Always check a professional’s credentials before leaving your pokémon with them. Anyone can create a seemingly legitimate business these days, even if they actually lack the credentials or training to perform the skills they’re offering. It’s especially a problem in regions where criminal organizations (namely Team Rocket) are active, as many will use these businesses as fronts for money laundering, if they aren’t simply attempting to scam customers out of money or their pokémon partners.
So yes, verify a business’s credentials first. Read reviews from other customers. Do a lot of research on the business and, if possible, the person running it. Never assume that a business is legitimate, just because it looks that way at first glance.
(Also, don’t feel bad about falling for this “singing coach.” There have been reports in Kanto and Johto of a pair of Rocket underlings scamming the same trainers out of their pokémon using entirely different scams every week for years. Some con artists are simply good at what they do.)
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.
It may be important, in this case, to retrain your primarina on two levels.
First, you’ll need to remind your primarina that she is only one half of a team and that she needs to work with your dewgong in order to succeed. You may wish to engage in team building exercises (practice outside of anything directly related to your water show, for example—or in other words, have the two work together around your home or on other projects) in order to strengthen their bond. Likewise, teach your primarina effective ways to offer constructive criticism. Whenever she speaks to her teammate(s) harshly, tell her firmly that this isn’t acceptable behavior. However, if she speaks to her teammates gently and offers advice on how to improve (demonstrations, for example, or communication that seems to please your dewgong), give her a reward of some sort and thank her for her contribution. Eventually, you should be able to correct that behavior and encourage her to support her teammates in more constructive ways.
Second, of course, you’ll also want to remind your primarina that you’re both her trainer and dewgong’s. Tell her that the routine she’s going through is essentially one you’ve created for her and that you accept that it could be weak at points. Work with your primarina and your dewgong to hear their concerns and try to find a compromise that will work for the both of them. You are, after all, their team leader, and a team works together most effectively when it has a strong leader to guide it.
While primarina are most known for their more operatic inclinations (see: their signature Z-Move), they actually have different musical tastes and sometimes insist on incorporating these into their battle styles. For example, one primarina from Finland was world-famous for his exceptionally potent Sparkling Aria, which was made all the more powerful by his use of the death scream hallmark to hardcore black metal.
In short, it’s perfectly normal for your primarina to transition into a completely different genre, and by all means, feel free to nurture her interests by letting her DJ as many raves as she’d like.
Hello! We do apologize for the delay. Please note that we are currently experiencing a very heavy backlog of asks, dating back to mid-December. While we’re doing our best to fill the queue with asks, if you sent one later than December 15, it may take some time for us to unearth. For all emergencies, please consider using your local pokémon center. —LH
When vocal strain occurs, either for humans or for pokémon, it’s important to rest. You see, the voice is produced by the vocal cords, which are less cords and more bands of muscle surrounding the larynx, or voice box (which itself is situated just above the wind pipe in all organisms that possess lungs and are capable of sound production). As with all muscles, overuse of the vocal cords can strain them, especially if the speaker hasn’t exactly been exercising proper self-care. However, just like any other muscle, it’s not that difficult to recover from a strained voice; it’s just a matter of practicing vigorous self-care in the meantime.
For one, yes, rest is important. If at all possible, have your primarina avoid using her voice to attack. Switch to more basic, non-water moves such as Moonblast and take this as an opportunity to practice her other techniques. If your primarina has a habit of shouting while battling, try your best to train her not to do this to avoid straining her voice further. This may also be a great opportunity to add stealth training to your regimen.
Off the battlefield, be sure she’s well-hydrated. While this seems obvious for a water-type, what I mean is she should be more hydrated than she is currently. Have her drink plenty of water, and allow her plenty of time to rest in humid environments. Consider purchasing a humidifier as well; it’s extremely important to ensure that the air around your primarina isn’t dry, as this will dry out the vocal cords and lead to further problems.
Also, be sure that your primarina gets an adequate diet that doesn’t irritate her throat or dry out the mucous membranes around her vocal folds. Not a lot of trainers think about this when their pokémon are ill, but diet can be extremely vital to one’s recovery. In your primarina’s case, avoid dry or spicy berries and beans (even if she likes them), and supplement her diet with vitamins A, C, and E. The latter can be found naturally in sour or bitter berries, as well as grains. Most brands of commercial poké kibble for the popplio line include grains or are fortified with the aforementioned vitamins for this express reason (that is, because the line is so reliant on vocal health), but be sure to check the label before purchasing.
Finally, while it’s important for your primarina to exercise, be absolutely sure she gets plenty of actual rest as well. Have her sleep for a minimum of eight hours a day, and don’t let her overexert herself otherwise.
It may take a week or two of rest and proper care before your primarina gets back on her metaphorical feet, but if her condition lasts longer, take her to your nearest pokémon center. If, however, she recovers within a week, your regimen of self-care shouldn’t stop here. Be sure to keep her hydrated, and train her to use proper singing techniques for Sparkling Aria. Have her maintain the proper posture (back straight, shoulders back) and be sure she supports her voice with deep breaths from the chest. Never sing using the vocal cords or throat alone, and certainly don’t do it while slouching. Additionally, give her plenty of time to rest between battles as well; never have her run a gauntlet of battles or “spam” Sparkling Aria.
Mimikyu are unfortunately very shy by nature, anonymous; each one simply expresses it a different way. In the case of yours, that means obvious, extreme shyness—hence her tendency to hide when faced with her own teammates.
One way you can help the rest of your team bond with her is by initiating and overseeing group activities. The more your mimikyu sees you interact with your other pokémon, the more likely she’ll relax when in the presence of her. Encourage her (by speaking to her) to interact with your primarina or tsareena alongside you. Note also that this doesn’t necessarily have to be in battle, either. Virtually any activity you can think of can be used to help bridge the gap between your mimikyu and the others. Play with your team, have them do housework together, or simply go on a leisurely walk—whatever is easiest for you.
Additionally, ensure that everything your primarina and tsareena do around her (even when you’re not present) are non-threatening, even on an unintentional level. Have them keep their distance at first as they communicate with her, and make sure they invite her to join them, rather than let them approach her and try to coax her into participating with them. Teach them non-threatening methods of communicating, including open gestures and softer voices, and be sure they understand the difference between asking your mimikyu to join them and pushing their friendship onto her.
Finally, it may help to have mimikyu interact with only one of them at a time. Two may be intimidating to her, especially given the fact that both tsareena and primarina are generally much larger than the average mimikyu. Dim the lights as well in order to make your mimikyu feel comfortable.
Keep in mind that no matter what you do, it will take time for your mimikyu to open up to the rest of your team, even if she has already been a member of your family for a while now. Just be gentle as you approach her and do all that you can to ensure she doesn’t feel threatened, and let her open up in her own time.
Popplio The Sea Lion Pokémon Type: Water Official Registration #: 728 Entry: One of three pokémon traditionally offered to new trainers at the beginning of their journeys in Alola. Using its own bodily fluids, popplio blows bubbles from its nose. These bubbles are highly elastic and resistant to damage, which means they’re ideal for smashing into opponents or using as springboards for acrobatic stunts. A word of advice from the author, however: it’s best not to think too hard about which bodily fluids make up these bubbles.
Brionne The Pop Star Pokémon Type: Water Official Registration #: 729 Entry: The evolved form of popplio, by battle experience. This sweet and innocent-looking pinniped pokémon is known for its elaborate and adorable battle strategy, consisting of cheerful movements and a dazzling shower of bubbles that it launches towards its opponents as if it’s dancing to a upbeat pop song. However, a few years from now, after spending years dancing and singing for the human public, brionne will be known for its extreme lifestyle, triggered by half a lifetime of media overexposure in which tabloids will microanalyze its life for even the slightest scandal to latch onto. Jaded by such treatment by the humans who once adored it, brionne will spiral into a dark abyss fueled by overindulgence and far too many rare candies, after which brionne will be a bitter and cynical shell of its former self, an X-rated version of the innocent child star it once was. There will be no return from this. Only edgy and mediocre PG-15+ content and perhaps a half-hearted return to or reboot of the thing that made it famous in its early teens.
Bill … are you okay? —LH
Perfectly fine, Lanette. Why do you ask? —Bill
Primarina The Soloist Pokémon Type: Water/Fairy Official Registration #: 730 Entry: The evolved form of brionne, by battle experience. Primarina prides itself on its singing voice, largely because its hydrokinetic abilities are extremely reliant on it. As a result, song is equally important to primarina. Each primarina undergoes a strict routine geared towards preserving its voice, and it rehearses songs for hours each day when not in battle. In addition, each song is unique to every primarina family, as primarina pass their songs from generation to generation. For this reason, it’s perfectly understandable that some of these songs date back for thousands of years, perhaps even to the dawn of music itself. Less understandable, however, is how certain trainers (namely ones who have befriended certain students of the author’s) had managed to raise a primarina that would sing Tom Jones’s “What’s New, Pussycat” in practically every battle, except for those rare ones in which these specific primarina sing “It’s Not Unusual” instead.
The Pokédex According to Bill 