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I'm not sure exactly how the custom began, but I consistently call every one of my Pokémon trainers Malfunction.

Be it a main series title or a spinoff like Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the moniker never changes. Glitch alternates from male to female avatars, with black and purple locks. Sometimes their style is impeccable, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest addition in the long-running franchise (and one of the most style-conscious releases). Other times they're confined to the assorted school uniform designs of Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. But they remain Glitch.

The Constantly Changing Realm of Pokémon Games

Much like my characters, the Pokemon titles have evolved between releases, some superficial, others significant. But at their heart, they stay identical; they're consistently Pokemon through and through. The developers discovered an almost flawless gameplay formula some three decades back, and just recently seriously tried to evolve on it with entries like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (different timeline, your character is now in danger). Across all iteration, the fundamental gameplay loop of catching and battling with adorable monsters has stayed steady for nearly as long as I've been alive.

Shaking the Mold with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Similar to Arceus previously, with its absence of gyms and emphasis on creating a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings several deviations to that framework. It's set completely in one place, the French capital-inspired Lumiose Metropolis from Pokémon X & Y, ditching the region-spanning adventures of previous titles. Pokemon are intended to coexist with humans, trainers and non-trainers alike, in ways we have merely glimpsed previously.

Far more drastic than that Z-A's real-time battle system. This is where the series' near-perfect core cycle experiences its most significant evolution to date, swapping methodical sequential bouts for more frenetic action. And it is immensely fun, even as I feel ready for another turn-based entry. Although these alterations to the traditional Pokémon formula seem like they create a completely new adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A feels as recognizable as any other Pokémon title.

The Core of the Adventure: The Z-A Royale

Upon first arriving at Lumiose Metropolis, whatever plans your created character planned as a visitor are discarded; you're immediately recruited by the female guide (for male avatars; the male guide if female) to become part of their squad of trainers. You receive one of her Pokémon as your first partner and are sent into the Z-A Championship.

The Championship serves as the centerpiece of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the traditional "gym badges to Elite Four" progression of past games. However here, you fight several trainers to gain the chance to compete in an advancement bout. Succeed and you will be promoted to a higher tier, with the ultimate goal of reaching rank A.

Live-Action Battles: An Innovative Approach

Character fights take place at night, and navigating stealthily the assigned combat areas is very enjoyable. I'm always trying to surprise a rival and unleash an unopposed move, since everything happens in real time. Attacks operate on cooldown timers, indicating both combatants can sometimes attack each other concurrently (and defeat each other at once). It's much to get used to initially. Despite playing for nearly thirty hours, I continue to feel that there is much to master regarding using my Pokémon's moves in ways that complement each other. Positioning also factors as a significant part during combat since your creatures will follow you around or go to designated spots to execute moves (some are long-range, whereas others must be up close and personal).

The live combat causes fights go so fast that I find myself sometimes cycling of attacks in the same order, even when this amounts to a less effective approach. There isn't moment to pause during Z-A, and numerous chances to get overwhelmed. Creature fights rely on response post-move execution, and that data remains visible on screen in Z-A, but flashes past rapidly. Sometimes, you cannot process it because taking your eyes off your adversary will spell certain doom.

Navigating Lumiose City

Away from combat, you'll explore Lumiose City. It's relatively small, though tightly filled. Far into the adventure, I'm still discovering new shops and elevated areas to explore. It's also full of charm, and fully realizes the concept of creatures and humans coexisting. Pidgey inhabit its pathways, taking flight when you get near similar to actual pigeons getting in my way when walking in New York City. The monkey trio gleefully hang from lampposts, and insect creatures such as Kakuna cling to trees.

An emphasis on city living is a new direction for the franchise, and a positive change. Nonetheless, navigating the city grows repetitive eventually. You might discover a passage you never visited, but you wouldn't know it. The architecture lacks character, and many elevated areas and sewer paths provide minimal diversity. Although I never visited Paris, the inspiration for the city, I've lived in NYC for nearly a decade. It's a city where no two blocks are the same, and all are alive with uniqueness that give them soul. Lumiose Metropolis doesn't have that. It features tan buildings 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 inside buildings. I adored the way creature fights within Sword and Shield occur in football-like stadiums, giving them genuine significance and meaning. Conversely, battles in Scarlet and Violet take place on a court with few spectators observing. It's a total letdown. Z-A strikes a middle ground between both extremes. You'll battle in restaurants with patrons watching while they eat. A fancy battle society will invite you to a competition, and you'll battle on its penthouse court under a lighting fixture (not Chandelure) suspended overhead. My favorite location is the elegantly decorated base of a certain faction with atmospheric illumination and magenta walls. Various individual combat settings brim with character missing in the larger city as a whole.

The Familiarity of Routine

During the Championship, along with subduing wild Mega Evolved Pokémon and completing the creature index, there is an unavoidable sense that, {"I