An artistically gifted user on TikTok is going viral for their transformation of an Apple MacBook into a giant version of a Charizard Pokemon card. Posted only days ago, the viral video has already amassed millions of views, and continues to skyrocket in numbers.
The Fire-type Pokemon made its first appearance in the original Pokemon Red and Pokemon Blue games of the mid-90s before exploding in popularity due to one's adventures with Ash Ketchum in the wildly successful anime series. Arguably the most recognizable creature besides mascot Pikachu, Charizard remains an all-time favorite for a large portion of the Pokemon fanbase. In fact, a recent rumor suggests that the anime may be bringing back Ash's Charizard, an extremely nostalgic moment for longtime fans should it happen.
The TikTok video in question comes from user Leo Mahalo, who, at the time of writing, has already racked up over 7.4 million views and 580,000 likes. The footage, set to Nicki Minaj's "I'm Legit" showcases the processes used to recreate the legendary first edition version of a Charizard Pokemon card, which YouTuber Logan Paul just bought for $150,000. Mahalo uses spray paint as a base in order to mimic the holographic effect of the card. He then adds details including HP, moves, and stats using various specialty markers. The end result is a splitting image of the rare card, with a few humorous custom details added.
Check out the full video here.
Mahalo, who has over five million followers on TikTok, stated that the entire process took over 100 hours. Instead of the usual description of Charizard's Energy Burn ability, the artist replaced every word with his last name. In addition to the last name, Mahalo cleverly altered the text of Charizard's Fire Spin move as well as the card description at the bottom. For example, instead of Fire Spin indicating the player to discard energy cards to use this attack, it instead says to use this "MacBook." The custom design has sparked a frenzy among fans of both Apple and Pokemon in admiration of the free-handed art piece.
Pokemon as a whole has been experiencing quite the upswing in popularity. Beyond first edition Pokemon cards continuously selling for top dollar at auctions, another Pokemon relic from the 90s is making its triumphant return. After teasing gamers with plenty of enticing details, it was announced that New Pokemon Snap is officially launching on April 30. Serving as a sequel to 1999's Pokemon Snap on Nintendo 64, New Pokemon Snap is set in an entirely new region, which is sure to inspire even more viral artwork.
While Leo Mahalo's TikTok artwork is surely impressive, many Pokemon fans may not have that level of artistic prowess (or confidence not to ruin a laptop). Fans may want to practice a bit before trying something so expensive. Fortunately, GameStop is offering another way to re-skin electronics with everyone's favorite Fire-type Pokemon, a Charizard Nintendo Switch Starter Kit.
Source: Dexerto