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I'm not sure exactly how the tradition started, but I always name every one of my Pokémon trainers Glitch.

Whether it's a core franchise title or a spinoff such as Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the name always stays the same. Malfunction alternates from male to female avatars, featuring dark and violet hair. Sometimes their style is impeccable, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest addition in the enduring franchise (and among the most style-conscious entries). At other moments they're confined to the assorted academic attire styles of Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. But they remain Malfunction.

The Ever-Evolving World of Pokémon Titles

Much like my characters, the Pokemon titles have transformed between installments, with certain cosmetic, some significant. However at their core, they remain identical; they're consistently Pokémon to the core. The developers discovered an almost flawless mechanics system some 30 years ago, and has only seriously tried to evolve upon it with entries such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (different timeline, your avatar faces peril). Throughout every version, the fundamental mechanics cycle of capturing and fighting with adorable monsters has stayed steady for almost the same duration as my lifetime.

Shaking the Mold with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus previously, featuring absence of gyms and focus on creating a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces several changes to that framework. It takes place entirely in one place, the Paris-inspired Lumiose Metropolis from Pokémon X & Y, abandoning the expansive journeys of previous games. Pokemon are meant to live together alongside people, trainers and civilians, in manners we've only seen glimpses of previously.

Far more drastic is Z-A's live-action combat mechanics. This is where the series' near-perfect gameplay loop experiences its most significant transformation to date, swapping deliberate sequential bouts for something more chaotic. And it's thoroughly enjoyable, despite I feel ready for a new turn-based release. Although these alterations to the traditional Pokemon recipe seem like they form a completely new experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as any other Pokemon game.

The Heart of the Adventure: The Z-A Championship

Upon 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 for female characters) to become part of her team of battlers. You're gifted one of her Pokémon as your first partner and are sent into the Z-A Championship.

The Royale is the epicenter of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's similar to the classic "arena symbols to final challenge" progression from earlier titles. However here, you battle a handful of trainers to gain the opportunity to compete in a promotion match. Succeed and you will be elevated to a higher tier, with the final objective of reaching the top rank.

Live-Action Battles: A New Approach

Trainer battles take place at night, while navigating stealthily the assigned combat areas is quite entertaining. I'm always trying to get a jump on an opponent and unleash a free attack, since everything happens in real time. Moves function with recharge periods, indicating both combatants can sometimes attack each other at the same time (and knock each other out at once). It's a lot to get used to initially. Even after playing for nearly thirty hours, I still feel that there is much to master in terms of employing my creatures' attacks in ways that work together synergistically. Placement also plays a major role in battles as your Pokémon will trail behind you or go to designated spots to perform attacks (some are long-range, whereas others need to be in close proximity).

The live combat makes battles go so fast that I often sometimes cycling of attacks in the same order, even when this amounts to a suboptimal strategy. There's no time to pause during Z-A, and plenty of chances to become swamped. Pokémon battles rely on response after using an attack, and that data remains visible on the display in Z-A, but flashes past quickly. Sometimes, you cannot process it because taking your eyes off your opponent will result in certain doom.

Exploring Lumiose Metropolis

Away from combat, you'll explore Lumiose City. It's fairly compact, although tightly filled. Deep into the game, I continue to find unseen stores and elevated areas to visit. It's also full of charm, and perfectly captures the concept of creatures and humans coexisting. Pidgey populate its sidewalks, flying away as you approach like the real-life city birds getting in my way while strolling in New York City. The monkey trio gleefully hang on streetlights, and insect creatures like Kakuna attach themselves to trees.

An emphasis on urban life represents a fresh approach for the franchise, and a welcome one. Nonetheless, exploring Lumiose grows repetitive eventually. You might discover a passage you haven't been to, but you wouldn't know it. The building design lacks character, and many elevated areas and underground routes provide minimal diversity. While I haven't been to Paris, the inspiration for the city, I've lived in NYC for almost ten years. It's a city where every district differs, and all are alive with uniqueness that provide character. Lumiose City lacks that quality. It has tan buildings topped with colored roofs and flatly rendered balconies.

The Areas Where The Metropolis Truly Shines

In which Lumiose City truly stands out, oddly enough, is inside buildings. I adored how Pokémon battles in Sword & Shield occur in football-like stadiums, providing them real weight and importance. On the flipside, fights within Scarlet & Violet take place on a court with two random people watching. It's a total letdown. Z-A finds a balance between both extremes. You'll battle in restaurants with patrons watching while they eat. An elite combat club will invite you to a competition, and you'll battle on its penthouse court under a lighting fixture (not the Pokemon) suspended overhead. The most memorable spot is the beautifully designed base of a certain faction with its moody lighting and purple partitions. Various individual combat settings brim with character missing in the larger city in general.

The Comfort of Repetition

Throughout the Royale, as well as quelling rogue powered-up creatures and filling the creature index, there's an inescapable feeling of, {"I