Post by Edwin Armadale on Dec 23, 2017 0:24:08 GMT -6
Edwin was a little nervous as he waited outside the classroom. It had been a while since he himself had been in school, 2 years in fact, but he hadn't expected to be back in this capacity.
He had been approached in the city the previous day by a teacher who asked if he was a trainer. When he confirmed that, she asked if he would like to visit the school to give her class a lesson about pokemon training. While he said he wasn't very experienced, she said it would still be good for someone who wasn't too far above the level of the class to teach them.
And so here Edwin was, his partner Arkady as present as always on his shoulder. Edwin was looking through the notes he had written overnight for his talk, wondering what to go over first. So in thought he was by this that he didn't notice he was being called until Arkady gently nipped his glasses, stirring him from his thoughts.
"Oh, right" Edwin said, then proceeded into the classroom where the teacher was awaiting him. Instantly, 18 pairs of young eyes were on him. Well, some of them anyway, most of them were looking at Arkady, who fluttered around his head cheerfully.
"Hi there" he began. "I'm Edwin Armadale, and this is my partner Arkady" he introduced them. Arkady squeaked happily. "And I'm here to talk to you for a bit about what it means to be a pokemon trainer". So, bit of interaction to start off with. "So, who wants to become a trainer?"
This was 4th grade, he remembered, so the children here would probably be 10 or 11, too young to begin their journeys. About three quarters raised their hands. "Okay, good. And what do you think it means to be a trainer?"
The hands went down as the children looked confused, eventually one raised her hand. Edwin nodded at her. "It means... getting to learn more about pokemon?" she asked. Edwin smiled and nodded, then looked to a boy who also had his hand up.
"It means you become really good at battling?" he asked, and Edwin nodded. Another girl wanted to speak.
"It means learning how to understand pokemon?"
All of the answers were valid. "Excellent, you've got the idea. Now, there's two things that I think are the most important. The first is, strengths and weaknesses. You need to know everything your partner can and can't do, in order to be a successful trainer. So, take Arkady here".
Arkady made a little pose on Edwin's head, standing with his little paws on his hips. Edwin continued. "What type is he?"
"He's a Flying type!" a girl said.
"Good. And what else?" Edwin asked. There was hesitation. "Yeah, I know, it's a bit tricky".
"...Normal?" a boy asked. Edwin shook his head. More suggestions. "Fairy?" "Poison?" "...Dragon?"
"Yep, that's right" Edwin said. "Now, a trickier question. What is a Flying and Dragon type pokemon weak to? There's four types".
"Ice!" that was the most obvious. "Uhh... Fairy?" "Dragons are weak against themselves aren't they?" "Electric?"
"No, dragons are resistant to Electric attacks, so it would hit for neutral damage" Edwin said. The class seemed to be learning. Edwin smiled, he was enjoying this. Arkady seemed to be having fun too, giving a hint by doing his little version of a Rock type Z-power dance. Eventually the correct answer was called out.
"Yep, Rock's right!" Edwin said. "Now, what are his resistances?"
"He can't be hit by Ground attacks can he?" a girl asked. Edwin nodded. The rest of the answers came a bit slower, but they were eventually identified as Water, Grass, Bug, Fire and Fighting.
"Excellent, you got them all" Edwin said. "This is the kind of information a trainer has to know, instantly. It can be difficult, believe me, there's all sorts of tricky type combinations out there. But study them all and you'll be successful trainers in no time".
He then remembered he had mentioned there were two important things he had mentioned at the start. "And the second important thing a trainer has to do... is care for their pokemon. I know it sounds simple, but, you have to make sure they're healthy, well fed, well groomed, and happy to be with you. You have to learn what they like and don't like. You have to learn what they try to say to you. And you have to let them know that they're well loved".
Arkady climbed down from his head to his shoulder and closed his eyes lazily as Edwin reached over and scratched behind his neck.
"And that's what I have to say about pokemon training" Edwin finished. The class seemed delighted.
"Can I pet Arkady?" a girl asked. Edwin chuckled and was about to say it was up to him, but quick as a flash, Arkady flew to her desk and let her pet him. It was quite some time before Arkady finished bouncing around the room, getting lots of attention from the kids, but made sure none of them missed out.
"Well, I think that's all the time we have for now" the teacher said. "Thank you very much Mr. Armadale for coming here to talk about this with us today, and if you're ever in the area again, we'd love to hear from you".
"My pleasure" Edwin said, and he and Arkady were given a round of applause as they left. Well, that was certainly invigorating!
"You know what, Arkady? I kinda like teaching" Edwin said, comfortably as he left the school after he received his pay.
("Yeah! Me too!") Arkady agreed, happily. And the two continued their journey.
[Thread end]
He had been approached in the city the previous day by a teacher who asked if he was a trainer. When he confirmed that, she asked if he would like to visit the school to give her class a lesson about pokemon training. While he said he wasn't very experienced, she said it would still be good for someone who wasn't too far above the level of the class to teach them.
And so here Edwin was, his partner Arkady as present as always on his shoulder. Edwin was looking through the notes he had written overnight for his talk, wondering what to go over first. So in thought he was by this that he didn't notice he was being called until Arkady gently nipped his glasses, stirring him from his thoughts.
"Oh, right" Edwin said, then proceeded into the classroom where the teacher was awaiting him. Instantly, 18 pairs of young eyes were on him. Well, some of them anyway, most of them were looking at Arkady, who fluttered around his head cheerfully.
"Hi there" he began. "I'm Edwin Armadale, and this is my partner Arkady" he introduced them. Arkady squeaked happily. "And I'm here to talk to you for a bit about what it means to be a pokemon trainer". So, bit of interaction to start off with. "So, who wants to become a trainer?"
This was 4th grade, he remembered, so the children here would probably be 10 or 11, too young to begin their journeys. About three quarters raised their hands. "Okay, good. And what do you think it means to be a trainer?"
The hands went down as the children looked confused, eventually one raised her hand. Edwin nodded at her. "It means... getting to learn more about pokemon?" she asked. Edwin smiled and nodded, then looked to a boy who also had his hand up.
"It means you become really good at battling?" he asked, and Edwin nodded. Another girl wanted to speak.
"It means learning how to understand pokemon?"
All of the answers were valid. "Excellent, you've got the idea. Now, there's two things that I think are the most important. The first is, strengths and weaknesses. You need to know everything your partner can and can't do, in order to be a successful trainer. So, take Arkady here".
Arkady made a little pose on Edwin's head, standing with his little paws on his hips. Edwin continued. "What type is he?"
"He's a Flying type!" a girl said.
"Good. And what else?" Edwin asked. There was hesitation. "Yeah, I know, it's a bit tricky".
"...Normal?" a boy asked. Edwin shook his head. More suggestions. "Fairy?" "Poison?" "...Dragon?"
"Yep, that's right" Edwin said. "Now, a trickier question. What is a Flying and Dragon type pokemon weak to? There's four types".
"Ice!" that was the most obvious. "Uhh... Fairy?" "Dragons are weak against themselves aren't they?" "Electric?"
"No, dragons are resistant to Electric attacks, so it would hit for neutral damage" Edwin said. The class seemed to be learning. Edwin smiled, he was enjoying this. Arkady seemed to be having fun too, giving a hint by doing his little version of a Rock type Z-power dance. Eventually the correct answer was called out.
"Yep, Rock's right!" Edwin said. "Now, what are his resistances?"
"He can't be hit by Ground attacks can he?" a girl asked. Edwin nodded. The rest of the answers came a bit slower, but they were eventually identified as Water, Grass, Bug, Fire and Fighting.
"Excellent, you got them all" Edwin said. "This is the kind of information a trainer has to know, instantly. It can be difficult, believe me, there's all sorts of tricky type combinations out there. But study them all and you'll be successful trainers in no time".
He then remembered he had mentioned there were two important things he had mentioned at the start. "And the second important thing a trainer has to do... is care for their pokemon. I know it sounds simple, but, you have to make sure they're healthy, well fed, well groomed, and happy to be with you. You have to learn what they like and don't like. You have to learn what they try to say to you. And you have to let them know that they're well loved".
Arkady climbed down from his head to his shoulder and closed his eyes lazily as Edwin reached over and scratched behind his neck.
"And that's what I have to say about pokemon training" Edwin finished. The class seemed delighted.
"Can I pet Arkady?" a girl asked. Edwin chuckled and was about to say it was up to him, but quick as a flash, Arkady flew to her desk and let her pet him. It was quite some time before Arkady finished bouncing around the room, getting lots of attention from the kids, but made sure none of them missed out.
"Well, I think that's all the time we have for now" the teacher said. "Thank you very much Mr. Armadale for coming here to talk about this with us today, and if you're ever in the area again, we'd love to hear from you".
"My pleasure" Edwin said, and he and Arkady were given a round of applause as they left. Well, that was certainly invigorating!
"You know what, Arkady? I kinda like teaching" Edwin said, comfortably as he left the school after he received his pay.
("Yeah! Me too!") Arkady agreed, happily. And the two continued their journey.
[Thread end]
