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I don't recall exactly how the tradition started, 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 moniker never changes. Glitch alternates from male to female avatars, featuring black and purple locks. Occasionally their fashion is impeccable, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest addition in this long-running series (and one of the most style-conscious entries). Other times they're confined to the various academic attire styles of Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. Yet they're always Malfunction.

The Ever-Evolving World of Pokémon Games

Similar to my trainers, the Pokémon games have evolved between installments, some superficial, some significant. However at their heart, they remain identical; they're consistently Pokémon to the core. The developers uncovered an almost flawless gameplay formula approximately three decades back, and just recently seriously tried to evolve 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 fighting alongside charming creatures has remained steady for almost as long as I've been alive.

Shaking Conventions in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus before it, featuring absence of gyms and focus on creating a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces several deviations to that framework. It takes place completely in one place, the Paris-inspired Lumiose Metropolis from Pokémon X & Y, abandoning the expansive adventures of earlier games. Pokemon are meant to coexist alongside people, battlers and non-trainers alike, in ways we have merely glimpsed before.

Even more radical is Z-A's real-time battle system. This is where the series' near-perfect gameplay loop experiences its most significant evolution to date, replacing methodical turn-based bouts with something more chaotic. And it's thoroughly enjoyable, even as I feel eager for a new turn-based entry. Although these alterations to the classic Pokémon formula 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 Royale

When initially reaching in Lumiose City, any intentions your created character had as a tourist are discarded; you're promptly enlisted by the female guide (for male avatars; the male guide if female) to join her team of trainers. You receive a creature from them as your first partner and you're dispatched to participate in the Z-A Royale.

The Royale is the epicenter of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the classic "arena symbols to final challenge" progression from earlier titles. However here, you battle a handful of opponents to gain the chance to participate in a promotion match. Win and you will be promoted to a higher tier, with the final objective of reaching rank A.

Live-Action Battles: A New Frontier

Character fights take place at night, while navigating stealthily the designated battle zones is very enjoyable. I'm constantly attempting to surprise a rival and launch an unopposed move, since all actions occur instantaneously. Moves operate on cooldown timers, indicating you and your opponent may occasionally strike simultaneously concurrently (and defeat each other simultaneously). It's much to adjust to at first. Even after gaming for almost 30 hours, I continue to feel that there is plenty to learn regarding employing my creatures' attacks in methods that work together synergistically. Positioning also plays a major role in battles as your Pokémon will trail behind you or move to specific locations to execute moves (some are long-range, while others need to be up close and personal).

The live combat causes fights progress so quickly that I find myself repeating sequences of attacks in identical patterns, even when this results in a less effective approach. There's no time to breathe in Z-A, and plenty of opportunities to become swamped. Creature fights rely on feedback post-move execution, and that data remains visible on screen within Z-A, but whips by rapidly. Sometimes, you can't even read it since taking your eyes off your opponent will result in immediate defeat.

Navigating Lumiose City

Away from combat, you will traverse Lumiose Metropolis. It's relatively small, although tightly filled. Far into the adventure, I'm still discovering unseen stores and elevated areas to explore. It is also full of charm, and perfectly captures the vision of creatures and humans coexisting. Pidgey inhabit its pathways, taking flight when you get near like the real-life pigeons obstructing my path while strolling through NYC. The monkey trio gleefully hang on streetlights, and bug-Pokémon like Kakuna attach themselves on branches.

An emphasis on city living represents a fresh approach for the franchise, and a positive change. Nonetheless, exploring Lumiose grows repetitive eventually. You may stumble upon an alley you never visited, but you wouldn't know it. The building design lacks character, and most rooftops and underground routes provide minimal diversity. Although I haven't been to the French capital, the inspiration for Lumiose, I reside in New York for nearly a decade. It's a metropolis where no two blocks differs, and all are alive with uniqueness that give them soul. Lumiose Metropolis doesn't have that. It features beige structures with blue or red roofs and simply designed balconies.

The Areas Where The Metropolis Really Excels

Where the city truly stands out, surprisingly, is indoors. I loved the way creature fights within Sword and Shield occur in football-like stadiums, providing them genuine significance and importance. On the flipside, battles in Scarlet and Violet happen in a field with two random people watching. It's a total letdown. Z-A strikes a middle ground between the two. You will fight in eateries with patrons watching while they eat. An elite combat club will invite you to a tournament, and you will combat on its penthouse court under a lighting fixture (not Chandelure) hanging above. My favorite location is the beautifully designed base of the Rust Syndicate with atmospheric illumination and magenta walls. Several distinct battle locales brim with character that's absent from the overall metropolis as a whole.

The Comfort of Repetition

Throughout the Royale, as well as subduing wild powered-up creatures and filling the Pokédex, there is an unavoidable sense that, {"I