My Primarina likes to get her belly rubbed, but sometimes, she gets a bit fidgety and won’t leave me alone until I rub her belly, and she won’t let me stop. What should I do?

Give her more belly rubs.

Before my editor comes in to correct me, allow me to offer a slightly more serious answer:

This is quite honestly a matter of training your primarina to follow good behavior and avoid bad behavior. Whenever she seems like she’s begging for your attention, give her a firm (but not angry) “no” or ignore her completely until she stops. If she refuses to let you go, gently (but firmly) pull away while giving her a “no.”

On the other hand, if she lets you go after you try to pull away, give her a treat. This will help her understand what you want her to do, and she will come to associate knowing when to let go with being rewarded. Likewise, if she stops begging after you tell her “no,” offer her a treat or affection at a later time.

In other words, always reinforce good behavior (in this case, letting you go when you give her a physical cue) with treats and positive reinforcement and discourage bad behavior (refusing to let you go, forcing you to pet her) with a firm but gentle form of discipline. It will take time to train her, of course, so have patience and try not to be afraid of her in the meantime, but with plenty of hard work, you’ll be able to, well, get your hands back, for lack of a better way of phrasing that.

Best of luck, anonymous!