikmin as you wish. I'll only need about ten more to carry back a treasure I found."
Olimar: "So, you found a treasure among the poison pipes? Are you sure you knocked out all the poison pipes, because you mustn't lead any other types of Pikmin through that area if you haven't."
President: "Of course I'm sure! You go get all those bug bodies while I'm gone!"
The Dark Leader calls all the Pikmin under the floating vessel to him. He then talks to us directly. I don't understand why he does this, as we don't know the Leaders' language.
President: "Oh. I don't want all of you. No, go back. I just want ten."
He dismisses us temporarily and speaks to the Red Leader.
President: "Isn't there some way to only call some of them?"
Olimar: "Sure. I'll teach you how to do that now if you want."
My blue Pikmin friend walks over to me at this point, shifting my attention from the Leaders.
"Do you see what's happening with the Leaders?" it asks.
"Not really," I reply. I look back at the Leaders. The Red Leader is talking to the Dark Leader and they are both making commands without targeting any Pikmin.
"The Red Leader is teaching the Dark Leader a new command," explained the blue Pikmin. "They did this a number of times yesterday while we were in a puddle. I figured it out after a while."
"Huh."
The Dark Leader suddenly turns back towards us and calls twenty-five of us to him. I am among them, and since the blue Pikmin I was talking to was right next to me, he gets summoned to.
President: "Excellent! I can perfect this command later, Olimar. Right now, I want to get moving. I don't want to spend all day down here."
Olimar: -speaks slowly- "But, uh... Sir, we can't possibly spend all day down here. I mean, even if we spend hundreds of hours scouring these depths, we will still reemerge in the morning when we departed."
The Dark Leader turns to face the Red Leader, who cringes under the Dark Leader's stern glare.
President: "You know what I mean, Olimar."
The Dark Leader takes us back to the big, white object that we had tried to pick up earlier. He commands all of us to pick it up and carry it back to the floating vessel.
Pod: "Initiating valuation of recovered treasure. The artifact is worth... 60 Pokos. I hereby dub this object... the Sud Generator."
President: "Wonderful, wonderful."
Pikmin continue to arrive at the floating vessel, bringing a steady stream of bug carcasses from another room. Eventually, a large group brings forth a cylindrical object that is mostly black, but with some orange near the top.
The Red Leader returns in time to hear the floating vessel speak.
Pod: "Initiating valuation of recovered treasure. The artifact is worth... 160 Pokos. I hereby dub this object... the Durable Energy Cell."
President: "Well done, Olimar! You see what happens when you follow the plan I laid out? I'll have no more arguments from you, you hear?
Olimar: -opens mouth-
President: "Good. Now, let's find the exit to the next floor. Time is Pokos, you know!"
We walk slowly though the empty final room of the current area. The Dark Leader walks at the front of the group, with the Red Leader bringing up the rear, keeping us together. Boulders fall from the ceiling without warning. We have to tread carefully and dodge out of growing shadows frequently. The Red Leader, I notice, keeps repeating a certain phrase of the Leaders' language.
Olimar: "Watch out!"
He says it whenever we don't react quickly enough to the presence of a falling boulder. It must be a warning to get out of the way.
Olimar: "Watch out!"
A boulder lands so close to the other side of our group, a few Pikmin are knocked over by the shock.
President: -turns around sharply- "Olimar, would you please SHUT UP? It's very hard to concentrate with you constantly shouting warnings from the back of the group."
Olimar: "I only shout them when you aren't being alert enough! I don't think either of us wants to lose Pikmin in this completely barren stretch of the cave."
President: "Why can't we just make a run for the exit? The boulders would never reach the floor in time."
Olimar: "And how do you expect the purple Pikmin to survive a dash? They'll lag behind and get crushed! It's not their fault; they're just not made for running. We need to keep the group together. It's the only way. Besides, pounding footsteps could cause a cave-in in this area and we don't want that."
President: -clenches teeth- "Well, why don't you try leading the Pikmin though here, if you're so confident?"
The Red Leader calls all of us to him and leads us to the hole without harm.
President: -grunts-
Olimar: "Pardon?"
President: -folds arms- "You almost got your troop hit by boulders twice."
Olimar: -mumbles- "Well, it was better than the nine times you nearly let them be hit."
All of a sudden, the Dark Leader comes up behind the Red Leader and pushes him headfirst into the hole. After that, he follows, as do we.
The third area is very different. We start in a smaller room, off of which branch many corridors. There are strange creatures floating through the air here. They are dome-shaped, glowing and translucent.
The Red Leader gets up off the ground and gives the Dark Leader an angry look, but then he is distracted by the strange creatures.
Olimar: "Jellyfloats! Sir, I had to fight some of these in the last area. The way to defeat them is..."
President: "Hold on a moment, Olimar! I didn't see your Pikmin bring any of these creatures' carcasses to the ship's pod. Explain!"
Olimar: "The only way to defeat these creatures is to rupture their skin, but that causes them to burst, leaving nothing behind to turn into Pokos."
President: "Then why bother fighting them?"
Olimar: "Because Jellyfloats like to suck up Pikmin; the bigger ones actually hunt them! They will consume whatever gets underneath them, even you or me! The way you defeat them is by throwing Pikmin on top of them to weigh them down and ground them. Once they're on the ground, you use the swarm command to finish it off. But, you have to be careful, as they can fling the Pikmin off if they don't kill it quickly."
President: -grins- "So, you're saying you have to weigh them down and then swarm them. What's the swarm command?"
Olimar: -demonstrates the swarm command- "It's pretty simple."
President: -grins more widely-
Olimar: "Why... Why are you smiling like that?"
President: "Go... stand... under the big one."
Olimar: -steps backward- "What!"
President: -continues to grin- "You heard me, Olimar. Go stand under that big red Jellyfloat."
Olimar: "But, Sir, no, it..."
The Dark Leader suddenly lunges forward and shoves the Red Leader away from us. The Red Leader falls over and slides across the floor, coming to a stop beneath one of the big, floating creatures.
The Dark Leader immediately calls all the Pikmin to him. I continue to watch the Red Leader; he gets off the ground as quickly as possible and tries to run back towards us, but then there is a loud sucking noise. My eyes widen in shock as the Red Leader flies upward, into the center of the floating creature.
I follow the Dark Leader as he runs toward the Red Leader's captor, which wobbles in the air and then falls to the ground.
The Dark Leader commands us to swarm the fallen creature. We all race at it. I dig my claws into its side and whack it with my flower. Everyone is swarming over it, beating it, until... Strange, clear, cold blood gushes over my hands. The creature has ruptured.
Suddenly, I'm on my back, with no recollection of falling over. I rub my head and look around. Apparently, the creature we were attacking had exploded, spilling globular pieces of it everywhere. The force of the explosion had flung all the Pikmin in every direction. I notice that some of my fellows got their flowers blown off by the blast. Their stems now end in leaves.
The Dark Leader, on the spot where the creature had been not long before, is pulling the Red Leader to his feet. The Red Leader is covered with the creature's clear blood.
President: -furrows brow- "Olimar, I trust you are unharmed."
Olimar: -stands- -glares at President-
President: -bites lip- -looks to the side- "Yeah, well... I know not to do that again."
Olimar: -clenches fists and teeth- "I humbly request that you cease with the foul play, Sir. And, may I add, I do believe that I should be the one to formulate our plans of attack from this point onward." -walks right up in front of President- "Both my suit and a number of Pikmin were harmed in this incident. We shall no longer endanger either ourselves or our Pikmin in order to move at a quicker pace!"
We spend a very long time in this third area. The Leaders venture forth with small Pikmin groups of specific colors. At one point, the Red Leader leaves with all the leaf-bearing Pikmin and comes back with all flower-bearers. Dead creatures come in a slow but steady flow to the floating vessel. Three large items are also brought in. I become annoyed that there is nothing for us white Pikmin to do, and on top of that I have no one to talk to; my blue friend is always out with the Leaders.
At long last, the Leaders call all of us at once. They lead us through twisting passageways, which have varying surfaces from sand to unnatural blue stone. Eventually, we arrive at another hole and continue downwards.
The surfaces in the fourth area are metal.
We land in water so shallow that it barely comes up over my feet. Luckily, this is not a problem.
The Leaders call us to them and we trudge up an incline that the water is flowing down.
Olimar: "According to my Treasure Gauge, we are approaching a treasure."
We stop at a wall.
Olimar: "The treasure should be right here..."
The Red Leader commands us whites to dig, but there's nothing to dig up... And besides, the ground is metal.
President: "Yeah, like that was going to work." -rolls eyes- "It's obviously above us."
The Dark Leader looks upward, grabs the closest Pikmin to him, a blue, and hurls it at a pipe that juts out of the wall above us.
Olimar: "Sir, no! There could be enemies up there! You never throw Pikmin into areas you can't see!"
The blue Pikmin promptly returns, carrying an enormous, and apparently extremely light, seven-pronged leaf.
President: "AH-haaaa!" -folds arms- "You see, Olimar? I knew what I was doing."
Olimar: -sighs- "Well, even so... You should keep in mind what I said. What if there was a killer bug in that pipe that was hording the item?"
President: "Right, right... Don't get all worked up over it."
We follow the blue Pikmin back to the floating vessel, which sucks up the leaf.
Pod: "Initiating valuation of recovered treasure. The artifact is worth... 10 Pokos. I hereby dub this object... the Arboreal Frippery."
President: "Ten measly Pokos!"
Olimar: "Greedy much, Sir?"
President: -turns sharply- "WHAT WAS THAT!"
Olimar: -speaks in a small voice- "Nothing."
The Dark Leader frowns, calls all the Pikmin to him and walks back up the slope. We follow, along with the Red Leader.
When we get to the wall we stopped at last time, we turn left, into a low pipe. We come out into a glorious, sandy, grassy area. There are huge white flowers here that have spots on them that change from red to yellow to blue and back to red.
As the rest of the Pikmin emerge from the pipe, a swarm of small flying bugs rises from the ground on the other side of the area. Each bug is red, blue or yellow, but the majority is yellow.
Olimar: "Quick! Throw Pikmin into that flock of Unmarked Spectralids! We can knock them out of the air for nectar and Pokos!"
President: -runs forward- "Well, then what are we waiting for!"
Both Leaders begin grabbing Pikmin and throwing them randomly into the swarm of bugs. The Dark Leader grabs me by the stem and hurls me upwards. I fly through the swarm and grab a hold of a yellow bug, but only with one hand.
The bug immediately tries to shake me off and I nearly get thrown off into the air. Yet, I manage to get a grip on it with my other hand as well. I whack the bug a few times with my flower and it falls to the ground, where I let go.
I notice that I have split the bug open. A gelatinous yellow puddle is now growing under it. I pull the dead bug out of the puddle and carry it to floating vessel, where all the other Pikmin that managed to kill one brought their carcasses. After a short while, the Dark Leader comes, calls us, and brings us back to the lovely area where the swarm was.
One of the large, spotted flowers has disappeared. In its place there is a ring of nine blue sprouts that end in leaves. I realize what they are at once. New Pikmin are being grown right in front of me.
I bask in the warm, bright air for a while. This area is so peaceful, and the Leaders are apparently waiting for the blue sprouts to... mature. When I was growing underground, I remember sucking up nutrients from the ground to grow stronger.
My friend the blue Pikmin walks over.
"You been having fun adventures with the Leaders?" I ask.
"Yeah, this cave is great," it replies happily. "Water's everywhere... plenty to do... Us blues are the most important type in here. In fact, the Leaders are growing more blue Pikmin as we speak."
"I noticed that. But, how? Where did the seeds for the sprouts come from? Does it have something to do with the big flower thing that was here earlier?"
"Yeah, it does. The Red Leader threw a red Pikmin into one of those flowers when the flower's spots were blue. The flower disappeared, leaving nine blue seeds."
"He changed a red Pikmin into nine blue ones?" This is very strange to hear.
"Yeah," explains the blue. "That's how those flowers work. Hey, you yourself were born of a flower similar to that, only it was all white and only produced a single seed for every Pikmin thrown in, up to five seeds, I believe."
Somehow, I am disturbed by this news. Other Pikmin had to be... recycled to create me?
"But, wait..." I reason. "Hey, you weren't there when I was planted. How do you know a white flower produced me like that?"
"All white Pikmin are made that way," continues the blue. "The rest of us can be produced many ways. I was born under the blue Seed Hut, no doubt from the recycled carcass of some bug. It's life. I don't quite get why all this works that way, but I don't waste my time pondering it. The Leaders might know, yet I don't think any Pikmin like us will ever need to."
When the blue sees my doubtful expression, it adds, "Just don't worry about it. You're here and alive. Be thankful for that."
The blue lies down next to me and I hear the Leaders speak.
President: "Well, well, well... This excavation is going rather... well! AH-haaaa! Looks like we've passed all the difficult obstacles. Now it'll be smooth sailing."
Olimar: "On the contrary." -sighs- "Rest stops like this are usually the calm before the storm."
After a few moments silence, I see the blue sprouts' buds open up into flowers.
Olimar: "Alright. The new blue Pikmin are ready." -looks at President- "It would save time if you help me as I pull them up."
President: "Very well."
The Leaders pull the blue Pikmin out of the ground. The blues look bewildered at first, but shortly join the rest of us.
"I'm gonna make the newbies feel welcome," says my friend, getting up. "Us blues gotta stick together."
"Okay," I reply as it walks off.
The Dark Leader calls all of us to him and we follow him through a pipe, into another grassy area, through another pipe and to the hole that leads to the next area.
The fifth area is another one that we spend a long time in. Once again I am frustratingly left under the floating vessel while my blue friend has adventures abroad. But, even it has to wait while the Leaders use red Pikmin to clear the way of fire geysers. I only ever see my blue friend when it comes back to the floating vessel, carrying a big object with the other blues.
It is at a point when the Leaders are gone and only yellows and whites are still at the floating vessel that something happens. A round, orange creature floats lazily towards us from a route that the Leaders have not yet explored. I look up at it, not knowing what to think. It floats there for a couple more moments, seemingly considering us. Then it inhales an amount of air and exhales forcefully in our direction.
I am knocked over onto the ground, a horrible sick feeling washing over me. I suddenly feel more tired than I have ever felt in my life. I can feel my flower shrivel up, the petals of it falling around me, along with the petals of my fellows' flowers. Every one of us now bears a leaf instead. I can hear the creature laughing at us. But, as I struggle to get up, I hear something else as well. It's voice of the Dark Leader! I have never been so happy to hear his voice.
President: "WHAT is going on here!"
The orange creature inhales again, but it is suddenly knocked sideways as a purple Pikmin slams into it, thrown by the Dark Leader. More purples land on it as well. Eventually, the creature ruptures and speeds away from us as the gas it had stored shoots out.
As I manage to stand up, I hear a loud clicking sound. I recognize it as how the Leaders call one another in an emergency. The Red Leader used it to call the Blue Leader on my first day.
The Red Leader comes running, followed by the blues and the reds.
President: -gestures at Pikmin- "Look what happened!"
Olimar: "What did you do!"
President: -throws arms wide- "I just killed that Blowhog thing that was spraying these guys with herbicide! YOU left them unprotected!"
Olimar: -folds arms- "YOU wanted to move more quickly! I devised the safest and most efficient plan I could. It's just that some things are hard to prevent. No plan is foolproof. You can't blame this on me!"
President: -points at Olimar- "I can and I will!"
As the Leaders start shouting at one another, I stop listening. I don't find any pleasure in listening to the Leaders when they're like this.
"You feeling alright?" asks my blue friend, walking over. "What happened to your flower."
"The..." I reply. "The flying thing... There was this orange bug. It blew at me. I think it poisoned me..."
My friend gives me a concerned, but skeptical look.
"You're a white," it says. "You can't get poisoned."
"Well, this must have been a different kind of poison, then!" I shout. My fatigue, along with the Leaders' argument, has put me in a bad mood. "Sorry," I add mournfully, looking at the ground. "But... I don't feel well... I need my energy back..."
"Well, that we can do something about."
I look up. "How?"
But, at that moment, the Red Leader calls all of the yellows and whites to him.
"You're probably going there right now!" my friend calls cheerfully after me, as the Red Leader leads us away. "We broke an egg and found some of the yellow stuff! See you when you get back!"
We follow the Red Leader through a number of long hallways of sand and metal. I walk much more slowly than usual. My energy is still very low. We eventually reach a small alcove where there are a couple puddles of yellow goo not unlike the bodily fluids of that yellow flying bug I killed earlier.
I am instantly drawn to the yellow goo. I suddenly have a wild craving for a taste of it. I am possessed by an urge to absorb it into my body.
I do so, along with all the other whites and yellows.
...and my energy miraculously returns! The sugar nutrients of the goo revitalize me and turn my leaf back into a flower!
But, once I get back to the floating vessel... I have to go back to waiting. My blue friend is already gone, probably exploring some distant puddle with the Dark Leader.
The Red Leader turns to leave us. I don't know if he's going to explore alone or if he's off to join the Dark Leader. Yet, just before the Red Leader departs, the floating vessel speaks. This is the first time it has done so (except after sucking up objects) in quite a while.
Pod: "I had hoped you would learn from your experiences with Louie, Olimar."
Olimar: -turns- "What?"
Pod: "Your incessant squabbling has not abated since Louie was lost and Mr. President took his place."
Olimar: "Well, if the President would just let me do what I know is right..."
Pod: "Fighting solves nothing. An alternate method of settling differences must be devised."
Olimar: "Then why don't you come up with a way, if you're so clever?"
Pod: "I am a machine, Olimar. Naturally, the person who created me did not wish to add such an idiotic function as bickering to my programming. I have simply observed the heated arguments that have occurred in front of me. I am no expert, but I can tell that you very rarely make things better by yelling about them. I deal with the facts only; granted I do tend to exaggerate a bit when selling the treasures we find on this planet, but it's all part of my programming. Also, don't you remember what happened last time you had an argument with Louie?"
Olimar: -glares- "You didn't have to bring that up."
Pod: "Perhaps not, but it is in accordance with my point, Olimar. If you ever want to find Louie, you will have to get on better terms with your boss. You can't fool me; I know we're in this cave today because you think Louie might be down here. I admit it is logical to formulate such a hypothesis, seeing as you two found this cave on the day you departed without him."
Olimar: -opens mouth to reply- -closes mouth- -opens mouth again-
President: "Olimar! There you are!"
The Red Leader makes a startled jump and spins around to see the Dark Leader as he approaches with the rest of the Pikmin.
President: "I found the exit-to-the-next-floor that we've been searching for! Call all the Pikmin and follow me!"
The Red Leader then calls us to him! I'm going somewhere! As the Leaders lead us through the cave, my blue friend walks over to me.
"Was I right?" it asks with a slightly smug expression on its face. "I had seen that stuff used before to heal Pikmin."
"You sure were right," I reply, twirling my flower happily. "Hey, you've been gone all day with the Leaders. Have you been beating up bugs the whole time?"
"Yep!" answers my friend proudly. "There's water everywhere in this dungeon! Without us blues, the Leaders wouldn't stand a chance."
"I wish I could be out there like that," I remark enviously. "Whites haven't been used at all in this area. It's really frustrating."
"Sorry, friend." It shrugs. "Nothing I can do about that. It's not like you can come with me..."
I notice the Leaders jump down a hole. We descend to a sixth area.
The sixth area is made up of one very long hallway, with little alcoves on either side of it. Somehow, the Leaders arrive at a plan to take all of us Pikmin at once and push through the hall!
"We're actually moving!" I say gleefully to my blue friend.
"Well, now..." it replies happily. "I hope you see some action this round."
"I'm not just going to see it. I'm going to fight in it!"
And I am right. As if on cue, a purple four-legged bug crawls out of an alcove on the left.
Olimar: "A Munge Dweevil! Sir, quickly, throw whites at its body. Don't let the other Pikmin attack it."
The Dark Leader reaches back behind himself, calling for a white. I rush forward.
Suddenly, the Dark Leader grabs me by the stem and jumps in the direction he was facing, whirling me over his head. His fist crashes into the purple bug, knocking it over and making it expel a cloud of purple smog. As he releases me, I land on the fallen body of the bug. A couple strikes with my flower put an end to its squirming.
As the smog clears, the Dark Leader speaks.
President: -scoffs- "I could've done that without the help of the Pikmin."
Olimar: -wide eyed- "I don't doubt that. However, it was important to keep non-whites away from the poison fumes."
President: -rolls eyes- "Yeah, yeah. Whatever."
Olimar: "You also need to keep in mind that if any Pikmin do become poisoned, loud whistle blasts in their direction will cure them."
President: -laughs- "Well, now. That's what I do best! AH-haaaa!"
Olimar: -smiles weakly- "Indeed."
I rush back into the group to talk excitedly with my blue friend as we continue to move.
But, few other interesting things happen during our march through the sixth area. At one point, a black bug similar to the purple one, yet with a bigger body, drops from the ceiling and begins to smoke. The Leaders panic and command us all to follow them away from it as fast as possible. I run backwards, matching my blue friend's speed instead of outstripping it, watching as the bug smolders... and explodes!
Yet, it is not until we are nearing the end of the hallway, after putting three new objects (and plenty of carcasses of creatures I didn't get to fight) in the floating vessel, that something strange happens.
As we are walking along, a small brown bug suddenly bursts from the ground in the middle of our group, making a flatulent noise and discharging a cloud of purple gas.
A horrible wave of panic instantly breaks upon us. I watch in terror as my fellows fall to the ground, writhing and squirming, the smog surrounding their bodies. The scent I once welcomed now fills me with rage. Unable to help my stricken comrades, I race at the bug, beating it with my flower. But, its skin is hard. No matter what I do, I can't damage it; I can't even grab a hold of it with my claws. It begins to run away, farting again and expelling more poison. I rush after it, striking it as hard as I can.
Loud whistle blasts echo around the area. I lose track of what I'm doing, disorientated by the whistle blasts. After a few moments of blaring noise, I see the Dark Leader, full of rage, grab one of my fellow whites. Just as he had used me to fight the purple bug, he swings this white over his head and jumps, using it to strike the top of the brown bug with tremendous force.
The brown bug emits a high-pitched squeak of alarm and quickly burrows back into the earth, leaving behind two puddles of yellow goo.
The Dark Leader returns to the Pikmin group, quickly whistling at the Pikmin that were still poisoned. How could there be so few? I realize then that his loud whistle blasts from earlier must have cured most of the poisoned Pikmin. Poison gas is expelled from all the Pikmin the Dark Leader is now whistling at. One quick count reveals that not one Pikmin succumbed. Everyone made it through alive.
But, the Red Leader hasn't moved. His knees rest on the ground, supporting his body instead of his feet. His arms hang limp and his mouth is open.
President: -claps - "Well, that just about clears up this mess. Where were you, Olimar? Wanted to leave it to me I suppose." -puts hands on hips- -smiles smugly- "I do believe some recognition should be in order." -walks over to Olimar- -waves hand in front of Olimar's face- "Helloooooooooo. Some appreciation here. I just saved your precious Pikmin from that bug's disgusting bodily functions! OLIMAR!"
Olimar: -whispers- "It was real..."
President: -folds arms- "Olimar, what is this? You haven't yet shown me any gratitude."
Olimar: -falls forward onto all fours- "Louie told me about a bug like this. I didn't believe him. We argued about it for so long... Why didn't I believe you, Louie!" -cries- "I should have trusted you! I shouldn't have treated you like I did! Louie! I know you're down here! Answer me!"
President: -kicks Olimar over- "I knew it! I knew you were bringing me down here for Louie!" -leans toward Olimar- "Well, I need to make one thing very clear: YOU WORK FOR ME! Do you have any idea what swine that Louie was! HE RUINED MY COMPANY WHEN HE LOST THOSE GOLDEN PIKPIK CARROTS! I'm sorry he didn't die out here like I thought he would! Why else would I have made him accompany you on your mission to get me back the money he lost!"
My eyes are wide now and so are the Red Leader's. The Red Leader doesn't respond. He stops crying, but doesn't get up. He simply stares at the Dark Leader's face.
There is complete silence, even among all of the Pikmin, for a long time.
Finally, the Red Leader rises. With a blank, staring expression on his face, he calls all the Pikmin and leads us to the hole to the next area.
"Wow," wheezes my blue friend next to me. "And I thought getting poisoned was bad."
As we arrive on the ground of the seventh area, the floating vessel says something I'm sure I remember it saying before.
Pod: "Sensors indicate that this is the Final Floor."
This area is made up of a short hallway that leads to a gigantic room. In the room is a colossal beast. It is mostly pinkish-purple and dome-shaped, but with a tan-colored fruit-like thing that hangs from its thin tail. Two eyestalks are the only way to distinguish its front.
President: -eye twitches- "That's a big cloyster."
Olimar: -speaks in monotone- "Bloyster."
President: "Yes. Uh, you're best at dealing with the big enemies, Olimar. I'll let you handle this one, all right? Just call the Pikmin and take care of the big bug."
Olimar: -speaks in monotone- "Yes, Sir."
The Red Leader calls all the Pikmin to him and leads us into the arena where the big creature is. I'm not going to get any time to worry about the Red Leader's condition. It's time to fight another bug ruler!
As the Red Leader walks out into the arena, the beast's eyes and tail suddenly turn red. It rotates on the spot and then begins to slide towards us. The Red Leader frowns and narrows his eyes. Then he starts running. We try to keep up with him as he sprints around the beast. But, no matter how fast we run, the giant keeps turning to face us.
Suddenly, the beast opens its mouth. A number of tentacles whip out of it, but the Red Leader quickly commands us around the attack. We run around to the monster's back, but just as we are nearing the small bulb at the end of its tail, the beast turns to face us again.
As the Red Leader grimaces in frustration, the tentacles whip out a second time. We are commanded to retreat and miraculously evade them again. Then we hear the Dark Leader speak.
President: "Olimar! What are you doing? Get back in there and kill it!"
And the Dark Leader walks out into the arena... When this happens, the monster's eyes and tail turn from red to blue, and it turns towards the Dark Leader instead. We have retreated so far away from the beast, the Dark Leader is now closer to it than us. His eyes widen as the giant moves towards him.
Quickly temporarily dismissing us, the Red Leader runs back toward the beast. As he does so, the Dark Leader seems to come to his senses as well. The Dark Leader sprints by the Red Leader, towards us. When this happens, the monster's eyes and tail turn red again. The Red Leader spins around to run back to us along with the Dark Leader, but he slips and falls on that unnatural light-blue stone that the floor is made out of.
The beast opens its mouth and, before the Red Leader can get away, hits him with its tentacles. The tentacles latch onto the Red Leader and try to pull him into the giant's mouth, but blue electricity suddenly surges from the Red Leader, making the tentacles retract. The Red Leader quickly runs back to us. When he arrives, the monster's eyes and tail become tan-colored again.
It is at this point that I finally get a good look at the Red Leader. As he stands before us, panting, I see that by now he is a complete and utter mess. His face still bears saltwater streaks. His body is covered with mud, scratches and the residue of that floating thing that sucked him up much earlier. Not to mention that blue sparks keep... sparking... from him. His eyes are wild and staring as he addresses the Dark Leader.
Olimar: "My suit's auto-defense system was all that saved me just now." -gabs President's shoulders- "Sir, my suit can't take much more punishment!"
President: -tenses in fear- "C-can't you... Don't you know how to defeat it? That's your job! N-not mine!"
Olimar: "It can lock onto our suits' frequencies... It can track one of us too quickly. Sir, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER TO BEAT THIS THING!"
The Red Leader releases the paralyzed Dark Leader, and calls exactly half of us Pikmin to him. I am included in this half.
Olimar: -speaks in monotone- "You take the other half of the Pikmin. My plan is for us to attack from either side of the Bloyster. We will confuse it. It won't be able to track both of us at the same time. Aim for the bulb on its tail. That is the weak point for all Bloysters. When the tail winds back, call the Pikmin off before it shakes."
The Dark Leader seems to regain some of his composure.
President: "Very well. Let's do this."
The Dark Leader calls the other half of the Pikmin to him and we set off, back towards the giant. The Red Leader leads the way.
As we approach the monster, its eyes and tail turn red again. It turns towards us and begins to move slowly in our direction. The Red Leader quickly runs around it, with it rotating to stay facing us. When we are on the side of it that is now opposite the Dark Leader, we retreat slightly. As we do so, its eyes and tail turn blue, and it turns back towards the Dark Leader. The Red Leader immediately runs forward and throws as many Pikmin as he can up at the bulbous end of the beast's tail. As I land on the tail, it turns red. I beat it with my flower, but am shortly called off of it. Yet, I am called off by the Dark Leader, not the Red Leader.
The tail shakes violently. After it does, the Dark Leader throws me up onto it again, along with more of my fellows. I cling to it and use my flower to strike it mercilessly. It turns from red to blue and I am soon called off once again. I am now back with the Red Leader, who waits for the tail to shake before throwing us back up onto it. The tail assumes a tan color again as all of us Pikmin swarm over it, thrashing it with our flowers. More and more Pikmin cover the bulb, thrown undoubtedly by both Leaders. I grasp the bulb harder as I feel the giant spin on the spot in wild confusion.
Then, it stops. The bulb suddenly becomes slippery and I fall to the floor. I land on my feet and rejoin the Red Leader as he calls the Pikmin to him. White froth is gushing from the monster's mouth. We watch as its shell cracks in numerous places, more white foam spewing from these openings. The beast's dome of a body caves in... and melts... all over the floor. As the body evaporates, only the stem and bulb of the tail are left, along with a strange, grey, shallow cone.
We did it. We won! And we didn't lose a single Pikmin!
President: "We did it... We won..."
Olimar: -smiles- "And we didn't lose a single Pikmin."
We are commanded to carry the tail and the object to the floating vessel. The tail goes in first. When the object arrives, the floating vessel speaks.
Pod: "Initiating valuation of recovered treasure. The artifact is worth... 100 Pokos. I hereby dub this object... the Amplified Amplifier. In addition, scans of this object reveal that it has resonance capabilities, allowing it to amplify sound when tuned to any frequency. Olimar. Mr. President. Stand under me."
Both Leaders go to stand below the floating vessel. There is a flash of bright light and the floating vessel speaks again.
Pod: "I have fitted each of your whistles with a Mega Tweeter. Your commands to the Pikmin will now be significantly amplified."
President: -punches the air- "AH-haaaa! As if my commands weren't loud enough already!"
Olimar: "Indeed."
The Leaders now lead us to an exit geyser and take us out.
We land back by the storage vessel, upon which the floating vessel lands once more.
Olimar: -sighs- "I must take the rest of the day off to repair my suit. You can stay out here and explore the area if you like, but don't take any Pikmin with you. There has been enough combat today."
President: -points to self- "I give the orders here, Olimar! And I order you to get back in the ship to fix your suit while I perform an inspection of this area. As for the Pikmin, you must dismiss them to their residences at once. They cannot accompany me."
Olimar: -smiles weakly- "Yes, Sir."
The Red Leader dismisses us.
I follow my fellow whites to the storage vessel's nozzle, saying goodbye to my blue friend as I do so.
All the objects and animal carcasses that we collected today are now inside the storage vessel. A number of my fellows are already having a small dispute as to who and how many of them get to sleep in the shallow cone that came out of the giant beast.
I settle down on the body of one of the small, yellow, flying bugs, one of which I killed earlier in the day. Only one Pikmin can fit on each of these bugs, so I am lucky to get to sleep on one. And within moments, I do just that.
For those of you who don't remember, the Doodlebug was indeed mentioned (not by name, though) in Day 1.