These sketches of Pokémon on a school chalkboard are so cool, and it's even cooler to learn that they are the work of a very dedicated teacher who wants to have a little fun with their lessons.
GothamGuardian12, who teaches English at this school in Japan, is a massive fan of the games, though you might have expected that. It was a fun exercise for themselves to try and improve their skill, and then they found that the children in their classes were enjoying seeing these ginormous Pokémon feature in their place of learning. I mean, it checks out. Maths? Boring. Maths with Gible? BBC Bitesize has nothing on this. History? No good. History with Charizard? Brings a certain clarity to the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 CE. Languages? Tricky. Languages with Delibird? They'll tell you how to say "happy holidays" in the country you're learning about, and how to wrap gifts like a pro.
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Furthermore, it's a sweet way to brighten up the school day for children trying to understand how the coronavirus crisis has changed their everyday lives. Japan saw a significant spike in infections at the start of the year, with nearly 5,000 new cases reported on January 11th. The rate has fallen dramatically since that sudden surge and vaccines have been given to the population which will control the spread and keep vulnerable people safe. However, a new strain of the virus has been detected in the country and the theory is that it arrived from overseas. Owing to their closure and the pressure placed upon Japanese schools to adapt entrance exams to ensure safety, elementary, junior and high school students have been suffering with one of the most intense mental health epidemics that the country has ever seen. As the school year concludes in March, looking after the up and coming generation of Japanese citizens is the priority for lots of families and educators.
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This isn't the first lot of Pokémon drawings that GothamGuardian12 has done for their pupils, and they even added that they're wont to "[vandalise] other teachers' chalkboards with legendary Pokémon after school hours." Stunningly enough, they don't think they're a very good artist, which is beyond me because I'd struggle to draw a Voltorb accurately. And yes, they're aware of the overrepresentation of everyone's favourite Flame Pokémon. "For the record, Blastoise is my pick, but you know how 10-year-olds be. They love Charizard just as much as GameFreak does," they explained. The drawings are cool, and it must have taken a huge amount of patience to sketch and colour the Zacian. The chalkboard also creates this furry effect on the artwork, bringing these creatures to life in the classroom. Top notch.
I teach elementary school in Japan, and my students like it when I draw Pokemon on the chalkboard. Started with Pumpkaboo and became more and more elaborate. Now I'm vandalizing other teachers' chalkboards with legendary Pokemon after school hours. from r/pokemon
2021 marks the 25th anniversary of Pokémon, and the party is only just beginning. At the end of the month, Post Malone will hold a virtual concert in collaboration with The Pokémon Company, and he will be joined by some of the biggest artists in music as the months go by. There's also a rumour that remakes of Diamond and Pearl are on their way, too.
Featured Image Credit: GothamGuardian12 on Reddit