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Author Topic: Lockjaw's Saga: a Pikmin Story  (Read 25583 times)

Area 64

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« on: February 18, 2007, 12:04:31 AM »
I did this story because Pikmin and Pikmin 2 are two of my favorite games. It's about a Bulborb trying to protect himself and his race against the once-docile, now-deadly Pikmin. I had this story planned out for quite some time. Enjoy!


Lockjaw's Saga: a Pikmin Story

   In the world of Pikmin, there are three roles in the food chain.
   The first role is the role of the predator. The ones built on stealth and strength. The predators are who help keep the delicate balance of the ecosystem in line by eating other creatures.
   There is then the prey; creatures smaller, weaker, and more vulnerable than the predator. These are the creatures who find ways to defend themselves and their families against predators. They are also constantly adapting to their environment.
   Then... there is the third entity. These are the creatures that are between predator and prey. These creatures eat neither other creatures nor plants. They are the creatures that have the power to ruin the balance of the entire ecosystem. They are creatures who have massive armies and are specifically trained in killing.
   They are called... the Pikmin.


   “Attention, everyone! Attention, everyone!” a loud, booming voice came echoing off of the walls in the cave.
   “It is time to divide into groups,” said the Emperor. He slowly paced around on a small, circular, elevated rock as he addressed his enormous crowd of Bulborbs, all looking on and hanging on to his every word.
   “As you all know,” The Emperor continued, “our simple way of life is coming to an end. The Pikmin have outnumbered and outranked us. They are led by a mysterious force that makes them virtually unstoppable. Our very reality lies in the brink of destruction.” The crowd of Bulborbs began to murmur amongst themselves as he continued. “We are in very trying times, so that is why we must stick together. Alone, we will easily perish, but together, we are strong.”
   He then turned to a row of Bulborbs standing side by side behind him. He began to assign each Bulborb a squadron and a location.
   “You are to take 10 Red Bulborbs and 10 Dwarf Red Bulborbs to the Forest of Hope,” he told a Red Bulborb. The Bulborb nodded as he continued down the row. 
   “You are to take 50 Dwarf Red Bulborbs into the Cavern of Chaos,” He then said to a Dwarf Red Bulborb as he kept walking.
   The tension was thick amongst both the crowd and the chosen squadron leaders. Assignment had lasted for about five minutes until there was only one unassigned Bulborb.
   The Giant Emperor Bulbax approached the last unassigned Bulborb, who was a Dwarf Orange Bulborb.
   “And finally,” he started, “you are to take 50 Dwarf Orange Bulborbs into the Dream Den,” He told the Bulborb.
   “Dream Den?” said the Bulborb. “Where--”
   “It is time to gather up your groups,” the Emperor said, ignoring the Bulborb’s question. “In about 30 minutes everyone is to retreat to their respective locations.”
   The next 30 minutes were a frenzy of pushing through crowds and getting into groups. Throughout all the pandemonium, the Dwarf Orange Bulborb pushed through the crowd to speak with the Emperor. He finally managed to get back to the rock before the Emperor retreated to his private chambers.
   “Excuse me, Your Majesty!” The Bulborb yelled out to the Emperor.
   “... Yes? Is there something you need ask of me?” asked the Emperor.
   The Bulborb waited until he caught his breath. “My name’s... Lockjaw...” he said, panting. “I was... one of... the Bulborbs you... chose to... lead the... squadron.”
   “Yes...” said the Emperor Bulbax.
   Lockjaw continued, having caught his breath. “Where is the Dream Den?”
   “Oh, is that all?” said the Emperor. “The Dream Den is right down that tunnel,” he said, motioning to one of the many tunnels that led to the underground chamber. “Just follow it straight to the end and when you emerge, you’ll be in the Wistful Wild. The Dream Den is on the other side of the pond there.”
   “Oh, okay, thanks, Your Majesty,” Lockjaw said. “I’ll just assemble my squadron now and be on my way,” he said as he began to walk off.
   “Think nothing of it,” said the Emperor.
« Last Edit: February 18, 2007, 12:46:38 AM by Area 64 »

Area 64

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« Reply #1 on: February 18, 2007, 04:12:12 PM »

Meanwhile, over near the tunnel that led to the Wistful Wild, the Dwarf Orange Bulborbs that Lockjaw was supposed to command were starting to get restless.
   “Where is he?” one of them murmured.
   “Yeah,” said another. “We were supposed to have been gone by now!”
   “Oh wait, there he is,” said the first Bulborb as he saw Lockjaw running toward the group.
   “Sorry it took so long,” said Lockjaw. “I had to get directions. Let’s start heading down that tunnel quickly so we can reach the Wistful Wild before sundown.”
   “Ugh, we’ll never get out of this one alive...” one of the Bulborbs in the back said to another and rolling its eyes as the group began to head down the tunnel .

   The tunnel was mostly empty and dim, but it wasn’t too dark since the Glowstems partially illuminated the path. Lockjaw and his squad of Bulborbs walked without break for around two hours. Through the whole trip, it was possible to hear moans of “Are we there yet?” and “This is taking forever!”
   Lockjaw could the see the end of the tunnel, and a small sub-tunnel that led to the surface.
   “Okay everyone,” Lockjaw said. “I know it’s taken forever, but we’ve finally reached the Wistful Wild.”
   “I don’t see it,” one of the Bulborbs piped up. “All I see is tunnel!”
   “It’s just on the other side of this passage,” said Lockjaw as he began leading the Bulborbs up through to the surface.
   The Bulborbs all emerged through a hole that was near a steep slope. Lockjaw stepped out in front and scoped the surroundings. He then began to lead the team up the slope. While walking up the slope, they saw a few nectar eggs.
   “Can we stop for a drink?” a Bulborb in front asked. “It’s not even sundown! We still have the time!”
   “Well, alright,” said Lockjaw. “I guess we do have time.”
   All the Bulborbs immediately bit at the eggs and were fighting amongst themselves so they could each get a drink. They all managed to each get a small bit of nectar, and had one egg left to spare.
   “I guess I’ll take this one,” Lockjaw said, looking forward to having a whole egg full of nectar all to himself.
   As the egg cracked open, a dozen frenzied Mitites began running around wildly. “Retreat!” one of them said as the burrowed into the ground. Lockjaw had a look of confusion and frustration on his face. He then turned back to his squadron.
   “Uhh... well... let’s cross this pond,” he said, trying to shrug it off.
   The Bulborbs began to wade through the shallow pond. As they walked, they saw some Wollywogs, a Blowhog, and even a Groink in the distance.
   As they passed through the entrance that led to the hole to the Dream Den, they saw two sleeping Orange Bulborbs.
   “Wow, this place is perfect!” said one of the Bulborbs. “No Pikmin would ever dream of coming here!”
   “Pikmin?! Where?!” panicked one of the Orange Bulborbs as he woke up.
   “Uh... false alarm?” said the Bulborb.
   “Oh...” said the large Orange Bulborb as he yawned and continued sleeping.

« Reply #2 on: February 18, 2007, 06:22:42 PM »
This story rules due solely on the fact that it's based off Pikmin, and Pikmin freakin' rules.
As a game that requires six friends, an HDTV, and skill, I can see why the majority of TMK is going to hate on it hard.

The Chef

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« Reply #3 on: February 18, 2007, 08:07:24 PM »
This ain't half bad, but isn't Lockjaw's Saga the name of a song from DK Country 2?

Area 64

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« Reply #4 on: February 18, 2007, 08:35:19 PM »
Oh... really? Well, don't that beat all. It's simply coincidence, though. I thought it would be a good title, I've never known there was a song with the same name. Oh, well...

Area 64

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« Reply #5 on: February 18, 2007, 10:24:50 PM »

   Lockjaw and his small army had shortly went down the hole and were securely settled in the Dream Den. Lockjaw had decided that they’d only needed to stay on the first level of the tunnel system. The area was sunny, the grass was healthy and green, and they had plenty of berries and nectar.
   After everyone had settled in, Lockjaw gave a small speech.
   “Congratulations, everyone,” Lockjaw started. “You’ve made it all here safely. Keep in mind, though, this is no vacation. We are here to secure the future of not just Bulborbs, but all species who get terrorized by Pikmin.”
   “Uh, why are we here?” asked a Bulborb.
   “We have been placed here until the Pikmin threat is eliminated. We have to cover our bases. The Pikmin might not be here now, but we have to be ready when the time comes. This place is one of the most likely places where they’ll go, and we can take them by surprise!”
   “So, what do we do ‘til then?” asked another Bulborb.
   “We train, eat, and prepare,” answered Lockjaw. “Until then, just enjoy the sojourn.”
   After the speech, the crowd dispersed in all directions. The area was more than vast enough to house all of them. Most just wandered around or talked to one another.
   The next day, Lockjaw woke up to be pestered by one of the Bulborbs.
   “Lockjaw! Sir!” said the Bulborb. “There’s a situation!”
   “What is it?” Lockjaw asked, groggily.
   “One of the natives claims that we Bulborbs are stealing food!” Lockjaw then followed the Bulborb to the scene of the problem. When they arrived, they saw a Hermit Crawmad.
   “That’s him!” said the Bulborb. “He’s the guy who thinks he owns all the food!” Lockjaw then came closer to the Crawmad’s hole.
   “Hey,” said the Crawmad. “Are you the leader of these guys here?”
   “Yeah,” said Lockjaw. “So you’re the guy who says we’re stealing your food!”
   “What, you think berries grow around here out of nowhere?” said the Crawmad. “I worked hard to get this stuff here!”
   “What, so... you planted them?” asked Lockjaw.
   “Planted 'em?” asked the Crawmad. “You kiddin’? That would take forever! I brought them in from the forest!”
   “How did YOU get all the way to the forest from here?” asked Lockjaw.
   “By usin’ the Crawmad Railroad,” responded the Crawmad. “The Crawmad Railroad is just like the main tunnels, except they take shorter to travel, go to ANYWHERE you want, and are, uh, more discreet, so there’s not much traffic. Kinda like a tunnel-within-a-tunnel-type tunnel system or somethin’. All you gotta do to get there is go through this or other Crawmad holes.”
   “Well, I guess that would be convenient...” said Lockjaw.
   “Yeah, Crawmads have made holes in places you wouldn't believe!" said the Crawmad. "And now you can ‘convenient’ yourself some of your own berries!” he finished as he went down the hole.
   “Wait,” said Lockjaw as he peered down the hole. “Hmm... well, that’s weird.”
   “What’s weird, Lockjaw?” said the Bulborb.
   Lockjaw looked back at the Bulborb. “He’s gone,” he said. “Just like that.”
   For a few minutes, Lockjaw and the others began to ponder the enigmatic Crawmad Railroad.
   “Hmm...” Lockjaw spoke up. “Maybe I ought to go investigate down there, just to be sure of our safety. You all stay here; I’ll be back shortly.” Lockjaw then squeezed his way down the Crawmad hole.

   The Crawmad Railroad was dark and dusty, even more so than the regular tunnels. Lockjaw got caught up in exploring the underground cavern system, but still tried to remember the tunnel he entered from. After walking down through the tunnels for a while, he heard a loud, grating noise coming from out of one of the nearby tunnels.
   What’s that noise? he thought. I better check it out.

Area 64

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« Reply #6 on: February 19, 2007, 02:32:01 PM »
   Lockjaw was headed down the tunnel where the noise was coming from. All along the way, he could hear the noise become louder and clearer. The sound rang through his ears.   
   CHHHHHHH... ZHHHHHHH...
   The noise continued in that pattern. Lockjaw’s heart started to beat faster as he approached the end of the tunnel.
   CHHHHHHH... ZHHHHHHH...
   Lockjaw took a deep breath and poked his eyestalks out of the hole. He saw that the noise was coming from a large, green rock. It was now louder than ever! He crawled out of the hole to find himself in a rather large room, with nothing but himself and the rock. The deafening noise filled the atmosphere.
   Lockjaw looked around and decided to examine the perimeter of the room. As he walked around, he had gotten a better glimpse of the rock, and thought that the other side of it looked like the Emperor Bulbax.
   “Wait a minute,” he thought out loud. “That IS the Emperor! He was snoring this whole time!”
   The sleepy Emperor slowly opened his eyestalks and awakened to Lockjaw looking right at him. He immediately got up and started screaming, which caused Lockjaw to start screaming. After about ten seconds of panicked screaming, they both calmed down.
   “What are you doing in here?” questioned the flustered Bulbax.
   “I can explain!” said Lockjaw. “I was exploring the Crawmad Railroad--”
   “What’s the Crawmad Railroad?” asked the confused Emperor.
   “They’re a series of tunnels that bypass the regular tunnels,” Lockjaw answered. “Anyway, I heard a noise coming from out of this tunnel and I thought someone could be in danger! I’m sorry, Your Majesty. I guess I had no idea how far I went out in the tunnel.”
   “It’s quite alright,” responded the Emperor. “My snoring keeps up even the missus sometime...”
   After Lockjaw reconciled with the Emperor, the Emperor let him stay over for a while as they ate a breakfast of nectar, berries, and Sheargrubs. They then talked for a little while, mostly about the success of the mission.
   “Well,” said Lockjaw, “I think I oughta get back to the Dream Den.”
   “Will you be taking the normal tunnels or those other tunnels?” asked the Emperor.
   “Eh, the Crawmad Railroad seems safer and easier to take,” said Lockjaw. He began to head back to the hole from which he emerged until the Emperor heard something.
   “... Did you hear that?” asked the Emperor.
   “What did it sound like?” asked Lockjaw.
   “It sounded like... like a very high-pitch chirp... almost like a whistle! I think someone else is in the palace!” said the Emperor.
   “Don’t worry, Your Majesty. If the need arises, I’ll protect you!” said Lockjaw.
   “No!” spoke the Emperor. “I’ll be fine! Just go back to your base and make sure everyone is secure!”
   “But... Your Majesty--”
   “That’s a command!” boomed the Emperor. Lockjaw quickly ran back into the hole, only to stay and watch with his eyestalks peeking out from it.
« Last Edit: February 19, 2007, 07:51:02 PM by Area 64 »

Area 64

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« Reply #7 on: February 19, 2007, 06:23:40 PM »
   The Emperor had turned around and, not noticing Lockjaw’s eyes, had presumed he left. He carefully started to look around him. He then exited his room and walked down the chambers into the Empress’ room. Inside, the Empress was sleeping on her back.
   “Empress, wake up,” the Emperor said quietly.
   The Empress had rolled over and yawned. “Is there something wrong, dear?” she asked.
   “I heard a suspicious noise come from near the entrance of the palace,” said the Emperor. “If you suspect that I’m hurt, try to escape. I’m going to go see what’s there.”
   “Okay...” said the Empress. “Just don’t get hurt...”
   “Don’t worry,” said the Emperor. “I’ll come back the same old Emperor.” He then left the Empress’ room, with a fretful Empress in his wake.
   The Emperor continued through the tunnels of his palace until he was almost at the main chamber, which was the one he had given his speech in. He looked around, staying at the opening of the tunnel, and saw a light in the shadows.
   This light was strange to him. He knew well about it, since some of his underlings told him they recalled seeing a similar light before the coming of total destruction. This light was indeed a bad omen.
   As the light pulsated a bright red color, it was accompanied by a loud whistle. The light then came out of the darkness, followed by another, blue light. Both lights were attached to the antennae of two small, yellow-skinned creatures with clear shields around their heads. The Emperor started to get confused and worried, but was careful not to make a sound.
   The red light on the small creature’s head had created a chirping noise, and it was revealed that he was followed by a vast army of Pikmin.
   No..., thought the Emperor as he dug into the ground, leaving his eyestalks out to continue surveying the Pikmin.
   The noise made by the Emperor burrowing made the Red-Light Creature flinch. The Red-Light Creature then walked up to the spot where the Emperor had dug, Pikmin army in tow. He then shone his light on the spot. The Emperor hoped he was unnoticed.
   The Red-Light Creature had then turned to face his Pikmin army. The Emperor’s first impression was that the creature had not seen him and would leave. To his surprise, though, the creature’s light gave a small chirp, and the Pikmin separated by color, specifying 20 Purples and 80 Reds.
   The Red-Light Creature then did something of summoning the Blue-Light Creature, and they seemed to have discussed something amongst themselves. The Emperor couldn’t tell what they were saying, but could understand their pantomiming actions:
   The Red-Light Creature pointed to the Blue-Light Creature, and then to the 20 Purple Pikmin. He then pointed to the spot where the Emperor was buried, and then made a fist-in-hand gesture. He then pointed his thumb toward himself and pointed toward the chamber where the Empress was located.
   Empress..., the Emperor thought. If only I could warn you...
   The two creatures nodded their heads simultaneously, called their respective Pikmin groups and prepared to strike. The Emperor could only wait and pray at this point...
« Last Edit: February 19, 2007, 07:55:38 PM by Area 64 »

Area 64

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« Reply #8 on: February 19, 2007, 09:14:23 PM »

   The Emperor carefully watched as the Red-Light Creature ran through the chamber that led to the Empress’ room, followed by the 80 Pikmin. The Blue-Light Creature then began to walk up to him with the Purple Pikmin, the Emperor's heart beating extremely fast.
   The Blue-Light Creature then grabbed a Purple Pikmin and aimed it right between the Emperor’s eyes. The Emperor shut his eyes in anticipation. When the creature raised his arm to throw, he tripped, causing the Purple to land behind the Emperor with a thud. It was then that the Emperor Bulbax bellowed as he majestically rose from out of the ground. The Blue-Light Creature had a look of shock and fear on his face, but he quickly collected himself and started throwing Purples like crazy! By this time, The Emperor had taken off and ran, so the Pikmin that landed on his back merely slid off. The Blue-Light Creature then called all the Pikmin back to him and started to give chase.
   “I... gotta... help... Empress...” the Emperor managed to say as he ran for his life.
   The Emperor burst into the Empress’ room... only to see that the deed had already been done. The Empress’ attempts at rolling away were futile. All that filled the room were the Pikmin, the creature... and the head, legs and torso of the Empress being carried by Pikmin. As they walked by the Emperor, the Pikmin gave him a cold, dead look. Normally, the Emperor would retaliate by licking up the Pikmin, but he was just too grief-stricken.
   Just then, behind him, he heard the rallying sound of a whistle. It was the Blue-Light Creature! He had just sprayed the Pikmin with something that made them glow red like a fire of deadly beauty.
   The Blue-Light Creature’s whistle attracted the attention of the Red-Light Creature, who then rallied the rest of his army and too sprayed them with the same red cloud of liquid.
   The Emperor now had 20 Purples and 60 Reds teaming up against him, all super-agitated from the spray. The Emperor knew he was outnumbered, and was still saddened as he saw the Pikmin indifferently carrying his deceased wife off into the darkness. The Emperor then let out a ground-shaking bellow and ran back to his own room, where Lockjaw’s eyes were still peeking out. The two armies quickly followed.
   The Emperor was caught at a dead end. There was nowhere to run or to hide. He was much too big to fit in the entrance to the Crawmad Railroad. He decided that all he could do was fight his way through.
   As the armies stormed in, the Emperor gave a defiant bellow. The Red-Light Creature fought the Emperor first, rapidly throwing massive amounts of glowing Red Pikmin onto his face. He managed to keep his cool and shook them off, and was even able to squish and eat a good number of them, but the combined strength of the Pikmin was too strong.
   The battle didn’t last long and was pretty much one-sided. When the Emperor was too weak to defend himself anymore and was about to die, the Blue-Light Creature petrified him with a cloud of black smoke. Then, seemingly sadistically, he punched the Emperor’s body. The petrified body wobbled for a while, and then cracked, turning into nectar, which the Pikmin viciously drank.
   The Red-Light Creature, feeling satisfied, then called his Pikmin and the Blue-Light Creature as a signal to leave. One Purple Pikmin didn’t hear the whistle and ran over to Lockjaw’s eyestalks. Lockjaw quickly tucked them back inside the hole as the Pikmin eyeballed him cryptically. The sound of the whistle intensified and the Pikmin came running over to join the rest of them.
   After a while, Lockjaw poked his eyes out of the hole again to see if they were gone. All he saw was an empty room, devoid of all life. He then poked them back in and prepared to leave.
    What are we gonna do now? thought Lockjaw. What are we all gonna do?

Area 64

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« Reply #9 on: February 20, 2007, 12:22:51 PM »
   Lockjaw hastily ran back to the main Crawmad Railroad. He had just seen the Emperor get murdered by Pikmin with his own eyes! He was feeling anxious and scared. He knew that the Bulborb Empire will now be brought to its knees.
   Lockjaw stumbled back into the Crawmad Railroad. He was in a severe shock. He clumsily maneuvered through the tunnels, which now seemed darker than ever. As much as he tried, he couldn’t remember the way back to the Dream Den. His mind was too clouded with thoughts of the Pikmin massacre. He just ran through the tunnels fiercely, panting, and not looking back. After a while of panicked running, he saw what looked like a familiar tunnel.
   “This must be the one!” he said as he ran up through the branching tunnel.
   When he emerged, he immediately knew that he wasn’t in the Dream Den. All he saw were some screws and metal indentations on the cold, rusty metal floor. He then heard a whirring noise coming from the center of the area. He saw what looked like an oven on legs rise out of a hole in the floor and began to walk toward him. Lockjaw silently started to panic.
   The mechanical creature then split in half, letting out a cloud of smoke. Lockjaw then noticed that a red dot was on his nose. He tried to shake it off by wiggling his nose, but it wouldn’t move. Lockjaw then looked up from his nose, and saw that the dot came from a light coming from the mechanical creature. He then heard a high-frequency beeping noise. Trusting his instincts, Lockjaw dived back into the hole, and afterwards all he could hear were loud explosions from aboveground.
    “This is just too much!” Lockjaw said from the safety of inside the tunnel. “First the Emperor, and now this?! Is EVERYONE after the Bulborbs!?” He then ran once again back into the main tunnel.
   While traveling lost through the Crawmad Railroad, Lockjaw began to mutter to himself.
   “Okay,” he thought out loud. “I just need a minute to get my mind together. One of these tunnels has to lead back to the Dream Den.” Lockjaw then looked up and saw another tunnel.
   “That’s the one!” he exclaimed. He then ran up to the surface once again.
   Again, all he saw was metal coating the floor. Upon emerging, one of his toes accidentally kicked a nearby bomb rock. The bomb rock then started to glow, rolled a bit and collided with another bomb rock, which also started to glow. Lockjaw looked around and could see that the whole place was filled with bomb rocks.
   After the first two exploded, it caused a chain reaction amongst the others, which all started glowing in unison.
   “I gotta get out of here!” Lockjaw said as he ran back into the railroad. Shortly after, the bomb rocks exploded, and their combined force was enough to collapse the tunnel that led to the room.
   “You know what, forget the Dream Den!” Lockjaw shouted. I just need to be somewhere safe!” he said as he ran up into an adjacent tunnel.
   When Lockjaw emerged, he found the atmosphere to be freezing cold. He noticed that the hole was surrounded by snow, and was right in front of a large lake full of freezing water.
   “Well,” said Lockjaw. “At least nothing’s trying to kill me. I guess I have to stay here for a while,” he said as he lied down in the snow.
« Last Edit: May 19, 2007, 12:35:46 PM by Area 64 »

Area 64

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« Reply #10 on: February 20, 2007, 10:13:14 PM »

   Lockjaw had managed to fall asleep, even in the cold snow. When he woke up, he found himself completely covered in snow from all the snow falling. He quickly stood up and shook it off.
   “Oh, wow...,” said Lockjaw. “How long was I asleep for?” He began to feel light-headed and hungry.
   “I wonder if there’s any food around here...” he said. He then began to wander around, foraging for food.
   Lockjaw had gotten a better look of the environment. Most of the ground was covered with an ever-rising layer of snow. He wasn’t able to travel very far, though, since the lake was blocking his path. He had walked the whole edge of the lake when he started to hear crying. Lockjaw then looked around, and pinpointed the source to something in the water. He couldn’t see exactly what it was since it was so foggy.
   “Hey, out there!” yelled Lockjaw. “Are you alright?”
   The thing in the water then looked startled. He stopped crying to look up onto the land and saw the Bulborb.
   “What are you doing here?” asked the thing.
   “Long story,” Lockjaw said. “Anyway, is there anything I could do for you?”
   The blue thing then trudged through the freezing water and came onto the land. Without the fog in his eyes, Lockjaw could easily tell that the creature was a Water Dumple.
   “Yeah, there’s one thing...” said the Dumple. “Leave! LEAVE as fast as you can!”
   “Okay, you don’t have to be so rude,” said Lockjaw. “I understand you want some time alone, but--”
   “No, it’s not that,” said the Dumple. “I’m sorry if I came across that way, but I’m trying to warn you; this place is... dangerous....”
   “Dangerous?” asked Lockjaw. “Dangerous how?”
   “Two creatures just came here and laid waste to the entire land,” started the Dumple. “They killed almost everyone with their army of Pikmin--”
   “Wait, wait, wait...” interrupted Lockjaw. “Pikmin would never come here. It’s just too cold! They’d freeze to death! You’re just talking crazy!”
   “Oh, really?” questioned the Dumple.
   “Yeah, really!” replied Lockjaw.
   “Just look over there and see for yourself, then...” the Dumple said, motioning toward a spot in the water. Lockjaw walked around the edge of the lake to get a better view.
   “No way...” said a remorseful Lockjaw as he looked out into the water and saw the gruesome sight of a dead Dumple. “Whoa... I guess I was wrong.” He then looked down at the snow-covered ground, ashamed of his accusations.
   “Look,” Lockjaw started. “I’m sorry for--” but when Lockjaw looked up, he saw that the offended Dumple was already sliding back into the water.

Area 64

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« Reply #11 on: February 21, 2007, 10:13:54 AM »

   “Wait! Come back!” Lockjaw said, calling after the Dumple. It was useless, though, since the Dumple just ignored him.
   Lockjaw began to wonder why the Dumple was so upset and what his relationship was with the Dumple whose lifeless body lay in the water. Lockjaw decided to go after him, even though he knew that if stayed in there too long, his feet would freeze completely off.
   Lockjaw looked down at the cold lake. He then closed his eyes and put one foot in to test the temperature of the water. He then quickly pulled it back, realizing how freezing it was, being a lot colder than the snow.
   “Oh... I guess I’ll have to...” Lockjaw said as he braced himself for the cold water. He then closed his eyes and jumped right in, immediately feeling a wall of cold as soon as his feet hit the lake bottom. Ignoring the cold, Lockjaw tried calling out to the Dumple again.
   “Dumple!” he called out. “Where are you?”
   The Water Dumple then turned around and saw Lockjaw standing in the freezing water and shivering. He quickly swam over to Lockjaw.
   “What are you doing out here? You’ll freeze!” said the Dumple.
   “W-well,” started Lockjaw. “I j-j-just wanted t-to t-t-tell--”
   “You can do it later,” said the Dumple. “For now, just grab on to me!”
   The Dumple then carried Lockjaw out of the water and back on land. He then noticed that Lockjaw was still shivering uncontrollably.
   “You need to warm up, and FAST!” said the Dumple. That’s all Lockjaw remembered before passing out on the ground.

   When Lockjaw woke up about a couple hours later, he noticed that he was wrapped in blades of grass as if inside a cocoon. He also noticed that there was a Fiery Bulbax sleeping next to him, which made him feel comfortable and warm. He also noticed the Dumple watching him.
   “Alright, you can go,” the Dumple told the Bulbax. “Thanks for the favor.”
   Lockjaw was hesitant of unwrapping himself from his cocoon-like sheet. He decided to stay wrapped as he questioned the Dumple.
   “Did... did YOU do all this?” Lockjaw said, astounded. “Why?”
   “Well, you were going to die otherwise, and I didn’t want that to happen,” said the Dumple.
   “Oh, well... thank you,” said Lockjaw. “And, uh, sorry for earlier, uh...”
   “My name’s Gallon,” said the Dumple.
   “Oh,” said Lockjaw. “I’m Lockjaw,” he said, introducing himself. Lockjaw then got up and stretched out a little. He then looked around awkwardly, and saw the dead Dumple in the water. Gallon then turned to the Dumple as well.
   “Hm...” said Lockjaw. “So who was she?”

Area 64

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« Reply #12 on: February 21, 2007, 05:37:29 PM »

   “Hmm?” Gallon said as he looked up. “Oh... no one...”
   “She had to be SOMEONE...” said Lockjaw.
   “Okay, okay, I’ll tell you,” said Gallon, “She was... my wife...”
   “Oh...” said Lockjaw. “Wow.... well... how did--”
   “Blue Pikmin got to her,” said Gallon, knowing Lockjaw’s question.
   “Blue Pikmin?” asked Lockjaw. “There are Pikmin who can swim? All I know of are Red Pikmin and Purple Pikmin... I’ve never seen a Blue before...”
   “Well... they can....” said Gallon. He then began to look out into the water. “It all happened the day before you came. Both of us were asleep when the Red-Light and Blue-Light came. The two creatures had a massive amount of Blue Pikmin, as if they were specifically coming after us. The number of Pikmin was too great, so, instead of fighting, I went on land and enlisted the help of a Cannon Beetle. The Beetle’s rocks were able to drive them away, but when I got back into the water, it was too late.”
   “They called the Pikmin back and ran?” asked Lockjaw.
   “No,” answered Gallon. “They made them all attack her at the same time so they could divert the rocks away from the Pikmin. After the rock had busted on the edge of the lake, Red-Light and Blue-Light called the Pikmin back and just left my wife’s body laying there to rot.”
   “Oh...” said Lockjaw. “That’s too bad. Sorry about that... I recently witnessed a Pikmin attack myself....”
   “You did?” asked Gallon.
   “Yeah...” said Lockjaw. “Right before I came here. I saw my Emperor killed and his remains drank by Pikmin with my own eyes! The Bulborb Empire is now at the mercy of the Pikmin...”
   “Wow...” said Gallon. “That make’s my problem rather insignificant. I mean, the Emperor of your whole species...”
   “No, I’m sure your case is more severe...” said Lockjaw. “I mean, you were related to the one they killed, and you weren’t even in a hole.”
   “Ehh... maybe... I don’t know...” said Gallon.
   Lockjaw then looked across the lake, and at the edge, he saw something flicker in the small amount of sunlight.
   “What’s that over there?” he said, motioning to something hanging from a twig near the water’s edge.
   Gallon and Lockjaw then went over to the shining object. The shining had come from a green Glowstem, and its stalk was tied in a loop like a necklace.
   “Oh, this?” said Gallon. “My wife used to wear it all the time. I gave it to her on her birthday. It’s the only real memory I still have of her. I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t have it...”
   After a brief, awkward pause, Gallon looked back at Lockjaw.
   “Well, it’s getting late,” he said, yawning. “We’d better get some sleep.” He and Lockjaw then retreated to their respective “beds”: Gallon sleeping in the water and Lockjaw sleeping in the snow.

   “Hey, Barney!” a voice said in the cold, night sky. “Get over here!”
   “Uh, comin’, boss!” said another voice.
   “Look down there, Barney. See that glowin’ thing?” said the first voice, pointing toward the Glowstem necklace.
   “I see it,” said the second voice. “What’re we gonna do wit’ it, Sneed?”
   “The same thing we do wit’ anything of potential value,” said the first voice. “We’re gonna steal that thing!”
   The two shadowy figures then swooped down out of the sky, swiped the necklace, and flew away with it into the night.

Area 64

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« Reply #13 on: February 21, 2007, 09:00:48 PM »
   The Sun began to rise and warm the area the next day. The warmth from the Sun acted as a natural alarm clock for Lockjaw and Gallon, as they both woke up partially after sunrise. Lockjaw yawned and stretched, then basked in the temporary warmth of the Sun. Gallon was slower to wake up, rolling over in the water until he realized that the Sun was up.
   “Good morning, Lockjaw,” said Gallon as he crawled lazily out of the water.
   “Morning,” Lockjaw replied, stretching some more. Now more awake, Lockjaw had started feeling hungry again. “Do you have anything to eat?” He asked.
   “I keep some food near the corner of the lake,” Gallon said. “I’ll just get us some nectar eggs or something. Hey, do you like Wogpoles?”
   “I’ll try anything once...” answered Lockjaw. Gallon then crawled back into the lake to get the food. On his way, he passed by the stick where he hung his wife’s necklace, but seemed unaware that it was gone.
   “I know I just caught some Wogpoles the other day...” Gallon said, looking through the snowy mound that hid his food. He checked and double-checked, but still wasn’t able to find them. Lockjaw then came over to assist Gallon.
   “You... need some help?” asked Lockjaw.
   “No... They’re around here somewhere...” said Gallon as he kept looking. While waiting, Lockjaw looked up at the twig where the necklace used to be, and noticed that it wasn’t there.
   “Here they are!” Gallon turned around, holding two Wogpoles by their tails with his teeth.
   “Hey Gallon, did you move that necklace recently?” asked Lockjaw.
   “No, why?” asked a confused Gallon. Lockjaw motioned to the twig, completely devoid of the necklace. Gallon’s jaw then dropped, releasing the Wogpoles.
   “Wh-what’s... what’s going on here?” Gallon said nervously. "Where is the necklace? It couldn’t have just walked away!”
   “Maybe it was stolen...” suggested Lockjaw.
   Gallon looked grief-stricken at the ground, as if just discovering his wife had died. “Well... I’m gonna go find it! I have to!” he said.
   “Gallon, think reasonably,” said Lockjaw. “The thieves could be anywhere.”
   “I still have to try!” Gallon said. “Lockjaw, you have to help me! I can’t do it alone!”
   “But we haven’t even eaten...” complained Lockjaw.
   “C’mon Lockjaw, I really need your help on this one,” begged Gallon. “Please?”
   Lockjaw looked at the Wogpoles, then back at Gallon. “Okay...,” he replied. “I mean, you DID save my life. I don’t want to seem ungrateful or anything.”
   “Okay, the first thing we should do is ask around,” suggested Gallon. “Maybe someone saw something. Hmm... Bulbaxes are nocturnal; maybe that Fiery Bulbax saw something!”
   “All right, then; let’s ask him!” said Lockjaw. Gallon then gave Lockjaw a ride across the water as they went to question the Bulbax.
« Last Edit: May 16, 2007, 08:40:08 AM by Area 64 »

Area 64

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« Reply #14 on: February 22, 2007, 12:21:39 PM »

   “So, where does this guy live?” asked Lockjaw as he and Gallon emerged from the lake.
   Gallon thought for a second. “Hmm... I always see him to the west of here... so let’s go west,” He said. Gallon and Lockjaw then proceeded to walk west on the cold, hard ground.
   Not before long, Lockjaw saw what looked like a lump of fire asleep on a small island.
   “Gallon, I’ve found him!” he called out to Gallon.
   “Great! Not we can ask him about the necklace!” said Gallon. Gallon then gave Lockjaw a ride over to the island where the Bulbax was.
   When they got there, they tried unsuccessfully to wake the Bulbax up.
   “Hey, excuse me... Bulbax,” said Gallon. “I need a moment of your time.” The Bulbax didn’t hear him and kept sleeping.
   “Wake up!” Lockjaw shouted. The Bulbax still continued to sleep. He then turned back to Gallon.
   “I have an idea,” Lockjaw said. “How about we poke him with a stick?”
   “Good idea, I’ll go get one,” said Gallon. Gallon then pulled a nearby stick out of the water and gave it to Lockjaw. When Lockjaw got the stick close to the Bulbax, it immediately caught fire.
   “Uh... uh-oh...” Lockjaw said. He then ran around and quickly jumped into the water, putting out the flame on the stick. The force of the jump splashed some water on the Fiery Bulbax, who then swiftly woke up.
   “Whazzat? Who’s there?!” said the alarmed Bulbax.
   “It’s just us, the ones from before,” Lockjaw said, quickly jumping out of the water. “I’m Lockjaw and this is Gallon,” he said.
   “Oh, yeah, I remember you guys,” said the Bulbax. “I’m Bubba. So, what are you guys doing across the lake?”
   “We need your help,” said Gallon. “You were awake last night, right, Bubba?”
   “Yeah, I’m always awake at night,” he replied.
   “You know that necklace that my wife had right?” started Gallon. “Well, it’s missing and I think someone stole it. Did you see anything suspicious last night?”
   “Well, let me think...” said Bubba. “I did see some green thing shimmering in the moonlight being taken away by some two guys... is that the thing you were talking about?”
   “Yeah!” eagerly replied Gallon. “That’s most likely it! Which way did they go?”
   “Oh, they went south of here,” said Bubba. “South and on the other side of the lake. I’d check that snowy clearing behind the archway, about a couple minutes southeast of here. I’m pretty sure that’s where I saw them fly off.”
   “Thanks, Bubba!” said Lockjaw. “We’ll see you around!” Gallon and Lockjaw then left the island and crossed the lake again. They kept walking southwest, passing under the archway and through to the clearing. When they got there, they saw that there was nothing there.
   “What’s going on?” said Gallon. “Where’s the necklace?”
   “Do you think he lied to us?” suggested Lockjaw.
   “I don’t know....” said a dejected Gallon. “Let’s just go back... thanks anyway Lockjaw...” he said as he slowly started crawling back to the lake.

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