Pikmin Pluck

Pikmin Pluck (, Uproot Pikmin) is Olimar's neutral special move.

Overview
This move involves Captain Olimar quickly pulling a out of the ground. The color of Pikmin that is produced is random in Brawl, but the relative frequency of each color is influenced by the type of terrain on which this move is used, as is the speed of the move itself. In Smash 4 and Ultimate, however, there is a set order to which color Pikmin is plucked: red, yellow, blue, white, purple, and back to red. Olimar can have up to six Pikmin following him in Brawl and three in Smash 4 and Ultimate; trying to pluck more, or using the move in the air, will result in Olimar grabbing nothing and being vulnerable for a moment.

Upon being plucked, Pikmin fly in an arc backwards over Olimar's head and land behind him. As a result, doing the move too close to an edge will result in the Pikmin falling off, possibly to their doom if there is no ground below. These Pikmin can be quickly saved with a Pikmin Order after they have fallen below where Olimar is standing. In Ultimate, performing this move beneath a soft platform will make the plucked Pikmin land on the platform instead of by Olimar's side. White and Purple Pikmin have a smaller arc than Red, Yellow, and Blue ones, so by facing a certain distance away from an edge, it is possible to collect only the former two colors of Pikmin while letting the latter three fall off the edge. Standing even closer to the edge will only allow White Pikmin to land, and standing closer still will cause all plucked Pikmin to fall.

Kirby's copied version of this move is quite different from Olimar's due to Pikmin not being integrated into his moveset. Kirby essentially combines Pikmin Pluck with Pikmin Throw: after plucking a Pikmin, Kirby immediately chucks it forwards to collide with opponents without latching on, and it perishes instantly upon hitting the ground. The damage of Kirby's Pikmin varies based on their color (Red 1%, Yellow 2%, Blue 3%, Purple 4%, White 5%). Kirby's Pikmin Pluck follows the same probability rules as Olimar's in Brawl and the same set order as Olimar's in subsequent games. Additionally, in SSB4, due to Olimar himself gaining a custom variant of Pikmin Throw which causes all Pikmin types to behave as if they were Purple, it appears at first glance as if Kirby is copying a custom special move, which he cannot do. This happens regardless of which Pikmin Throw variant the Olimar he inhaled has equipped. However, depending on Kirby's equipped custom side special, his Pikmin can stick to the opponent like Sticky Pikmin Throw or have the same damage range as Tackle Pikmin Throw. These are able to be used by equipping Hammer Bash or Giant Hammer respectively, which share the same special slots as Olimar's Pikmin Throw variants.

Customization
Special Move customization was added in Super Smash Bros. 4. These are the variations:


 * 1) Pikmin Pluck: Default.
 * 2) Hardy Pikmin Pluck: Takes more time to pluck Pikmin, more akin to the speed of plucking them in the Pikmin games. Gives the Pikmin much more health, allowing them to soak up damage. The move makes even White Pikmin survive for a long time (provided they don't fall off the stage). They are also more resistant to knockback and not easily shaken off when attacking opponents.
 * 3) Explosive Pluck: A more offensive variant, plucking Pikmin takes slightly longer. The Pikmin will create a small explosion upon being plucked, and travel in a high arc before landing. However, the Pikmin die much more easily. Additionally, the Pikmin appear to die on their own of no apparent cause, either after a certain amount of time or dealing a certain amount of damage, forcing Olimar to pluck more Pikmin. The damage of the explosion caused by the Pikmin vary depending on the type of Pikmin being plucked. Red, Yellow, and Blue Pikmin inflict 7% damage. White Pikmin emit poisonous fumes that inflict 4% damage. Purple Pikmin cause a more powerful explosion with decent knockback and inflict 9% damage.

Origin
In the Pikmin games, Pikmin born from Onions fall into the ground as seeds, where they can be plucked by a leader. Leaving a Pikmin in the ground before plucking it will allow it to develop from a leaf to a bud and finally a flower. To make more Pikmin seeds, Pellets or dead creatures must be carried to and absorbed by the Onion. Up to 100 Pikmin can be outside the Onion at once; there is no theoretical limit to how many can be inside.

Trivia

 * The sound effect made when a Pikmin is plucked is actually a sped up recording of a voice, that of Pikmin composer Hajime Wakai, saying "hello".
 * A continuous stream of plucked Pikmin can be used to "fill up" Cook Kirby's pot, creating huge numbers of items. Not only is this useful for team Brawls, but also if Olimar is against Kirby; he can stop himself from being pulled in, so once the pot contains the maximum of 30 objects, the Final Smash will end and Olimar will remain unharmed.
 * The Explosive Pluck variant causes Pikmin to deal damage when they initially spawn, regardless of the source of their spawning. As a result, Olimar can get a head start in certain Smash Run challenges, such as by breaking a nearby target before the countdown starts. It can also damage foes occasionally in Special Orders before the announcer says "Go!" This does not happen if the narrator does a countdown before saying "Go!"