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

Be it a core franchise game or a spinoff such as Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the name always stays the same. Glitch switches between male and female characters, with black and purple locks. Occasionally their fashion is impeccable, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest addition in the enduring series (and one of the more style-conscious releases). Other times they're limited to the assorted school uniform styles of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. But they remain Malfunction.

The Ever-Evolving World of Pokemon Games

Much like my characters, the Pokemon titles have evolved between releases, some cosmetic, some substantial. However at their heart, they remain the same; they're always Pokémon through and through. The developers discovered an almost flawless gameplay formula approximately 30 years ago, and just recently seriously tried to evolve on it with entries like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (different timeline, your avatar faces peril). Across all version, the fundamental mechanics cycle of capturing and fighting with charming creatures has stayed steady for almost the same duration as I've been alive.

Breaking the Mold with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus before it, featuring lack of arenas and emphasis on compiling a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces multiple deviations to that framework. It's set entirely in a single location, the French capital-inspired Lumiose City from Pokémon X & Y, abandoning the region-spanning adventures of previous games. Pokémon are intended to coexist with people, battlers and non-trainers alike, in manners we've only glimpsed previously.

Even more drastic is Z-A's live-action combat mechanics. It's here the franchise's near-perfect core cycle undergoes its most significant transformation to date, replacing methodical sequential bouts with something more chaotic. And it is thoroughly enjoyable, despite I find myself ready for another traditional entry. Though these changes to the traditional Pokémon formula sound like they form an entirely fresh adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as every other Pokémon title.

The Core of the Journey: The Z-A Championship

Upon initially reaching in Lumiose City, whatever plans your created character planned as a visitor get abandoned; you're promptly recruited by the female guide (if playing as a male character; Urbain if female) 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 Royale.

The Championship serves as the centerpiece in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's similar to the traditional "arena symbols to final challenge" advancement of past games. But here, you fight a handful of opponents to gain the chance to compete in a promotion match. Win and you will be promoted to a higher tier, with the final objective of achieving rank A.

Real-Time Combat: A New Frontier

Trainer battles take place at night, while sneaking around the assigned combat areas is very entertaining. I'm constantly trying to get a jump on an opponent and unleash a free attack, because everything happens in real time. Moves operate on cooldown timers, indicating you and your opponent may occasionally strike simultaneously concurrently (and knock each other out at once). It's a lot to adjust to at first. Despite playing for nearly 30 hours, I continue to feel like there's plenty to learn regarding employing my creatures' attacks in methods that complement each other. Positioning also plays a major role during combat since your creatures will trail behind you or move to designated spots to execute moves (some are long-range, while others must be in close proximity).

The real-time action makes battles go so fast 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 during Z-A, and numerous chances to get overwhelmed. Creature fights rely on response after using an attack, and that data remains visible on screen in Z-A, but flashes past rapidly. Occasionally, you can't even read it since taking your eyes off your adversary will spell immediate defeat.

Navigating Lumiose City

Outside of battle, you'll explore Lumiose Metropolis. It's relatively small, although tightly filled. Deep into the game, I'm still discovering unseen stores and rooftops to visit. It is also rich with character, and fully realizes the concept of Pokémon and people living together. Common bird Pokemon populate its sidewalks, flying away as you approach like the real-life pigeons getting in my way when walking through NYC. The Pan Trio monkeys gleefully hang on streetlights, and bug-Pokémon such as Kakuna attach themselves on branches.

An emphasis on urban life is a new direction for the franchise, and a positive change. Nonetheless, exploring Lumiose becomes rote eventually. You might discover a passage you haven't been to, but it feels identical. The building design is devoid of personality, and most rooftops and underground routes provide minimal diversity. While I never visited the French capital, the model behind the city, I reside in New York for almost ten years. It's a metropolis where every district differs, and all are alive with uniqueness that give them soul. Lumiose Metropolis doesn't have that. It has tan buildings topped with colored roofs and simply designed balconies.

The Areas Where Lumiose City Truly Shines

Where Lumiose City really shines, surprisingly, is indoors. I adored how Pokémon battles in Sword and Shield take place in arena-like venues, providing them genuine significance and meaning. On the flipside, battles in Scarlet & Violet happen in a field with few spectators watching. It's very disappointing. Z-A strikes a middle ground between the two. You'll battle in restaurants with diners observing while they eat. A fancy battle society will extend an invitation to a competition, and you will combat on its penthouse court under a lighting fixture (not the Pokemon) suspended overhead. The most memorable spot is the elegantly decorated headquarters of the Rust Syndicate with atmospheric illumination and magenta walls. Various individual combat settings brim with character missing in the larger city as a whole.

The Comfort of Repetition

During the Royale, along with subduing wild powered-up creatures and filling the Pokédex, there's an inescapable sense that, {"I