Chapter Five

The City itself was nothing too fancy, mostly for the fact that it was located inside a mountain. The buildings weren't too large, the tallest being the the Landing Building, the one that the Onions collected at to be maintained, repaired, and both build and destroyed. That building was four feet tall, and the other buildings were at most two feet. Because the Pikmin were plant creatures, there needed to be sunlight to help stimulate growth and life in the City, so above the City was thousands of lights that worked together to create the outside sky, even having a sun and moon that passed overhead at each point in the real sky.
Yellow and Redd had stepped out of the main entrance and onto the sidewalk that ran all over the City. Pikmin of all Colors adorned these streets, making their way home, to the store, to work, or just to walk. It was in this crowd that one very bright Pink Pikmin strolled by and gave a wink with an air kiss to Redd. The flirting Pikmin kept walking but kept looking back as Redd's mouth dropped. His skin became a few shades lighter and he said, "But... I'm a guy too!"
Yellow had to laugh at that, it already felt good to be home.
"I guess this is were we split up." She said, and Redd gripped her arm.
"Can I come with you?" He asked.
"Why?"
Redd gave a sheepish look around then said, "That guy is still around, and I think he has a thing for me..."
Yellow laughed again then said, "And you think that being with me will get him to leave you alone? I'm at least 6 cycles older than you."
"Just until we get to the Bus Station. Please?" Redd begged and gripped tighter.
Yellow sighed, and, at the cost of a jealous Pikmin's glares, took his hand and agreed. The two walked down the street heading toward the next bus station that would take Redd to the Inner City where his family lived.

Eventually they found one, and the went their separate ways. Yellow lived not far away, just a few blocks down the street. Her family also lived the area, they were only slightly farther away than her home.
"I'll be glad to get home." Yellow said when Redd stepped onto the bus and waved goodbye. Just as the door closed, Yellow could have sworn she had seen a color in the crowd: a bright pink color.
"My family would also like to see me." Yellow said, as she began to walk home.
"Hey pretty lady..." Someone said to Yellow moments after she started walking.
She turned around to see three Pikmin standing before her. One Purple, one Orange, and one Red. It was the red one that had addressed her.
"Haven't seen you around, not lately at least." He said and Yellow stood up straighter then made a disinterested sigh.
"Been doing things." She replied.
The red one smiled at that, his drooping nose cutting his smile in half.
"What kind of things?"
"Better things than you guys do." Yellow retorted.
"What spunk, I've always liked that Lily."
The red one said, calling Yellow by her first name.
"Shut it Roy." Yellow said, beginning to get annoyed by this, "I'm not some play thing, not anymore. So don't talk like I'm a toy in a store."
"Whoa, Whoa. Easy there, I'm just trying to chat with an old friend of mine, Is there a crime against that?" Roy replied, putting his hands, up to show no harm.
"There's a crime in what you do." Yellow retorted.
"I make a decent living doing what I love. Isn't that what we are meant to do in life?"
"Selling Spore isn't a 'decent' living. It's criminal what you do to Pikmin." Yellow said, wanting nothing more than to get away from this creep.
He shrugged his shoulders then said, "To my many customers, spore makes them happy, and when they are happy I get happy. I don't see how that is so bad."
"Enough Roy. I'm done talking with you." Yellow yelled, memories beginning to surface. She turned sharply on her heel and began to walk away.
"Hey Lily! Get back here! You didn't even say good-bye!" Roy yelled, but Yellow kept walking, not daring to look back.

“The Council, which presides over all matters of the Great City, allows James Blue to step forth and present an urgent report from his picking in the Southern Forest.” The speaker of the Council introduced, taking his seat after leading Blue into the small meeting room that held only one of each color Pikmin, the representatives of each race. They sat in rows raising slightly above the last for only a few rows. Blue stood at the bottom looking up at the Council and waiting for the formalities to finish before speaking. When Grey finished naming each councilmen, he turned to Blue and said, “Proceed”
Blue introduced himself and gave his command number, then began to talk about his encounter with the unusual, metal, creature.
Blue spoke calmly and clearly throughout the report, giving as much details as he could. The Council was silent, save for the occasional question and for Blue to clarify what he said.
“As the Old History explains, the era before civilized Pikmin described machines built of metal and were meant for war. The arm I witnessed I don’t believe was feeding, but harvesting.”
“Much like one of the more well known stories from the Old History, about giant creatures who gathered and studied all things, and one of the most common methods they used was technology that would collect for them. If what you has anything to do with these creatures of lore, they might have sent that arm to take Pikmin for study. A Yellow stated and the Pink councilman agreed.
The Council began to chat and mutter and a white one stood up and asked, “Is there any descriptions to the beings themselves?”
The Orange representative stood up and said, “In the volumes of the Old History, the only descriptions of these beings is that they were very great in size, but they are believed to have gone extinct. A creature of that size surely would have been discovered long ago, when our Onions first took flight.”
“Captain Blue, would there be anything else you would like to present to the Council?” The Speaker asked and Blue replied, “Nothing more Sir.”
“Then you are dismissed, the Council shall discuss and find a course of action in case of another attack such as the one you experienced should arrive. In the meantime, I suggest you head home and get some rest, you look like you could use some.”
Blue nodded and said good bye, and made sure to thank the Council for his time. He was in fact, very tired.

Chapter Four

The three Onions took to the air and this time didn't stay in the same area, instead they leaned toward the setting sun, and began their journey to the great Pikmin City. Blue took in a heavy, water-filled sigh and retrieved a pen from it's cup on the wall. His Onion was entirely filled with water to help make his kind, the blue Pikmin, more comfortable. To Blue it was fine, but to others it was deadly. Blue began to write down in the blank, binded book and said, "In order to continue our race..." He had decided not too long ago to work on a book, sort of an autobiography, where he detailed his life so other Pikmin could live and grow even after he is gone. "I was sprouted the same as the rest, from a blue Onion under the command of my mother, who raised me and my 14000 collected siblings the best she could during her life. I was one of the few who survived into adulthood, and having been born in the time of flightless Onions, that is no small feat. I am several decades my comrades senior, but I am glass they don't loose respect for me because of that." blue sat there and wrote for a few more hours filling twenty to thirty pages with his words and thoughts, then stood up and checked on their positions. "Only a few more hours till we arrive." He said looking to the panel, "I'll see you soon Blossom." That morning, the Onions one by one extended their landing legs and landed on a large silver platform that stuck out from the side of a mountain. "Kay, we're here." yellow said feeling the fist shake form the Onion's legs landing, then a quick static discharge came from the console and then into a physical spark that passed into Yellow's hand who didn't really feel it. "Will that be all in your party?" A voice asked. "Yes." Yellow confirmed, then moments later, felt the platform begin to move toward the rock face. While the platform moved toward the mountain, the mountain began to open up and allowed the Onions to pass through. Once they were inside, the door they passed through closed back up and three cranes moved down onto the Onions, picking up the vessels in their three metal fingers. The Onions began to pull their legs in as they arrived in the docking pay and were gently placed in a row of multicolored Onions. When it was clear they were ready to leave, a beam of yellow light transported Yellow to the front of her Onion where she was greeted by both Blue and Redd. "I'll go check in with the Pikmin Council, you two will go speak with the Purple's and get the Onions worked on." Blue informed, "After that, it would be acceptable to visit with your families and friends." "So we get the rest of the day off huh?" Redd asked. Blue nodded his head. Yellow gave a smile and her ears perked up a bit, it felt like years since she was home last. Yellow had started working as a picker several years ago and spent most of her time outside of the City. She knew Redd didn't feel as homesick, this being his first year as a Picker, the ties from family weren't as strung out. Blue, on the other hand, had been doing this for many, many years, she wondered how he could keep sane being so far from his loved ones, and then, while at the City, still continue to work. Yellow sighed then looked to Redd, who had busied himself with a small toy he always had with him. "Ready?" She asked. Redd stopped examining his "Pik-man" action figure he got from his grandfather when he was young, and gave a small shrug while saying, "Whenever you are." The Purple Pikmin were, by far, the strongest guys around and handled all things labor wise, which included Onion maintenance and repair, and, thankfully, there was a small Purple Unit located in the docking bay. "Hey fellas!" Redd said when they got within earshot. The purples were all chatting with each other across from the Onion line all drinking nectar from cooler in the small break room. When Redd had called out, the larger one of the small group looked over and raised an eyebrow, then sighed. He took another sip of nectar and replied with a, "What do you need?" Redd's smile dropped at the tone he had been answered with and asked, "What did I do?" "Don't worry about him." A second purple said walking forward, "The name's Mech, what can I do for you?" Purple Pikmin all had the same basic features as every other Pikmin, a rounded body and a sprout from their head, but they had, of course, purple skin and string-like hair around their sprout. Mech was obviously proud of his hair, as it was longer than the others and pulled into a ponytail, it even seemed to shine from great care. The other purples had their hair cropped short and it was barely noticeable. "We just came back from Picking the Eastern Woods and in the mission we increased our seeds to almost max. We were wondering if you and your crew could help update our Onions?" Yellow asked. Mech crossed his arms and said, "Wouldn't it be easier to give the extra seeds to the care of the Council?" Redd shrugged his shoulders, "Sounds easier to me, but we're just following blue's orders." "Well, I have no problem workin' on them, you just need the expanion for the storage right? Or is there anything else we can do for you?" "Only if you think something does." Yellow replied. Mech smiled and stuck out a hand, "Consider it done." He said, then he shook hands with both Redd and Yellow. Yellow handed over the numbers of the Onions to Mech, they said their farewells, ready to see the City and their families. "Name." The Grey Pikmin said when Blue approached the desk. "Captain James Blue." Blue responded, "Primary leader of Picker Unit SM2001." After a moment on a holographic console, the grey receptionist said, "Captain Blue, you are cleared to report to the Council. Wait in the man meeting room, if you will." Blue walked past the desk and headed straight into the meeting room, a small room with a large table and several chairs. "How may I be of service?" A voice questioned, from a chair at the far end of the table. It was a grey Pikmin, noted for their wrinkled grey skin and yellow eyes, who had asked the question. The grey Pikmin were said to be the oldest and wisest Pikmin of all, though they were the weakest race. They assumed civil duties such as running the City and other non-dangerous duties. "I have come from a recent Picking mission and stumbled across something... different. I would like to present my report tot he Council and see what they have to add on my find." The grey Pikmin raised an eye ridge and asked, "What exactly did you find out there?" Blue stood a bit taller, though the memory of his blue Pikmin who was life was taken by that claw, buzzed angrily around his head. "A monster." He simply replied. "A monster? What do you mean by that?" The grey asked, a touch of nervousness edging his voice. "I'm not sure, that's what I wish to discuss with the Council. I think it may have to do with the old history." The Pikmin's forehead wrinkled in surprise. "If that's the case, we shall get you an audience as soon as possible." With that, they Grey Pikmin rose from his chair and led Blue through a small door on the side of the room.