S1: Hey there , San Diego , it's time for KPBS roundtable. I'm Andrew Bracken on today's show. Coverage of climate change and how it's impacting our communities can be overwhelming. This week , we focus on solutions. We hear about a new KPBS series exploring some of the ways people in our region are taking action to protect our communities from climate change. Then we take a look at races for Superior Court judge on this year's primary ballots. Plus , Pokemon has been an indelible part of our culture over the past 30 years , but it's also become a lot more expensive. That's all ahead on KPBS roundtable. Reading about climate change can leave us feeling helpless , anxious and disengaged. But focusing on solutions can have the opposite effect. Each year , public radio stations across the country celebrate those stories for NPR's Climate Solutions Week. This year's theme is Local Lessons How Communities are making Solutions a reality. KPBS environment reporter Tami Murga spent the last week working on a series of stories about the people doing that work here in San Diego , and Tami joins me now. Hey , Tami.
S2: Hey , Andrew. Thank you for having me.
S1: Thanks for being here. So tell us more about NPR Climate Solutions Week and how you wanted to cover it here in San Diego ? Yes.
S2: So as you mentioned , NPR dedicates a week to telling stories about these initiatives and projects intended to address the impacts of climate change. And every year they have a different theme. Last year was Rethinking Home , and the year before that was The Future of Food. So they come out with really , really great stories. And but this year I really liked the theme of local lessons , and we knew from the start that we wanted to participate somehow. So , in alignment with them , we we came up with , um , this way. I mean , we've been working on this for several months , and we really wanted to highlight all of like , the small and large ways that , you know , people in the county are contributing to protecting the environment.
S1: And I love yeah , I love your approach here. And the inspiration for this was actually a story you did back in April with V , when aka Doctor Plastic Picker told me more about her and her story.
S2: Yeah , I mean , just her title is so catchy , right ? Doctor V is a local pediatrician. Um , she's been picking up trash in Pacific Beach for many years , and she said it really started as a way to de-stress from her job. Um , so , um , you know , I spent one morning with her out by the pier and just looking at , you know , the way that she was picking up things and how attentive she was to it. But , you know , just kind of taking a look at all of the amount of trash and the types of trash that she was picking up during her walks , really just fortified this like love for the environment that she has. And she runs this blog called The Doctor Plastic Picker. And there she would document how many items of trash she collected. She told me , you know , that she recycles and donates what's salvageable. You get , you know , beach toys and clothes and all these things that can be reused and of course , things that needed to be recycled she would dispose of. But what I kept coming to , though , is what she told me during this early morning walk in April. And I think it's really relatable. It's sort of kind of set the theme for our own climate solutions. We're here at KPBS.
S3: I'm super scared to , but but not because I'm like , I'm doing stuff you know , I like , and my job is not to fix the climate crisis. My job is to do my part.
S1: And that really kind of sums up your , like you said , your approach to the stories you've been covering this week. Right. So that that was sort of the , you know , the starting point for this series that takes us to this week. You you featured a San Diego hotline that really answers all types of questions about recycling. And I definitely related to this because I had a lot of these questions too. But , you know , tell us more about how that got started.
S2: Yeah , I mean , so we put out this call for submissions and to feature on Climate Solutions Week and this non-profit , I love a clean San Diego. They reached out and said , hey , we're doing all tons of things. But this hotline caught my attention. It's called Waste Free San Diego , and they work with the county and cities and they help coordinate pickups and drop offs , etc. they tell you where you can dispose of your unwanted waste , and they answer thousands of calls from people all over the county every year. And you really , you know , they ask questions about what do I do with my needles with batteries , paint , motor oil.
S1: And I think these are questions we all have. You know what I mean ? Totally. Because I definitely have stuff in my garage that I don't think I've gotten rid of because I don't know how to go , but I mean , and you heard some interesting questions , you know , do this too , right ? Yeah.
S2: So I spent the day with Priscilla de Aquino. She's the operator there. And she told me she gets all sorts of questions. You know , what do I do with human and pet hair ? I have an extra bowling ball. What do I do with it ? Where can I dispose of it ? I have alcohol , can I just throw that down the drain ? Uh , motorcycle. Motorcycle parts. So she really looks through all the resources that are available all around the county , and she tells you what to do with it , where to go , and she can even help you book an appointment if you want to get rid of those things. So it's a really fabulous resource. Interesting.
S1: Interesting. And can you tell us a little bit more about , you know , who's behind the hotline and some of the ways people can access it ? Yeah.
S2: So I mean , Priscilla , like I mentioned , she's a real person. You know , sometimes you just want to talk to a real person to answer your questions. So she's a great resource there. And the nonprofit's executive director , Steve Morris , he gave me a really good breakdown of this hotline. You know , it really started in the 70s. people were calling , asking about what do I do with my Christmas tree ? How do I recycle that phone books , if you remember them. Yellow pages , yes I do. Right. So there's a lot of that. But he's he's saying , you know , this hotline is becoming more and more I guess , you know , important because today waste disposal is becoming more challenging with California's recycling laws that are expanding. So this is a little bit of what he says , how complicated it can get.
S4: I have a plastic bottle. Number seven. Can I put this in my blue bin ? Do I need to take it to a special facility ? Can it be recycled at all ? I mean , these are questions that I know San Diegans ask on a daily basis and. Right.
S1: Right. We know there's so many different , I think , of like , old technology is something that I kind of hang on to because often , you know , sometimes they have these pick ups or certain drop off things , but it can be hard to find. So it's really , you know , tell us more. What's the hotline number for anyone with , I don't know , bowling ball that needs for sure.
S2: So climate solutions I'm sorry I'm going to bring it up here. Um. The hotline. So waste free. You can go on there and there's a database that you can go and just search up , you know where to drop off these things. But if you live in an unincorporated area of San Diego , you can call one 800 237 blue. And if you're in an unincorporated area , you can call one 800 R-1. Earth. Great.
S1: Great. And we'll we'll have links to that on our website as well. Okay. So , you know , on the subject of trash recycling here , you met also a mountain view couple who spends their mornings cleaning streets around a school. Tell us more about how they got started doing that.
S2: Yeah , so they've been doing this for several years. Susana Susana de la Pena and her partner Daniel Simpson. So they said , you know , they have their mornings free before work. They take about an hour and they just go around their neighborhood in Mountain View , and they just start picking up things. They carry these like really large bags , 80 liter trash bags. And they. Said.
S1: Said.
S2: The really big ones and they know when to stop when they just , they're too heavy to , to , to haul around. Um , and you know , it's it's really it was really what motivated them to do this was really just to protect the youngest people in their community. They see needles and empty beer bottles and things that are just not , they think is not pleasant for for children to walk nearby. And so , um , this is something that Susana de la Pena told me when we were , when I went with them early morning this week.
S1: I think we'll come back to that clip. But , um , you know , tell us more about , you know , how the efforts they're doing fit in with city efforts , right ? Because the city obviously is responsible for cleaning schools.
S2: So I asked the city and I told them , you know , about this Mountain View couple and the efforts that they're doing around their community. And they acknowledged that , you know , litter is a problem in Mountain View and so many other areas of , of of the city. Um , and they told me , you know , the gist of it here is waste crews prioritize illegal dumping for larger items. They have to get rid of these , you know , couches , stoves , things , mattresses that block the roads they don't have , like a litter team that just can go and pick or pick up cigarette butts. Right. But they are working on , on on a way to , to connect with these communities that do kind of organize and clean up litter in their communities. So they're currently piloting this program in the Kensington Tallmadge area where this group , basically they come together , residents there , they come together , they clean up litter , and they all the bags that they fill up , they leave them in a designated area. And the city , city crews come pick that up at no charge to them , and they drop it off at landfill. So I mean , that's a great way , right , to have , you know , kind of fix this problem where the city may not have the , the people the to to clean up these little things. Right. But they do have the money and the trucks , the resources to do that. So it's a great way to come together. And they told me they're hoping to kind of formalize and expand this pilot program , and maybe they can connect with the Mountain View couple and help clean their community. So I thought that was a really great loop. Interesting.
S1: Interesting. Yeah. Um , and , uh , you know , on that Mountain View couple , I think , I don't know , I was just wondering what takeaways you have from that story in particular , if there were any moments that , you know , stuck with you in this theme of local solutions and people , just like you said , grabbing a big trash bag and getting out there. Yeah.
S2: Yeah. I mean , it was really at the end of our walk that , um , Daniel kind of he said , you need to come to this , this stairway. This is what keeps us , what keeps us coming. And it's it looks like it was hand-painted. Um , and right at the bottom , it says change starts here. And and he says , this is like , this is really my own takeaway and why my wife and I keep coming back.
S1: And yeah , here's a little clip from from what he told you.
S5: It's like a divine moment right here. And you're like , I'm the one starting the to change ? Yeah , absolutely. You get that good feeling. Um , and that's what that's really what keeps me and her coming back.
S1: And , um , you know , I want to turn to another climate story that you've been covering this week , but also highlighting , you know , for years. And that's the ongoing Tijuana sewage crisis. It was once a story largely about water contamination or beach closures , but , you know , it was expanded to be a much larger public health story involving air pollution now as well. And we know it impacts so many that live along along the borders there. How did you choose to incorporate that which is such a , you know , big topic in your beat that you cover often into your coverage on solutions this week ? Yeah.
S2: So. Well , really , I was thinking , you know , someone will probably submit something about the Tijuana River sewage crisis. We have seen so many organizations , nonprofits that are working on solutions. There's trash booms , people that clean up in the river Valley. Um , there really is tons from , you know , like I mentioned , nonprofits to even local governments that are doing their part in preventing even , um , you know , these hotspots in the river area , they're scientists that are producing really , really important data in there. Um , but I was we were just waiting to see who submitted what. So , um , we did get something from a university , and I thought , you know , what they're doing there is really , really , really cool. Yeah.
S1: Yeah. And so basically , there's a whole class devoted to it. Right. So tell us more about the class and what the focus of it was. Yes.
S2: Yes. So it's , uh , Sarah Fetterman's class. She's an associate professor at the Kroc School of Peace Studies at the University of San Diego. And she says , at the core of this class , you know , really that a lot of students are feeling overwhelmed by the amount of problems , um , in the world , in their own communities. And it's kind of discouraging to do something about it. But she says social action is the way to respond to those feelings. So she wanted to pick a topic that her students could study , find a gap and do something about it. So they chose the Tijuana River sewage crisis , and they learned how to speak at county meetings. I think they spoke at a supervisors meeting. They've written letters to lawmakers , and now they're working on this chemical index. They're using research from local scientists who have found , you know , it's not just sewage in the river. It's an endless amount of toxic chemicals that are also becoming airborne. So but they say , okay , we need to be that social bridge , the bridge between scientists and the public. How do we make this information more , um , digestible ? So what they're working on is this , this index to make it more legible. And they hope to , you know , make it accessible to the public to learn. You know what what do these chemicals do to me if I'm exposed to them ? Um , and also hopefully to , to get them to the businesses , the sources of these solutions and help them , you know , maybe work for the people's collective health , how to maybe manage this a lot better or prevent them from and ending up in the river valley.
S1: Yeah , that's a really interesting story there. Um , you know , you had mentioned this just talking about that class and this , you know , thing that I think a lot of people struggle with , which is anxiety around climate and the challenges we face. And there's obviously not , you know , one solution to combating that , but I'm just wondering how you've thought about it and what are some ways to start , you know , kind of minimizing those impacts.
S2: With a like claiming anxiety.
S1: Yeah , just feelings of overwhelm because I think that's something like we've commonly talked in other times we've had you on. I know that kind of topic. Exactly.
S2: Exactly. I mean , I feel like this is actually a question that I was asking a lot of these people that I covered their stories. I mean , you know , this is , you know , climate change is probably one of the reasons why you keep coming out here. Right ? And I've noticed a theme. Um , and I think ve actually ve win is one who kind of said it best , or the one that kind of just really sticks to me. And she said , you know , you can make changes to your lifestyle , you know , focus on what you can control , the things that are consistent with your values and just focus on that. You know , climate change is a problem that's just so wide. And really , we just need to focus on our part , what we can do in our own community. Pick your spot. You know. And that could mean , um , you know , in your community picking up trash , picking up plastic and by the beaches , planting trees , whatever that may look like. Just focus on that and then get people behind you to support you , your community , your own neighbors. And I think , you know , we're stronger together. So I think that's like the ongoing theme that everybody was was telling me.
S1: So in addition to all these stories we've been talking about. Tammy , you've also been working on this interactive Climate solutions map. You've been working with the KPBS digital team here. Um , and I think , you know , that's just coming out today. Tell me about that. And what you know , how people how you hope people use it. Right.
S2: Right. So it's going to be this interactive map or it is now it's live now where you can kind of click on these pinpoints and it'll show you where in San Diego County people are doing the work. And there's a story , there's photos. You can really learn about the story. The couple from Mountain View , the Hotline. So go click on it. And we really just hope that it exposes , you know , or it reaches other people that we haven't yet heard from us. So we want to know about your small and large ways. So if you find it reach out to us at KPBS or call us at (619) 452-0228 and leave us a message. Great.
S1: Great. And we'll have some links to that and your other stories on our show notes and on our website , pbs.org. Just real quickly , we have about a minute left. But , you know , after working on this and , you know , being on this beat for as long as you've had , you know , you have , what do you think the the news media could do better when covering the environment ? Yeah.
S2: You know , I would say it's so easy to kind of cover the doom and gloom. The things that are happening even now with , you know , so many changes and rollbacks at the federal level. And I think these stories , stories of people , even if they're small , small things that they're doing in their community , it all adds up. Right. So I think , you know , kind of showing that balance of like the good feel , the feel good stories are just as important. And I think we learned a lot from from these people , these like overarching messages. And there's so much more that people are doing. And we certainly have to strike that balance.
S1: Well , Tammy , I want to thank you again for sharing more about these stories , which again , we'll link to all that stuff on our website and our show notes. I've been speaking with KPBS environment reporter Tammy Meredith. Tammy. Thanks again.
S2: Thank you Andrew.
S1: Coming up , we continue our series breaking down this year's primary election with a look at some of the judicial races on ballots this year round tables. Back after the break. Stay tuned. Welcome back to KPBS roundtable. I'm Andrew Bracken. There are less than two weeks left to cast your ballot for the 2026 primary , and the run up to that date. We here on roundtable have been learning about some of the races on voters primary ballots this year , but some garner more attention than others , and it can be a challenge to make an informed decision for some races where maybe voters may know less about the candidates. One example superior court judges. In addition to selecting a new governor , state assembly members , much more voters this year are selecting a number of new judges to join the bench this year. Here to talk more is Katie Hyson. She's KPBS racial justice and social equity reporter. Hey , Katie. Hi. Thanks for being here. So , you know , can you just tell us a little bit about what Superior Court judge judges do ? Sure.
S6: So in California , superior courts are a county's trial court. Trial courts are what most of us think of. It's what you see on TV or what you go to jury duty for. The cases are both civil and criminal , so everything from robbery and murder to divorce and traffic violations. So these are the judges that you and I and our listeners are most likely to go before , if we ever have to go to court.
S1: And so how are races for judge different from maybe some of the other ballots , you know , the other races we're voting on , on our ballots.
S6: A big one is that the judges race is nonpartisan. So this isn't Republican versus Democrat. In fact , they don't even disclose what party they vote for. And that's because it's a core qualification of their job for them to be impartial. Everyone going into their courtroom has to trust that the judge is going to come to their case without prejudices or , you know , personal leanings.
S1: And that can kind of bring some additional challenges there. And like how , you know , voters can get to know these candidates.
S6: It's that standard of impartiality that makes it so hard to get a grasp on the candidates. They tend to disclose very little about themselves compared to other races. And that's not just political party. A lot of times we don't know any other groups they affiliate with or support , and there's even a lot of topics they won't talk about publicly. So in the questionnaire I sent out to candidates , I asked them if they believe racial and other biases have shaped outcomes in San Diego's judicial system. Several candidates wouldn't even answer that. Another thing that makes it hard is that the main thing most voters care about is what kinds of decisions judges are making in their courtrooms , right ? What's this judge's track record ? How harsh do they tend to be ? Are they harsher with some groups than others ? And , you know , some voters might see a judge as strict on crime in a good way. Others might see them as overly punitive. But regardless , it's hard to get a clear view of that either way. And there's no centralized public database to see a judge's sentencing decisions. Even as a journalist , I've asked for those kinds of records and been denied them.
S1: You mentioned this questionnaire you sent out to candidates , and we'll kind of dig more into that. But , um , you know , you you wrote an explainer kind of breaking down these different candidates here , and it includes a bar association evaluation. I'm just wondering if you can explain that to us and what that tells us.
S6: This is one of the very few tools we do have , and it was created to help solve this information gap. The average voter doesn't know a judge's reputation , but the lawyers who are in and out of their courtrooms every day do so. A committee of 23 bar association members They gather info from the larger legal community and they evaluate the candidates on 15 different factors things like fairness and temperament and trial experience. And then they assign them a ranking from lacking qualifications all the way to exceptionally qualified , and they make those public. Okay.
S1: Okay. So , you know , let's dive into a couple of the races here. A number of them are basically uncontested , meaning there's only one candidate. But let's talk about some of the ones where there actually is a choice to be made here. Tell us about the race for Superior Court Office number 31.
S6: There are two candidates. And I know I just got done saying this race is nonpartisan , but sometimes you can get an idea from their endorsements. So Jodi Saddle is endorsed by the San Diego Democratic Party , as well as state Senate President Tony Atkins , state Assembly member Chris Ward , Mayor Todd Gloria. She's also endorsed by the Public Defender's Association , and she's the only candidate out of all the people on the ballot who was rated as exceptionally qualified , and she most directly answered that question about bias , she said it has negatively impacted poor people and people of color in San Diego's judicial system. Adam Nokes is is the other , Adam Nokes is the other candidate , and his big endorsements are mainly law enforcement. So the San Diego Police Officers Association , several other police associations , the sheriffs and the Deputy District Attorneys Association. He's an Army veteran , and he was very clear in his answers that he lands on the side of judicial restraint. So following precedent in the law.
S1: Okay , so that's that's one of the races we have , you know , a choice here. Another one is Superior Court judge , um , another race has three candidates for it. And that's office number 32. Tell us more about that.
S6: Nicole Dombrowski was endorsed by the mayors of El Cajon and Chula Vista. She's a Navy veteran. She directs a clinic that provides free legal services for low income people. She was the only candidate to be evaluated as lacking qualifications , and she had an interesting answer to what she would change about the system. She talked about continuing to invest in technology to make the system more efficient and accessible. David Gallo , he specializes in civil trial advocacy. He doesn't have a campaign website , and the bar association said they were unable to evaluate him , which is the first time I've ever seen that. Actually , he said he chose not to pay the fee to have a statement included in the official primary voter guide. So our KPBS voter guide might be your best chance at getting an idea of who he is. And he did say he's seen no evidence of bias in our judicial system. He's been living and practicing here since the 90s , so. Oh , sorry. One more candidate , um , Tia Ramirez , uh , prosecutor and administrative law judge , endorsed by law enforcement , um police , Sheriffs David Michelet , the former police chief , current city attorney and a Laborer's union. And she highlighted deep roots in San Diego and a personal story of resilience. Great.
S1: Great. And then you mentioned , you know , KPBS Voter Hub will obviously link to that with your explainer as well. Um , you know , these terms are for six years , right ? Uh , but then they can. Do incumbents generally face challengers when running for re-election ? As we mentioned , there's a couple other races , but there's only one name on there. Right.
S6: Right. And actually , there were about 50 candidates for judges this election. But you're only going to see eight names on your ballot , because when an incumbent is running unopposed , they don't appear on the ballot. So the overwhelming majority , no one's running against them.
S1: How else , you know , how can judges be removed from office other than just running for real ? You know , having someone challenge them. And in an election.
S6: So this is important because we elect them. That also means we can recall those judges. Okay.
S1: Okay. Interesting. Um , you know , I want to talk just briefly about why we vote for judges. They're often also appointed in many cases.
S6: As I prepped for this , the California governor appoints judges for the higher level state Supreme court and courts of appeal. But voters directly decide who takes the bench in their county's trial court. And that's important , because , again , these are the judges that you and I are most likely to go before , and we have the power to recall them. So it holds them more directly accountable to the people whose lives that they're deciding. Hmm.
S1: Hmm. Interesting. So again , we're going to link to the KPBS Voter Hub. We encourage everyone to go check out Katie's explainer on the Superior Court judge races this year , I've been speaking with KPBS racial justice and social equity reporter Katie Hyson. Katie , thanks.
S6: Thank you.
S1: When we come back , we hear about the latest from the KPBS Arts podcast , The finest talk all about the world of Pokemon round tables. Back after the break. Welcome back to KPBS roundtable. I'm your host , Andrew Bracken. That's a little bit of the sound of Pokemon , and it's a sound many of us have loved for 30 years now , as the Pokemon world expanded across collectible cards , video games , TV shows , and more. And becoming the best selling media franchise of all time in the process. The latest episode of the KPBS Arts podcast The Finest explores the enduring culture , community and climbing. cost of Pokemon , and I'm joined now by arts and culture reporter Audie McAfee , along with the producer of the finest , Anthony Wallace. Audie Anthony , welcome back to roundtable. Thanks.
S7: Thank you. Thanks for having us.
S1: Great to have you here. And to talk more about Pokemon. Audie , I'm going to start with you.
S8: Like , I've grown up loving cartoons and loving the idea of like a kid going off on this journey on his own , just like ash and like wanting to be the best there ever was. Like , I feel like that's something we can all relate to.
S1: And ash is like a major original character of the Pokemon world from that television show.
S7: I had the Game Boy games back closer to the to the beginning.
S1: So for those who may not , I don't know , know much about the world of Pokemon.
S8:
S1: And so , you know , in this episode you break down a lot of both the Pokemon world , its economy kind of take us through this journey. But one interesting piece of it. You also talk to a historian and break down some of the history of it. And primarily I found pretty illuminating. I didn't know about it , and particularly how it grew out of bug collecting. Can you tell us just a little bit about its history ? Yeah.
S8: So Satoshi Tajiri is the founder of Pokemon , and he grew up in rural Japan , and he grew up collecting bugs and trading them and battling them with his friends. So he kind of like , kept this idea in the back of his hand , his head this whole time , and he wanted to replicate that in Pokemon. So like watching the shows or playing the games like you are traveling in this land that's not super developed , and you're kind of like jumping over riverbeds and all this different stuff. So that's kind of how that started.
S1: And how do you see that kind of connecting to the Pokemon world that we see today ? I don't know , like the history of it.
S7: Um , I mean , one thing I thought was interesting , Audrey mentioned , like rural countryside , there was always this element of , like , idyllic tranquility to like his life into Pokemon from the beginning. So it's kind of like a laid back world , which is cool. Um , sometimes you think of it as like , like an action packed and tense thing. Um , the other thing that was really interesting that we learned about the origin story of Pokemon is , um , kind of just how like , grassroots it was from the very beginning. So this guy Satoshi , the way that he started making this game is that he was like in his like , young 20s , and him and a couple of friends were just like , we want to figure out how to make a video game. And they just got a gaming console and like tore it apart. And they just kind of made it , you know , in an apartment. And the way that it really got big first is that they put in kind of this like Easter egg bonus Pokemon , which was Mew , and it just took off on like very early versions of message boards. So I feel like there is always this element of like community and like DIY to Pokemon. And Addy and I really encountered that a lot in working with this story.
S1: And , Audie , I mean , you mentioned like the video game here , and that was like the the impetus for this. But Pokemon cards , card packs , they're just such an essential part of the story here. Can you. I don't know. Try to explain to us what makes that part of it so engaging and so , you know , such like a desirable thing to collect , which is ultimately what your episode digs into is just this economy around it.
S8: Yeah , totally. Um , part of it , like , unfortunately , is like the thrill of gambling. Um , it's like the feeling of , like , grabbing a random pack and the chance , no matter how slim , of pulling that Charizard or that Pikachu , that really makes it fun. Um , now , when you don't pull it , that can feel pretty bad , but I kind of always just go back to the roots of , like , what Anthony was saying. And it's supposed to be like community and it's supposed to be fun. And then I also think about ash and like the amount of times ash didn't catch a Pokemon , but he didn't give up and he didn't let that stop his journey. And you know , there's always next time. So.
S1: Yeah , so and you mentioned pulling a pack. I mean , the way some people might think of it for certain , like you get a pack of baseball , but you don't know what's inside. Right. Can you just explain a little bit ? You mentioned the kind of Pokemon monsters , but how are they different ? How what makes them unique ? And what what's a good pull ? I don't know , from a pack.
S8: I could be wrong like 7 to 9 cards. And so the first few cards are just like just normal , just starter cards. Very typical. And really what you're waiting to get to is the very last card. And that card usually is this , like really cool artwork. It takes up the whole frame of the card and it really depends on what you're into. Because like for some people , well , for most people , Charizard would be really cool to pool. But then other people like me , I love Meowth , so he's from Team Rocket by the way. So um , if I pulled that , that would be really cool. So it really just depends on who you are and what you're into with Pokemon. But that's kind of like the process of it. And yeah , it's really fun.
S1: Okay , so we've , you know , talked about ash , Meowth , Team Rocket , so we can't avoid a little bit of of the lore here. Audie , can you just give us a high level of the Pokemon world ? So yeah. Which again , is something you kind of we've really nicely throughout this episode of The Finest.
S8: Yeah , so the Pokemon world is really large and like , never ending , and there are just so many Pokemon out there and there are so many people out there trying to do the same thing. Ash's doing is becoming a Pokemon Master , and if you watch this show throughout the show , he runs into other people trying to do the same thing as him , and they battle and they try to get stronger , and then they become friends. And it's just this really cool thing. And some of them don't become friends , they become mortal enemies , but that also tends to make them stronger because of that. So yeah.
S1: And , you know , Audie Pokemon's been around now for for 30 years , but has had some sort of ups and downs in its popularity. Um , yeah. Talk , talk more about that.
S8: So with that , that came Pokemon Go , I would say , because yes , in the beginning it was really big. It came to America , and that was a really big deal. And then , And , um , what our expert had mentioned is around 2004 , it kind of fell off and only the people who were playing were quote unquote nerds. And then jump forward to 2016. Pokemon Go is released. So that was a total hit. And the reason for that is , for one , the nostalgia of old fans like that's hitting them in the heart. And so then they're joining. But then there's this , like whole new world for people who don't even really know anything about Pokemon , where they have an interactive space and maybe they don't really still get Pokemon , but now they're getting outside and they're connecting with this larger community. And I think that just became a really big deal. Plus , Pokemon Go has like advertisements in it all the time. Not in the way that like when you're playing a little video game on your phone , it stops the game. But they're advertising their new movies or their new games that are coming out through you catching more Pokemon.
S1: Well , Anthony , I mean , one interesting piece of the Pokemon Go part is it's like it is a video game. It was honestly a mobile device , but you would also involve the real world. So it it's sort of like an interesting I don't know.
S7: Augmented reality.
S1: Yeah , yeah yeah , yeah. I mean , talk more about how that kind of changed the culture around Pokemon as you see it.
S7: Um , yeah. It was like it was a very big moment in the history of Pokemon. I think there's like another world where , you know , Pokemon just kind of petered out and was just like this phenomenon of the 90s. Um , that's kind of the trajectory it was on. It had its its initial craze and it was huge. And then it was , you know , it kind of cooled off. And like Audrey said , it was for nerds. And I think there was a time , you know , one of the the superfans that we talked to told us that there was a time when , like , you didn't really want to admit that you were into Pokemon. It was like kind of embarrassing. And then Pokemon Go hit and it was like , once again , Pokemon was back in the mainstream. And really , since then it's it's been huge and I guess , cool again. Yeah , I don't think I don't think you have to be , A nerd to love Pokemon.
S1: So , Audie , I mean , one you know , thing that you really stress in this episode is just the importance of the community of around the culture. And you spoke with one Pokemon fan , Steven Chung. Here's a little of what he had to say.
S9: It truly is a community out there where anyone can come in. You know , whether you're five years old or 55 years old , you know , you can come out and you can enjoy your time out there.
S1:
S8: Without Satoshi's friends , there would be no Pokemon without the kids who first saw it come in like Steven into America , there would be no Pokemon. So it's like community is the basis of everything and it is the driver. And that's why it's so important that we continue to highlight that and make sure that kids also get that size of the cake , too.
S1: So , you know , Anthony , you talked about the Pokemon Go effect here. Really kind of supercharged everything. And this gets into the core of your story where you explore basically just like Pokemon and inflation , right ? And just , you know , the explosion in the prices.
S7: Um , and it you know , Audie was telling us about this from the beginning. Why Pokemon cards are so expensive. And so what we did is we just went out to these card shops and talked to people that work there about what's going on , and it was kind of like a little bit mind blowing for me , like the state of the Pokemon card economy. Yeah. Um , I don't know that I've heard of , you know , anything else quite like it. But basically the situation is like , you know , Pokemon comes out with these new packs that are supposed to cost $50 , but you just can't get them for $50 anywhere. They're just out of stock everywhere. And so you have to go and get them from like a card shop or some other place for like way more like up to like 200. And I think like the best analogy that I can think of for what's happening , um , is it's like , you know , it's like a concert that's held at a venue that just doesn't have enough seats. You know , there's there's way too many people that want to go to this concert. There's not enough seats. And then on top of that , all the seats are immediately bought up by scalpers. So that's what's happened in the Pokemon economy is there's this rise of Pokemon card scalpers. And so in the concert analogy , if you want to go , you have to buy from a scalper. And those tickets are going to be way , way more than , you know , a normal retail price.
S1: Well , it reminds me of a recent story from your colleague. You know , the finest host , Julia Dixon Evans did on on concert tickets and that very thing. Right. So , Audie , you know , I don't know if you can tell us a little bit more , you know , about this this economy. I think , you know , it's pretty shocking , even in the episode , you guys visit these shops and even at one point , one of the the people is like raising the price significantly on one of the cards. Tell us more about how that impacts , you know , Pokemon fandom and the community that you , you know , find so important here. So key to to understanding this world. Yeah.
S8: Yeah. I can just give like an example of just what happened to me. And so in 2023 , I had just graduated from grad school , and I was just getting into the collecting. And mind you , at the time , packs , like singular packs were only five bucks. That's like the retail price. Um , and so that was really easy for us to just go to the store , spend like 20 bucks and we've got some packs. Um , I had to sell the majority , all of my cards to move out to San Diego for this job. And the idea was that we would get back into selling. But like , literally within weeks , everything , like , skyrocketed. And those same packs that I could get for $5 are now like go for 20 , sometimes $30 , depending on the the demand of them. So with that , it's like it took us a lot longer. It took me a lot longer to get back into collecting because it's like , well , I still have to budget. Paying for rent , paying for food , taking care of my cats. I can't just spend money like $30 on a pack just for fun. Um , and so if that's already happening for me , someone with a job like I can't imagine for kids who the game is for , who the collecting cards are for , asking their parents , can I get $30 just for some pieces of cardboard ? Essentially. But I promise it's going to make us some money. You know , like when people have to take care of things and take care of their lives. Like the cost of living is so high out here. So yeah , that's how it can really impact people at the end of the day and discourage people from getting in. But there have been a lot of , um , like I go to card shows a lot , and I think there has been a general consensus that this is happening and that kids can't get into it as much. So I will see card vendors be like , well , you really want this Charizard ? I'm obviously already making money from this. Like , I'm just going to give it to you for free. Or can I quiz you ? What's what ? Pokemon does this thing and then they get it right and they're like , okay , it's yours. So there is still that sense of community. But again , the scalpers can make it much harder to find that.
S1: One through line of your episode is you ask everybody you speak with who their favorite Pokemon is and sort of , you know , explore what that says about somebody. So I'm just wondering if you can each we have about a minute , a little bit more than a minute left. Tell us your favorite Pokemon and what what you think it illuminates. You know , about you , your personality. Anthony , I'll start with you. Um.
S7: I'm just going to give the most basic answer. Pikachu. Um , because I was going through , um , clips of the show recently like to find , like , little sound effects for our episode , and I just realized , like , how cute Pikachu is. He's just , like , a little , like , cat. And it's like the sounds he makes are just like , um , Pikachu. Oh.
S5: Oh.
S7:
S1:
S7: So I've kind of like identified with with Pikachu this time. You know.
S1: Buddy , this might be a harder question for you as somebody that , you know , you take this stuff very seriously. What's your. Yeah. What's your favorite ? Pikachu ? Pikachu ? Pikachu.
S8: Not because I have two tattooed , but I'll just go with one and I'm gonna say Psyduck. I absolutely love him. He can fight , but he is more of just a companion. And the thing about him is when he gets too stressed or people bother him too much , he has this psychic ability where he literally explodes to relieve his migraine , and it affects everyone around him.
S1: Like that. Psyduck is a good one. So yeah , I just urge everyone to go check out the latest episode of the KPBS Arts podcast , the finest you can find out wherever you get your podcasts. And be sure to listen to the End , because there's a really nice Easter egg there at the end. Audie MacAfee is an arts and culture reporter here at KPBS. Anthony Wallace is producer of the finest podcast. Audie Anthony , thanks so much. Thank you. So that'll do it for this week's roundtable. Thanks so much for listening. And to all my guests. If you have any thoughts on today's show , you can always email us at roundtable at KPBS or leave us a message at (619) 452-0228. Roundtables technical producer is Brandon Truffaut. The show is produced by Ashley Rush. Brooke Ruth's roundtable senior producer. And I'm your host , Andrew Bracken. Enjoy your weekend.
