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I'm not sure exactly how the tradition began, however I always name every one of my Pokémon trainers Glitch.

Whether it's a core franchise title or a spinoff like Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the moniker always stays the same. Malfunction alternates between male and female avatars, with dark and violet locks. Occasionally their fashion is flawless, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest addition in the long-running franchise (and one of the more fashion-focused releases). At other moments they're confined to the various school uniform styles of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. But they remain Malfunction.

The Constantly Changing World of Pokemon Titles

Similar to my trainers, the Pokemon titles have transformed across installments, with certain cosmetic, some substantial. But at their core, they remain identical; they're always Pokemon to the core. The developers discovered an almost flawless gameplay formula some 30 years ago, and just recently seriously tried to innovate on it with games like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your character is now in danger). Across all version, the core gameplay loop of catching and battling alongside adorable monsters has remained consistent for almost the same duration as I've been alive.

Shaking Conventions in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Similar to Arceus previously, featuring lack of arenas and emphasis on creating a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces multiple deviations to that formula. It's set completely in one place, the Paris-inspired Lumiose Metropolis from Pokémon X and Y, abandoning the region-spanning journeys of previous titles. Pokemon are intended to live together with people, trainers and civilians, in manners we've only seen glimpses of previously.

Far more drastic is Z-A's real-time combat mechanics. This is where the series' almost ideal core cycle undergoes its biggest transformation yet, replacing methodical sequential fights for more frenetic action. And it's immensely fun, despite I feel eager for a new turn-based release. Though these alterations to the traditional Pokemon recipe seem like they form an entirely fresh experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A feels as recognizable as any other Pokémon title.

The Heart of the Adventure: The Z-A Championship

Upon first arriving in Lumiose City, any intentions your custom avatar planned as a visitor get abandoned; you're promptly recruited by Taunie (for male avatars; Urbain for female characters) to become part of her team of battlers. You receive a creature from them as your first partner and you're dispatched into the Z-A Royale.

The Royale is the epicenter of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the traditional "gym badges to Elite Four" progression of past games. However here, you battle several trainers to earn the opportunity to participate in an advancement bout. Win and you'll be elevated to the next rank, with the final objective of reaching rank A.

Live-Action Combat: A New Frontier

Character fights take place during nighttime, while sneaking around the designated battle zones is very entertaining. I'm always trying to surprise an opponent and unleash a free attack, because all actions occur instantaneously. Attacks function with recharge periods, indicating both combatants may occasionally attack each other at the same time (and knock each other out at once). It's a lot to adjust to at first. Despite playing for nearly thirty hours, I still feel that there is much to master regarding employing my creatures' attacks in methods that complement each other. Positioning also plays a significant part in battles as your Pokémon will trail behind you or go to specific locations to perform attacks (some are long-range, while others need to be in close proximity).

The live combat causes fights progress so quickly that I find myself sometimes cycling through moves in the same order, even when this amounts to a suboptimal strategy. There isn't moment to breathe during Z-A, and numerous chances to become swamped. Pokémon battles rely on response post-move execution, and that information is still present on the display within Z-A, but flashes past quickly. Sometimes, you can't even read it because diverting attention from your adversary will result in certain doom.

Navigating Lumiose City

Outside of battle, you will traverse Lumiose City. It's fairly compact, though densely packed. Deep into the game, I'm still discovering unseen stores and rooftops to explore. It's also full of charm, and fully realizes the concept of creatures and humans coexisting. Common bird Pokemon inhabit its pathways, flying away when you get near similar to actual city birds obstructing my path while strolling through NYC. The Pan Trio monkeys joyfully cling from lampposts, and bug-Pokémon such as Kakuna cling to trees.

A focus on urban life is a new direction for the franchise, and a positive change. Even so, navigating the city grows repetitive over time. You may stumble upon a passage you haven't been to, but you wouldn't know it. The architecture is devoid of personality, and many elevated areas and underground routes offer little variety. 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 are the same, and all are alive with uniqueness that provide character. Lumiose Metropolis lacks that quality. It has beige structures topped with colored roofs and simply designed balconies.

Where The Metropolis Truly Shines

In which Lumiose City really shines, surprisingly, is inside buildings. I loved how Pokémon battles within Sword & Shield occur in football-like stadiums, giving them genuine significance and importance. Conversely, battles in Scarlet and Violet happen in a field with two random people observing. It's a total letdown. Z-A finds a balance between both extremes. You'll battle in eateries with diners observing 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) hanging above. My favorite location is the elegantly decorated base of the Rust Syndicate with atmospheric illumination and magenta walls. Various individual combat settings brim with character that's absent from the overall metropolis in general.

The Familiarity of Repetition

Throughout the Royale, along with subduing wild Mega Evolved Pokémon and filling the creature index, there is an unavoidable sense that, {"I