Oatchi

Oatchi
Name	Oatchi
Gender	Male
Eye color	Blue
Hair color	Golden
Home planet	Giya
Known related characters	Shepherd, player's character
Height	Unknown
First game	Pikmin 4
Latest game	Pikmin 4

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Oatchi (オッチン^?) is a dog-like creature that assists the Rescue Corps. He has yellow fur, with orange spots on his back, a thin tail that ends in a white tuft, two legs in total, two floppy ears, a red collar, blue eyes, and no nose. Despite his alien look, he barks like a dog in the trailer, and is referred to as a space dog in some promotional material. He has long served the Shepherd family and he was obeying only Shepherd, the captain of the Rescue Corps, until the protagonist appears. Like his owner Shepherd, he is from the planet Giya.

The player can order Oatchi to perform something like a charge. An icon appears on-screen near the leader with Oatchi's face, and a circular gauge around it that fills with time. A large arrow pointing to the direction of the charge also appears, much like the one used in Pikmin 3's charge. When the gauge is full, the icon and arrow flash, and when the charge starts, Oatchi barks, runs in the direction of the order as the leader points their finger there with a hop. In the trailer, this charge is used to destroy some jars that block the way. After the charge, the gauge turns gray and starts decreasing instead, presumably indicating a cooldown before the charge can be used again. The charge can also be used to affect the environment somewhat; for example, Oatchi can charge into a wall to knock down a treasure attached to it.

Oatchi can also be ordered carry objects, after which he will bark, grab onto the object, and apply the carrying strength of several Pikmin. The way he carries objects resembles a Breadbug. He can also carry objects being carried by other Pikmin.

The player can order their leader and Pikmin to all hop on top of Oatchi, after which the player can move Oatchi around. While the leader jumps on Oatchi's back, the Pikmin grab onto his hips. When directed towards a body of water in this state, Oatchi hops in, and starts swimming around, keeping the leader and Pikmin afloat. When brought out of the water, the same hop happens. Both hops seem to increase the same gauge seen when ordering a charge. While riding Oatchi, the leader can still grab Pikmin and throw them.

Oatchi has the ability to sniff out certain scents. He can sniff out castaways, as seen in the February 2022 trailer, or he can be commanded to sniff out treasure, functioning as a Treasure Gauge. If the player gets stuck, they can also command Oatchi to "Pick Up a Scent", which will guide the player towards where they should go next. This is highlighted in the game world as blue clouds of smoke, as seen in the June 2023 trailer. Other options in the command menu have icons for an Onion, a pile of raw materials, or an Ice Pikmin. It's unknown what these commands do.

Oatchi can be controlled independently, as if he was a separate leader. While being controlled, Oatchi can jump and throw Pikmin. He also has his own health bar, meaning he can be damaged and incapacitated. Unlike leaders, however, Oatchi is affected by hazards in much the same way Pikmin are; for example, when hit by fire, his tail will catch on fire and he will run around in a panic. He will also take damage from these hazards.

Oatchi's abilities can be enhanced at the Rescue Command Post in exchange for a resource called "Pup Drive". Enhancements that have been seen include increasing his carrying strength to 10 (like a Purple Pikmin), as well as what appears to be an attack power increase. Some of the upgrades available at the Lab can be applied to Oatchi as well.