I poked him again, this time with a toothpick

My poke at this betta sent him flailing down the bowl. He's now at the bottom / middle of the bowl, but I don't see him going near the top anytime soon. I wonder if I can scare him from taking a breath of fresh air? I would just poke him with the toothpick anytime he gets near the top of the bowl. But truthfully, I don't want this betta to die. He seems like a good betta. We'll see. Maybe I'll just poke him a few more times and then let him recover. Truthfully, he seems afraid to come to the top of the tank and take a breath of air. I wonder how long he can last like this. I see him get close to the top, but then he won't take that last step to take a breath. Instead, he swims to the bottom or another part of the bowl. He's breathing a little bit faster. I wonder if he's starting to become afraid? I wish I could see what he is thinking at this time.