Torrid Desert

The Distant Desert is the fourth and second largest area in Pikmin: Connection of the Worlds. It's a giant desert, far from the reaches of the Great Volcano, which has been put to sleep by the player's actions. The desert has 3 oases (plural for "oasis"), one at the beginning, one at the middle of the desert, and one at the end of the desert. At the end of the desert, there is a large, rocky region that can be partially explored (it can be fully explored once you have Brown Pikmin). As the area is, well, namely, a desert, it's very hot here and very cold at night. You will be exploring the desert (explained below), so the day-night cycle is different here than other areas. Tan Pikmin are also discovered in one of the caves, and there are five caves total. It is accessed by finding the Silver Mega Key at the Garden.

Exploration of the Distant Desert
In order to find the Gold Mega Key, which is necessary for unlocking the Shimmering Lake, you need to cross the entire, vast reaches of the desert. Deserts are naturally hot during the day, and cold during the night, so be prepared for sluggish Pikmin. The heat is a bigger issue than the cold, because if your Pikmin are not doused with a little bit of water, they could die. Because of that, there are plenty of cacti in the desert for the captains to punch open, and you store it in a bottle you found earlier, at the Peaceful Well. You can explore the main desert region during the day AND the night. Different music will play during the day and night. Also, during the night, Pikmin won't need water because they'll be cool. Enemies are sand-based and will usually be lurking in the sand. There are some quicksand patches, which appear as dark regions of sand spiraling into a single spot. Deep chasms are also present here so watch where you're walking. If you're at one of the oases, you can leave and take a break and return to that same oasis. So be ready when you decide to explore the Distant Desert...

Subarea 1: Landing Site
This is the landing site of the area. It's shaded by some palm trees that tower above you. Several sandy walkways lead to the first oasis in the desert. A few Pellet Posies grow here.

Subarea 2: Oasis #1
The first oasis in the desert you'll encounter, the oasis here has lots of life that rely on the water that exists here. Enemies, harmful and harmless have lived here for a while. The only two Burgeoning Spiderworts in this area grow at the base of a palm tree. Make sure when you enter the oasis, you don't wander too far, or you might fall into the deeper section of the oasis, and it's impossible to get out, giving you a game over. Enemies here are regular, dirt-based, sand-based, and water-based and are mildly easy. The Sandy Hole is found somewhere here.

Subarea 3: Desert #1
This is part of the entire desert that you need to traverse. It's laden with traps here- quicksand, abysses, and, most infamously, heat. Make sure you have some water in your bottle to pour on your Pikmin with. More sand-based enemies are here, but if you make your Pikmin fight them, they become more dehydrated quickly, so stay away from them. If you start to get low on water, find a cactus and punch it open so you can refill your bottle. The Grainy Realm will be found in the middle in this part of the desert here, and Tan Pikmin are found there.

Subarea 4: Oasis #2
Smaller than the previous oasis, this one has no harmful enemies and just a few patches of Nectar Weed and some Pellet Posies. Refill your water bottle if necessary. The Ships and the Onions have also moved here, if you haven't noticed. The Subterranean Lake is in plain sight.

Subarea 5: Desert #2
The second half is similar to the first half, but is bigger and the enemies are slightly tougher.

Subarea 6: Oasis #3
This is the last of the oases you'll find here. A few enemies reside here, and again, the Ships/Onions have moved here. The Scalding Complex is also found here, too. There's a mountain nearby which has a hollowed out interior. You can finally relax from the terrible heat of the desert.

Final Subarea: Desert Cave
Most caves are beneath ground, but this one isn't. It's merely inside a mountain. It's dark in here and there are hidden traps, mostly quicksand traps. It's a big maze in here. A bonus area isn't even accessible until you have Brown Pikmin! Some torches are lit in here to help you see. The Gold Mega Key rests in the deepest part of the cave. Once you've found it, some parts of the cave will collapse and others will open, meaning that now the maze has changed, so you have to be extra careful. If the Mega Key falls in a quicksand pit, it will reappear all the way where you found it, so be careful. The Isolated Room is also found in the bonus area, too.

Wildlife

 * Sandy Dweevil
 * Sandy Bulborb
 * Water Dumple
 * Red Bulborb
 * Dwarf Red Bulborb
 * Armored Cannon Beetle (larvae included)
 * Decorated Cannon Beetle
 * Yellow Wollywog
 * Sandy Burrow-nit
 * Water Beetle
 * Male Sheargrub
 * Shearwig
 * Puffy Blowhog
 * Watery Blowhog
 * Breadbug