Started playing too, and HOLY CRAP.
This is a game.
It is so hard just to catch a Pokemon, specifically because they feed your starter two fights and bump it to level 7 from the get-go. On top of that, people want to battle you everywhere, meaning that you need to have lots of those Common Candies to keep your Mons in line.
In short, I LOVE THIS GAME (and i'm probably somewhat masochistic for liking it).