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I don't recall exactly how the tradition began, however I consistently call all my Pokémon trainers Glitch.

Whether it's a main series title or a side project like Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the name never changes. Malfunction alternates between male and female avatars, with dark and violet hair. Occasionally their style is impeccable, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest addition in the enduring franchise (and among the more style-conscious entries). At other moments they're limited to the assorted academic attire designs of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. But they remain Malfunction.

The Ever-Evolving World of Pokemon Titles

Much like my trainers, the Pokémon games have transformed across releases, some cosmetic, others significant. However at their core, they stay identical; they're always Pokemon to the core. The developers uncovered an almost flawless gameplay formula approximately three decades back, and has only seriously tried to innovate on it with entries like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (different timeline, your character is now in danger). Across every iteration, the core mechanics cycle of catching and fighting with adorable monsters has remained steady for almost as long as I've been alive.

Shaking the Mold in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Similar to Arceus previously, with its absence of gyms and focus on creating a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces several deviations into that framework. It takes place completely in a single location, the French capital-inspired Lumiose Metropolis of Pokémon X and Y, ditching the region-spanning journeys of earlier titles. Pokémon are intended to live together alongside humans, trainers and civilians, in manners we've only glimpsed before.

Far more radical than that Z-A's live-action combat mechanics. It's here the series' near-perfect gameplay loop undergoes its most significant transformation to date, swapping deliberate sequential fights with more frenetic action. And it is thoroughly enjoyable, despite I feel eager for another traditional release. Although these alterations to the traditional Pokémon formula sound like they create an entirely fresh adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A feels as recognizable as every other Pokemon game.

The Heart of the Journey: The Z-A Championship

Upon initially reaching at Lumiose Metropolis, any intentions your custom avatar had as a tourist get abandoned; you're immediately recruited by Taunie (for male avatars; Urbain for female characters) to become part of their squad of battlers. You're gifted one of her Pokémon as your starter and are sent to participate in the Z-A Royale.

The Championship is the epicenter in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's similar to the traditional "gym badges to Elite Four" progression of past games. However here, you fight several opponents to earn the opportunity to participate in an advancement bout. Win and you will be promoted to a higher tier, with the ultimate goal of achieving the top rank.

Real-Time Battles: A New Approach

Character fights occur at night, and sneaking around the assigned battle zones is quite enjoyable. I'm always attempting to get a jump on an opponent and launch a free attack, because all actions occur in real time. Moves operate on cooldown timers, indicating you and your opponent can sometimes attack each other concurrently (and knock each other out simultaneously). It's much to adjust to initially. Despite gaming for almost thirty hours, I continue to feel that there is much to master regarding using my Pokémon's moves in ways that work together synergistically. Placement also plays a significant part during combat since your creatures will trail behind you or go to designated spots to execute moves (some are long-range, while others need to be up close and personal).

The live combat 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 pause during Z-A, and plenty of chances to get overwhelmed. Creature fights depend on feedback after using an attack, and that information remains visible on the display within Z-A, but flashes past quickly. Sometimes, you can't even read it because diverting attention from your adversary will spell certain doom.

Navigating Lumiose City

Away from combat, you will traverse Lumiose Metropolis. It's fairly compact, though densely packed. Far into the adventure, I'm still discovering new shops and elevated areas to explore. It's also full of charm, and perfectly captures the vision of Pokémon and people coexisting. Pidgey populate its sidewalks, taking flight as you approach similar to actual pigeons getting in my way when walking in New York City. The Pan Trio monkeys gleefully hang from lampposts, and insect creatures like Kakuna attach themselves to trees.

An emphasis on city living represents a fresh approach for the franchise, and a welcome one. Even so, navigating the city grows repetitive eventually. You may stumble upon a passage you never visited, but you wouldn't know it. The architecture is devoid of personality, and most rooftops and underground routes provide minimal diversity. While I never visited the French capital, the model behind the city, I reside in New York for nearly a decade. It's a metropolis where every district differs, and they're all vibrant with differences that provide character. Lumiose City lacks that quality. It features tan buildings topped with colored roofs and flatly rendered balconies.

Where Lumiose City Truly Shines

In which Lumiose City really shines, oddly enough, is inside buildings. I loved the way creature fights in Sword and Shield occur in football-like stadiums, giving them genuine significance and importance. On the flipside, fights within Scarlet & Violet take place on a court with two random people observing. It's a total letdown. Z-A strikes a middle ground between the two. You will fight in eateries with patrons watching as they dine. A fancy battle society will extend an invitation to a competition, and you'll battle in its rooftop arena under a lighting fixture (not the Pokemon) suspended overhead. My favorite location is the elegantly decorated headquarters of a certain faction with its moody lighting and purple partitions. Various individual battle locales brim with character missing in the larger city in general.

The Comfort of Routine

Throughout the Championship, along with quelling rogue Mega Evolved Pokémon and completing the Pokédex, there is an unavoidable feeling of, {"I