Let us go around the table!
The roundtable! Today we have once again gather Pokemon Podcasters from all the internet! We asked them questions such as how they handle COVID. There are even questions of the perils and joys of podcastings!
Now, let us visit the table to see who we have today.
Bret and Hannah from Pokemon: After Darkrai (Talk)
Dozer from Pokemon Champions (Battle & TCG)
Anirudh from Not a Scratch (Pokemon Tabletop)
Welcome our podcasters and let see what they have to say in today’s Podcast Roundtable!
What inspired you to podcast?
 Bret (Pokemon: After Darkrai): An argument over a sword and a bat in a zombie apocalypse.That’s not a joke, Taylor said “this should be a podcast” and I couldn’t get it out of my head. I had no idea what I was doing but I jumped in anyway! Hannah(Pokemon: After Darkrai): I’m just tagging along with my co host Bret heading the helm! |
 Dozer (Pokemon Champions): I was in High School when a buddy of mine sent me a comedy Podcast, and all I thought when I heard it was “Hey….we could do this.”And after many different shows and concepts later, I kinda always keep coming back to it. |
 Anirudh (Not a Scratch): I got inspired from all of the other amazing podcasts that I was listening to while bored on the subway.I got really interested in the structure of Pokemon podcasts, and got really interested in playing Pokemon on a show, as no one had really dove deep into the Mystery Dungeon universe. A combination of that and tabletop gaming created Not A Scratch! |
What is your thought process when it comes to picking music for your podcast?
| Bret (Pokemon: After Darkrai): Just a simple message to ask for permission. Ive only needed to do this twice. Anything else is either sung by me and Hannah OR the temptation is too great and here👏 comes👏 the👏 YouTube👏 police… apologies to Neil Diamond. |
| Dozer (Pokemon Champions): I’m really just trying to fit the right vibe for the show and what’s going on. |
| Anirudh (Not a Scratch): The music has to fit the setting in one of two different ways: visually and emotionally. Sometimes, you just wanna hear nature in the scene in question. Other times, you want to feel like the chase is real when running from enemies! |
When you record your podcast, who do you wish to reach with it?
| Bret (Pokemon: After Darkrai): Anyone who likes to laugh! We’re not smarties, were just dummies who like to make inappropriate jokes and hopefully make you spit your Coke Zero out! Hannah (Pokemon: After Darkrai): Anyone who needs a little pick me up from a crazy day. We will try to provide a little entertainment, some useful knowledge, and some laughs!! |
| Dozer (Pokemon Champions): If I’m being honest, that’s not something I think about much. I guess I want to reach likeminded people who love competitive Pokemon and want to hear more about it. |
| Anirudh (Not a Scratch): “Everyone” is an easy answer! We’re really interested in teaching out to people that want to hear a story made up on the spot though. Beyond major plot points, the entire story is being constructed as we go, and the ideas that I had at the beginning of the show have been significantly altered due to the player actions! If you’re a fan of improv, you’ll enjoy this show! |
How has podcasting in the last year changed due to COVID?
| Hannah (Pokemon: After Darkrai): I’ve always recorded remote due to a hectic work schedule, but I believe/assume most people recorded remotely. Bret (Pokemon: After Darkrai): Yeah we’ve almost always been remote. If anything hectic work schedules are and is more challenging. |
| Dozer (Pokemon Champions): Well, for our show, it’s been a nightmare because of the lack of actual in-person events. And the amount of documentation for grassroots and online events was always hit and miss. This ultimately culminated into an extended hiatus as Zac and I burned out from stretching everything too thin. |
| Anirudh (Not a Scratch): The show has existed throughout the pandemic, so it hasn’t changed for us much at all! We started recording episodes in April/May of 2020, at the peak of the pandemic. The real shift for us will likely come when things are calmer, if anything were to change. |
What is the hardest part when it comes to podcasting?
| Hannah (Pokemon: After Darkrai): For me it’s trying to act natural and be funny. I think I’m hilarious and sometimes I have a good joke here and there, but I do get super nervous! Especially when we have guests on the show. Bret (Pokemon: After Darkrai): Scheduling is a nightmare Ive yet to wake up from. Waiting for a Producer in shining armor to save me from my castle keep. Also the deluge of podcast networks just chuckin money at us! |
| Dozer (Pokemon Champions): My answer to this will vary by the day, but I’d have to say it’s keeping the motivation going. |
| Anirudh (Not a Scratch): In my opinion, it’s the editing. Not that it’s particularly difficult anymore (with over a year of practice), but there are some days where you just don’t want to edit! I try to make the editing process a bit more interesting, usually by re-listening to episodes and using forgotten throwaway lines as integral plot points in the future, just to mess with my players! |
What has been the best Podcast moment you have had?
| Bret (Pokemon: After Darkrai): Nailing the Lauren Babic episode “The Litteny of Lauren Babic” was a huge deal. We were both extremely nervous for that one. Hannah (Pokemon: After Darkrai): Definitely all the guests we have had on the show! We have had some amazing people on our show! |
| Dozer (Pokemon Champions): Has to be when Zac and I were absolutely confused about Joshua Diamond’s Toxapex/Ho-Oh team back in VGC 2019, and he actually mentioned how funny that moment in the show was to him on Twitter. |
| Anirudh (Not a Scratch): There’s been a bunch of moments that really made us as a group so happy! From the introduction of our Patreon, the numerous Nat20s on the show, the brilliant decision-making by the members on the show to take the story to bigger and better heights… It’s impossible to choose! |
Huge thanks to these amazing Podcasters! Thank you Bret & Hannah, Dozer, and Anirudh for taking the time to answer these questions.
We hope you lovers of these fine podcasts also enjoy learning a bit about what makes podcasting so amazing and challenging.
Make sure to give them all a review on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcatcher! Don’t touch that Totodile! See you all next time at the Roundtable!
