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

Whether it's a main series game or a spinoff such as Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the moniker always stays the same. Glitch switches between male and female characters, featuring black and purple hair. Occasionally their style is impeccable, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest addition in the enduring series (and among the more fashion-focused entries). At other moments they're limited to the assorted academic attire styles of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. But they're always Glitch.

The Ever-Evolving World of Pokemon Titles

Much like my trainers, the Pokemon titles have transformed across releases, with certain cosmetic, some significant. But at their heart, they remain identical; they're consistently Pokémon through and through. The developers discovered an almost flawless mechanics system some 30 years ago, and has only seriously tried to innovate on it with games like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your avatar is now in danger). Across every version, the fundamental gameplay loop of capturing and battling with adorable monsters has stayed steady for almost as long as my lifetime.

Breaking the Mold with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus previously, with its absence of gyms and focus on compiling a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces several changes into that formula. It takes place completely in a single location, the Paris-inspired Lumiose Metropolis from Pokémon X & Y, ditching the expansive adventures of earlier games. Pokemon are intended to live together with people, trainers and civilians, in ways we have merely glimpsed previously.

Far more drastic is Z-A's live-action battle system. This is where the franchise's almost ideal core cycle undergoes its most significant evolution yet, swapping deliberate turn-based fights with something more chaotic. And it is thoroughly enjoyable, despite I find myself eager for a new traditional release. Although these alterations to the traditional Pokemon recipe seem like they create a completely new adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as any other Pokémon title.

The Heart of the Journey: The Z-A Championship

When first arriving in Lumiose City, whatever plans your custom avatar planned as a visitor are discarded; you're immediately enlisted by Taunie (for male avatars; Urbain if female) to become part of her team of trainers. You're gifted one of her Pokémon as your first partner and are sent to participate in the Z-A Royale.

The Royale serves as the centerpiece in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the traditional "arena symbols to final challenge" advancement from earlier titles. But here, you battle several trainers to gain the chance to participate in an advancement bout. Win and you'll be promoted to a higher tier, with the final objective of reaching the top rank.

Live-Action Battles: An Innovative Approach

Character fights occur during nighttime, and sneaking around the designated combat areas is quite enjoyable. I'm always attempting to surprise an opponent and launch an unopposed move, since all actions occur in real time. Attacks function with cooldown timers, meaning you and your opponent may occasionally attack each other concurrently (and knock each other out at once). It's much to get used to at first. Even after playing for nearly 30 hours, I continue to feel like there's much to master regarding employing my creatures' attacks in methods that work together synergistically. Positioning also factors as a significant part in battles as your Pokémon will trail behind you or move to designated spots to execute moves (some are long-range, while others must be up close and personal).

The live combat causes fights progress so quickly that I find myself repeating sequences through moves in identical patterns, even when this amounts to a less effective approach. There's no time to breathe in Z-A, and plenty of chances to become swamped. Pokémon battles depend on feedback post-move execution, and that data remains visible on the display within Z-A, but flashes past quickly. Sometimes, you can't even read it since diverting attention from your opponent will spell certain doom.

Navigating Lumiose Metropolis

Away from combat, you will traverse Lumiose Metropolis. It's fairly compact, though tightly filled. Deep into the game, I'm still discovering unseen stores and elevated areas to explore. It's also full of charm, and fully realizes the concept of Pokémon and people living together. Pidgey populate its sidewalks, flying away when you get near similar to actual city birds getting in my way while strolling through NYC. The monkey trio gleefully hang from lampposts, and insect creatures such as Kakuna cling on branches.

An emphasis on urban life is a new direction for the franchise, and a positive change. Nonetheless, navigating the city grows repetitive over time. You may stumble upon a passage you never visited, but it feels identical. The building design is devoid of personality, and many elevated areas and sewer paths offer little variety. While I never visited Paris, the model behind Lumiose, I reside in New York for almost ten years. It's a metropolis where no two blocks differs, and they're all vibrant with differences that give them soul. Lumiose Metropolis lacks that quality. It has tan buildings topped with colored roofs and simply designed balconies.

Where The Metropolis Truly Shines

In which the city truly stands out, oddly enough, is indoors. I loved the way creature fights within Sword & Shield occur in football-like stadiums, giving them real weight and importance. On the flipside, fights within Scarlet and Violet take place on a court with few spectators watching. It's very disappointing. Z-A strikes a middle ground between both extremes. You will fight in restaurants with diners observing as they dine. An elite combat club will extend an invitation to a tournament, and you will combat on its penthouse court under a lighting fixture (not Chandelure) hanging above. The most memorable spot is the beautifully designed base of the Rust Syndicate with atmospheric illumination and purple partitions. Various individual combat settings brim with character missing in the larger city in general.

The Comfort of Routine

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