Growing up, I had very little knowledge of Pokémon. Maybe it was the lack of exposure. Maybe it was a lack of interest. More than likely a combination of both. Either way, I could only clearly identify Pikachu (who couldn't?) and barely knew the difference between Charmander and Magikarp and wouldn't have been able to tell you what a Snorlax was.

I can feel the rest of my generations' glares of anger and disgust piercing into my soul as they read the previous paragraph. But I also know I'm not alone, as I've had conversations with several others who feel the same as I do, and even some others who don't enjoy the new game.

When hype about the game began ages ago, I didn't pay much attention. Pokémon had meant little to me when I was kid, so why would I expect it to mean any more to me now, as a mature, responsible, adult, college student?

Well this mature, responsible, adult, college student took the first opportunity I had to download the app as soon as I heard it was available. I guess it was the excitement of a new mobile game more so than the excitement that it was Pokémon.

Until I started playing it.

I have tapped into my inner child using something that had never appealed to me as an actual child. I don't know if you've ever experienced nostalgia for something that you weren't ever excited about, but it is a weird, although fun, experience.

My first catch was a Bulbasaur. My second was a Jigglypuff. I've caught twenty-something other types since then and have evolved a few more. I see Weedles everywhere I turn and have quickly gained levels just by catching and evolving and transferring them to the Professor until I can evolve them some more. I've also begun doing that with Pidgeys. I've recently hatched a Magikarp and have another egg that I'm hoping to hatch soon. I still don't have Charmander or Pikachu and am definitely salty about it. My place of employment is a gym and that makes staying on task at work a little bit difficult. Lucky for management, most of the time I'm there the servers are down and I'm left to vent about it with the other coworkers.

I've become just as obsessed with Pokémon Go as some of the people who were counting down the days, hours, minutes, seconds until its release. I walk around campus, phone in hand, and immediately notice that everyone else I stumble across is doing the exact same thing. Nearly every conversation I've had with anyone the past couple days has been related to Pokémon. It really has taken over our lives.

I'm sure someday soon the fad will fade and we'll open the app less frequently and stop walking miles and miles to discover new Pokémon or hatch a new egg. Or maybe perhaps we'll all be walking around forever trying to catch 'em all.

Until then, Team Instinct forever.