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I'm not sure precisely when the tradition started, but I always name every one of my Pokémon trainers Malfunction.

Be it a main series game or a side project like Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the moniker never changes. Glitch switches between male and female characters, featuring black and purple hair. Sometimes their fashion is flawless, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest installment in this long-running series (and one of the more style-conscious entries). Other times they're limited to the various academic attire designs of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Yet they're always Glitch.

The Constantly Changing World of Pokemon Titles

Much like my characters, the Pokemon titles have transformed across installments, with certain cosmetic, others substantial. However at their core, they stay identical; they're consistently Pokemon through and through. Game Freak discovered an almost flawless mechanics system some 30 years ago, and just recently seriously tried to evolve upon it with entries like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your character is now in danger). Throughout every version, the fundamental gameplay loop of capturing and fighting alongside charming creatures has stayed steady for nearly the same duration as my lifetime.

Breaking the Mold with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus previously, with its absence of gyms and emphasis on creating a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings multiple changes into that framework. It's set completely in one place, the French capital-inspired Lumiose Metropolis of Pokémon X & Y, ditching the region-spanning adventures of earlier games. Pokemon are intended to live together alongside people, battlers and non-trainers alike, in ways we've only glimpsed previously.

Far more radical than that Z-A's real-time combat mechanics. It's here the franchise's almost ideal core cycle undergoes its most significant evolution to date, swapping methodical turn-based bouts for something more chaotic. And it's thoroughly enjoyable, despite I find myself eager for a new turn-based release. Though these changes to the classic Pokemon recipe seem like they form an entirely fresh adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A feels as recognizable as every other Pokémon title.

The Heart of the Adventure: The Z-A Championship

When first arriving in Lumiose City, any intentions your custom avatar planned as a visitor get abandoned; you're immediately recruited by Taunie (for male avatars; the male guide for female characters) to become part of their squad of battlers. You receive one of her Pokémon as your starter and are sent into the Z-A Royale.

The Royale is the epicenter of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the traditional "arena symbols to final challenge" advancement of past games. But here, you battle a handful of opponents to gain the opportunity to compete in an advancement bout. Succeed and you will be promoted to the next rank, with the final objective of achieving the top rank.

Real-Time Battles: A New Approach

Trainer battles occur during nighttime, and sneaking around the assigned battle zones is very enjoyable. I'm always attempting to get a jump on a rival and unleash an unopposed move, because everything happens in real time. Attacks operate on recharge periods, meaning both combatants can sometimes attack each other at the same time (and defeat each other simultaneously). It's a lot to adjust to at first. Even after playing for nearly thirty hours, I continue to feel that there is plenty to learn in terms of employing my creatures' attacks in methods that complement each other. Positioning also factors as a major role in battles since your creatures will follow you around or move to specific locations to execute moves (certain ones are distant, while others must be in close proximity).

The live combat makes battles progress so quickly that I often sometimes cycling of attacks in identical patterns, even when this results in a less effective approach. There's no time to pause during Z-A, and numerous opportunities to get overwhelmed. Creature fights depend on feedback after using an attack, and that data remains visible on the display within Z-A, but flashes past quickly. Occasionally, you cannot process it since diverting attention from your opponent will spell certain doom.

Navigating Lumiose City

Away from combat, you will traverse Lumiose City. It's relatively small, though densely packed. Deep into the game, I'm still discovering unseen stores and elevated areas to visit. It is also rich with character, and perfectly captures the vision of Pokémon and people coexisting. Pidgey inhabit its pathways, taking flight when you get near like the real-life pigeons obstructing my path while strolling in New York City. The monkey trio joyfully cling from lampposts, and bug-Pokémon like Kakuna cling to trees.

A focus on urban life represents a fresh approach for Pokémon, and a positive change. Nonetheless, exploring Lumiose grows repetitive over time. You might discover a passage you haven't been to, but you wouldn't know it. The building design lacks character, and most rooftops and sewer paths provide minimal diversity. While I never visited Paris, the model behind Lumiose, I've lived in NYC for almost ten years. It's a city where no two blocks differs, and they're all vibrant with differences that give them soul. Lumiose Metropolis lacks that quality. It has tan buildings with blue or red roofs and flatly rendered balconies.

Where Lumiose City Really Excels

Where the city really shines, oddly enough, is inside buildings. I adored how Pokémon battles in Sword and Shield occur in football-like stadiums, providing them genuine significance and importance. On the flipside, fights within Scarlet and Violet take place in a field with few spectators watching. It's a total letdown. Z-A strikes a middle ground between the two. You'll battle in restaurants with patrons watching as they dine. A fancy battle society will invite you to a competition, and you'll battle in its rooftop arena under a lighting fixture (not Chandelure) suspended overhead. The most memorable spot is the elegantly decorated headquarters of the Rust Syndicate with atmospheric illumination and magenta walls. Several distinct combat settings overflow with personality that's absent from the larger city as a whole.

The Comfort of Routine

During the Royale, as well as quelling rogue powered-up creatures and completing the Pokédex, there is an unavoidable feeling of, {"I