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I don't recall exactly how the tradition started, however I always name all my Pokémon trainers Malfunction.

Be it a main series game or a spinoff such as Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the name always stays the same. Glitch alternates between male and female characters, featuring dark and violet locks. Occasionally their style is flawless, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest installment in this enduring franchise (and one of the more style-conscious entries). At other moments they're limited to the various school uniform designs of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Yet they remain Glitch.

The Constantly Changing Realm of Pokemon Games

Much like my trainers, the Pokémon games have evolved across releases, with certain superficial, some significant. But at their heart, they remain identical; they're consistently Pokemon through and through. The developers uncovered a nearly perfect mechanics system some three decades back, and just recently truly attempted to innovate on it with entries such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your avatar faces peril). Across every version, the fundamental mechanics cycle of capturing and fighting with adorable monsters has remained consistent for almost as long as my lifetime.

Breaking Conventions in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Similar to Arceus previously, featuring absence of gyms and focus on compiling a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings multiple changes to that formula. It takes place entirely in a single location, the Paris-inspired Lumiose Metropolis of Pokémon X and Y, abandoning the region-spanning adventures of earlier titles. Pokemon are meant to coexist with humans, battlers and civilians, in manners we've only seen glimpses of before.

Even more drastic is Z-A's real-time battle system. This is where the franchise's almost ideal gameplay loop undergoes its most significant transformation to date, swapping methodical sequential fights with more frenetic action. And it's immensely fun, despite I feel ready for a new traditional release. Though these alterations to the classic Pokémon formula seem like they form a completely new adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as any other Pokémon title.

The Core of the Journey: The Z-A Royale

Upon first arriving at Lumiose Metropolis, any intentions your created character had as a tourist are discarded; you're immediately enlisted by the female guide (for male avatars; the male guide for female characters) to join their squad of battlers. You're gifted a creature from them as your first partner and are sent into the Z-A Championship.

The Royale is the epicenter in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the traditional "gym badges to Elite Four" progression from earlier titles. However here, you battle several opponents to earn the chance to compete in an advancement bout. Win and you will be elevated to a higher tier, with the ultimate goal of reaching the top rank.

Live-Action Battles: An Innovative Approach

Character fights occur at night, and sneaking around the designated battle zones is very entertaining. I'm constantly trying to get a jump on an opponent and launch a free attack, because everything happens instantaneously. Moves operate on cooldown timers, meaning both combatants can sometimes strike simultaneously at the same time (and knock each other out simultaneously). It's a lot to get used to at first. Even after gaming for almost 30 hours, I continue to feel that there is much to master in terms of using my Pokémon's moves in methods that work together synergistically. Placement also plays a significant part in battles as your Pokémon will follow you around or move to specific locations to perform attacks (some are long-range, while others must be up close and personal).

The real-time action makes battles go so fast that I often sometimes cycling through moves in the same order, even when this results in a less effective approach. There's no time to breathe during Z-A, and plenty of chances to get overwhelmed. Creature fights rely on feedback post-move execution, and that information remains visible on the display within Z-A, but whips by quickly. Occasionally, you cannot process it because diverting attention from your opponent will spell immediate defeat.

Navigating Lumiose Metropolis

Outside of battle, you will traverse Lumiose City. It's relatively small, although densely packed. Deep into the game, I continue to find unseen stores and elevated areas to visit. It's also full of charm, and fully realizes the concept of creatures and humans living together. Pidgey populate its sidewalks, flying away as you approach like the real-life pigeons obstructing my path when walking through NYC. The Pan Trio monkeys joyfully cling on streetlights, and bug-Pokémon such as Kakuna cling on branches.

A focus on city living represents a fresh approach for the franchise, and a positive change. Even so, exploring Lumiose becomes rote eventually. You might discover an alley you never visited, but you wouldn't know it. The building design is devoid of personality, and most rooftops and underground routes offer little variety. 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 no two blocks are the same, and they're all alive with uniqueness that give them soul. Lumiose City lacks that quality. It features tan buildings with blue or red roofs and flatly rendered terraces.

Where The Metropolis Truly Shines

Where Lumiose City really shines, oddly enough, is inside buildings. I adored how Pokémon battles in Sword and Shield take place in football-like stadiums, giving them real weight and importance. Conversely, fights within Scarlet & Violet take place in a field with two random people observing. It's very disappointing. Z-A finds a balance between the two. You'll battle in eateries with diners observing as they dine. A fancy battle society will invite you to a tournament, and you will combat on its penthouse court under a lighting fixture (not the Pokemon) suspended overhead. My favorite location is the beautifully designed base of a certain faction with atmospheric illumination and purple partitions. Several distinct battle locales brim with character missing in the overall metropolis in general.

The Familiarity of Routine

Throughout the Royale, as well as quelling rogue Mega Evolved Pokémon and filling the Pokédex, there is an unavoidable feeling of, {"I