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I don't recall exactly how the custom started, but I consistently call every one of my Pokémon trainers Malfunction.

Be it a main series game or a spinoff such as Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the moniker always stays the same. Malfunction alternates between male and female characters, featuring black and purple hair. Occasionally their fashion is flawless, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest addition in this long-running series (and among the more fashion-focused entries). Other times they're confined to the assorted school uniform styles of Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. But they're always Glitch.

The Constantly Changing World of Pokémon Games

Similar to my trainers, the Pokemon titles have transformed between installments, some superficial, others substantial. However at their heart, they stay identical; they're always Pokemon to the core. The developers uncovered an almost flawless gameplay formula some 30 years ago, and just recently truly attempted to evolve on it with games such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your avatar faces peril). Across every iteration, the fundamental gameplay loop of capturing and fighting with charming creatures has stayed consistent for almost as long as I've been alive.

Breaking the Mold in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Similar to Arceus previously, with its absence of gyms and emphasis on creating a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings multiple changes into that formula. It takes place completely in a single location, the Paris-inspired Lumiose City from Pokémon X and Y, ditching the expansive adventures of earlier titles. Pokémon are intended to coexist with humans, trainers and non-trainers alike, in manners we've only glimpsed previously.

Far more radical is Z-A's real-time combat mechanics. This is where the franchise's almost ideal core cycle undergoes its most significant transformation yet, swapping deliberate sequential fights with something more chaotic. And it is thoroughly enjoyable, even as I feel ready for a new turn-based release. Though these changes to the traditional Pokémon formula sound like they form a completely new experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A feels as recognizable as any other Pokémon title.

The Heart of the Adventure: The Z-A Royale

When initially reaching in Lumiose City, any intentions your created character planned as a visitor are discarded; you're promptly recruited by the female guide (for male avatars; Urbain if female) to join her team of trainers. You're gifted a creature from them as your first partner and you're dispatched to participate in 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" progression from earlier titles. But here, you fight several trainers to earn the opportunity to compete in an advancement bout. Win and you'll be promoted to the next rank, with the ultimate goal of achieving the top rank.

Live-Action Battles: An Innovative Frontier

Trainer battles occur at night, and navigating stealthily the assigned battle zones is very enjoyable. I'm constantly attempting to get a jump on a rival and launch an unopposed move, because everything happens instantaneously. Moves function with recharge periods, meaning you and your opponent can sometimes strike simultaneously 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 plenty to learn regarding employing my creatures' attacks in ways that work together synergistically. Positioning also plays a significant part during combat since your creatures will follow you around or move to designated spots to perform attacks (some are long-range, whereas others must be in close proximity).

The real-time action makes battles progress so quickly that I often repeating sequences through moves in the same order, despite this amounts to a less effective approach. There isn't moment to breathe during Z-A, and plenty of chances to become swamped. Creature fights rely on feedback post-move execution, and that information is still present on screen in Z-A, but whips by rapidly. Occasionally, you can't even read it since taking your eyes off your adversary will spell immediate defeat.

Navigating Lumiose Metropolis

Outside of battle, you will traverse Lumiose City. It's fairly compact, although tightly filled. Far into the adventure, I continue to find new shops and rooftops to explore. It's also rich with character, and fully realizes the concept of creatures and humans coexisting. Pidgey inhabit its pathways, taking flight when you get near similar to actual pigeons obstructing my path while strolling through NYC. The Pan Trio monkeys joyfully cling from lampposts, and insect creatures such as Kakuna attach themselves on branches.

A focus on urban life is a new direction for the franchise, and a positive change. Even so, exploring Lumiose grows repetitive eventually. You might discover a passage you haven't been to, but you wouldn't know it. The building design is devoid of personality, and most rooftops and underground routes provide minimal diversity. While I never visited Paris, the inspiration for Lumiose, I've lived in NYC for almost ten years. It's a metropolis where every district are the same, and all are alive with uniqueness that give them soul. Lumiose Metropolis lacks that quality. It features tan buildings topped with colored roofs and simply designed terraces.

The Areas Where Lumiose City Truly Shines

Where the city really shines, surprisingly, is indoors. I loved how Pokémon battles in Sword & Shield occur in arena-like venues, giving them genuine significance and importance. On the flipside, battles in Scarlet & Violet happen on a court with few spectators watching. It's very disappointing. Z-A strikes a middle ground between both extremes. You will fight in eateries with patrons watching while they eat. A fancy battle society will invite you to a tournament, and you will combat in its rooftop arena under a lighting fixture (not Chandelure) suspended overhead. My favorite location is the beautifully designed base of a certain faction with atmospheric illumination and purple partitions. Several distinct combat settings brim with character that's absent from the larger city in general.

The Familiarity of Routine

Throughout the Championship, as well as quelling rogue Mega Evolved Pokémon and filling the Pokédex, there's an inescapable sense that, {"I