Claustrophobia
Lucario swiped his paws across the crystal surface. Blue shimmering walls glared back at him, a thousand Lucarios staring at each other in surprise and shock and pain. Why! he screamed, sound reverberating on crystal prism.
He saw only his back turned, disappearing behind a rock face. His Aura signature drew farther away, weakening. The crystals began to dim, Lucario began to slip and lose consciousness, and was dragged screaming silently into blackness.
---
Lucario rolled off his bed, half-crushing his tail in the process. Wincing, he glanced out of the window, to see the first silver of dawn sun over the horizon.
I'm late, he groaned.
An hour and a half of strenuous morning exercise later, Lucario padded silently down to the Smash Cafeteria for food. Mr. Game and Watch walked by and sat across him as Lucario took a tin of berries from the counter.
Lucario would have discerned the distinctive Aura of Mr. Game and Watch without looking up, but the beeps confirmed it. Good morning to you too, Mr. Game and Watch. He looked up and bowed his head slightly to the monochrome man.
Lucario proceeded to open up his tin by jamming the spike on the back of his right paw into it, and then tracing a circle on the tin, tearing the tin lid off. Tins, he thought. Keeping stuff in, so one could use it at one's leisure. He placed the serrated edge of the tin on the table, and then proceeded to quietly enjoy the berries within.
This continued for about a minute or so, until suddenly, Lucario sensed a fast projectile at moving towards him. Without thinking, he jumped out backwards, landing in front of another surprised Smasher, nearly knocking King Dedede's fried fish out of his hands. An instant later, a Pokéball bounced on the bench, right at the spot Lucario had been, letting off an empty "tng".
Swirling around in anger, blue Aura stark against his black paws, he faced the Pokémon Trainer, who was facepalming at his miss. Don't do that, he quietly stated, trying to keep his anger down. The last thing he wanted was a brawl, right here, right now. Pokémon Trainer, however, had no objection to that, releasing Squirtle to capture Lucario.
Squirtle suddenly tackled Lucario in the abdomen, causing both to fall into the nearby water feature, a shallow pond. Eight seconds and a flurry of Aura later, Lucario grabbed a weakly-protesting Squirtle and stormed towards the Trainer. Just – please – don't. He put Squirtle down gently on the floor, tiredly closed his red eyes, and stormed quietly out of the cafeteria. The tin of berries remained on the table.
---
Back in his small room, Lucario calmed himself down. It was okay; the Trainer tried to capture him – again – and failed – again. He sat down awkwardly on his small bed, looking at the four walls around him, and the window view of the Smash Mansion's Garden below. This, he tried to reason with himself, was supposedly better than his previous life. No running into giant armies, no running into anything. Speaking of which, his brawl time was coming, and he didn't want anyone to come knocking at his door. He froze as the door opened, and the Pokémon Trained popped his head cautiously in.
"Lucario?" The Pokémon stiffened, tail rising slightly. "I'm sorry for what happened, shouldn't have tried to surprise you like so..." Lucario stiffened further, his fur lying flat while his ears pricked up. There was just something about the Trainer's Aura that didn't seem quite right...
"... but still, I do want a Lucario in my collection," he finished softly.
I am not a Lucario just to be part of your Pokémon collection! Lucario snapped at him, jaws clamped shut. His voice boomed in the Trainer's head, people ten feet away heard Lucario's telepathic yell. And if it interests you, Lucario quietened suddenly, I already have a "trainer".
"Well, if you do have a trainer, I can't capture you..." mused the Trainer, "but there's an off chance you're lying, aren't you?" Lucario stepped backwards, away from the door, paws awash with Aura. Do not challenge me on this, Trainer, he responded wearily. I am tired, and I wish to rest.
"Of course, of course..." the Trainer laughed. "Your wish... is my command." With that, he slammed the door open, running into Lucario's room. In two steps he had covered the room, facing off with Lucario, who had jumped back on the windowsill to avoid him, his tail slammed between his body and the glass window. With Lucario at a disadvantage in his own room, the Pokémon Trainer unleashed his three Pokémon, which proceeded to battle with Lucario.
Even though Lucario was weary, he still managed to knockout Squirtle and Ivysaur eventually, hitting them square in the chest with an Aura-powered paw each. Charizard, however, took advantage of Lucario's position and grabbed him in an armlock, holding Lucario in front of him, pinioning his arms and smashing him into the ground, causing Lucario's already tired legs to give way. Yet still, Lucario backflipped, attempting to kick Charizard with his foot, when Pokémon Trainer intervened, smashing Lucario's small mattress down on his body. This time, Charizard held both Lucario's arms in one arm and his legs in the other, preventing the thrashing Lucario from escaping.
"My, my," simpered the Pokémon Trainer. "Lucario... is unable to battle." A Pokéball was in his hand, and Lucario's red eyes widened and froze in fear.
Don't – you – dare! Lucario suddenly swiped his left paw across, flared with blue Aura, knocking the Pokéball from the Trainer's hands and sending it crashing into the ruined wall of his room. But an arm and a tail were not enough for Lucario, whose other arm and both legs were held by Charizard. Charizard proceeded to bodily slam Lucario face-first into his own room floor, burying Lucario's chest-spike an inch deep in the flooring.
"Pity really," said the Trainer, picking another Pokéball from his belt. "You could have just come quietly." I will not! Trainer, you know not what you d- Lucario's words were cut off as the Pokéball bounced off Lucario's shoulder, transforming Lucario into energy and captured him within.
---
Blue crystal walls faded into blackness, as Lucario collapsed with pain and heartbreak. One by one, the blue walls of his crystal prison faded out of sight, until only the top window was visible.
The crystal was cut beautifully, such that it looked like a shining diamond from the outside. Lucario watched as the last glimmer of the world faded from his view, tears dropping from his red eyes as he pummelled the sides of his prison, feeling the crystal break not.