Pikmin Pluck is Olimar's Standard Special Move. This move involves Captain Olimar quickly pulling a random Pikmin out of the ground. What kind of ground where this move is used has some influence on what type of Pikmin will be pulled out more often. Olimar can have up to 6 Pikmin following him. This works by rapidly pressing B, if there are no opponents near him. Olimar can't pluck anymore Pikmins once the "B" button is pressed, unless one or more Pikmins are gone.
Kirby's version combines Pikmin Pluck with Pikmin Throw. The Pikmin that Kirby creates die immediately after landing. [1]
In Pikmin and Pikmin 2, after sowing the Pikmin Seeds, Olimar would be able to pick them immediately, or wait for their flowers to bloom to have Pikmin that were stronger and faster than leafed Pikmin. This ability is reflected in Super Smash Brothers Brawl by a certain mechanic where Pikmin that have been with Olimar longer change the vegetation on their stem. It is possible to determine how long Olimar has had a given Pikmin by the vegetation on its head; a leaf signifies a new to fairly new Pikmin, a bud shows that a Pikmin has been with Olimar for some time, and a flower on a Pikmin's head means that it has been with Olimar for a long while. Care should be taken especially to not use Pikmin Pluck when on the very edge of a stage facing in, which will result in all Pikmin plucked tumbling off the ledge to their deaths, unless one uses Pikmin Order shortly afterwards (there is a brief period of unresponsiveness from Pikmin after they are plucked, which ends when they touch the floor or after they drop below it) to call them back to Olimar. Also, careless throwing of Pikmin at airborne opponents off the cliff will result in the death of any Pikmin that miss the mark.
Tips
- If Pikmin Pluck is used near a ledge (One that results in a death) only white and purple pikmin will land on the stage, while the red, blue, and yellow pikmin fall off. Good if one if wanting those two types only.