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I don't recall precisely when the custom began, but I consistently call all my Pokémon trainers Glitch.

Whether it's a core franchise game or a side project such as Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the moniker always stays the same. Malfunction switches from male to female characters, with black and purple locks. Occasionally their style is flawless, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest addition in the long-running series (and one of the more fashion-focused entries). At other moments they're confined to the assorted school uniform styles from Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. But they remain Malfunction.

The Ever-Evolving Realm of Pokémon Titles

Similar to my trainers, the Pokemon titles have transformed between releases, with certain superficial, others substantial. But at their core, they stay identical; they're always Pokémon to the core. The developers uncovered an almost flawless gameplay formula approximately 30 years ago, and just recently truly attempted to innovate on it with games like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your avatar faces peril). Across every iteration, the fundamental mechanics cycle of capturing and battling with adorable monsters has stayed steady for almost the same duration as my lifetime.

Breaking Conventions in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Similar to Arceus previously, with its lack of arenas and emphasis on creating a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings multiple changes to that framework. It takes place entirely in a single location, the Paris-inspired Lumiose City of Pokémon X & Y, ditching the expansive adventures of earlier titles. Pokemon are meant to coexist alongside people, trainers and non-trainers alike, in manners we've only glimpsed before.

Even more drastic than that Z-A's real-time battle system. This is where the series' near-perfect gameplay loop undergoes its biggest transformation to date, replacing methodical turn-based fights for something more chaotic. And it is thoroughly enjoyable, even as I find myself eager for a new turn-based release. Though these changes to the traditional Pokémon formula seem like they form a completely new adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as any other Pokemon game.

The Heart of the Journey: The Z-A Championship

When first arriving at Lumiose Metropolis, whatever plans your created character planned as a visitor get abandoned; you're promptly recruited by Taunie (for male avatars; Urbain for female characters) to join their squad of trainers. You're gifted a creature from them as your first partner and you're dispatched into the Z-A Championship.

The Royale is the epicenter in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's similar to the classic "gym badges to Elite Four" advancement of past games. However here, you battle several opponents to earn the opportunity to participate in a promotion match. Succeed and you'll be promoted to a higher tier, with the ultimate goal of reaching rank A.

Real-Time Combat: An Innovative Frontier

Trainer battles occur at night, while sneaking around the designated battle zones is quite entertaining. I'm always attempting to get a jump on a rival and launch a free attack, because all actions occur in real time. Moves operate on cooldown timers, meaning both combatants may occasionally strike simultaneously at the same time (and knock each other out at once). It's much to get used to initially. Even after gaming for almost thirty hours, I continue to feel that there is much to master regarding employing my creatures' attacks in ways that complement each other. Positioning also plays a major role during combat since your creatures will trail behind you or go to specific locations to perform attacks (some are long-range, whereas others must be in close proximity).

The live combat causes fights go so fast that I often sometimes cycling through moves in the same order, even when this amounts to a less effective approach. There isn't moment to pause during Z-A, and plenty of opportunities to get overwhelmed. Creature fights rely on feedback post-move execution, and that information is still present on screen within Z-A, but flashes past rapidly. Sometimes, you can't even read it since diverting attention from your opponent will result in immediate defeat.

Exploring Lumiose City

Outside of battle, you will traverse Lumiose City. It's relatively small, though densely packed. Deep into the game, I continue to find unseen stores and elevated areas to explore. It is also rich with character, and perfectly captures the vision of creatures and humans coexisting. Pidgey inhabit its pathways, flying away as you approach similar to actual city birds getting in my way while strolling through NYC. The monkey trio joyfully cling from lampposts, and insect creatures like Kakuna cling on branches.

An emphasis on urban life represents a fresh approach for the franchise, and a welcome one. Nonetheless, navigating the city becomes rote eventually. You might discover a passage you never visited, but it feels identical. The architecture lacks character, and many elevated areas and underground routes offer little variety. While I haven't been to Paris, the model behind the city, I've lived in NYC for almost ten years. It's a city where no two blocks are the same, and all are vibrant with differences that give them soul. Lumiose Metropolis doesn't have that. It has tan buildings with blue or red roofs and flatly rendered terraces.

Where Lumiose City Really Excels

In which Lumiose City really shines, surprisingly, is indoors. I loved the way creature fights within Sword and Shield take place in arena-like venues, giving them real weight and importance. On the flipside, fights within Scarlet and Violet take place in a field with few spectators observing. It's very disappointing. Z-A strikes a middle ground between the two. You will fight in restaurants with patrons watching while they eat. An elite combat club will invite you to a tournament, and you'll battle on its penthouse court with a chandelier (not Chandelure) hanging above. The most memorable spot is the elegantly decorated headquarters of the Rust Syndicate with its moody lighting and magenta walls. Various individual combat settings overflow with personality missing in the overall metropolis as a whole.

The Familiarity of Repetition

Throughout the Championship, as well as subduing wild Mega Evolved Pokémon and filling the creature index, there is an unavoidable feeling of, {"I