#pikmin toxstool

[adridoot]

Piktober Day 25: mold

[flamefireflower]

[Day 25 - Mold] The mold shall consume...

[weirdmarioenemies]

Name: Pyroclasmic Slooch (Sulucina vulcanis)

Debut: Pikmin 3

I think Pyroclasmic Slooch has one of the best names of any Pikmin creature! This is the one I break out if I ever need to explain what a Pikmin name feels like. A large scientific jargon-y sounding word, followed by a single silly little syllable it's perfect! And it IS meaningful, because Pyroclasmic is only one letter away from Pyroclastic, as in pyroclastic flow, a hot volcanic gas/rock current. And Slooch is just, look at this thing! It's what "slooch" looks like! Both as a noun AND a verb!

Fire in video game and monster design is usually pretty boring to me, just for how common it is. I get it, since it is pretty much the most "yeowch! don't touch" thing everyone is familiar with, but I have had enough of Charizardlikes bloating my media! Thank goodness, then, for Pikmin, which implements "conventional" elemental properties into fun, pseudoscientific speculative creatures! It may often be a big load of nonsense, but they explain the nonsense so confidently. Yeah alright. Whatever you say! Maybe a slug could be on fire.

Hello Slooch! What a nice smile you have, framed by your oral tentacles! I wonder if Pyroclasmic Slooch's eyes are useful at all. A regular slug's eyes are mostly just for sensing light and dark, but that doesn't seem practical for a creature that makes its own light that would constantly be in view! Just to be safe, you should give this Slooch a thumbs up, in case it can indeed see you! (computer screen is a real portal to another world where pretend creatures live)

So yeah, Pyroclasmic Slooch is a slug on fire, or maybe a snail whose shell IS fire. It doesn't really matter, either way, the DESIGN is fire! The vibrant orangish stripes on its black body evoke flowing and cooling lava! Lava joke: I bet it was a real "aa moment" when they came up with that design quirk!

As much as I love Pyroclasmic Slooch, it is a wild animal! And it will try to eat the min that you picked, with its funny blue tongue! Louie, everyone's favorite menace Louie, recommends cooking this tongue and no other part of the creature. Would You Eat? I wouldn't, but I wouldn't judge you for doing it. If you have plenty of Red Pikmin, though, their fire immunity makes Slooches very easy to deal with.

You know, real slugs like mold! Do you think Pyroclasmic Slooch likes mold? Maybe it could be friends, with mold. Let's introduce them!

Name: Moldy Slooch (Parasitus pseudofungi elasticis hostus)

Debut: Pikmin 4

Hooray! Now they're inseparable! You may notice that Moldy Slooch's scientific name differs greatly from that of Pyroclasmic Slooch, and that is because the Slooch is no longer in control. It is being puppeted by a fungus! Its nervous system and slime organs have been entirely taken over. Isn't that nice? Now the Slooch doesn't have to do any work, because the fungus does all of that for it! This slug can just relax for the rest of its life, because it is not dead! A dried-up corpse wouldn't be useful a very good friend, would it? In fact, if the Moldy Slooch does die, it can be instantly revived by a phallic, yet kindly Toxstool! The gift of eternal life!

Moldy Slooch's description by Dalmo (the animal enthusiast who could have been writing for this blog the whole time and you would be none the wiser includes the incredible line "Slugga slugga choo choo! Here comes the fungal spore train." So fun! Whee! I want to ride the train!

Moldy Slooch is really the best friend someone could ask for. After I met it in person, and it introduced me to Toxstool, I've never felt better! So what are you waiting for, fellow living animals? Come visit our damp cave sometime! You are always welcome :)

[eldritch-muppetshow]

so here’s something terrifying in dalmo’s notes: the idea that leaders and castaways can become infected by the toxstool’s spores and thus end up as shambling fungus zombies

[terriblyjadedgamer]

Drew a Toxstool on a whim

[madsciencepottery]

I added these toxic nuisances to my etsy too

[higgyisobsessed]

Pikmin doodles, including spoilers for 4

^^different space dog breeds, including a made-up "Bear" breed and whatever Bulbie is. Also legally obligated to draw Oatchi with his tongue sticking out every single time.

also that one Pik3 thing where Brittany's comments on the grapes include how Charlie was rumoured to paint his dog the same colour. Came up with a name that starts with F (Alph, Brittany, Charlie, Drake, Elizabeth, F_). Spunky lil guy. Maybe a childhood dog bc now his life is solely devoted to Elizabeth the Duck (and maybe also saving Koppai).

some dingo bc he's so funny. i give him different eye colours every time because uhhhh. ummm. People from Ohri can change eye colour, yeah. I definitely totally absolutely don't just lack consistency and wanted to try different colours

collin

Hermikmin headcanon (Piklopedia says that Rock Pikmin and Ice Pikmin are both basically a Pikmin parasite living with an external shell and the Rock Pikmin's are dubbed Hermikmin). Brain said "WHAT IF BULBMIN??" and thought about the bean-shaped concept Pikmin and how long limbs would help with such dense shells.

also an idea for Moldy Pikmin bc the Toxstool is a super cool enemy

Some Pikmin enemies bc they be super fun to draw!

Waterwraith (I have this file titled as "Bubble Buddy"). I like the colours and texture they used for its vulnerable form in 4

Water Dumple and Long Water Dumple from Hey!

Lithopod Family! Armored Cannon Beetle (& Larva), Horned Cannon Beetle, Arctic Cannon Beetle (& Larva), and Decorated Cannon Beetle Larva. Also made up designs for Horned Larva and Decorated Beetle.

Sporovid Family! Toxstool and Puffstool idea notes. as well as the Puffstalk from Hey!

[fullmoonfireball]

WELCOME TO THE PIKMIN ENEMIES TOURNAMENT! it's time for your favourite little guys to fight!

not physically, though, of course- there are both bosses and peaceful creatures on here, that would just be unfair. no, we're going for something a little more abstract: WHO HAS THE BEST PERSONALITY?

ROUND 1 MATCHES:

GATLING GROINK VS. RED BUBBLIMP

GIANT BREADBUG VS. CRAMMED WRAITH

SMOKY PROGG VS. RAVENOUS WHISKERPILLAR

CRUMBUG VS. BLIZZARDING BLOWHOG

BEARDED AMPRAT VS. BLUBBUG

SWARMING SHEARGRUB VS. DESICCATED SKITTERLEAF

SCORNET MAESTRO VS. HONEYWISP

ARMOURED MAWDAD VS. STARTLE SPORE

CREEPING CHRYSANTHEMUM VS. ANTENNA BEETLE

NECTAROUS DANDELFLY VS. GOOLIX

YELLOW WOLLYHOP VS. BULBMIN

BULBORB LARVA VS. MAMA SHEARGRUB

MOLDY SLOOCH VS. TOXSTOOL

WITHERING BLOWHOG VS. MAMUTA

MOLDY DWARF BULBORB VS. BREADBUG

SEEDBAGGER VS. GROOVY LONG LEGS

[starlightswordfight]

# ??? - PARASITISM ON PNF-404

VOYAGE LOG: YONNY.

“And we are not immune.”

“I don't believe so, anyway. However the Pikmin -- any of the Pikmin -- transform other biomass, it seems to affect us ...”

“... differently.”

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

[VIDEO TRANSCRIPT AND NOTES BELOW.]

...

...

...

Is this working?

...

Good.

My name is Dr. Papillon Herrera.

I'm logging my findings on this planet for myself as well as anyone else who may find the following information to be of use.

The environmental phenomenon on PNF-404 are alarmingly dangerous. To star folk, anything here can be biohazardous.

I've worked with some of our castaways, along with members of the Research Task Force, to examine the wildlife on a closer level, hoping the information would help me immunize us.

Our findings were ... far from ideal.

Most of the life on this planet is parasitic in nature. From the toxstool's spores to the camouflage of the dwarf bulborb, PNF-404's ecosystem thrives on deceit.

The pikmin are no exception to this rule.

We've gotten very familiar with the species in our search for Captain Olimar. Their cute, unthreatening appearance does not negate the peculiar ways in which these creatures propagate. They behave similarly to decomposers.

There is ... debate, among researchers, what the specifics of this process are.

What we do know is that the pikmin, through carrying deceased creatures back to their respective Onion, are able to absorb the corpse into that Onion. Their carcass is broken down into nutrients. This process ends up planting new pikmin sprouts into the ground.

Onions are also capable of absorbing one another ... and Candypop buds seem to function as a transformative tool, able to change individual pikmin to different types. It notably sounds painful to the pikmin who undergo it.

What I'm trying to say here is that change, rearranging of an individual's core components, is a given on PNF-404.

And we are not immune.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

[HERE ARE THE NOTES! ENJOY.]

[The Koppaite text does translate!]

[maxwaspace]

Pikmin enemies that copy you

Enemies that control Pikmin

Glidemander

Groovy Long Legs

Antenna Beetle

Puffstool Enemies that have their own minions

Spotty Bulbear (Dwarf Bulbears)

Empress Bulblax (Bulborb Larvae)

Scornet Maestro (Scornets)

Queen Shearwig (Shearwigs)

Toxstool (Moldy Dwarf Bulborbs and Moldy Slooches)

[magicalmysteryperson]

PIKMIN 4 SPOILERS BELOW CUT!

I was not expecting the return of the Puffstool... and the absence of Mushroom Pikmin.

Honestly, I think it's understandable why they didn't want to do mushroom pikmin and instead utilize the new confused status.

...Mainly because it's not just the one body type anymore.

....Would be pretty sick though. And kind of interesting.

THUS, I BRING YOU...

MUSHROOM PIKMIN RELOADED!

Instead of little purple guys with mushrooms instead of leaves, I made them even more freaky. Pale skin, drooping dying leaves, and mushrooms erupting from the pikmin's head.

But wait! There's more!

A new variant got introduced in the game: the Toxstool. This guy's spores control dead enemies as well. Imagine if one of your pikmins' corpses got infected with the spores? Oh yeah. It would be creepy. I just took most of the traits from the moldy dwarf bulborb and threw them onto a pikmin. And removed their leaf. And made the spore bubbles grow on its head.

TL;DR: The Last of Us, but Pikmin

[midnakoopa]

I have come to a concerning realization

Endgame spoilers for Pikmin 4. Theorizing what's about to happen.

Earlier on, I encountered the Moldy Dwarf Bulborbs. And after looking in the Piklopedia, learned that the mold is using the Bulborbs as a host, kinda cordyceps-style. Mad fucked up, right?

Just today got to the Primordial Thicket and encountered the Moldy Slooch, as well as the Puffstool. Now, another thing the moldy enemies' entries mention is something called the "Toxstool", which seems to be the source of the spores parasitizing these creatures.

And the concerning realization I came to is... The Primordial Thicket is carpeted with mold, and lousy with sporovids. Presumably, this "Toxstool" is here somewhere. And Louie is here, too. And I don't know if that's Louie anymore.

[decarabiandivorce]

The

Moldy Dwarf Bulborb is an enemy in Pikmin 4. It is the body of a Dwarf Bulborb being controlled by a parasitic Toxstool. As the parasite has full control over the host's body, it is classified as being a member of the Sporovid family rather than the Grub-dog family. It acts similar to a typical dwarf bulborb of any variety, but differ as they expel poisonous gas from their backs which are harmful to non-White Pikmin. If killed, they can be revived by the Toxstool. The same parasite species also infects the Moldy Slooch.

[fullmoonfireball]

PIKMIN ENEMIES TOURNAMENT: ROUND 1, MATCH 13