POKEMON : A Battle of Monsters

*04:23 pm*

The ambiance of the restaurant buzzed with cheerful chatter, the soft glow of ambient lighting casting a warm glow on the partygoers' faces. The room was alive with laughter and the clinking of glasses, the perfect setting for a birthday celebration. Noah's heart raced as got ready to make his move.

Noah felt the knot in his stomach tighten as he approached her, his pulse quickening with anticipation. This was the moment he had been waiting for- a chance to confess his feelings to the girl who had unknowingly captured his heart.

But just as Noah took a deep breath to gather his courage,

- Clack!

The restaurant's doors burst open with a sudden, forceful bang. The lively atmosphere instantly shifted, the room falling into a hushed silence as heads turned toward the entrance.

There, standing with an air of arrogance, was John Williams. His sharp features were twisted into a cold look, his eyes locking onto Noah with a look of contempt. John was a classmate of Noah's, but the two couldn't have been more different. Where Noah was humble and hardworking, John was spoiled and entitled, a wealthy young master who believed the world revolved around him.

Behind John, two burly men loomed- his bodyguards, their broad shoulders and intimidating presence a silent warning to anyone who dared challenge him. The tension in the room was palpable as John swaggered in, his gaze flickering disdainfully over the decorations before settling on Sydney.

"Happy birthday, Sydney," John drawled, his voice dripping with sweetness. He stepped forward, producing a bouquet of roses from behind him, the guard holding a giant teddy bear. "I got you something special."

Sydney's smile faltered slightly, but she quickly recovered, her eyes avoiding his as she forced a polite smile. "Thank you, John, but you really shouldn't have."

"Nonsense," John replied, his smile widening as he shoved the gifts toward her. "I insist."

The discomfort was evident in Sydney's eyes as she glanced at the teddy bear, then back at John. "Really, it's too much," she said, her voice soft but firm. "I appreciate the gesture, but I can't accept it."

A murmur of unease rippled through the room. Shawn, who had been watching the exchange, couldn't suppress a snicker. He glanced at Noah, giving him a knowing look, as if to say, "Here we go again."

John's smile froze, the color draining from his face as he noticed Shawn's reaction. His eyes narrowed, and his expression twisted into one of rage. The humiliation of being rejected in front of the crowd, especially with his long-standing jealousy of Noah, was too much for him to bear.

"I said, take it," John snapped, his voice hardening as he thrust the gifts at Sydney once more. "It's not polite to refuse."

Sydney recoiled slightly, her politeness giving way to frustration. "I'm sorry, John, but I don't want it," she repeated, her voice firmer this time.

The tension escalated as John's anger flared. His eyes flicked between Sydney, Noah, and Shawn, and his lips curled into a sneer. "What's the matter, Sydney? Too good for my gift? Or is it because of him?" he jerked his chin toward Noah, his tone laced with venom.

Sydney's eyes widened in surprise and confusion. "This has nothing to do with Noah," she said quickly, trying to diffuse the situation. But John was beyond reason.

"Of course, it does!" John spat, his voice rising. "Everything's about him, isn't it? Mr. Perfect over here, always stealing the spotlight, always getting everything handed to him. And now you too, Sydney?"

Noah's jaw tightened as he stepped forward, his expression calm but his eyes blazing with anger. Seeing him, the guards were about to move but John signaled them to stop. "John, not today," he said, his voice steady. "This is Sydney's birthday. Don't ruin it for her."

"Ruin it? I'm the only one trying to make it special!!" John snapped back, his fists clenching at his sides. "But you-" He pointed a finger at Noah, his voice trembling with rage. "You always have to show me up, don't you? Always have to be the hero, making me look like a villain!!"

Before Noah could respond, John's frustration boiled over. With a sudden, violent movement, he grabbed Sydney's wrist, yanking her toward him. "You'll accept my gift whether you like it or not!!"

"Aahh!"

Sydney gasped in pain, her eyes widening in fear. The room seemed to freeze, the other guests too shocked to react. But Noah didn't hesitant.

In one fluid motion, he stepped forward and grabbed John's wrist, his grip firm and unyielding.

"Argh!" John let out a yelp of pain as Noah's fingers dug into his skin, his eyes widening in shock.

"Let her go," Noah said, his voice low and dangerous...

- Whose!

John's bodyguards moved instantly, their expressions grim as they advanced on Noah. The first guard lunged, aiming to tackle Noah to the ground, but Noah was ready.

Drawing on the skills his father had taught him, Noah sidestepped the attack, his movement quick and precise. As the guard stumbled past him, Noah delivered a swift kick to the man's back, sending him doubling over in pain, as out of nowhere, Shawn appeared and held the man in a Rear naked choke.

"Aaahhh!!" The second guard, seeing his companion falter, charged at Noah with a roar, throwing a powerful punch at him. But Noah was faster. He ducked under the guard's outstretched fist and drove his fist into the man's nose with a sharp, controlled strike. The guard staggered back, blood streaming from his nose as he clutched his face in agony.

- Aaahhh!!

- Eeekk! Call 911!!

Chaos erupted in the restaurant. Guests screamed and scrambled for the exits, chairs toppling over and tables being overturned in the panic. Amid the commotion Sydney's voice rang out, pleading for them to stop. "Noah! Shawn! Please, stop! This isn't worth it!"

But Noah's focus was unwavering, his eyes locked on John, who was still clutching Sydney's wrist, his face twisted in fury.

Seeing his bodyguards incapacitated, John's rage turned to desperation. In a blink, he reached for a glass from the nearest table, raising it high with the intent to smash it over Shawn's head, who was busy focusing on choking the guard unconscious.

But Noah was already moving. With a quick, fluid motion, he pushed John back with one hand, holding Sydney's hand by the other, the force sending John stumbling...

...Then, it happened...

John's foot caught on a discarded wine bottle, and he lost his balance...

"Aaahhhh!!"

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...Time seemed to slow as he fell backward, his arms flailing in a desperate attempt to catch himself. But it was too late...

- Thud!!

With a sickening thud, John's head struck the sharp edge of a table, the impact sending a shudder through the room...

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- Silence...

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For a moment, there was silence. But seeing Shawn's grip loosening, the bodyguard, his face pale and hands shaking, stumbled over to John.

"Y-, Young master.." he hesitated before reaching down to check for a pulse on his neck. His eyes widened in horror as despair filled his heart.

"Wh-, What have you done..." the guard stammered looking at Noah, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Aaa, aaahhhh!!" Sydney let out a strangled cry, her hands flying to her mouth as she stared at John's lifeless body in disbelief. The color drained from her face, and she took a shaky step back, her eyes wide with shock and horror.

"No... no..." she whispered, her voice trembling. "This wasn't supposed to happen..."

The gravity of what had just occurred crashed down on Noah like a tidal wave. His breath caught in his throat, his heart pounding in his chest. He hadn't meant for this to happen. He just wanted to protect Sydney, to stop John from hurting her. But now...

"Come on!" Shawn's voice cut through the fog of Noah's thoughts. He grabbed Noah by the arm, pulling him toward the exit. "We have to go, now!"

Noah hesitated, his eyes lingering on Sydney, who was still frozen in shock. "Sydney-"

"Go!" Sydney shouted, her voice sharp with urgency. Tears welled up in her eyes, but her expression was resolute. "Please, just go!"

With no time to argue, Noah allowed Shawn to drag him out of the restaurant. They burst through the doors and into the night, the cold air hitting them like a slap in the face. They ran, their footsteps echoing in the empty streets as they fled the scene of the tragedy.

As they ran, Noah's mind raced, the image of John's lifeless body burned into his memory. What had he done? How had everything spiraled out of control so quickly? The weight of the night's events pressed down on him, suffocating him with guilt and fear.

They didn't stop running until they reached a desolate alleyway, their breaths coming in ragged gasps as they finally slowed to a halt. Shawn doubled over, his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. Noah stood beside him, his mind still reeling, his hands trembling uncontrollably.

"What... what just happened?" Shawn panted, his eyes wide with disbelief.

Noah didn't have an answer. He could barely process it himself. All he knew was that nothing would ever be the same again. Not after this...

As the reality of what had just transpired sank in, Noah felt a cold chill run down his spine. He had just killed someone. No matter the intentions, that fact was undeniable. And there would be consequences- severe consequences.

All he could do was try to steady his breathing and try to regain some semblance of control over his trembling body. He felt numb as if his mind had detached itself from reality, refusing to fully grasp the magnitude of what had just happened.

Shawn, finally catching his breath, straightened up and glanced at Noah with, fearful eyes. "Noah... we need to figure out what to do. We can't go back... we can't..."

But Noah wasn't listening. His thoughts kept drifting back to the look on Sydney's face- the shock, the fear, the tears brimming in her eyes as she told him to run. He had wanted to protect her, but in doing so, he had caused something far worse. The image of John's lifeless body lying in a pool of blood played over and over in his mind, haunting him, refusing to let go.

"Noah!" Shawn's voice was more insistent now, snapping Noah out of his spiraling thoughts. "We need to get out of here. We need to find a place to lay low, to figure things out. Do you hear me?"

Noah blinked, finally registering Shawn's words. He nodded slowly, though his body felt heavy like he was moving through a thick fog.

"Yeah... yeah, okay," he murmured, his voice barely audible.

Shawn grabbed Noah's shoulder, giving him a firm shake."We'll get through this, alright? We just need to stick together, keep our heads down, and stay away from the authorities until we figure out our next move."

Noah nodded again, though he wasn't sure he truly believed Shawn's words. The world felt like it was crashing down around him, the weight of his actions crushing him under its relentless pressure. But he had no choice but to follow Shawn, to keep moving forward, even as his mind screamed at him to go back, to fix what couldn't be fixed.

As they disappeared into the shadows of the night, the gravity of what happened hung over them like a storm cloud, dark and foreboding. The future was uncertain, and the path ahead was filled with danger and regret. But for now, all they could do was run- run from the past, from the authorities.

But unknown to them, the authorities should have been the last of their concerns...

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***

In the eerily silent restaurant, the bodyguard with the broken nose stood frozen, his eyes wide with horror as he looked at his partner. The other man sat slumped on the floor beside John's lifeless body, his expression drained of all hope, eyes staring blankly ahead as if he could no longer comprehend the reality before him.

The tension hung thick in the air, the weight of their failure pressing down on them both. Finally, the man with the broken nose broke the silence, his voice trembling with fear. "Wh-what are we gonna tell him?"

His partner didn't immediately respond, his gaze drifting up to the ceiling as if searching for an answer. "...I don't know…" When he finally spoke, his voice was low, almost a whisper, filled with a hollow sense of dread. "...I don't know…"

The words echoed in the empty space, as if the walls themselves were mocking their uncertainty, the enormity of the situation sinking in like a stone in the pit of their stomachs...

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