Man Sentenced to 5 Years for Playing Pokemon Go in Church

Earlier last month, on August 11th, in Yekaterinburg, Russia, at the Church of latter Day Saints, a young vlogger by the name of Ruslan Sokolovsky took video of himself playing Pokémon Go. This incident has led to his arrest and a possible sentencing of up to 5 years. Why do you ask? Because they believe it is sac-religious and incites hatred upon their beliefs and the church in general.

Just 4 years prior to this, two women from the band Pussy Riot were sentenced to 2 years in prison for the exact same charges. The difference between these cases is that 5 members from Pussy Riot formed a stage and put on a concert at Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Savior. This action began as a protest against Vladamir Putin (Which they believe to be a dictator in the likes of Stalin.) and the church officials that supported him. This eventually became a music video called “Punk Prayer – Virgin Mary (Mother of God), Chase Putin Away!” Due to this, Patriarch Kirill I, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, stated that “…they were doing the work of the devil.”

Now, any some what intelligent and logical person should easily be able to see the major differences in these cases. Which is this…
As seen in the video, Ruslan Sokolovsky, who was protesting the church and its decision to forbid playing Pokémon Go while in the temple (Which has a Gym at its location.), merely walked in, caught a few Pokémon and then left. The members of Pussy Riot actually staged a musical protest inside of a church, called out their countries leader for being bribed by the officials of so said church and others, while making an actual music video out of it.

This blows my mind. That Ruslan Sokolovsky, is looking at serving 3 years longer in prison, than the 2 members of Pussy Riot, all though, all he did was walk in, burn some incense (Not the churches mind you.) and walked out. The ladies of Pussy Riot can be seen mocking the church, while the nuns are trying to force the women out of the temple. Am I the only one who sees this as utterly insane and mind boggling?

As the human species, we have supposedly come to an age where reason/science and religion can be seen as one. In 1981, Pope John Paul II stated that “Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth.” Also, as seen in “Catechism of the Catholic Church”, paragraph 159, it states… “Though faith is above reason, there can never be any real discrepancy between faith and reason. Since the same God who reveals mysteries and infuses faith has bestowed the light of reason on the human mind, God cannot deny himself, nor can truth ever contradict truth. Consequently, methodical research in all branches of knowledge, provided it is carried out in a truly scientific manner and does not override moral laws, can never conflict with the faith, because the things of the world and the things of faith derive from the same God. The humble and persevering investigator of the secrets of nature is being led, as it were, by the hand of God in spite of himself, for it is God, the conserver of all things, who made them what they are.”

So, what has happened since then, to cause them to believe that a young man must be sentenced for 5 years in prison for playing Pokémon Go? Is Pokémon and Pokémon Go, really sac-religious and inciting hatred upon the church? In my opinion, no it is not and must not be seen that way. It is what childhood dreams are made of. It is something that has brought communities together and has shown, that people of all races, age and belief, and opinion can be seen and acts as one. That shows that we can love and respect each other as we should and must, for the benefit of the human species. To me, this is an act of the Russian government and the church, which states otherwise. I believe, we must rally in support of Ruslan Sokolovsky and the let world know, that we will not stand for this nonsensical punishment and form of justice, no matter where it takes place. I’m not saying that he doesn’t deserve to penalized for his actions, but, a 5 year prison sentence? I find that to be quite harsh, even though he did break some rules that are being forced in his region of the world. And again, this is only my opinion and no one else’s.

And, as always… Go Team Mystic!

Pokemon Go: New Buddy System Feature Revealed

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have Pikachu or Charizard, walk right along side you as you walked to the supermarket or just hung out at the park? What it would be like, to have your favorite Pokemon as an everyday companion in your day to day life? Well, wonder no more my fellow Pokehunters. Niantic, the power house company behind Pokemon Go, has just confirmed the rumor, that a new “Buddy” system will be implemented sometime this fall. Allowing that dream to become a reality.

buddy1
This new feature will allow you to take your favorite Pokemon with you anywhere and everywhere you wish. And, you aren’t limited to only one Pokemon either. You will be able to switch them out as you please. But, you will only be able to have one with you at any given moment. If you feel that Pikachu best suits your walks in the park and Charizard best fits your morning walk, then you will be entitled to do just so.

buddy3
By allowing your Pokemon to walk with you, you will be able to unlock “Unique in-game rewards and experiences”, from what Niantic says. One feature that has been announced, allows you to gain candy for the Pokemon you have walking along side you. Essentially, it is the same aspect as hatching an egg. The further you walk, the more you obtain for said task. More than likely though, Niantic will put a limit on how much candy each Pokemon can acquire in a 24 hour period. Doing this, will stop your more active and athletic players, from becoming extremely overpowered, in a relatively short span of time.
On the visual side of things, you will also be able to see your Pokemon traveling along side your on screen avatar. This will be a very interesting to see. For, it will show the relative size of each Pokemon compared to the average size of a human. Also, depending upon the Pokemon, their movement style will also change their animations as well. Butterfree will fly side by side with you, while Pikachu would just hobble along in his merry little way. Whether or not earth or water type Pokemon, will have their own style of visuals, is still to be seen. In my opinion, it would be really neat to see Geodude burst out of the ground and dive back in as if he was a dolphin at play. Now, how they will address the water type Pokemon visuals, is going to be interesting, to say the least.
What do you think about this new feature? Anything you would like to see implemented? Any interesting takes on what the animations of different base types should be? Let us know in the comments below. We would love to hear your personal take on it.
And, as always… GO TEAM MYSTIC!!

 

Beginners Corner: Have you noticed those pink leaves surrounding some Pokestops and wondered what it meant? Well, it means that someone has used a “Lure Module” on that specific Pokestop. This causes more Pokemon to flock to that certain area, increasing your chances at acquiring that rare Pokemon you been keeping your eye out for.

 

“A Major Name Changer.”

In July of 2016, Pokemon Go was released to the public and took the world by storm. Since then, it has acquired 5 world records, countless amounts of controversy and has caused mass gatherings of gamers unlike anything that we have ever seen before. Not only has it surpassed expectations, it has taken communities of like-minded Pokemon lovers and made them into a family, and that family, has a few secrets to share. And it just so happens to be, that one of those secrets involves the cutest little Pokemon you will ever see. Eevee…
Not only is Eevee the cutest, but also, the only Pokemon capable of evolving into 3 different types. An electric type (Jolteon), a water type (Vapereon) and a fire type (Flareon). The chances of your Eevee evolving into your favorite, is only 33.33%. I know what you’re saying… “So, I have to catch 3, and hope and pray that just one of those evolves into Jolteon?” And to that, I say nay my fellow Pokemaster!! How, do you ask? Simple… nickname it. And no, I don’t mean nickname it Fido, Killer or Bobby Sue. The name you choose is very specific for the base type you want her to evolve into.
Before we get into the base type and the name associated with it though, let’s talk about how to nickname Eevee. First, go into your Pokemon list and find her. Once you have selected Eevee, just tap on the pencil icon next to her name and you’re all set. Easy breezy so far, right?
Okay… Now that you’re ready, you’re going to want to change her name depending upon the evolution you want her to go through. For Jolteon, you must give Eevee the nickname, Sparky. If you’re feeling hot and want to go with her fire type evolution, Pyro is the nickname you must use. And last but not least, for her water type evolution you’re going to want to nickname her Rainer.

Eevee

(Location of your nickname button)

Once you have done this, your next step is to simply restart Pokemon Go. That’s right… Just a simple restart. Once you have done this, go back into your Pokemon list and find the Eevee you nicknamed, evolve her and your all set.

(Photo courtesy of VGU)

Eevee evolutions

(From left to right: Jolteon, Pyro and Rainer)
By being able to control which type she evolves into, this gives you the capabilities of a well rounded team, with little effort and a bunch of hitting power. But, you will always want to level up your Pokemon before evolving. This allows you to have an extremely high CP base before evolution. By doing this, you allow the evolved form to start off stronger and to be way more efficient in your never ending battle for domination over your local gyms. And that my friend, is how you evolve the cutest little Pokemon, we will ever set eyes on.
Before I go, I must say one last thing… Go Team Mystic!

Beginners Corner: Are you tired of running out of Pokeballs during your adventures? Does it make you want to cry when that rare Pokemon you been chasing finally comes around and you are left with nothing to do, but watch, as it laughs at you for not being prepared? Well, worry no more my fellow Pokemasters! Simply tap the Pokeball if it misses the Pokemon you’re trying to catch. This allows you to pick it back up and use it again. By utilizing this technique, you will maintain a lot more of them, giving you that little extra you need, to catch ’em all.