Engulfed Castle

The Engulfed Castle is a cave in the Serene Shores in. It has five sublevels. Only Blue Pikmin can access its entrance, as it is submerged in undrainable water. Hazards of all types appear throughout the cave; Glow Pikmin spawned from Glow Seeds or a suitably upgraded Oatchi can be utilized to clear them, although neither are strictly required, as all hazards can be destroyed or circumvented even with just Blue Pikmin.

The boss of this cave, the Waterwraith, is unique in that it will drop from the ceiling after five minutes have passed in any sublevel. It is extremely dangerous, instantly killing both Pikmin and enemies indiscriminately. It cannot be hurt whatsoever until the cave's final sublevel, where Violet Candypop Buds will allow for the creation of its only weakness, Purple Pikmin. Defeating the Waterwraith unlocks an exit leading to the top of an otherwise inaccessible hill, allowing passage to much of the Serene Shore's upper half. This cave has worth of treasure.

How to reach
The entrance to Engulfed Castle is found in a flooded alcove beneath the clay bridge next to the Water's Edge base. The entrance is submerged in undrainable water that does not ebb even after noon; as such, Blue Pikmin are the only type that can enter and exit through this hole.

Once completed, the cave's exit can also be used to re-enter the cave. Because it is not submerged, any Pikmin type can enter or exit from here, although the game will still only recommend Blue Pikmin. It is found in the area behind the Water's Edge base, up from the bag that must be pushed down beforehand.

Waterwraith
On the first four sublevels, the Waterwraith will drop down from the ceiling after five minutes. There are a few things to keep in mind about it:
 * It will patrol the sublevel, attempting to target and crush Pikmin with its rollers. However, these rollers will also indiscriminately destroy traps and instantly kill most enemies. Use this to your advantage.
 * Unlike, the Waterwraith can navigate into corners to crush Pikmin. As such, hiding in corners is generally ineffective. Instead, run to areas with green, grassy floors if one needs to escape from it; the Waterwraith will refuse to enter those areas and will disengage the chase, offering some breathing room.
 * The Waterwraith moves noticeably slower compared to its depiction in . It is relatively easy to outmaneuver it while riding Oatchi, but be cautious: One wrong move could result in the Waterwraith crushing him, leaving your entire army to its mercy. Additionally, the Waterwraith is powerful enough to instantly knock out Oatchi if he is rolled over without armor upgrades.
 * The Waterwraith prioritizes crushing Pikmin above all else and pays no mind to leaders. Using either player character as bait won't work.
 * There is absolutely no way to harm it until the final sublevel, so don't even bother trying. However, items such as ice blasts and Lightning Shocks can stun it in a pinch, allowing for a getaway if cornered.
 * Move quickly and efficiently to try and complete as much of the sublevel as possible before it shows up. If worse comes to worst, you can always return to the cave after completing it to collect the remaining treasures.
 * Once defeated on the final sublevel, the Waterwraith will never respawn, even on earlier sublevels, allowing for one to take their time when collecting any treasures that were left behind.

Sublevel 1


This sublevel places an emphasis on fire-related hazards and enemies, already putting you at an innate disadvantage due to your lack of Red Pikmin. Do not get discouraged, and keep in mind that this cavern is possible to complete. If Oatchi has been upgraded with his Scorch Guard, this sublevel will be much easier to complete, as he can safely handle most of the enemies and hazards with minimal risk to himself. Failing that, you may wish to grow some Glow Pikmin, which will be of great help throughout the entire cavern due to their immunity to all hazards.
 * Treasures:
 * (attached to Iron fence)
 * (Inside Fiery Bulblax)
 * Enemies:
 * &times; 1
 * &times; 2
 * &times; 2
 * &times; 1
 * &times; 1 (Doesn't respawn after being defeated)
 * Obstacles:
 * &times; 1
 * &times; 3 (lowered after button is pressed)
 * &times; 4
 * Tools:
 * &times; 1 (lowers iron fences)
 * Wild Pikmin:
 * &times; 10 (if 50 or less Blue Pikmin)
 * Others:
 * &times; 4
 * &times; 10 (if 50 or less Blue Pikmin)
 * Others:
 * &times; 4
 * &times; 4

From the beginning of the sublevel, the first priority should be taking out the Pyroclasmic Slooch next to the base, as it will block the transit of the sublevel's treasures, and destroying the dirt wall guarding the exit, to allow for a hasty retreat if the Waterwraith cannot be escaped from. If Oatchi is fireproof, he can swiftly defeat it in a few chomps. If he is not, things will get complicated: You will need to lure it into water to extinguish its flames, and then charge it with your Blue Pikmin to take it out. Alternatively, a Glowmob from a modest Glow Pikmin squad can quickly take it out. Once it is safely defeated, make your way towards the exit hole, which is guarded by a Fiery Blowhog, a dirt wall, and has a fire geyser nearby. There are also five wild Blue Pikmin sprouts here, if you entered the cave with 50 or less Blue Pikmin.

To take out the Fiery Blowhog with no causalities, have your Pikmin charge the back, and be ready to whistle them back when it bucks forward. If Glow Pikmin are available, you may also wish to throw a handful onto it and let them kill it as you work elsewhere, as they are immune to the fire. Assigning Oatchi to destroy the wall in the meantime is a good idea, as he cannot slip through the iron bars. Don't forget to take out the fire geyser too or it may kill Pikmin carrying items through this area.

Optionally, there are a pair of eggs dead east of the base, guarded by a single fire geyser. If any Blue Pikmin have lost their flowers from the fire, or Oatchi has taken damage, you may wish to visit it to re-flower them or heal Oatchi with the nectar.

Regardless, as they work, move through the iron bars west of the hole (facing north). Your objective should be lowering the iron bars, which you can do via a button to the north, in the area with the green-tinted floor on the map. Ignore the Hoop of Passion for the time being, as the route the Pikmin follow if the bars aren't lowered takes them dangerously close to a Fiery Bulblax. Instead, head north to the aforementioned area. Break the fire geyser near the button, and then have your Pikmin break the dirt wall to access the button. Hit it to lower the fences, at which point Oatchi, finished with the earlier dirt wall, should attempt to make his way back to you.

With the entire sublevel accessible, there are a few paths to take. You can safely assign three Pikmin to carry back the Hoop of Passion with the bars lowered. There is a treasure inside the Fiery Bulblax, which will require some effort to defeat. If Oatchi is not fireproof, your only chance is to extinguish its flames by luring it into a nearby pond, and then Rushing Oatchi into its back before it reignites, but this is very risky. Given the Waterwraith's impending arrival, you may wish to instead use items on it to save time. Tossing two bomb rocks at it for instance, will instantly kill it. If Oatchi is fireproof, you may also simply have him attack the Fiery Bulblax while working on collecting the treasure on the west side of the sublevel to be efficient, but bear in mind that he will take a significant amount of damage from its bites and may be knocked out, so keep an eye on his health and be ready to use a Scrummy Bone if necessary. Whatever the case, it will spit up the Vanishing Cookie when it dies. With it dead, you can also safely assign Pikmin or Oatchi to carry the nearby Secured Satchel back, as well.

There are two treasures on the west side of the sublevel, a Juicy Gaggle and an Ice Sword, guarded by a handful of fire geysers, a Fiery Blowhog and a Pyroclasmic Slooch. Defeat these two enemies and destroy the geysers the same way you did earlier and assign Pikmin to carry the two treasures back. If you have been relatively efficient, it is possible to collect all the treasures before the Waterwraith's arrival. If not, note that the Waterwraith will refuse to enter areas with grassy floors, such as the ones around the Secured Satchel and the exit hole. If the Waterwraith is blocking the Pikmin's route, hide in those spots until it moves away, letting you continue carrying the treasures.

Sublevel 2



 * Treasures:
 * &times; 2 (Inside Bulborb)
 * (Buried)
 * Enemies:
 * &times; 6
 * &times; 1
 * &times; 1 (Doesn’t respawn once defeated)
 * &times; 2
 * &times; 1 (Doesn't respawn after being defeated in sublevel 5)
 * Obstacles:
 * &times; 2
 * &times; 1 (lowered after button is pressed)
 * &times; 5
 * &times; 1
 * Tools:
 * &times; 1 (lowers Iron fence)
 * Wild Pikmin:
 * &times; 10 (if 50 or less Blue Pikmin)
 * Others:
 * &times; 1 (Inside Pearly Clamclamp)
 * &times; 1 (Inside Pearly Clamclamp)

Outside of a few Fiery Dweevils, this sublevel doesn't place an emphasis on any particular hazard. This sublevel also, mercifully, has ten wild Blue Pikmin to replenish your army with, assuming you fell below 50 Blue Pikmin on the first sublevel.

Destroying the two dirt walls blocking off the rest of the sublevel should be your first priority. Defeat the two Albino Dwarf Bulborbs near the base first, then split your army to efficiently take out both walls. The Daughter of the Earth is buried near the exit on a ledge, but you cannot collect it until the bars are lowered. Once the dirt wall north-east of the base is destroyed, gather your army and proceed to the rest of the sublevel.

Your first concern should be the wandering Bulborb, tailed by four Albino Dwarf Bulborbs. You may wish to use an item such as a bomb rock if you don't want to risk Pikmin casualties. Otherwise, rushing into the Bulborb from behind with a decently sized army of Blue Pikmin should kill it before the Albino Dwarf Bulborbs can react, depending on your upgrades, at which point the Dwarves should be easy pickings. Once the family is dead, you can safely assign Pikmin to carry back the two Crush Nuggets that were inside the Bulborb, but keep an eye out, as the two nearby Fiery Dweevils (one drops from the ceiling) may pick up the treasures and stall transit.

The path to the north-east is blocked with iron bars, preventing Oatchi from accessing it. Ignore this path for the time being and instead direct your attention to the pipe entrance blocked by mushrooms. Break these open and travel through the pipe; at the end of the passage, you will see a Pearly Clamclamp that has ingested a Castaway. Defeat the Clamclamp and assign Pikmin to the Castaway. Their path will likely be blocked by the iron bars, which brings us to the next objective: not far from the Clamclamp, you should see a pup tunnel near a shallow pool of water. If Oatchi hasn't learned how to Doggy-Paddle by this point, you will have to use an ice blast to freeze the water to allow him access, as the puddle is too large to jump over. Whatever the case, have Oatchi crawl through the pup tunnel. While he travels, double-check the area where the Bulborb patrolled; if a Fiery Dweevil grabbed one of the Crush Nuggets or is otherwise wandering around, kill it, as they may grab the Castaway and waste precious time.

When Oatchi makes it to the end of the tunnel, switch to him and stomp the switch to lower the bars. This should allow the Pikmin to take the Castaway back to base. If both Dweevils haven't been killed by this point, remain alert as they may try to grab the Castaway. Regardless, make your way back to the exit hole. With the bars down, you can now assign Pikmin to dig up and carry the Daughter of the Earth back to base. If the Waterwraith has dropped down by this point, things will get complicated. The pipe leading to the Clamclamp, the grassy area the base sits on, and the grassy floor surrounding the exit hole are all safe places to hide, but you will likely have to wait until the Waterwraith is far away in order to safely transport whatever remains.

Sublevel 3



 * Treasures:
 * (Buried)
 * Enemies:
 * &times; 1
 * &times; 2
 * &times; 2
 * &times; 2
 * &times; 1
 * &times; 1 (Doesn't respawn after being defeated in sublevel 5)
 * Obstacles:
 * &times; 3
 * &times; 4 (lowered by pressing the button)
 * Tools:
 * &times; 1 (lowers Iron fences)
 * &times; 6
 * Wild Pikmin:
 * &times; 10 (sprouts) (if 50 or less Blue Pikmin)
 * Others:
 * &times; 1 (15 pieces)
 * &times; 4
 * &times; 1 (must defeat the Withering blowhog and Anode dweevil near the base to use it)
 * &times; 4
 * &times; 1 (must defeat the Withering blowhog and Anode dweevil near the base to use it)

Sublevel 4



 * Treasures:
 * (Inside Startle Spore)
 * (inside sticky mold)
 * Enemies:
 * &times; 4
 * &times; 1
 * &times; 1
 * &times; 4 (2 carrying Bomb rocks)
 * &times; 1 (Doesn't respawn after being defeated in sublevel 5)
 * Obstacles:
 * &times; 1
 * (2 spotcaps) &times; 3
 * (6 spotcaps) &times; 1
 * &times; 15 (12 in sticky mold, 3 not in sticky mold)
 * &times; 2
 * &times; 1
 * &times; 1
 * Tools:
 * &times; 1 (requires 21 pieces of raw material)
 * Wild Pikmin:
 * &times; 10 (if 50 or less Blue Pikmin)
 * Others:
 * &times; 1 (15 pieces)
 * Others:
 * &times; 1 (15 pieces)

Sublevel 5



 * Treasures:
 * (Inside Waterwraith)
 * (Buried)
 * Enemies:
 * &times; 1 (Only if Waterwraith was killed in an earlier visit)
 * &times; 1 (Doesn't respawn after being defeated in sublevel 5)
 * Obstacles:
 * &times; 1 (weight of 100)
 * &times; 1 (must defeat 1 Waterwraith to open)
 * Tools:
 * Wild Pikmin:
 * &times; 5 (if 50 or less Blue Pikmin)
 * Others:
 * &times; 1
 * &times; 2 (Purple; if 50 or less Purple Pikmin)
 * &times; 2
 * &times; 2 (Purple; if 50 or less Purple Pikmin)
 * &times; 2

The final confrontation with the Waterwraith waits beyond a paper bag. In all likelihood, you will not have 100 Pikmin to weigh the bag down with, which is where Purple Pikmin come into play. Use the Candypop Buds near the base to convert ten of your Pikmin (prioritize Glow Pikmin if any are with you, although it doesn't matter too much) into Purple Pikmin. Use the eggs near the base to flower your Pikmin and heal Oatchi if necessary. When ready, deflate the bag and proceed into the arena. The Waterwraith will only drop down when you approach the large egg in the middle.

Now that you are accompanied with Purple Pikmin, the Waterwraith will not pose much of a threat anymore. Throwing a Purple Pikmin near it will make it vulnerable, at which point you can safely rush your squad into it with Oatchi to inflict massive damage. Once its first health wheel is depleted, it's rollers will break, triggering the second phase. The Waterwraith is completely harmless without its rollers and will instead attempt to flee from you; simply chase it down, throw more Purple Pikmin at it, and repeat the process until it dies.

Once it is dead, it will both drop the Glinty Circular Disc and unlock the numbered gate. With the sublevel completely cleared, you are free to take back the Disc and the Castaway near the exit geyser at your leisure. Note that there is another treasure - the Noble Goo - buried in the ground along the outer edge of the arena. Have Oatchi sniff it out and dig it up before you leave.

Completing this cave and leaving through the exit geyser affects a few things throughout the entire cavern. First off, the Waterwraith will now never respawn, even if you return to an earlier sublevel: if you happened to leave any treasure behind on an earlier sublevel, you can now collect it with no time restraints. Second, you will leave through an exit that is not submerged and can freely reenter the cave through it. This means, assuming you reenter the cave through that specific hole, that you can bring any type of Pikmin in. With these two things in mind, revisiting the cave to collect anything left behind should be trivial.

Trivia

 * This cave is a direct homage to the Submerged Castle cavern from, taking direct inspiration from both the original cave's mechanics and layout. In fact, many of the sublevel layouts are actually direct recreations of the Submerged Castle's sublevels. However, there are some notable differences:
 * No sublevel hole is clogged. A number of the exits are protected by dirt walls or sticky mold instead.
 * In sublevel 2, a single adult Bulborb patrols the sublevel, followed by a gaggle of Albino Dwarf Bulborbs, a reference to the Bulbmin in the original cave. A Pearly Clamclamp also houses the Castaway at the end of the pipe section; in, the Chocolate Cushion or Confection Hoop are in this spot, out in the open and unguarded.
 * Sublevel 3 lacks any Anode Beetles. They are replaced by a single Joustmite. It also lacks the singular Ivory Candypop Bud.
 * Sublevel 4 appears to lean more towards a focus on poison as opposed to the original's emphasis on explosive obstacles and enemies. To this end, many of the bomb rocks and Volatile Dweevils have been replaced with poison-themed enemies such as Moldy Dwarf Bulborbs. Notably, there are a handful of Venom Dweevils that hold bomb rocks atop their heads, as a reference to the Volatile Dweevils in the original sublevel.
 * All sublevels have safe zones marked by green floors where the Waterwraith can't reach.
 * The original music that plays in the Submerged Castle doesn't play, at least at first. A remix of it slowly fades in as the Waterwraith's arrival approaches, slowly taking over the Engulfed Castle's ambient track. It doesn't play at all after the Waterwraith has been defeated, as it no longer appears.
 * After the Waterwraith is defeated, the player can unlock the cave's exit above ground, allowing them to enter the cave with other types. The Waterwraith will also never respawn when defeated, allowing one to take their time on return visits, whereas it respawned regardless in.