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I don't recall exactly how the custom started, but I consistently call all my Pokémon trainers Malfunction.

Be it a core franchise game or a spinoff such as Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the name never changes. Glitch alternates from male to female avatars, with dark and violet locks. Sometimes their style is impeccable, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest addition in this enduring franchise (and among the most fashion-focused entries). Other times they're limited to the assorted school uniform styles of Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. Yet they're always Malfunction.

The Ever-Evolving World of Pokémon Titles

Much like my trainers, the Pokémon games have evolved across installments, with certain cosmetic, some substantial. But at their core, they remain the same; they're always Pokémon through and through. Game Freak uncovered an almost flawless gameplay formula approximately three decades back, and has only seriously tried to innovate upon it with games like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your character is now in danger). Throughout every version, the fundamental mechanics cycle of capturing and fighting alongside charming creatures has stayed steady for nearly the same duration as my lifetime.

Breaking the Mold in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

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

Far more radical than that Z-A's live-action battle system. It's here the franchise's almost ideal gameplay loop undergoes its biggest evolution yet, swapping deliberate turn-based fights for something more chaotic. And it is thoroughly enjoyable, despite I find myself ready for a new traditional entry. Although these changes to the traditional Pokemon recipe sound like they create an entirely fresh adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A feels as recognizable as any other Pokemon game.

The Core of the Adventure: The Z-A Royale

Upon initially reaching in Lumiose City, any intentions your created character planned as a visitor are discarded; you're immediately recruited by the female guide (for male avatars; Urbain if female) to become part of their squad of battlers. You're gifted a creature from them as your first partner and are sent into the Z-A Championship.

The Championship is the epicenter of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the classic "arena symbols to final challenge" advancement from earlier titles. But here, you battle a handful of trainers to gain the chance to participate in an advancement bout. Win and you will be promoted to the next rank, with the final objective of reaching rank A.

Real-Time Battles: An Innovative Frontier

Trainer battles occur during nighttime, and navigating stealthily the assigned battle zones is quite enjoyable. I'm constantly attempting to surprise an opponent and unleash an unopposed move, because everything happens in real time. Attacks operate on recharge periods, indicating both combatants may occasionally strike simultaneously at the same time (and knock each other out simultaneously). It's much to get used to initially. Even after gaming for almost 30 hours, I continue to feel like there's plenty to learn in terms of employing my creatures' attacks in ways that work together synergistically. Placement also plays a significant part in battles since your creatures will trail behind you or go to designated spots to perform attacks (certain ones are distant, while others need to be in close proximity).

The real-time action makes battles go so fast that I find myself repeating sequences through moves in the same order, even when this results in a suboptimal strategy. There's no time to breathe during Z-A, and numerous chances to become swamped. Creature fights rely on response post-move execution, and that information remains visible on screen in Z-A, but flashes past rapidly. Sometimes, you can't even read it since diverting attention from your opponent will result in immediate defeat.

Exploring Lumiose City

Away from combat, you will traverse Lumiose Metropolis. It's fairly compact, though tightly filled. Deep into the game, I'm still discovering new shops and rooftops to explore. It's also rich with character, and perfectly captures the vision of creatures and humans coexisting. Pidgey populate its sidewalks, taking flight when you get near like the real-life pigeons getting in my way when walking in New York City. The Pan Trio monkeys gleefully hang on streetlights, and bug-Pokémon like Kakuna attach themselves to trees.

A focus on urban life is a new direction for the franchise, and a positive change. Nonetheless, exploring Lumiose grows repetitive eventually. You might discover a passage you haven't been to, but it feels identical. The architecture lacks character, and most rooftops and underground routes offer little variety. While I never visited the French capital, the inspiration for the city, I've lived in NYC for almost ten years. It's a metropolis where no two blocks are the same, and they're all vibrant with differences that give them soul. Lumiose Metropolis lacks that quality. It features tan buildings topped with colored roofs and simply designed balconies.

The Areas Where Lumiose City Really Excels

Where the city truly stands out, surprisingly, is indoors. I loved how Pokémon battles within Sword and Shield occur in football-like stadiums, giving them real weight and meaning. On the flipside, fights within Scarlet & Violet happen on a court with two random people observing. It's very disappointing. Z-A finds a balance between both extremes. You'll battle in restaurants with patrons watching as they dine. An elite combat club will invite you to a competition, and you will combat on its penthouse court with a chandelier (not Chandelure) suspended overhead. The most memorable spot is the elegantly decorated headquarters of the Rust Syndicate with its moody lighting and magenta walls. Various individual combat settings brim with character that's absent from the overall metropolis in general.

The Familiarity of Repetition

During the Royale, as well as subduing wild powered-up creatures and filling the creature index, there is an unavoidable sense that, {"I