Candypop Buds are large flowers with fleshy petals and are found in both Pikmin games. When Pikmin are tossed into these gigantic blossoms, they spit out new Pikmin seeds which match the color of their petals. In Pikmin 1, Candypops will wither after 50 Pikmin are thrown in, but this number was reduced to 5 in the second game. Using Pikmin of the same color as the flower does not count against this limit, although they will be reverted to leaf Pikmin and planted in the ground.
Olimar noted in a journal entry that Candypop Buds could be the next step in Pikmin evolution.
Ship Log
"When I throw Pikmin into this flower, they are popped right back out. I have named this very peculiar bloom the candypop bud. It's strange... No matter what color Pikmin I throw in, the ones that pop out match the flower's color!"'
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Species
Crimson Candypop Bud
- Main article: Crimson Candypop Bud.
When Pikmin are tossed into a Crimson Candypop Bud, an equal number of Red Pikmin seeds are spat out. Proper planning lessens the need for these flowers, but they are more useful if you are far from the Onions and have a small number of Red Pikmin on hand.
Golden Candypop Bud
- Main article: Golden Candypop Bud.
Golden Candypop Buds release yellow seeds when Pikmin are thrown in. While large numbers of Yellow Pikmin are not often needed, use of the Golden Candypop is required to obtain the Chronos Reactor in Pikmin 1. This particular Candypop Bud is unfathomably rare in Pikmin 2, making only one appearance inside the Glutton's Kitchen on Sublevel 3.
Lapis Lazuli Candypop Bud
- Main article: Lapis Lazuli Candypop Bud.
Lapis Lazuli Candypop Buds produce Blue Pikmin seeds. They're particularly useful if you have a small number of Blues on hand and need to carry a heavy object across a lake.
Violet Candypop Bud
- Main article: Violet Candypop Bud.
Violet Candypop Buds spit out purple seeds when Pikmin are tossed in. This Candypop Bud makes its first appearance in Pikmin 2, and is the only way to obtain Purple Pikmin.
Ivory Candypop Bud
- Main article: Ivory Candypop Bud.
Ivory Candypop Buds produce White Pikmin seeds when Pikmin are thrown in. This Candypop can only be seen in Pikmin 2 and is the only method of obtaining White Pikmin. Many Ivory Candypop Buds are found in the White Flower Garden on Sublevel 3 when you have 15 or fewer Whites, and on Sublevels 3 and 4 of the Subterranean Complex.
Queen Candypop Bud
- Main article: Queen Candypop Bud.
Queen Candypop Buds are very unique Candypops. Their petals are white with colored spots which flash from red, to yellow, to blue, and back to red. When a Pikmin of any color is tossed in, nine seeds which match the color of the spots are ejected, giving you an eight-Pikmin gain. These flowers are found only in the specific sublevels of difficult caves, usually after a grueling battle with a boss, sometimes referred to as 'rest stops'.