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I'm not sure exactly how the tradition started, but I consistently call all my Pokémon trainers Glitch.

Whether it's a main series game or a side project like Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the moniker always stays the same. Glitch alternates between male and female characters, featuring black and purple hair. Sometimes their style is impeccable, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest installment in this enduring series (and one of the most fashion-focused entries). At other moments they're confined to the assorted academic attire designs from Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. Yet they're always Malfunction.

The Ever-Evolving Realm of Pokémon Games

Much like my trainers, the Pokemon titles have transformed across releases, with certain cosmetic, some substantial. But at their core, they remain identical; they're always Pokemon to the core. The developers uncovered an almost flawless gameplay formula some three decades back, and just recently seriously tried to innovate upon it with games like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your avatar is now in danger). Across every iteration, the fundamental mechanics cycle of capturing and battling alongside adorable monsters has remained steady for nearly as long as I've been alive.

Shaking the Mold with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus previously, featuring lack of arenas and focus on creating a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings several changes to that framework. It's set completely in one place, the Paris-inspired Lumiose City from Pokémon X & Y, ditching the expansive adventures of previous titles. Pokemon are meant to live together with people, trainers and non-trainers alike, in ways we have merely seen glimpses of before.

Even more drastic than that Z-A's live-action combat mechanics. It's here the series' near-perfect gameplay loop undergoes its biggest transformation yet, swapping deliberate sequential fights with something more chaotic. And it is immensely fun, even as I find myself eager for another turn-based entry. Though these changes to the traditional Pokemon recipe seem like they create an entirely fresh experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as every other Pokemon game.

The Heart of the Adventure: The Z-A Royale

When initially reaching in Lumiose City, any intentions your custom avatar had as a tourist are discarded; you're promptly enlisted by Taunie (for male avatars; Urbain for female characters) to join her team of battlers. You receive one of her Pokémon as your starter and you're dispatched into the Z-A Championship.

The Royale serves as the centerpiece of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the classic "gym badges to Elite Four" advancement of past games. However here, you fight several opponents to gain the opportunity to compete in a promotion match. Win and you'll be promoted to a higher tier, with the ultimate goal of reaching rank A.

Real-Time Combat: An Innovative Approach

Character fights occur during nighttime, and sneaking around the assigned combat areas is very enjoyable. I'm constantly trying to get a jump on an opponent and unleash a free attack, because all actions occur in real time. Moves operate on recharge periods, meaning you and your opponent can sometimes attack each other at the same time (and defeat each other simultaneously). It's much to get used to initially. Even after gaming for almost thirty hours, I continue to feel that there is plenty to learn in terms of using my Pokémon's moves in methods that complement each other. Placement also factors as a major role during combat since your creatures will trail behind you or move to specific locations to perform attacks (some are long-range, whereas others must be up close and personal).

The real-time action makes battles progress so quickly that I find myself repeating sequences of attacks in the same order, despite this amounts to a suboptimal strategy. There isn't moment to pause during Z-A, and numerous opportunities to get overwhelmed. Creature fights rely on feedback post-move execution, and that information is still present on screen within Z-A, but flashes past quickly. Sometimes, you cannot process it because taking your eyes off your adversary will spell certain doom.

Navigating Lumiose Metropolis

Outside of battle, you'll explore Lumiose City. It's relatively small, although densely packed. Far into the adventure, I continue to find unseen stores and rooftops to explore. It's also full of charm, and perfectly captures the concept of creatures and humans living together. Common bird Pokemon inhabit its pathways, taking flight when you get near like the real-life pigeons obstructing my path while strolling in New York City. The monkey trio gleefully hang on streetlights, and bug-Pokémon such as Kakuna cling to trees.

A focus on urban life represents a fresh approach for the franchise, and a welcome one. Even so, exploring Lumiose grows repetitive over time. You might discover an alley you haven't been to, but it feels identical. The architecture is devoid of personality, and many elevated areas and underground routes offer little variety. While I haven't been to the French capital, the model behind 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 provide character. Lumiose City lacks that quality. It features tan buildings with blue or red roofs and flatly rendered terraces.

The Areas Where Lumiose City Really Excels

Where Lumiose City really shines, oddly enough, is inside buildings. I adored how Pokémon battles within Sword and Shield occur in football-like stadiums, giving them real weight and importance. On the flipside, battles in Scarlet & Violet happen on a court with few spectators observing. It's a total letdown. Z-A strikes a middle ground between the two. You'll battle in restaurants with patrons watching while they eat. A fancy battle society will extend an invitation to a competition, and you'll battle on its penthouse court with a chandelier (not the Pokemon) suspended overhead. The most memorable spot is the beautifully designed base of a certain faction with atmospheric illumination and purple partitions. Various individual combat settings brim with character missing in the overall metropolis in general.

The Familiarity of Routine

During the Royale, along with quelling rogue Mega Evolved Pokémon and filling the creature index, there's an inescapable feeling of, {"I