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I don't recall precisely when the tradition started, but I always name every one of my Pokémon trainers Malfunction.

Be it a core franchise game or a side project such as Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the moniker never changes. Glitch alternates from male to female characters, with black and purple hair. Sometimes their fashion is impeccable, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest installment in the enduring franchise (and one of the most style-conscious entries). Other times they're limited to the various school uniform styles from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Yet they remain Glitch.

The Constantly Changing World of Pokémon Games

Similar to my trainers, the Pokémon games have transformed across installments, some cosmetic, others significant. However at their core, they stay the same; they're always Pokémon through and through. Game Freak uncovered a nearly perfect gameplay formula some three decades back, and has only seriously tried to innovate on it with entries such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (different timeline, your character is now in danger). Throughout all version, the core mechanics cycle of catching and battling alongside adorable monsters has remained consistent for almost the same duration as I've been alive.

Breaking Conventions with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Similar to Arceus previously, with its absence of gyms and emphasis on compiling a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces multiple deviations to that framework. It takes place completely in a single location, the Paris-inspired Lumiose Metropolis of Pokémon X & Y, abandoning the region-spanning journeys of previous titles. Pokémon are meant to live together with humans, battlers and non-trainers alike, in manners we have merely seen glimpses of before.

Far more radical than that Z-A's live-action battle system. It's here the franchise's almost ideal core cycle undergoes its biggest evolution to date, swapping methodical sequential bouts for something more chaotic. And it's thoroughly enjoyable, even as I find myself ready for a new turn-based entry. Though these changes to the classic Pokémon formula seem like they form an entirely fresh experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A feels as recognizable as any other Pokemon game.

The Heart of the Adventure: The Z-A Championship

Upon first arriving at Lumiose Metropolis, any intentions your custom avatar planned as a visitor get abandoned; you're immediately enlisted by the female guide (for male avatars; the male guide if female) to join her team of trainers. You receive one of her Pokémon as your starter and you're dispatched into the Z-A Royale.

The Championship serves as the centerpiece in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the traditional "arena symbols to final challenge" advancement from earlier titles. However here, you fight several trainers to earn the chance to compete in a promotion match. Succeed and you will be elevated to the next rank, with the final objective of achieving the top rank.

Live-Action Combat: A New Frontier

Character fights take place at night, while sneaking around the designated combat areas is very enjoyable. I'm constantly attempting to get a jump on a rival and unleash an unopposed move, since all actions occur instantaneously. Moves function with cooldown timers, meaning you and your opponent can sometimes strike simultaneously at the same time (and knock each other out at once). It's much to adjust to initially. Despite gaming for almost thirty hours, I continue to feel that there is plenty to learn regarding using my Pokémon's moves in methods that work together synergistically. Placement also factors as a significant part in battles since your creatures will follow you around or go to specific locations to perform attacks (certain ones are distant, whereas others must be in close proximity).

The live combat causes fights go so fast that I often repeating sequences of attacks in the same order, despite this results in a suboptimal strategy. There's no time to breathe in Z-A, and numerous opportunities to get overwhelmed. Creature fights depend on feedback after using an attack, and that information is still present on the display in Z-A, but flashes past rapidly. Sometimes, you can't even read it because taking your eyes off your opponent will spell immediate defeat.

Navigating Lumiose Metropolis

Outside of battle, you will traverse Lumiose City. It's fairly compact, though tightly filled. Deep into the game, I continue to find unseen stores and rooftops to explore. It is 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 city birds obstructing my path while strolling in New York City. The monkey trio gleefully hang from lampposts, and insect creatures like Kakuna attach themselves to trees.

A focus on urban life is a new direction for the franchise, and a welcome one. Even so, exploring Lumiose 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 most rooftops and sewer paths provide minimal diversity. Although I haven't been to the French capital, the inspiration for the city, I've lived in NYC for nearly a decade. It's a metropolis where every district differs, and all are vibrant with differences that give them soul. Lumiose City lacks that quality. It features beige structures with blue or red roofs and simply designed terraces.

Where Lumiose City Truly Shines

Where Lumiose City truly stands out, surprisingly, is inside buildings. I loved how Pokémon battles in Sword & Shield take place in football-like stadiums, giving them genuine significance and meaning. On the flipside, battles in Scarlet & Violet happen in a field with few spectators observing. It's a total letdown. 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 competition, and you'll battle on its penthouse court with a chandelier (not Chandelure) suspended overhead. My favorite location is the beautifully designed headquarters of the Rust Syndicate with atmospheric illumination and purple partitions. Several distinct battle locales overflow with personality missing in the overall metropolis as a whole.

The Familiarity of Routine

Throughout the Royale, along with subduing wild powered-up creatures and completing the Pokédex, there's an inescapable sense that, {"I