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I'm not sure precisely when the tradition began, but I always name all my Pokémon trainers Glitch.

Whether it's a main series title or a side project such as Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the name never changes. Glitch alternates from male to female avatars, 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 among the most fashion-focused releases). Other times they're confined to the various academic attire designs from Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. Yet they're always Malfunction.

The Ever-Evolving World of Pokemon Titles

Much like my characters, the Pokémon games have evolved between installments, some cosmetic, others substantial. However at their heart, they remain the same; they're always Pokémon to the core. The developers uncovered an almost flawless mechanics system approximately 30 years ago, and has only seriously tried to innovate upon it with games such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your avatar is now in danger). Across every iteration, the fundamental gameplay loop of catching and fighting alongside adorable monsters has stayed steady for almost as long as I've been alive.

Breaking the Mold in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Similar to Arceus before it, featuring absence of gyms and emphasis on compiling a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings several deviations into that framework. It's set entirely in a single location, the Paris-inspired Lumiose City of Pokémon X and Y, abandoning the region-spanning journeys of previous games. Pokémon are intended to coexist with people, battlers and non-trainers alike, in ways we've only glimpsed before.

Even more drastic is Z-A's real-time combat mechanics. It's here the franchise's almost ideal gameplay loop undergoes its biggest evolution to date, replacing methodical sequential bouts for more frenetic action. And it is thoroughly enjoyable, even as I feel ready for another turn-based entry. Although these changes to the traditional Pokemon recipe sound like they form a completely new experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as every other Pokémon title.

The Heart of the Adventure: The Z-A Championship

Upon initially reaching at Lumiose Metropolis, any intentions your custom avatar planned as a visitor get abandoned; you're immediately recruited by Taunie (if playing as a male character; Urbain for female characters) to become part of her team of trainers. You're gifted a creature from them as your first partner and you're dispatched into the Z-A Royale.

The Championship is the epicenter of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the classic "arena symbols to final challenge" advancement from earlier titles. But here, you battle several trainers to gain the chance to compete in a promotion match. Succeed and you will be promoted to the next rank, with the final objective of achieving the top rank.

Live-Action Combat: An Innovative Frontier

Character fights take place during nighttime, while sneaking around the assigned battle zones is very enjoyable. I'm constantly attempting to surprise a rival and unleash an unopposed move, since all actions occur instantaneously. Attacks function with cooldown timers, meaning both combatants can sometimes strike simultaneously at the same time (and knock each other out simultaneously). It's much to get used to at first. Despite gaming for almost thirty hours, I continue to feel that there is plenty to learn in terms of using my Pokémon's moves in ways that complement each other. Placement also factors as a significant part during combat since your creatures will follow you around or move to specific locations to perform attacks (some are long-range, while others need to be up close and personal).

The real-time action causes fights progress so quickly that I often repeating sequences of attacks in the same order, despite this amounts to a suboptimal strategy. There's no time to breathe in Z-A, and plenty of chances to become swamped. Pokémon battles depend on feedback post-move execution, and that data remains visible on screen in Z-A, but whips by rapidly. Occasionally, you can't even read it because taking your eyes off your opponent will spell immediate defeat.

Navigating Lumiose Metropolis

Outside of battle, you will traverse Lumiose Metropolis. It's relatively small, although tightly filled. Deep into the game, I continue to find unseen stores and elevated areas to visit. It is also full of charm, and fully realizes the concept of creatures and humans living together. Common bird Pokemon populate its sidewalks, taking flight when you get near similar to actual pigeons obstructing my path while strolling in New York City. The monkey trio joyfully cling from lampposts, and bug-Pokémon such as Kakuna cling on branches.

A focus on urban life represents a fresh approach for the franchise, and a welcome one. Even so, navigating the city becomes rote eventually. You might discover an alley you haven't been to, but you wouldn't know it. The architecture is devoid of personality, and many elevated areas and sewer paths offer little variety. While I haven't been to the French capital, the model behind the city, I reside in New York for nearly a decade. It's a metropolis where every district differs, and all are alive with uniqueness that give them soul. Lumiose City doesn't have that. It has tan buildings with blue or red roofs and simply designed balconies.

The Areas Where Lumiose City Truly Shines

In which the city truly stands out, oddly enough, is inside buildings. I adored the way creature fights within Sword & Shield occur in football-like stadiums, giving them real weight and meaning. Conversely, fights within Scarlet & Violet take place on a court with few spectators observing. It's very disappointing. Z-A finds a balance between both extremes. You'll battle in eateries with diners observing while they eat. An elite combat club will extend an invitation to a competition, and you will combat on its penthouse court under a lighting fixture (not the Pokemon) suspended overhead. My favorite location is the elegantly decorated headquarters of the Rust Syndicate with its moody lighting and purple partitions. Various individual combat settings brim with character missing in the larger city as a whole.

The Familiarity of Repetition

Throughout the Championship, along with subduing wild Mega Evolved Pokémon and filling the Pokédex, there is an unavoidable sense that, {"I