Lighting down on a sandy area, Streak flapped his imposing black wings, sending a small gust of sand spiraling and twisting around the small area he chose. Upon landing, Streak stretched his two ebony wings and pulled them in close against his flanks. He drew his head back and felt the sharp comp mounted on his head rear a little at his movement. He craned his neck around and gazed at the sandy beach enclosed by rocky walls, searching for his summoner. A few moments of searching were worth it, and he shifted his eyes to the small, plump yellow figure in front of him. Ah, I should have known. It was the sour-mouthed yellow rat. He smirked.

"What took you so long to arrive here?" the small figure inched a step forward towards Streak.

"My dear friend, how is everyone in Treasure Town faring?" Streak smirked, knowing he had deliberately ignored the yellow rat's query.

"You know that's not what I came to talk about," the Pikachu snapped, "this was a pressing matter and you came in exactly an hour late compared to the designated time you were supposed to be present. How did your travel turn out?"

He couldn't suppress a smirk distorting his face again. He's deliberately avoiding the usage of my name. I couldn't expect a better form of retaliation. "Oh, you know, same as usual. I had to run errands for my poor, pathetic family of Staraptors; I had to fly around and catch outlaws; I also had to go and report to Officer Magnezone; and not to mention I also had to be summoned to this beach. Seriously, everything turned out well." He smirked again, eagerly waiting to see the infuriated face of the yellow rat.

"Yes, I know that is usually what you do." the Pikachu snapped even more hotly. "But, could you please elaborate on what is exactly the pathetic excuse you have for being this late in an urgent matter?"

"Aw, Stripe, you hurt my feelings." He feigned a hurt expression, which the Pikachu hardly believed at all.

"Oh, really? I didn't notice that." the small figure exaggerated. "I'm sorry if I did, but it seems the more we lounge around here, the more Pokemon are going to be held hostage by Officer Magnezone and his Magneton accomplices."

"What?" Streak felt his primary feathers stiffen at the mention of the name. He couldn't help disguise a hint of astonishment at the small rat's piece of news. Or is it? "Don't spit out that piece of crap in my very face, Stripe! I will skin you if I ever hear you say that again!" Streak unfolded his black wings partially and hardened the glint of his eyes, seeing his own shadow lengthen so it completely overlapped the small figure in front of him. How can it permit Stripe to blame someone with such prestige? It infuriated him to no end whenever someone or anything talked about his boss that way.

Streak was further lured to fury when he detected the glint in Stripe's blue eyes. He knew at that moment that the small rat had struck a nerve and was willing to take that advantage to turn the tables around. The small rat continued speaking.

"Oh, really?" Stripe ventured further, a mischievous glint embedded in his eyes. "Maybe seeing for yourself would probably help you believe it. After all," he spun around in a clockwise motion. "you were the sort of guy that only tended to believe in solid and logical facts. Perhaps you should take a stroll along with me to see Officer Magnezone for yourself, hm?"

That's it, Stripe! I told you one word! In an impulse, he viciously unfolded his large black wings and thundered towards the small walking figure. He felt the wind buffet his feathers and plumage and heard his pulse screaming in his ears. Flicking out his sharp talons, he reared his body back and felt his claws clamp around a soft part of the Mouse Pokemon. He tightened his grip around the mouse's mid-section and raged across the nearest stone wall. Looking down, he could detect the ultimate gleam of shock in Stripe's eyeballs. Resisting to hurt his former friend, he jabbed his other talon on the stone wall to decimate the momentum he had accumulated. He hardened himself and gazed directly at Stripe.

"Remember, I said one word. Ain't that right, huh, Stripe?" He lowered his voice coldly. For he knew, this pathetic piece of furball might be deceiving him. If it was an urgent matter, why didn't it sound like it was in the first place?

Stripe, still barely recuperating from the moment's sudden shock, motioned his mouth as if he were attempting to stutter something out. Streak permitted him not to speak and continued on.

"If things were truly urgent, then your message must have connoted otherwise." He flicked out a claw and ran it lightly over the small mouse's exposed larynx. As much as he winced internally to do this to a former friend, he had to dig up the truth or he is bound by his obligations. "So, tell me. Are things truly as you speak they were? Or are you simply generating a series of lies and traps to lure me to?"

"U-U-U-Uh..." Stripe trailed off. This infuriated him and he jabbed his free talon on the stone wall, causing a slight tremor to run up his spine.

"Answer me!" He yelled.

"NO!" He felt as if a thousand kilowatts of electricity had crawled through his being. Feeling faint and breathing raggedly, he felt his pulse stagger dangerously, beating hard on some seconds and slowly on another. His feathers twitched and straighten stiffly, not daring to flow nor ripple gracefully as it does in the air currents. As if feeling legless, Streak saw the area he is gazing in turn anti-clockwise as he tumbled on to the sand, the small particles darting in between the spaces of his wings and plumage. A nauseous sensation exploded in the pit of his stomach and he felt a few crackles of the electric attack run across his back.

"I never thought my attack would work."

Streak shifted his eyeball to the top of his head and saw the looming figure of the small rat smirking down at him. Fury blazed through his insides. Forgetting his paralysis, he jolted to his talons and executed the stance of a predator.

"Stripe! What did you do to the elite officer?" he accused, seething rage dripping from his words.

"I told you," The sudden snapping tone astonished Streak. "I did nothing!" Stripe curled his lips into a defensive snarl.

"Then stop accusing him, you pathetic excuse for a rat!" He screeched.

"Then stop screaming at me, you lousy brute!" Stripe snapped. Streak gazed down and witnessed the early stages of electric energy crackling perilously at the small mouse's red splotched tainted on his yellow face. A furious look crept on the round visage of the small creature, and for once, Streak felt obligated to obey his former friend. He detected a harsh glint in the sky-blue eyes of the mouse and realization hit him. Stripe was actually telling the truth. The V-shaped top part of Streak's head twitched when he heard a low snarl escape the small animal's throat.

"If you would stop screeching for one hour and listen to me," Streak witnessed the deliberate effort of speaking through gritted teeth. "then maybe we wouldn't be in this mess in the first place!"

He growled, still with a hint of petulance. "Fine. If I find out you are lying, you will be dangling from my talons before you can even say, Magnezone."

Stripe smirked. "Don't worry. I'll make sure I won't."