Subterranean Lake

The Subterranean Lake is one of the many caves the player will encounter in Pikmin: Connection of the Worlds. It is located in the middle of the vast Distant Desert, at one of the oases. In fact, that oasis is the source of the titular subterranean lake. The further down the player goes, more water is found, so it is essential that the player brings Blue Pikmin with them into this cave, although the first two sublevels start out as hot and sandy. Oddly enough, the boss of this cave holds the Scorch Guard, the opposite of water. It's not a very difficult cave, but not easy, either, as some tougher enemies are introduced... It is also one of the few caves in the game that contains a rest level with a treasure in it.

Ship's Comments
''Stop for a minute... We are at an oasis in this desert, and what seems to be the entrance to a cave is right there, next to the water. I theorize, because of this cave's location, lower levels of the cave may be inundated with water. ...Of course, if they are completely submerged with water, then I cannot go down with you. ...Why must you give me such a cold look? Mr. President, if I get crippled, it is not my fault as you insisted that I go down with you...''

Accessing the Subterranean Lake
As implied above, the Subterranean Lake is located in the middle of the Distant Desert. You will need to be prepared to cross half of the desert. Tan Pikmin are necessary to reach the cave, as some quicksand blocks the entrance to the cave. As the Onions will fly to whatever oasis the player is at, the player can bring out the Blue Pikmin and other necessary Pikmin to go down with them into the Subterranean Lake.

Sublevel 1
A more complex cavern, you might be surprised you land in a simple, circular chamber. However, a tunnel leads out, but don't go too far, as there is a cliff. At the base of this cliff, the tunnel continues, but don't even think of trying to walk over the edge as it will result in failure. Instead, look for a hidden passageway- on the left wall, there is a boulder that blocks the way of a hidden tunnel. Push this out of the way and a new tunnel will be revealed, one that leads to the base. Follow the tunnel out of the cliff, then enter the next one. At the end of that one is a maze; most of the ground here is quicksand so it's essential you utilize the Tan Pikmin here. Two treasures are in some alcoves, while the cave is at the end of the maze. Go down to the next level...

Sublevel 2
Landing in this level, you probably see fire geysers all around. Work your way around these fire geysers, and find the passageway that leads to the next chamber. In here are some Red Bulborbs and an Armored Cannon Beetle Larva, the latter of which is hiding atop a small hill, buried, waiting to ambush you. It will yield a treasure when defeated. After collecting the treasure, find the other tunnel in the second chamber to lead to a third chamber. It is a wide, flat plain with several quicksand patches as well as numerous fire geysers. As hard as this already is, more Armored Cannon Beetle Larvae are hiding in some of the quicksand patches. A treasure is buried in this plain, so get your White Pikmin to dig it up. Carefully traverse your way through this plain and find the hole at the end to continue down.

Sublevel 3
As soon as you land in this level, you'll notice that the area is a lot more damp than the previous two sublevels- and very wet. You land on a small island in a small lake. Fortunately, this lake is drainable, so get your Blue Pikmin and destroy the clog. Now that the lake has been drained, you can continue to explore the rest of the sublevel. Soon, the road will split. At the end of the left road is a treasure, and the right road goes on, as you probably notice, the ground gets steeper until there is on a high ridge. When you decide to explore the right road, keep all non-blues waiting on this side of the ridge. Continue with your Blue Pikmin, and you'll see a wall. Break this wall and a huge amount of water will come gushing out of it, completely submerging everything on this side of the ridge, which is revealed to be a dam. (This also explains why you had to leave all non-blues on the other side of the dam.) Go into the area where all the water was stored and you'll find two more walls- destroy them and the water level will recede. The first chamber contains a treasure, while the other spirals upwards to the cave. When you are done here, go to the cave and go down.

Sublevel 4
A rest level. There are many Lapis Lazuli Candypop Buds here, as well as some Queen Candypop Buds. Some eggs are scattered around and two Iridescent Flint Beetles are hiding in the ground. A geyser is also waiting here. There is also a treasure somewhere in this level. When you are ready to face the boss of this cave, proceed to the hole...

Sublevel 5
The final sublevel of the shortest cave in the Distant Desert, you land on an island in a vast, underground lake. Leave all non-blues underneath the Research Pod, gather your Blue Pikmin and venture out into the depths of the lake. When you get out far enough, you will meet the boss of this cave, the Giga Watery Blowhog, which falls from the sky. To defeat this enormous Blowhog, you must simply attack it while dodging the Newborn Blowhogs it constantly gives birth to and the radiation it produces. It has a lot of health, so it will be a while before it finally succumbs to your Pikmin. It will drop the Scorch Guard when defeated. Collect it, and when you do, you will now be resistant to flames! Collect the carcass of the dead Blowhog if you want. Use the geyser when you are done here.

Wildlife

 * Armored Cannon Beetle Larva
 * Red Bulborb
 * Iridescent Flint Beetle
 * Lapis Lazuli Candypop Bud
 * Queen Candypop Bud
 * Newborn Blowhog
 * Boss: Giga Watery Blowhog