Lockjaw's Saga: a Pikmin Story

[Area 64]

   Lockjaw and the others had slept comfortably through the night. Bubba’s blazing skin had kept them warm.
   Gallon was the first to wake up. The first thing he noticed was the big breakfast of assorted nectars, berries, leaves and Wogpoles, sitting on a large piece of bark.
   “You guys! Wake up!” Gallon exclaimed to Lockjaw and Amp.
   “Why are you up so early?” asked Lockjaw.
   “Look at this big breakfast Bubba prepared for us!” Gallon replied. Lockjaw then woke up Amp so the three of them could eat and be on their way. Lockjaw would’ve gone over to thank Bubba, but saw that he was curled up, sleeping.
   After finishing the bountiful breakfast, Lockjaw turned to Gallon and Amp.
   “Well...” he started. “You all ready to go?”
   “I’m ready to go, Mr. Lockjaw!” said Amp. “The Puffstool will get rid of the bad Pikkins!”
   “Me too,” said Gallon. “I need to walk off that big breakfast.”
   “Alright, then, it’s settled,” said Lockjaw. “Let’s go!” He then led Gallon and Amp down the Crawmad Railroad.

   Lockjaw, Gallon, and Amp were walking down the dark Crawmad Railroad. They had been walking quietly for about an hour. Amp had created a charge while walking to illuminate the path.
   “So... do you have any idea how long this walk is gonna take?” Gallon asked Lockjaw.
   “Who knows...” answered Lockjaw. “Could take just another minute, could take days...”
   “How will you even know when we’re there?” asked Gallon.
   “Well, I haven’t seen a sub-tunnel opening since 50 minutes ago...” answered Lockjaw. “I figure the first one we run into should be the one that leads there.”
   Gallon looked up from the ground. He then saw a large wall made of boulders that impeded their path.
   “Uh-oh...” said Gallon. “I think this trip ends here...”
   “What do you mean by that?” asked Lockjaw. “There HAS to be a way to squeeze through...”
   Gallon examined the wall of boulders. “Nope, it’s airtight,” he said. “Sorry, Lockjaw... I guess... we are all doomed...”
   Lockjaw refused to give up. “Come on! We can find a way to get past this wall! We just have to try!”
   “Lockjaw, unless you can blow the wall up, there’s no way we’re getting past...” Gallon said.
   “Wait,” said Amp. “Does this mean... the Pikkins will make even more people dead?”
   “I don’t know, Amp...” replied Lockjaw. “I just don’t know. Come on, everyone. Let’s go back home...” he said as he hung his head low and started walking back the way he came. Gallon and Amp slowly followed.

   “Oh, no! What have I DONE?! I can never go back there! I can never turn back!” The mysterious creature thought out loud to himself as he flew frantically through the Crawmad Railroad. “I can never forgive myself! For as long as I live, I’ll never use one of those again!” The creature said, panting. He used his skinny arm to wipe sweat off his large forehead.

   Lockjaw, Gallon, and Amp then began to hear heavy panting echoing off the walls of the tunnel.
   “Where is that noise coming from?” Lockjaw asked, rhetorically. As he and the others continued walking, Lockjaw heard strange mumbling. He then stopped the group.
   “Who’s there?” he called out into the darkness. “Show yourself!”

[Area 64]

   The creature then stopped mumbling to himself and called out from the darkness.
   “You show YOURSELF!” He called out to the group.
   “We were here first!” shouted Lockjaw. “So show yourself first!”
   “I’ve been traveling down these tunnels for five days!” shouted the creature. “I don’t know if I can trust you!”
   “We’re friendly, mister!” called out Amp. “We want to be friends! We won’t hurt you!”
   “Oh, you say that...” said the creature, concealing himself in the darkness
   “Oh, that’s it,” said Lockjaw. “We’re coming down there and seeing who you are!”
   “I’m warning you!” shouted the creature. “Don’t come any closer! I will attack!”
   “Here we come!” said Lockjaw as he and the group marched boldly down the tunnel. Suddenly, a green blur had swooped down and picked up Amp, carrying her into the darkness. Lockjaw and Gallon’s light source was gone!
   “Mr. Lockjaw, heeeelp!” called out Amp as she was taken further down the tunnel. The creature placed her back down on the ground once he thought he’d taken her far enough. He then flew back to Lockjaw and Gallon.
   “Ha HA!” laughed the creature. “How can you attack what you can’t see?”
   “C’mon, Lockjaw! He’s up there somewhere!” encouraged Gallon. Gallon and Lockjaw then aimlessly bit above them, hoping to snag the creature. After a few attempts, Lockjaw had gotten a hold on the creature’s arm.
   “Ow!” yelled the creature. “Let go, let go, let go!” Lockjaw was trying to pull him down to the ground, but the creature had been pulling back with too much force in an attempt to get his arm out of Lockjaw’s mouth.
   “Not until you bring back Amp!” shouted Gallon.
   “What the heck is Amp?” said the creature. “Eh, it doesn’t matter... once I get my arm out, I’ll REALLY let you have it!” Lockjaw then found enough strength to send him crashing to the ground.
   “Owwwww,” moaned the creature, rubbing his head. “Fine! You win... I’ll get ‘Amp’ back for you.” The creature then flew back down the tunnel to where he placed Amp, then reunited her with the rest of the group. Amp then made a charge that illuminated the dark tunnel.
   “Show yourself, once and for all!” yelled out Lockjaw.
   “Oh... fine...” said the creature. He then floated into the light of Amp’s charge. Amp was the first one to get a look at him: he had big, yellow eyes, a round, green body, and floated on what appeared to be multicolored balloons.
   “Hee hee! You look funny, mister!” giggled Amp.
   “Amp! Don’t scare him off... we’re trying to be friends...” reminded Gallon.
   “Oh, right... sorry, mister,” said Amp.
   “So, what’s your name?” Lockjaw asked the creature.
   “You’ll probably beat me up again if I don’t tell you,” started the creature, “so, if you MUST know, my name is Divebomb. I’m a Careening Dirigibug. I shouldn’t be telling you this, but I just recently ran away from--”
   “Careening Dirigibug?” Lockjaw interrupted. “Don’t you make bomb rocks?”
   “Well,” started Divebomb. “I CAN but--”
   “That’s perfect!” said Lockjaw. “Come with us, there’s something important I want to show you!” Lockjaw, Gallon, and Amp then ran back down the area they came from, with Divebomb confusedly following them.

[Area 64]

   Lockjaw and the others had led Divebomb to the wall that had blocked their way before.
   “Well, here it is,” said Lockjaw.
   “...I don’t get it...” said Divebomb. “It’s just a wall. What’s so important about it?”
   “It’s kinda in our way,” said Gallon. “Do you think you could...?” Divebomb just stared at him with a bewildered look.
   “You know... blow it up?” finished Gallon.
   “What are you talking about?” replied Divebomb. “I don’t blow stuff up!”
   “You told us you could!” said Lockjaw. “You even told us you’d ‘really let us have it,’ remember?”
   “I was just bluffing when I said that...” said Divebomb. “And as for the other thing, I CAN, but I WON’T.”
   “Oh, come on...” said Lockjaw. “If this is about the arm thing, I’m sorry.”
   “It’s not even that,” said Divebomb. “I just won’t blow this wall down!”
   “Do you want us to give you something...?” asked Lockjaw.
   “Hmmm... how about... NO,” replied Divebomb.”
   “Come on...” said Gallon. “You probably use bomb rocks all the time...”
   “Look, just because I’m a Dirigibug doesn’t mean I just blow stuff up off the bat, just when someone asks me to!” argued Divebomb. “That’s like saying... I don’t know... a Volatile Dweevil explodes all the time!”
   “But they DO explode all the time!” said Lockjaw. “You’re not making any sense!”
   “I don’t care! Still no!” said Divebomb.
   Amp then looked deep into Divebomb’s eyes. “Pleeease, Mr. Bob?” she pleaded. “We really, really need you...”
   “Hmmm... well... I could never refuse someone so young and helpless...” said Divebomb. “Oh, Wait! Yes I can! No, no, no, no, no, NO!”
   “How could say that to her?!” shouted Gallon. “Do you have ANY idea what she’s been through?!”
   “Trying to play the pity card, huh?” said Divebomb. “Well, get it through your thick exoskeletons: I... WILL... NEVER... BLOW... UP... THIS... WALL!”
   “Listen to me, you stupid balloon bug!” spoke up Lockjaw, getting annoyed. “Amp has lost her home AND her family to Pikmin! Gallon over there lost his beloved wife to Pikmin! My species will probably go extinct, since we lost our Emperor to Pikmin! We have to get by here to get to the Puffstool, so it can help us rid the Pikmin! We HAVE to get by here so Pikmin won’t kill us all! You have no idea what Pikmin are capable of!”
   “I don’t, do I?” said Divebomb. He then floated gently to the ground and put his hands over his face in anguish. Lockjaw felt remorseful about what he said, and was curious of what Divebomb was going through.
   “...So...” started Lockjaw. “I’m guessing... you did have a Pikmin-related tragedy...”
   “What do you care?” said Divebomb. “Besides, you’ll just judge me...”
   “No, we won’t, Mr. Bob,” said Amp. “You can trust us...”
   “...Alright... fine...” said Divebomb, reinflating his air sacs and floating up to the ceiling. “Let me tell you a story...”

[Area 64]

   “It all started when I was enrolled in a training camp for Dirigibugs, Groinks, Blowhogs, and other things, called the Bombardier Training Grounds or, ‘BTG...’” started Divebomb. Divebomb had reminisced to his training in becoming a professional bombardier at the BTG, and to one day be part of the Elite Blasters, a group of bombardiers dedicated to getting rid of Pikmin.
   “I could never really do anything right...” narrated Divebomb. Divebomb had flashed back to a time where he was part of a group of Dirigibugs who were training in launching bomb rocks.
   “There were about ten of us Dirigibugs...” said Divebomb. “We had to train 18 hours a day on the cold, metal terrain...”
   Each Dirigibug was lined up side by side, each with a bomb rock in hand. Floating back and forth in front of them was another Dirigibug, with red stripes painted around his arms and forehead to signify seniority.
   “Now I want each of you sissies to throw your bomb rocks past that red line!” shouted the Dirigibug, pointing to a red line a few feet away.
   “Yes, Sergeant!” each of them replied in unison. Each of them then threw their bomb rocks over the line. The Sergeant inspected the bomb rocks to make sure they had all made it across the line. He then noticed that one bomb rock was slightly late to start glowing. He then turned to the bomb rock’s creator and floated up to him furiously.
   “Divebomb, you idiot!” yelled the Sergeant in Divebomb’s face. “How do you explain your bomb rock going off later than everyone else’s?”
   “I don’t know, sir,” replied Divebomb. “They’ve always been like that, ever since I can remember...”
   “Divebomb, there are lots of answers in this world... but ‘I don’t know’ is not one of them!” shouted the Sergeant. “Now, give me 20 bomb rocks!”
   “Yes, sir...” Divebomb sighed. He then took a deep breath and produced 20 bomb rocks, one at a time. Divebomb was exhausted by the time he was finished.

   “Yep,” said Divebomb, narrating. “Things would’ve been preeety hectic for me if it weren’t for my one friend, Pyro.”

   Divebomb went straight back into his cabin after the drills, tired from all the training.
   “Well, no pain, no gain, I guess...” said Divebomb, floating over to his bed. He seemed not to notice the small group of Dirigibugs hiding in his closet. He deflated his air sacs and plopped down on the straw bed. Suddenly, the group of Dirigibugs rushed out of his closet, pinned him down by holding him between his bed and his leaf blanket, and started beating him with sticks.
   “Go home, weakling!” said one of them.
   “Your bomb rocks don’t even work right!” said another one. “Why do you even bother?”
   Suddenly, Divebomb’s roommate, a Fiery Blowhog, had walked into the cabin. He had a look of shock and anger on his face when he saw what the bully Dirigibugs were doing to poor, defenseless Divebomb.
   “Hey, get out of here!” he shouted. “Leave him alone!”
   “Or else what?” questioned one of the Dirigibugs, defiantly. The Blowhog then stared down the Dirigibug, intimidating him.
   “Come on, guys,” said the Dirigibug to the group. “These chumps aren’t worth our time...” The Dirigibugs then all flew out of the cabin. The Blowhog then ran over to Divebomb.
   “Pyro!” said Divebomb. “Thank goodness you came in when you did!”
   “No problem, buddy,” said Pyro. Pyro then walked over to his bed and climbed up on top of it.
   “Y’know,” began Pyro. “We already have to deal with all this chaos of Pikmin and training... it’s bad enough as it is. Jerks like them just make this stuff all the more unbearable.”
   “That is so true,” agreed Divebomb. “Well, good night, Pyro.” Divebomb then leaned over to the small candle that lit their cabin and blew it out.

[Area 64]

   “Wait...” said Gallon. “What does Pikmin have to do with any of this?”
   “I’m getting to that part!” said Divebomb. “Let me finish! Anyway...”

   Divebomb and Pyro had been harshly awakened by the sound of loud explosions outside their cabin.
   “Morning’s here, already...?” said Divebomb, slowly waking up. He and Pyro then prepared themselves and left the cabin to start drills.
   After walking across the metal ground for a few minutes towards the training grounds, Divebomb went to join the other Dirigibugs, while Pyro went off in the other direction toward the Blowhogs.
   “Well, see you later, Divebomb...” said Pyro as he walked off.
   “Uh, yeah... later...” said Divebomb. Pyro had seemed too far away to notice that he said anything. Divebomb then dreadfully flew over to the other Dirigibugs. He took his position next to them at the end of the row.
   “I want you all give me 50 laps from here to the red line!” shouted the Sergeant.
   “Yes, Sergeant!” they all shouted as they began to rapidly float around in circles. While on his 22nd lap, Divebomb had looked over to the left and noticed something strange in the distance. He then floated hastily back to the Sergeant, bumping into a few Dirigibugs in the process.
   “Sergeant! Permission to request your attention!” said Divebomb, out of breath.
   “Permission denied!” snapped the Sergeant. “You’re not gonna try getting out of your warm-up laps today!”
   “But, sir!” said Divebomb. “I think someone is infiltrating the grounds! There were all these glowing red things and--”
   “Enough!” shouted the Sergeant. “I’ll go up high and see what the problem is, and if it’s not important, you’re on probation!” The Sergeant then floated up really high and cupped his eyes with his hands. After surveying the area, he was ready to float back down and give Divebomb that probation. Before descending, he noticed lots of strange objects glowing red, followed by a larger creature with a glowing red light on his head.
   “Sweet Snavian, I never thought it would come to this...” he said to himself. He then quickly floated over to the PA system.
   “Attention, all units!” he announced. “Report to the front lines immediately! This is NOT a drill!” Every member of the BTG, cadets and sergeants alike, were suddenly rushing over to the entrance.
   ...Not... a drill? Divebomb thought to himself. He then gulped and floated over to the front lines along with the other Dirigibugs.

[Area 64]

   Divebomb saw everyone at the BTG entrance standing around anxiously. He noticed Pyro amongst the crowd. He immediately floated up to Pyro.
    “Divebomb, what the heck’s going on?” asked Pyro. “Why did someone just make an announcement for us to report here?”
   “I don’t know,” said Divebomb. “I told my sergeant that I saw something weird in the distance and he went and made the announcement!”
    “What did you see?” asked Pyro.
   “There were all these red things, and they were all glowing pink! There was also this one guy whose skin was yellow, and he had a light on his head!”
   “Well, let’s just wait for someone to clear up this problem,” said Pyro, in an unusually calm manner.
   “Wait, I think I see the Headmaster coming over here,” said Divebomb, looking behind him past the crowd. Just then, the crowd parted, and a large Gatling Groink with several yellow stripes on his shield came walking through to the front of the crowd. He then turned to face the massive crowd, with the mysterious red creatures approaching in the far distance.
   “Attention!” barked the Headmaster over the clamoring crowd. “Deadly, hostile intruders are getting dangerously close to the grounds. The time has come when you will put your training to use. It is time to apply your skills to fight. Man your battle stations!” and with that, everyone backed away from the entrance and the crowd used themselves to form up a barrier. The Headmaster stood in front of the barrier and everyone waited for his signal to attack.
   The strange creature was now only a few feet away from the entrance. While part of the barrier, Divebomb noticed the Sergeant floating next to him.
   “Sergeant,” started Divebomb. “What’s going on?”
   “It’s Pikmin, Divebomb,” said the Sergeant. “They’ve come here to kill us.”
   “What did we do?” asked Divebomb, panicking.
   “Nothing,” said the Sergeant. “I’ve seen these creatures before. They need no provocation. They just... kill...” Divebomb was looking more scared than ever now, but he knew if he wanted to be worthy of being in the Elite Blasters one day, he’d have to be able to hold his own.
   The Red-Light Creature and the glowing Red Pikmin were now just outside the entrance, and were about to storm in. The Red-Light Creature gave a rallying whistle and his 100 Red Pikmin quickly followed him as he charged straight into the BTG.
   “Fire!” yelled the Headmaster. Everyone then frantically began attacking as Red-Light split up his Pikmin and ordered them to attack everyone.
   It was a very intense battle that seemed to stop the passage of time. Every member of the BTG was contributing, except for the Fiery Blowhogs, who couldn’t do much but help the others.
   Over near the edge of the BTG, Divebomb was fighting alongside the Sergeant and Pyro, and as Pyro managed to throw some Pikmin into the distance, Divebomb took the opportunity to blow ten of them up with a bomb rock.
   “Well, that’s all of ‘em over here,” said Pyro. “Let’s go find the rest of them.”
   “Good job with that bomb rock,” the Sergeant congratulated Divebomb. “I didn’t know you had it in --” Just then, the Sergeant was attacked by a group of Pikmin tossed onto him by Red-Light. His air sacs immediately deflated and the Pikmin immediately swarmed him and Pyro.
   “Divebomb, save us! You’re the only one who can!” shouted Pyro.
   “D-don’t worry, I’m on it!” said Divebomb. He then made a bomb rock and threw it next to Red-Light. Afterward, for some reason, Red-Light ordered his Pikmin to stop swarming Pyro and the Sergeant. He then pushed the bomb rock next to them and stood back. Pyro had opened his eyes after closing them shut during the attack, and saw a glowing bomb rock about to explode between him and the Sergeant.
   “No!” shouted Pyro.
   Divebomb then looked down at Pyro, the Sergeant, and the bomb rock with a frightened and regretful look. “Pyro! Sergeant! ...I... I... I don’t know how--”
   There was then a large, blinding explosion.

[Area 64]

   “I couldn’t believe what had happened,” said Divebomb, closing his story. “I closed my eyes during the explosion, and when I opened them, not only were Pyro and the Sergeant dead, but all the Pikmin were leaving the BTG. Soon, everyone had found out about what I did, and only scorned me even more. I couldn’t live with the guilt, so I just fled the BTG that night. I went down through these tunnels, and just tried to run as far as I can from there. My defunct bomb rocks caused the death of not only my commanding officer, but also my only friend. During my run through the tunnels, I vowed not to use a bomb rock ever again, lest another unfortunate accident occur...”
   “Wow... that’s... some story...” spoke up Lockjaw. “I guess I was wrong...”
   “Do you see why I won’t blow up the wall now?” asked Divebomb, somberly.
   “Divebomb, I can’t imagine how you must’ve felt...” started Gallon, “but it wasn’t your fault... it was Red-Light’s. The Sergeant himself even congratulated you on your bomb rocks before he died...”
   “It was my fault,” said Divebomb, hanging my head low. “My bomb rocks go off too slowly, so Red-Light was able to push them next to Pyro and the Sergeant in time...”
   “You couldn’t help it,” said Lockjaw. “Haven’t they been like that ever since you could remember?”
   “Even so, I figured I had no place in the BTG,” said Divebomb. “The others were right... I didn’t belong there... I told them it was an accident, but they just told me that there can be no accidents in the Elite Blasters. No one would ever be able to trust me again...”
   “But... Mr. Bob...” said Amp. “We trust you...”
   “No, you don’t...” said Divebomb, sighing. “I’m not worthy of being depended on...”
   “What do you mean, ‘not worthy’?” said Lockjaw. “Let me tell you something: there’s no one else down here with bomb-making abilities, so, of course, we depend on you a lot. And another thing: if it weren’t for you, the whole BTG would’ve never known about the Pikmin attack, so that’s pretty trustworthy right there.”
   “You... mean that?” asked Divebomb.
   “Of course!” said Gallon. “You warned them all of the attack!”
   “You’re a hero, Mr. Bob!” said Amp.
   “And... you guys really trust me?” asked Divebomb.
   “Of course we do!” said Lockjaw. “I mean, how couldn’t we? You’re our only hope!”
   “Well...” started Divebomb. “...I guess... I’ll... blow up the wall...”   Divebomb then turned to face the wall, and took a deep breath. “S-stand back, everyone...” he said. Lockjaw, Gallon, and Amp then backed away from the wall.
   “You can do it, Mr. Bob!” Amp encouraged.
   “Okay... I’m gonna do it now...” said Divebomb. “I hope everyone’s ready...” Divebomb then took another deep breath, formed a bomb rock in his mouth, and pulled it out. He got an eerie chill from the feeling of holding a bomb rock in his hands. He then closed his eyes, threw the bomb rock in front of the wall, and then backed up to where Lockjaw and the others were. After a few seconds, the bomb rock exploded and the wall collapsed.
   “Yeah! It worked!” said Lockjaw. “You did it, Divebomb!”
   “I... did...?” said Divebomb, looking up at the collapsed wall. “I did do it... didn’t I?”
   “Now we can finally see the Puffstool!” said Gallon. He then turned to Divebomb. “Well, we sincerely thank you for all your help. We’ll be going to the Forest Navel now.” He, Lockjaw, and Amp then resumed their trek through the Crawmad Railroad.
   “Wait!” Divebomb called out. The others stopped walking as Divebomb floated back up to them. “I wanna come along! Who knows what might need blowing up on your journey?”
   “Sure, that’s fine with us!” said Lockjaw, welcoming Divebomb into their group. The four of them then continued traveling down the Crawmad Railroad.

[Area 64]

   Sneed and Barney were flying high over a thick forest, with no real clue where they were going. They were flying over the forest since they left the Valley of Repose.
   “Boss... let’s... ask for directions...” suggested Barney, panting.
   “Ohh... fine!” said Sneed. “We’ll ask that pink guy in that lake down there.” He and Barney then descended down into a lake in the forest. Once there, they saw a Toady Bloyster grazing peacefully.
   “Well, aren’t ya gonna ask him, Sneed?” asked Barney.
   “It was your bright idea! You ask him!” said Sneed. Barney then sighed and flew over in front of the Bloyster.
   “Hey, d’you know where the Forest Navel is?” asked Barney. The Bloyster just made a faint mooing noise.
   “The Forest Navel,” Barney said slowly. The Bloyster looked at the floor of the lake and then faced in the other direction.
   “Barney, what’s takin’ you so long?!” shouted Sneed, getting frustrated. “We’re wastin’ valuable flyin’ time!”
   “Don’t worry, boss!” replied Barney. “He’s hidin’ somethin’, but I think I can get him ta crack!”
   “Out of the way, Barney!” said Sneed as he flew over to the Bloyster.
   “Listen, bozo! Where’s the Forest Navel?!” Sneed interrogated the Bloyster. The Bloyster then looked side to side confusedly.
   “Tell me right now or else! I have ways of making you talk, mush brain!” Sneed threatened. The Bloyster then got an angry look and gave an annoyed moo.
   “I don’t think you wanna push it wit dis guy, boss...” warned Barney. “He looks pretty tough...”
   “Are you kiddin’ me, Barney?” joked Sneed. “What’s cotton candy here gonna do to--”
   The Bloyster then shook its tail, took a deep breath, and ensnarled Sneed in its tentacles.
   “Barney, get over here!” yelled Sneed. Barney quickly flew to Sneed’s aid, forcefully pulling Sneed out of the snare of the Bloyster’s tentacles before it could swallow him whole.
   “Let’s get outta here!” panicked Sneed as he and Barney flew back up over the forest.

   Lockjaw and his friends were still walking down the Crawmad Railroad. None of them had seen a sub-tunnel opening since they passed the spot where the wall was. Amp had taken a particular amusement in Divebomb’s ability to create bomb rocks, and pestered him with questions.
   “Does it hurt to make a bob, Mr. Bob?” asked Amp.
   “...No...” Divebomb wearily sighed, tired from all the questions Amp had been asking.
   “Can you make two bobs at one time, Mr. Bob?” asked Amp.
   “Never tried, so... I don’t really know...” replied Divebomb. “Anything else you wanna know?”
    “Hmmmm...” thought Amp, thinking of another question. “Nope! But... just one more...”
   “Fire away...” said Divebomb, unenthusiastically.
   “Can you make a bob right now, Mr. Bob?” Amp asked.
   “I probably shouldn’t... it would take up time...” replied Divebomb.
   “Please, please, pretty please?” begged Amp. Divebomb caved and decided to make one, but not throw it.
   “Why isn’t it glowing? Make it gloooow!” Amp whined.
   “Alright, alright... I’ll throw it...” said Divebomb. “Lockjaw, Gallon, stay back” he said as he threw the bomb rock against the tunnel wall. He, Lockjaw, and Gallon ran back away from the bomb rock, but they saw that Amp was still in front of it, amazed at its glowing.
   “Oh, no! Amp, get away from there!” called out Gallon. Amp didn’t hear Gallon and continued staring at the bomb rock.
   “Ooooh... preeeeety...” said Amp as she stared mesmerized into the glowing rock.

[Area 64]

   The bomb rock exploded with a powerful blast! The explosion kicked up a thick cloud of dust. Lockjaw, Gallon, and Divebomb weren’t hurt by the explosion, but couldn’t find Amp and assumed the worst.
   “Lockjaw... did Amp just get...” started Gallon, his voice quivering, “...blown up?”
   “I... I guess so...” answered Lockjaw.
   “Ohhhh...” said Divebomb, pacing back and forth fretfully. “It’s happened again! I should’ve never come with you guys! If I were still back on my own, she’d still be alive...” Divebomb then covered his face in shame.
   “How could this happen?” said Lockjaw, starting to cry hysterically. “We promised her parents we’d take care of her!”
   “She was so young!” added Gallon as he too started to cry.
   Lockjaw, Gallon, and Divebomb were all sobbing loudly when Amp emerged from the dust. None of them had noticed her and continued crying.
   “Why are you crying, Mr. Lockjaw?” asked Amp as she walked up to him. “Did you stub your toe?”
   “No... my... toe’s fine...” said Lockjaw, calming down from crying. “I just... miss you so much!”
   “I... miss you too, Mr. Lockjaw?” Amp asked, baffled. Lockjaw then came to his senses and noticed Amp standing right in front of him.
   “Amp?” he said, astounded. “You’re okay? You’re... you’re okay!” The others then noticed Amp and stopped crying.
   “You’re alive!” exclaimed Divebomb. “Thank goodness!”
   “You don’t even have a scratch on you!” said Gallon. “But... how?”
   “I don’t really know... it didn’t hurt...” answered Amp. “I miss the light...”
   Lockjaw looked to the spot where the bomb rock exploded, and noticed a hole in the wall of the tunnel.
   “Hey...” said Lockjaw. “I just thought of a way we can dig ourselves out of this tunnel...”
   “How do we do that?” asked Divebomb.
   “Well first, we need lots more bomb rocks,” answered Lockjaw. “Divebomb, throw a bomb rock near that hole in the wall.”
   “Got it!” Divebomb replied. He then made a bomb rock and threw it near the indent.
   “Now, Amp, push the bomb rock far back into the hole,” said Lockjaw. Amp then pushed wedged the bomb rock tightly into the indent. Its explosion made the indent deeper and wider.
   “You guys see where this is going?” said Lockjaw. “If we keep doing this, we’ll create a new tunnel that will get us to the Forest Navel in no time!”
   “Hey... you’re right!” said Divebomb. “Well, let’s get to work!” Divebomb then made bomb rocks one by one and Amp pushed them further and further down into the hole each time. Lockjaw and Gallon overlooked the whole project from a safe distance.

[Area 64]

   After about 20 minutes digging deeper out of the Crawmad Railroad via explosions, Lockjaw, Gallon, Amp, and Divebomb had emerged to the surface and had found themselves in a really thick forest.
   “Well,” started Lockjaw. “Which direction do we go to get to the Forest Navel? Anyone know?”
   “Hey, guys, I have a question,” spoke Divebomb. “Uh... why are we trying to see this ‘Puffstool’ anyway?”
   “Oh, right, we forgot to fill you in!” said Lockjaw. “We’re going to the Forest Navel to see if the Puffstool will help us get rid of Pikmin permanently. Its spores are able to control Pikmin, and it might be just what we need to send the Red-Light Creature back where he came from!”
   “Oh... I get it now!” said Divebomb, enlightened. “Well, let’s get going... but... how do we get there? This forest is so dense, you can hardly see through it!”
   “Wait, I think I see someone we can ask,” said Lockjaw, looking up. “There are two things in the sky! Everybody, let’s try to flag them down!” Lockjaw and the others then moved around a lot and made a lot of noise, attempting to get the attention of the two flying things.

   Sneed and Barney continued their own search for the Forest Navel. They were desperately tired and lost, but were determined to get there before Lockjaw. While the two were flying, Barney noticed some strange creatures dancing around on the ground.
   “Hey, boss!” said Barney. “Get a load of them nutcases down there!”
   “Nutcases? Where?” said Sneed, looking down to see the strangely dancing creatures. He then turned to Barney.
   “Barney, those ain’t nutcases!” said Sneed. “They are nutcases who might know where the Navel is! Let’s go down there and squeeze the info out of ‘em!” He said as he swooped down to the creatures.
   “Right, boss!” said Barney, following after Sneed.

   “Wait, here they come!” said Lockjaw, noticing the two creatures swooping down. As the two creatures got closer, Lockjaw got a strong sense of déjà vu.
   “Hold on...” said Lockjaw. “I know those two! They're those Snitchbugs from before!”
   “Really? How’d ya know? You could see through our clever disguises?” said Sneed, sarcastically.
   “Uh, we’re wearin’ disguises, Sneed?” asked a confused Barney.
   “Shut up and let me do the talkin’ Barney,” scolded Sneed. Sneed then turned to Lockjaw and the group.
   “Now you nutcases tell us where the Forest Navel is right now!” shouted Sneed.
   “We were about to ask you creeps the same thing!” spoke up Gallon. “Why do you two wanna know, anyway?”
   “We’re on the trail of them valuable spores!” said Barney.
   “Barney, you numbskull! You just gave away our plan!” yelled Sneed. “Well, it doesn’t matter... we’ll still get there first!” And with that, Sneed and Barney flew off.
   “Oh, yeah, well the race is on!” yelled Lockjaw.
   “What’re we gonna do, Mr. Lockjaw?” asked Amp. “They can fly and we can’t! We can’t let those two meanies get to the Puffstool before us!”
   “Don’t worry, they might be able to fly, but they’re not that smart,” said Lockjaw. “It’ll take days for them to find it, but there are four of us. If we put our minds together, we can beat them to the punch!”
   “You’re right! We’ll get there first!” encouraged Gallon. “Now, the most efficient thing to do is look for someone else to ask directions from.” Gallon, Lockjaw, Amp, and Divebomb then explored the forest looking for an inhabitant.

[Area 64]

   Lockjaw and his friends were combing the forest looking for someone to help them. So far, they had no luck, until Gallon spotted something burrowing into the ground in the distance.
   “Hey, you guys!” said Gallon. “I just saw something strange over that way!” Lockjaw, Amp, and Divebomb then followed Gallon to the area he was mentioning.
   “Well, is there anyone here?” asked Lockjaw, looking at the ground.
   “I... did see someone burrowing into the ground here...” said Gallon. “I know it!”
   “Well, let’s just keep looking,” said Lockjaw. He and the others had walked over the spot and were starting to continue their search until they started to hear voices.
   “Whoa, who is this now?!” said a voice from behind them.
   “Have we an intruder in our forest?!” said a second voice.
   “We shall have to teach them a lesson!” said a third voice.
   “Who is that talking?” asked Lockjaw. He and the others then turned around to see that no one was there. When they turned back around, they saw that their path was blocked by a trio of Shearwigs.
   “Wait, who are you guys?” asked Divebomb. 
   “We are the Shear Masters!” said the one in front. “You are an intruder in our forest!”
   “Wait, how can you call this entire forest yours?” questioned Gallon.
   “We have mastered the ancient arts of the forest! It is rightfully ours!” responded one of the Shearwigs in the back.
   “Ancient arts of the forest?” asked Lockjaw, starting to get annoyed at the trio.
   “I bet you’ve never seen anyone move like this!” claimed the third Shearwig. The trio of Shearwigs then performed a series of flips, dashes, and fancy moves. All the constant motion made Lockjaw dizzy.
   “Ugh... that’s great, now can you please get out of our way?” said Lockjaw. “We’re trying to get to the Forest Navel so we--”
   “That is laughable! You claim to seek the Forest Navel, yet our astounding techniques have you wound up!” said the first Shearwig.
   “Many enemies there are in the Forest Navel,” said the third Shearwig. “You will never be able to pass alone! We must test your strength.”
   “Come on, this is serious!” said Gallon. “We don’t have time for your little games! We need to get there as fast as we can so we can beat these two Snitchbugs to the Puffstool!”
   “The faster you come with us, the faster you can leave,” said the first Shearwig. The trio of Shearwigs then led Lockjaw, Gallon, Amp, and Divebomb to a hole in the distance.

[Area 64]

   The Shearwigs had led Lockjaw and the others down the hole into their secret burrow. The burrow was fairly large, and was filled with various plants and scrolls. There were also four tunnels leading to different chambers in the burrow.
   “What is this place?” asked Lockjaw, looking around at the decoration.
   “This is our secret dojo!” said the first Shearwig. “Now, please allow us to introduce ourselves.”
   “I am Shearwig Master Skewer,” said one of the Shearwigs, making a “skewering” pose.
   “I am Shearwig Master Slice,” said the other Shearwig, making an equally confusing “slicing” pose.
   “And I am Shearwig Master Slash, head Shearwig Master,” said the first Shearwig, posing along with the other Shearwigs.
   “Okay...” spoke up Lockjaw. “Well... what do you want from us?”
   “We must unearth your skills and examine them individually!” said Master Slash. “You shall each be tested in a different chamber... except you,” he said, pointing at Lockjaw.
   “Me? Why me?” questioned Lockjaw.
   “We can feel strength radiating from you. There is no need to unearth your skills,” replied Master Slice.
   “Besides, there are only three of us, and we each can only train one of you,” added Master Skewer.
   “Do not fret, Orange one, you shall have your test,” said Master Slash. “You shall have the greatest test of all!”
   “Now, for the physical examination,” said Master Skewer. The three Shearwigs then began hovering over Lockjaw and his friends, examining them.
   “Hey, could you stop with all the buzzing?” said Gallon. “It’s annoying!”
   The Shearwigs landed gracefully back on the floor of the burrow. They then began walking in a circle around Lockjaw and his friends. When they got around to Gallon, Master Slash nipped at his fin.
   “Ow! What was that for?!” shouted Gallon.
   “You must have patience, Obdurate one!” said Master Slash. “A true master of the forest’s ancient martial artistry is able to block out all diversions!” The Shearwigs then began flying again, intentionally making a louder buzzing noise. After a few more seconds of flying, the Shearwigs landed and gave their assessment.
   “All of you appear fighting fit!” started Master Slash. “Orange one, you seem persistent to achieve, which will be your fuel to your inner power!”
   “Inner power?” asked Lockjaw.
   “We’re not finished!” barked Master Skewer. “No interruptions!”
   “Hey, how come he doesn’t get nipped?” questioned Gallon.
   “And you, Obdurate one,” started Master Skewer. “You seem to possess great power as well, but you think that battle is always about power. It is a delicate tapestry of skill and strategy!”
   “...What? What does that even mean?” said Gallon.
   “We shall disregard you!” said Master Slice. “Now, on to Puerile one,” he said, turning to Amp. “You have great fighting potential, yet you blissfully know none of it!”
   “...You’re mean...” whined Amp.
   “And finally, you, Contrite one,” said Master Slash as he and the other Shearwigs started flying around Divebomb.
   “Hey! How come they get cool names and I’m stuck with ‘Orange one’?” questioned Lockjaw.
   “Silence!” shouted Master Slash. “Now, Contrite one, what we’ve sensed from you is that you have a tendency to panic easily and fret in the face of danger! You know nothing of what it means to be a true Shearwig Master!”
   “Uh, could you stop flying around me now?” said Divebomb. “I’m getting dizzy...”
   “Very well,” said Master Slash as he and the other Shearwigs landed. They then turned to Lockjaw and his friends.
   “Come, it is time for your training,” said Master Slash. “Obdurate one will train with Master Slice, Puerile one will train with Master Skewer, and Contrite one will train with me. Orange one, it is imperative that you stay here. Top secret training is underway!”
   “All right, I won’t move!” said Lockjaw as the three Shearwig Masters each led Gallon, Amp, and Divebomb down three separate tunnels.

[Area 64]

   Gallon walked down the rightmost tunnel, following behind Master Slice. His thoughts had been very engrossed in what Master Skewer had said about him.
   “Hey, Slice, can I ask you something?” said Gallon. “What did that other guy mean when he said ‘I think battle is all about power’?” 
   “That’s MASTER Slice!” Master Slice shouted, infuriated. “Refer to me as that for as long as we speak! As for your question: you shall find out soon enough...”
   Master Slice had led Gallon down the tunnel to a room filled with water. He then flew over to the opposite side of the room and faced Gallon.
   “This will be our arena!” He shouted.
   “Arena?” questioned Gallon. “What do you mean, ‘arena’?”
   “You know not the definition of ‘arena’?” said Master Slice. “We do battle in this room!”
   “Wait, I’m supposed to fight you?” Gallon chuckled to himself. “Are you serious? You’re so small!”
   “You laugh now, Obdurate one, but it is I who will be laughing all over your defeat!” shouted Master Slice.
   “Bring it on!” challenged Gallon. “This’ll be no big task at all!”
   “Then... we do battle!” shouted Master Slice, charging at Gallon.
   Gallon dived underwater, where he thought he’d be safe. Master Slice then flew high above the spot where Gallon was, then plunged head-first down into the water, making a small splash upon impact, and bit Gallon.
   “How’d you do that?!” said Gallon, getting angry.
   “Ancient forest diving technique!” replied Master Slice, resurfacing.
   “Oh, well that’s it!” Gallon shouted as he then jumped out of the water and tried to bite Master Slice. Master Slice hovered up too high in the air for Gallon to reach. Master Slice then did his head-first dive and bit Gallon again.
   “Laughable! You are getting beaten by one who is so meager in size!” taunted Master Slice.
   “Grr! Just you wait until I get a good hold of you!” said Gallon, still trying to grasp Master Slice. Master Slice then flew to the edge of the arena and hovered above the surface.
   “This technique is known as ‘Mandible Torpedo’!” he boldly proclaimed. He then dived in the water and used his wings to propel him head first into Gallon. He then made contact and scarred Gallon’s fin.
   “Ow, ow, OW!” shouted Gallon, writhing in pain.
   “Are you prepared? Here it comes!” said Master Slice, preparing for another Mandible Torpedo. Gallon then thought about what Master Skewer had told him. The words had echoed in his mind:
   You seem to possess great power as well, but you think that battle is always about power. It is a delicate tapestry of skill and strategy!
     Gallon then got an idea of how to counter Master Slice’s attack. He boldly faced Master Slice as Master Slice propelled through the water. Right before Master Slice was able to make contact, Gallon hopped a short distance out of the water, and when Master Slice was under him, he quickly dropped down to the arena floor, trapping Master Slice under him!
   “Get off of me!” Master Slice gurgled from under Gallon.
   “Beg for mercy!” Gallon taunted.
   “Never! I shall never give up my honor so easily!”  Master Slice shouted.
   “Suuuure...” said Gallon. “But you’ll have to breathe eventually...”
   After about 20 seconds, Gallon could hear panicked gurgles coming from under him.
   “Okay! Mercy! Mercy! You are the victor!” yelled Master Slice, with the little bit of breath he had left. Gallon then let him go as he quickly emerged from the water and caught his breath.
   “You... have learned... well... Obdurate one...” said Master Slice. “You have used strategy instead of brute force to overcome me. You are on your way to becoming a true Shearwig Master! Our training is done.”

[Area 64]

   Amp and Master Skewer had gone down the chamber to the immediate left of the rightmost chamber. Along the way, Amp had been asking Master Skewer about where they were going.
   “Is there a surprise there?” asked Amp.
   “Hmmm... kind of,” answered Master Skewer.
   “Are there any presents?” asked Amp, anxious to get to the chamber’s end.
   “There is but one...” said Master Skewer.
   “Yay! I get presents! I get presents!” cheered Amp.
   “Ahem... I was going to say: the gift... of knowledge,” said Master Skewer, interrupting Amp’s rejoicing.
   “Awww... I wanted a real gift...” moaned Amp.
   “Oh, trust me, knowledge is valuable,” said Master Skewer. He and Amp then reached the end of the chamber. Inside the large room there was mostly empty space, except for several glowing poles lining the walls. Master Skewer then flew to the opposite side of the room and faced Amp.
   “I hope you are ready! Just because you are young, that does not mean I will give you the upper hand, Puerile one!”
   “Uhh... do I... get my... surprise now?” asked Amp, quietly.
   “Here it is!” said Master Skewer as he flew into the air and dropped head-first onto the exact top of Amp’s shell, flipping Amp over.
   “Hey! What was that for?!” shouted Amp, wriggling helplessly on her back.
   “Do you not understand the concept of battle?” said Master Skewer. “You must fight me!”
   “But... I don’t wanna!” said Amp. “I don’t wanna... hurt you!”
   “You must never feel sympathy toward your foe!” shouted Master Skewer. “Now get up and do battle with me!”
   “Alright then, Mr. Master,” said Amp, flipping back onto her feet. “Now you’re gonna get it!”
   Master Skewer flew up and circled above Amp until he was right on top of her. He then plunged down on her, flipping her over again.
   “Hey! No fair! You were hiding!” shouted Amp.
   “You must always be aware of the presence of your foe!” said Master Skewer. He then crawled up to Amp and began gnawing at her belly.
   “Ow! Stop! I don’t wanna play anymore!” protested Amp.
   “We are having a battle! We must have at each other!” said Master Skewer. Amp then rocked back and forth with all her might and managed to toss Master Skewer across the room and right herself. Master Skewer didn't seem to be hurt by the toss.
   “Now, I shall use my Shearwig Pierce on you!” shouted Master Skewer. He built up lots of momentum by rapidly flapping his wings, and then charged into the front of Amp’s shell. To her amusement, Amp’s thick shell protected her from the attack.
    “Hey, that didn’t even hurt!” giggled Amp. “Hee hee! You can’t hurt me!”
   “It seems you are formidable after all, Puerile one,” said Master Skewer.
    “I sure am formable!” said Amp. Amp then tried to jump on top of Master Skewer, but he quickly dodged.
   “I was wrong about you!” taunted Master Skewer. “You aren’t formidable. You’re a weakling! A weakling who has a weak spot!” Master Skewer then flew up and flipped Amp over again. This time, Master Skewer used his Shearwig Pierce while Amp was flipped over. Master Skewer’s attack harshly damaged Amp.
   “Oooow...” moaned Amp, trying to hold back the urge to cry. She then flipped over weakly.
   “Wait.... I feel something funny...” said Amp. “Ahh... Ahhhh... Ahhhhhhh... CHOO!” As Amp sneezed, the charge she created connected with one of the poles near the wall. She then remembered what Master Slice had told her:
   You have great fighting potential, yet you blissfully know none of it!
    “Hmmm... I have great fighting po... po... po-something...” she said to herself.
   “Enough wasting time! This ends now!” yelled Master Skewer before flying over Amp. Amp then dashed across the room, aimed for the pole behind Master Skewer, and made a powerful charge that connected with the pole. The current was strong enough to drop Master Skewer right out of the air!
   “Wow... I DO have po-something!” said Amp.
   “Don’t get smug!” said Master Skewer. “This isn’t over yet!” He then burrowed into the floor of the arena. As Amp was looking for him, He popped right out from under Amp, flipping her over again.
   “Ha! Now is where this battle ends!” shouted Master Skewer. He then attempted another Shearwig Pierce, but Amp flipped back over just in time!
   “Ooh, now you’ll get it!” said Amp. She then tried to zap Master Skewer out of the air, but he avoided the current.
   “You attack slowly, Puerile one! You will never shock me!” taunted Master Skewer. After many attempts to shock Master Skewer, Amp got a better idea. She took a deep breath, and made the most powerful charge she could make. The charge connected with all the poles, which made electric currents fill the air. Master Skewer was unable to avoid the attack and was brought down.  Amp then walked over to his charred, smoking body.
   “Ha! I beat you, Mr. Master!” she squealed.
   “That you did, Puerile one” said Master Skewer, coughing. “You have gained the knowledge of your inner strength, and for that, I congratulate you! Our training is done.”

[Area 64]

   Master Slash went down the second chamber to the left, with Divebomb floating close behind him.
   “So... you’re gonna teach me the ways of the forest or something?” questioned Divebomb.
   “We must train. Only then can the learning truly begin,” said Master Slash.
   “Oh... well... I was once trained for battle before, so maybe this won’t be so hard!” said Divebomb.
   “You insult the ancient arts of the forest?!” snapped Master Slash.
   “No, I didn’t mean it like that,” said Divebomb. “I was just saying, since--”
   “The ancient arts of the forest are like NOTHING you’ve witnessed before!” shouted Master Slash. “You insult them merely be underestimating their power!”
   “Well, fine...” said Divebomb. “Where are we going, anyway?”
   “We have already reached our destination,” replied Master Slash. Master Slash then led Divebomb into a room filled with large, deep holes in the floor. He then flew across the room and faced Divebomb.
   “Here we are, Contrite one!” said Master Slash. “You may be familiar with battle tactics, but you will not overtake me so easily! We do battle!” he said, charging straight at Divebomb. Divebomb’s swift reflexes allowed him to dodge the attack.
   “Is that all you got?” mocked Divebomb. “Let me show you what they taught ME!” He then charged into Master Slash, ramming him against the wall.
   “Hmm... indeed you have exuberant strength, Contrite one. Perhaps I shall try a different approach...” said Master Slash, recuperating form the impact and flying back up into the air.
   “This’ll be over in no time!” said Divebomb, overconfident.
   “Don not mock me, Contrite one, for you have yet to witness my ‘Mandiblade’!” said Master Slash. Master Slash then charged straight for Divebomb. Instead of aiming for his body, Master Slash flew slightly above him and popped three of his air sacs.
   “That does it,” said Divebomb, trying to stay afloat. “You asked for this!” Divebomb then made a bomb rock and threw it at Master Slash. The bomb rock missed Master Slash by several inches and landed in a deep hole.
   “What a futile attack!” laughed Master Slash. “Now, witness my wrath!” He then did another Mandiblade and popped Divebomb’s remaining air sacs. Divebomb plummeted to the ground, landing in the same hole as the now glowing bomb rock!
   “No! I’ll never be able to inflate in time!” Divebomb panicked to himself. He was preparing for the pain of the explosion when he remembered what Master Slash told him:
   You have a tendency to panic easily and fret in the face of danger! You know nothing of what it means to be a true Shearwig Master!
    “Grr... I’ll show him!” said Divebomb, determined to win. He then picked up the bomb rock and tossed it into the air, where it exploded. Master Slash was close enough to the explosion to get slightly damaged from it.
   “You thought you had me, didn’t you?” said Divebomb, rising out of the hole and into the air. “I thought I was a goner for a second there too, but I gathered my courage and prevailed!”
   “That is very good, Contrite one,” started Master Slash, “but this battle is not over yet!” He then flew in for another Mandiblade, but Divebomb was able to dodge. Divebomb the used Master Slash’s own strategy against him! He flew straight into Master Slash and was able to punch his wings, grounding him. Master Slash then landed in one of the deep holes.
   “I’ve got you now!” declared Divebomb, throwing a bomb rock into the hole. Master Slash was able to come to his senses and slightly toss the bomb rock back into the air. The bomb rock was close enough to Divebomb and Master Slash that both of them took damage.
   “This battle shall not end with me losing!” shouted Master Slash, flying up and latching onto Divebomb’s arm.
   “Ouch! Hey! Get off!” said Divebomb, flailing his arm wildly. No matter how hard he tried, Divebomb couldn’t detach him. He instead flew next to a wall and started slamming his arm against it, hurting Master Slash. After getting forced into the wall about ten times, Master Slash finally let go and landed into a hole with a severe headache. Divebomb then picked Master Slash up from the hole and forcefully threw him into the wall.
   “Ugggh...” moaned Master Slash. “Please... no more... you are the victor...”
   “That’s right!” bragged Divebomb. “And who’s the one who said I’d never be a Shearwig Master?”
   “Yes... you have learned well, Contrite one,” said Master Slash. “You overcame your worries in the face of danger and boldly faced any threat head on! Our training is done.”