Neko reclined on his twin bed, with Linda peacefully sleeping beside him, nestled close. One of his claws rested softly against her hips, while the other rested on her upper back. Ten years ago, on the day Linda nearly fell into the hands of those two awful men. Her ancestors must have been watching over her then. It's hard to imagine the nightmares she might have faced if Neko hadn't rescued her. Would she even be alive today under those circumstances?
Neko gazed upon the Mismagius's adorable sleepy eyes, snoring softly, laying almost motionlessly right next to Neko's tired body.
The Charmeleon gently placed his claw on her cheek, gently caressing her before reluctantly getting up off his cozy bed. He walked over to the dinner room, peeking out the window and immediately groaned under his breath taking notice of the flock of Wingulls' swarming his mailbox for the hundredth time!
He rushed out of the door and charged at the pesky Wingulls', "Shoo! Shoo!" He swatted his claws at them, them all scattering with their wings tucks between their legs.
He looked at the mailbox, rather quite scratched up from all the pecking by the Wingulls'
To his surprise, there is a letter in there. He thought he already checked the mailbox, late last night. No way a mail-mon delivered mail early in the morning.
The Charmeleon grabbed the letter out of the mailbox, took it inside and started reading. "Dear Rescue teams! We would like to let you all know that the Mission Board has completed the weekly update! Please consider taking a look at the updated roster, thanks!"
Neko and Linda have tasks ahead of them! Neko returns indoors, noticing Linda is still asleep and it's early morning. He opts for a stroll to check on the missions himself, leaving a quick note on his door before setting out.
The morning was still young, yet the markets buzzed with a gentle energy. He wandered through the town, a soft tune escaping his lips, as various Pokémon of all sizes moved past him.
As he navigated a narrow alleyway between two buildings, he found it eerily devoid of Pokémon. This was a familiar route for him, a quiet escape for his introverted nature.
Suddenly, he collided with something solid, sending him sprawling to the ground. Looking up, he recognized the towering figure of a Machoke, one he knew all too well and was not eager to encounter. "Haoli..." The Machoke glared down, furious. "Hey! Watch where you're flailing that tail of yours, fire butt!" it growled, delivering a swift kick to Neko's stomach.
Neko gasped, doubling over in pain as he clutched his belly.
"Maybe that kick in the stomach will knock some perception into ya! Hahaha!" Haoli jeered, leaving the Charmeleon writhing on the ground.
Lord to heavens Machokes' can really pack a punch. Neko grimaced as he watched the Machoke saunter away, its strength a painful reminder of their tumultuous past. Years ago, this very Machoke had allied with a sinister Combusken in a plot to exploit Linda, leaving a lasting scar on Neko's memory. The names Haoli and Yamo haunted him, remnants of a childhood marred by bullying that had persisted for nearly a decade. Despite his father's best efforts to shield him and Linda from these tormentors, the indifference of their parents and the ineffectiveness of the law only compounded their struggles. Their parents neglected Yamo and Haoli as well, so that was a no show solution as well. While his father had once protected them, the poor Charizard's declining health mirrored the growing threats from Haoli and Yamo, who seemed to resurface no matter how far Neko's family moved, but at last, these roaches somehow always find a way to crawl back into Neko and Linda's lives.
Neko gradually rose to his feet, a slight wince escaping him as he glanced toward the spot where the Machoke had vanished, letting out a frustrated grunt. All the pain and suffering from Haoli and Yamo weighed heavily on him; he vowed never to forgive them for the pain they had caused him, his family, and Linda.
Shortly after that unpleasant encounter between Haoli, Neko arrived at the mission board. Unfortunately for him, it seems like every rescue team and their entire bloodline in the town had starved out the board. Except for one note his eye caught up to the top corner of the big board.
He carefully pulled it from its place.
Missing! Lone Rattata boy went missing two days ago! 150pc and a couple oran berries as a reward for those who bring the boy back!
The mission didn't seem to promise much in terms of personal gain, and as he weighed his options, a weary sigh escaped him. He was acutely aware that his finances would be tighter than usual this week.
He glanced at the mission note one final time before heading home to reunite with Linda.
Neko returned home and opened the door to find Linda on the couch, enjoying her tea with a tentacle.
"Welcome back! What's new?" Linda asked, setting her cup down on the table.
"We have a little task today—just a simple 'find a kid' mission," Neko replied.
Linda shrugged and sighed softly. "It seems we won't be earning much this week, but at least we can enjoy a day off after rescuing the kid!"
Neko felt a slight blush and smiled, realizing that things might turn out better than he expected.
"Right~! Linda, let's gear up!"
They took a moment to get check anything (making sure they don't forget anything silly), until they were confident they were ready.
It was a sunny afternoon, accompanied by a warm, robust breeze. Perched atop a towering mountain, their cottage offered a breathtaking view.
Neko stepped outside, with Linda closely behind, as he carefully shut the door. Clad in their usual gear, both sported belts—Neko's resting on his hips and Linda's fastened around her waist. Each belt held two pouches: one for various seeds, including blast seeds, and the other for berries, featuring a mix of oran berries, a peach berry, and a stun berry.
Required for their rescue team. Neko and Linda donned their purple bandanas, each adorned with a vibrant red fire symbol.
Neko wore goggles for dust storm protection, while Linda tucked hers beneath her hat.
Completing Neko's look was a backpack brimming with essential tools like rope, a torch, slings, and a headlamp.
Team Dragonflies are on their way.