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I don't recall exactly how the custom began, however I always name all my Pokémon trainers Malfunction.

Be it a main series title or a side project like Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the moniker always stays the same. Glitch alternates from male to female characters, featuring dark and violet locks. Occasionally their fashion is impeccable, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest installment in the enduring franchise (and one of the more fashion-focused releases). At other moments they're limited to the assorted academic attire styles of Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. Yet they're always Glitch.

The Ever-Evolving World of Pokemon Games

Much like my trainers, the Pokémon games have transformed across installments, with certain superficial, some significant. But at their heart, they stay identical; they're consistently Pokemon through and through. The developers discovered an almost flawless mechanics system some 30 years ago, and has only truly attempted to evolve upon it with games such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (different timeline, your character faces peril). Across every iteration, the core gameplay loop of catching and battling alongside charming creatures has stayed steady for almost as long as I've been alive.

Breaking the Mold in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus before it, featuring absence of gyms and focus on compiling a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings several changes into that formula. It takes place completely in one place, the Paris-inspired Lumiose City from Pokémon X & Y, ditching the region-spanning adventures of previous titles. Pokemon are meant to live together alongside humans, trainers and non-trainers alike, in manners we've only seen glimpses of before.

Far more drastic is Z-A's live-action combat mechanics. It's here the franchise's almost ideal core cycle experiences its biggest evolution to date, replacing methodical sequential fights for something more chaotic. And it's thoroughly enjoyable, despite I find myself eager for a new turn-based entry. Though these changes to the classic Pokémon formula sound like they form an entirely fresh experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A feels as recognizable as every other Pokemon game.

The Heart of the Journey: The Z-A Royale

When initially reaching at Lumiose Metropolis, any intentions your created character planned as a visitor are discarded; you're promptly enlisted by Taunie (if playing as a male character; the male guide for female characters) to become part of their squad of battlers. You receive a creature from them as your first partner and are sent into the Z-A Championship.

The Championship serves as the centerpiece in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the traditional "gym badges to Elite Four" progression of past games. However here, you battle several trainers to gain the chance to participate in a promotion match. Succeed and you'll be elevated to the next rank, with the ultimate goal of reaching rank A.

Live-Action Battles: An Innovative Frontier

Trainer battles take place at night, while navigating stealthily the assigned combat areas is very entertaining. I'm constantly trying to get a jump on an opponent and unleash an unopposed move, because everything happens instantaneously. Attacks function with recharge periods, indicating both combatants can sometimes attack each other at the same time (and defeat each other at once). It's a lot to adjust to initially. Even after gaming for almost thirty hours, I continue to feel like there's much to master regarding employing my creatures' attacks in methods that work together synergistically. Positioning also factors as a significant part in battles since your creatures will trail behind you or go to specific locations to execute moves (certain ones are distant, whereas others need to be up close and personal).

The real-time action causes fights go so fast that I often repeating sequences of attacks in the same order, despite this amounts to a suboptimal strategy. There's no time to breathe during Z-A, and plenty of chances to get overwhelmed. Pokémon battles rely on feedback post-move execution, and that data remains visible on the display in Z-A, but whips by quickly. Occasionally, you cannot process it because diverting attention from your adversary will result in certain doom.

Navigating Lumiose Metropolis

Outside of battle, you will traverse Lumiose City. It's fairly compact, although densely packed. Deep into the game, I'm still discovering new shops and rooftops to explore. It's also full of charm, and fully realizes the concept of creatures and humans coexisting. Pidgey populate its sidewalks, flying away as you approach similar to actual city birds obstructing my path while strolling in New York City. The Pan Trio monkeys joyfully cling from lampposts, and insect creatures such as Kakuna cling to trees.

A focus on city living is a new direction for the franchise, and a welcome one. Nonetheless, navigating the city grows repetitive over time. You may stumble upon an alley you never visited, but it feels identical. The building design lacks character, and most rooftops and underground routes provide minimal diversity. Although I haven't been to Paris, the inspiration for Lumiose, I've lived in NYC for nearly a decade. It's a city where every district differs, and they're all alive with uniqueness that provide character. Lumiose Metropolis lacks that quality. It features beige structures topped with colored roofs and simply designed balconies.

The Areas Where Lumiose City Really Excels

In which the city truly stands out, oddly enough, is indoors. I adored the way creature fights in Sword & Shield occur in arena-like venues, providing them genuine significance and importance. On the flipside, battles in Scarlet and Violet take place on a court with two random people observing. It's a total letdown. Z-A finds a balance between both extremes. You will fight in eateries with patrons watching as they dine. An elite combat club will invite you to a tournament, and you will combat on its penthouse court under a lighting fixture (not the Pokemon) suspended overhead. The most memorable spot is the beautifully designed base of the Rust Syndicate with atmospheric illumination and magenta walls. Several distinct combat settings overflow with personality that's absent from the larger city in general.

The Familiarity of Routine

During the Royale, as well as subduing wild Mega Evolved Pokémon and filling the creature index, there's an inescapable sense that, {"I