Help! My Cubchoo has an insatiable appetite for Seels and Spheals. This makes it a challenge whenever we’re just trying to do some friendly battling and someone sends out either Pokemon because my Cubchoo, while usually well-behaved, cannot seem to control himself at the presence of “food”. I don’t want to be accountable for my Pokemon eating another trainer’s Pokemon!

There are two things you can do to prevent this, and both should be done together. First, if you know you’ll be up against a seel or spheal (which you can discern by simply asking a potential opponent), feed your cubchoo before setting the battle conditions. If necessary, lead with a different pokémon to ensure that cubchoo doesn’t get sick or wracked with cramps, but feeding him beforehand will help prevent the hunger pangs that will send him after an opponent. Second and naturally, keep his poké ball on hand and withdraw him immediately if he seems like he’s losing control.

Off the field, you can help cubchoo learn self-control through more thorough training exercises—specifically ones designed to teach him to heel. As your cubchoo clearly understands commands, you may have an easier time doing this than most trainers. Begin by training him via short walks. Keep a treat in your left hand, a clicker (small device that makes clicking noises, typically used in dog pokémon training) in your right, and your cubchoo at your side. Walk forward slowly until your cubchoo begins to follow, then stop and call out “heel.” Every time he stops when you do, use your clicker and give him a treat until he begins to associate the word “heel” with stopping.

After you establish this, continue training for a week, then move on to more advanced training. Advanced training should begin with a bipedal leash (a specialized leash designed for small, bipedal pokémon) but works in a very similar way as basic training. The difference is that, first off, the walk should be longer. Second, you won’t need your clicker. Rather, give him a gentle tug if he doesn’t stop when you call “heel” and verbal praise and a treat when he does. Additionally, if he wanders too far or disobeys the “heel” command, turn around and walk back a few paces to force him back. This will teach him that when you call “heel,” he should move back towards you in addition to stopping what he’s doing.

Eventually, wean him off treats altogether, then follow up with weaning him off the leash. If you’ve done it correctly, your cubchoo should be able to walk at your side on his own and stop when he hears the word “heel.”

Once you reach that point, you can use the heel command in battle to call off your cubchoo. Whenever he hears the command, he’ll know that you want him to stop an attack and move back to your side of the field, even if facing a prey pokémon for his species.

Best of luck, anonymous!