When Pokemon came out in 1995 I didn’t notice. I was in the middle of vet school. I missed it completely. My only contact with it was a long time patient named Pokemon who was a gigantic Chow who never once tried to eat me. (That’s a truly rare and mythical beast.)

So when Pokemon Go started showing up on my news feeds, I decided to try it out to see what it was all about because people seemed excited. I didn’t understand it at all. I couldn’t make it do anything. I had to Google lots of stuff to even have the first clue of what to do.

I was excited to go to the Washington D.C. area because I figured that there would be lots more stuff to collect there. On our first night we took a boat ride on the Potomac. Some kids on the boat were playing. I turned my phone on to see if there was anything exciting to catch. Partway through the trip the husband started to wax philosophical about people looking at their phones instead of the scenery. I explained that they were playing Pokemon Go. He looked unimpressed.

It turned out that the street we were staying on was lined with Pokestops. I was sneakily playing on my phone as we walked so he didn’t notice. But one day we passed a group on the sidewalk all playing. He wondered aloud about them. I said they were playing and he asked, “All we all five years old?”

I handed him my phone with the app running and said, “Yes.”

The group caught up with us at an intersection. He asked the leader if they were playing Pokemon. She said yes. He said, “So is she.” Turns out that they were a Pokemon Go Facebook group on a group hunt. We got an invitation to join but I declined because we weren’t locals.

My vacation photos

I still have no idea what I’m doing. I find stuff. I turn in all but one of each species in order to get points to evolve the one of that species that I’m keeping. I think that’s right. Someone let me know if it isn’t.

I don’t understand the fighting at all. Julianne promises me that it is ok to have pacifist Pokemon.

I don’t know who is tougher than who or anything. I only know who is rare from this graphic. This made me really excited that I already had a wild Dratini. That’s the first one on the epic list.

I’m a proud parent too. I hatched this the other day after carrying it for 10 km.

I actually cooed over it when I saw it for the first time. “Aren’t you a sweet wittle killer bug? Yes, you are!”