What You Need To Know If You Don't Have "Pokemon"

While I was at a graduation party the other day, one of my friends and I started playing "Pokemon Go" together. The mobile app game lets you catch Pokemon based on where you are IRL, so my friend and I were super excited to try and find the same Pokemon together.

However, not everyone was as excited about the Nidoran in the neighbor's yard as we were. Someone at the party made fun of our excitement and didn't understand the whole concept of "Pokemon Go". Seeing as how the game has taken the world by storm, I was shocked to find someone who hasn't downloaded the game and didn't get the obsession.

Regardless of your opinion of the game, the fact is that not everyone is playing "Pokemon Go" right now. For those of us that have brought Pokemon into our realities, we are already invested in catching these creatures. But, if you're someone that doesn't have "Pokemon Go", you're probably wondering what the heck is going on and why it's become such a phenomenon. So, for those of you that haven't embraced the wonderful world of Pokemon, I've compiled a list of everything you need to know about the new app.

1. There's A Reason People Keep Stopping On The Sidewalk

OK, yes, I totally agree that it is incredibly annoying when you're walking down the street and the person in front of you stops short. But, the person who just stopped in the middle of the sidewalk probably now has a very good reason to do so: they're catching a Pokemon right there on the sidewalk. I know that it's probably incredibly frustrating and sounds super silly to you non-"Pokemon Go" players, but let me tell you that catching a Pokemon brings incredible happiness to our daily lives, so please bare with us as we catch our first Poliwag.

2. It's The Future Of Video Games

The augmented reality game lets you find and catch Pokemon based on your real life location, which honestly makes it one of the coolest things that I can imagine. But, because of the insane success of this app and the ability to incorporate virtual reality onto our beloved smartphones, it's likely that game developers will take note and augmented reality could become the actual reality of future video game design.

3. You're An Anomaly

If you don't have "Pokemon Go", then you're rarer than finding a Dratini in the Pokemon wild. According to SurveyMonkey Intelligence, the app is already the biggest mobile game in U.S. history and has over 21 million people on the hunt for Pikachu's friends. At its current growth rate, it's already on track to surpass Snapchat's user count in a matter of days. And, as insane as it sounds, it's even possible that the "Pokemon Go" could become a larger than Google Maps. Seriously, this game is huge.

4. It's Addicting

TBH, I genuinely love having something to obsess over. Whether it's a new Netflix show or a cool trend, I love having something new to become passionate about, and "Pokemon Go" is no exception. The app is incredibly fun and it has given millions of people a common interest to discuss and bond over. Almost every conversation that I've been apart of or overheard today has been about the game. It's exciting, interesting, and new, and the people who have it can't get enough of it.

5. The '90s Nostalgia Is Too Real

Is there anything a Millennial loves more than reminiscing about their '90s childhood? We are still very fond of everything that we loved as kids, whether it's Lisa Frank stickers, early Disney Channel Original Movies or, you guessed it, Pokemon. Debatably the best part about "Pokemon Go" is that it makes us connect with our inner '90s child. We can finally go out into the world and catch Pokemon, which is something I only dreamed about when I was six years old. The app incorporates all of the best parts of the '90s with the technology of 2016. It's essentially like when Friends came to Netflix.

6. It's Not Just A Game

Since the game uses our actual location and surroundings, it very easily blends into our real life. Sure, it's a bunch of cartoon creatures on our phone screens, but it's also making us interact with our environment and the people around us. The game incorporates actual places of interest, which is why you've probably seen signs outside of restaurants proclaiming their Pokestop status. Yes, we are looking intently at our phones, but let's be real, so are you, and the difference between us is that our phone is showing us landmarks in our area that we may not have otherwise known anything about.

7. Pokemon Are Here To Stay

With more active users than Tinder, it's looking like Pokemon are going to be sticking around for a while. I mean, if we're still hung up about the little monsters in the year 2016, it's safe to assume we're not going to be setting our Pokemon free anytime soon. We now live in a Pokemon world, whether you like it or not.

"Pokemon Go" is the real deal and it's not going anywhere. So, if you're ready to start your Pokemon journey, then download the game from the Android or iOS store. And, if you're not ready to accept this new reality, then you're definitely stronger than I am.

Images: Getty; Giphy