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I'm not sure exactly how the tradition began, however I consistently call all my Pokémon trainers Glitch.

Whether it's a core franchise title or a side project like Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the name always stays the same. Malfunction alternates between male and female avatars, featuring dark and violet hair. Occasionally their fashion is flawless, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest installment in the enduring series (and one of the most style-conscious entries). At other moments they're limited to the assorted school uniform designs of Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. Yet they're always Malfunction.

The Ever-Evolving Realm of Pokemon Games

Much like my trainers, the Pokémon games have evolved between installments, some superficial, some significant. But at their heart, they stay the same; they're always Pokemon through and through. The developers discovered a nearly perfect mechanics system approximately 30 years ago, and has only truly attempted to innovate on it with games like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your avatar is now in danger). Across all iteration, the core gameplay loop of catching and battling alongside adorable monsters has stayed consistent for nearly the same duration as my lifetime.

Breaking Conventions with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus previously, featuring absence of gyms and focus on creating a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces multiple changes into that formula. It takes place entirely in a single location, the French capital-inspired Lumiose City of Pokémon X and Y, abandoning the expansive journeys of earlier titles. Pokemon are intended to coexist with humans, battlers and civilians, in manners we have merely glimpsed previously.

Far more radical is Z-A's real-time combat mechanics. It's here the series' near-perfect gameplay loop undergoes its most significant transformation yet, swapping methodical sequential fights for more frenetic action. And it is thoroughly enjoyable, even as I feel ready for another turn-based entry. Though these alterations to the classic Pokemon recipe sound like they form an entirely fresh experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as every other Pokemon game.

The Heart of the Adventure: The Z-A Royale

When initially reaching at Lumiose Metropolis, any intentions your created character had as a tourist get abandoned; you're promptly recruited by Taunie (for male avatars; Urbain for female characters) to join her team of trainers. You receive a creature from them as your starter and you're dispatched into the Z-A Championship.

The Championship serves as the centerpiece of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's similar to the classic "arena symbols to final challenge" progression from earlier titles. But here, you battle a handful of trainers to gain the chance to participate in an advancement bout. Succeed and you'll be elevated to the next rank, with the final objective of reaching the top rank.

Live-Action Battles: A New Frontier

Trainer battles occur during nighttime, while sneaking around the assigned combat areas is quite entertaining. I'm constantly trying to surprise a rival and unleash an unopposed move, since everything happens in real time. Moves operate on cooldown timers, meaning both combatants may occasionally attack each other concurrently (and defeat each other simultaneously). It's a lot to adjust to initially. Despite gaming for almost 30 hours, I continue to feel like there's plenty to learn regarding using my Pokémon's moves in methods that complement each other. Placement also factors as a major role in battles since your creatures will trail behind you or go to specific locations to perform attacks (certain ones are distant, while others must be in close proximity).

The real-time action makes battles progress so quickly that I find myself sometimes cycling of attacks in the same order, despite this amounts to a less effective approach. There's no time to breathe in Z-A, and numerous opportunities to become swamped. Pokémon battles depend on feedback after using an attack, and that data is still present on screen in Z-A, but whips by quickly. Occasionally, you can't even read it because diverting attention from your opponent will result in immediate defeat.

Navigating Lumiose Metropolis

Away from combat, you will traverse Lumiose Metropolis. It's fairly compact, although densely packed. Deep into the game, I'm still discovering new shops and elevated areas to explore. It is also full of charm, and perfectly captures the concept of Pokémon and people coexisting. Pidgey populate its sidewalks, flying away when you get near similar to actual pigeons getting in my way when walking in New York City. The Pan Trio monkeys joyfully cling from lampposts, and bug-Pokémon such as Kakuna attach themselves on branches.

An emphasis on urban life is a new direction for the franchise, and a welcome one. Nonetheless, exploring Lumiose grows repetitive over time. You may stumble upon an alley you haven't been to, but it feels identical. The architecture lacks character, and many elevated areas and sewer paths offer little variety. While I haven't been to Paris, the inspiration for Lumiose, I've lived in NYC for almost ten years. It's a metropolis where no two blocks differs, and all are alive with uniqueness that provide character. Lumiose Metropolis lacks that quality. It has tan buildings with blue or red roofs and flatly rendered terraces.

The Areas Where The Metropolis Really Excels

In which Lumiose City truly stands out, surprisingly, is inside buildings. I loved the way creature fights in Sword and Shield take place in arena-like venues, providing them genuine significance and meaning. On the flipside, battles in Scarlet and Violet take place on a court with few spectators observing. It's a total letdown. Z-A finds a balance between the two. You'll battle in restaurants with diners observing while they eat. A fancy battle society will extend an invitation to a tournament, and you'll battle on its penthouse court under a lighting fixture (not Chandelure) suspended overhead. The most memorable spot is the elegantly decorated base of the Rust Syndicate with atmospheric illumination and purple partitions. Various individual battle locales brim with character that's absent from the overall metropolis as a whole.

The Familiarity of Routine

During the Championship, along with quelling rogue Mega Evolved Pokémon and completing the Pokédex, there's an inescapable sense that, {"I