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I'm not sure exactly how the tradition started, however I always name all my Pokémon trainers Malfunction.

Whether it's a main series title or a spinoff like Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the name never changes. Malfunction switches from male to female characters, featuring black and purple hair. Sometimes their style is impeccable, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest installment in this enduring franchise (and one of the more fashion-focused releases). Other times they're limited to the assorted academic attire designs of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. But they remain Glitch.

The Ever-Evolving Realm of Pokémon Titles

Much like my characters, the Pokemon titles have transformed between releases, some cosmetic, some substantial. But at their core, they stay identical; they're consistently Pokémon to the core. The developers uncovered an almost flawless mechanics system approximately 30 years ago, and just recently truly attempted to innovate upon it with entries like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (different timeline, your avatar faces peril). Throughout every version, the fundamental gameplay loop of catching and battling with adorable monsters has remained consistent for almost as long as I've been alive.

Shaking Conventions with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus previously, featuring absence of gyms and emphasis on compiling a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings multiple deviations to that formula. It's set entirely in one place, the French capital-inspired Lumiose Metropolis from Pokémon X and Y, ditching the expansive journeys of earlier titles. Pokémon are meant to coexist with people, battlers and non-trainers alike, in manners we've only seen glimpses of before.

Far more radical than that Z-A's real-time battle system. It's here the franchise's almost ideal gameplay loop experiences its biggest transformation yet, replacing deliberate sequential fights for more frenetic action. And it is immensely fun, even as I find myself ready for another traditional release. Though these changes to the classic Pokemon recipe sound like they form a completely new experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as any other Pokemon game.

The Core of the Adventure: The Z-A Championship

When first arriving in Lumiose City, whatever plans your created character planned as a visitor get abandoned; you're immediately enlisted by Taunie (for male avatars; the male guide for female characters) to join her team of battlers. You receive a creature from them 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 of past games. However here, you battle a handful of trainers to earn the chance to compete in an advancement bout. Succeed and you'll be elevated to a higher tier, with the final objective of reaching the top rank.

Real-Time Battles: A New Approach

Trainer battles take place at night, and navigating stealthily the assigned combat areas is very entertaining. I'm always trying to surprise an opponent and launch an unopposed move, because everything happens in real time. Attacks function with recharge periods, indicating you and your opponent can sometimes strike simultaneously concurrently (and defeat each other at once). It's a lot to get used to initially. Even after gaming for almost thirty hours, I still feel like there's plenty to learn regarding using my Pokémon's moves in methods that work together synergistically. Positioning also plays a significant part during combat as your Pokémon will trail behind you or move to designated spots to execute moves (some are long-range, while others must be in close proximity).

The live combat makes battles go so fast that I find myself sometimes cycling of attacks in the same order, despite this results in a less effective approach. There isn't moment to pause during Z-A, and plenty of chances to become swamped. Pokémon battles rely on response after using an attack, and that data is still present on the display within Z-A, but whips by quickly. Sometimes, you can't even read it because taking your eyes off your adversary will spell immediate defeat.

Navigating Lumiose Metropolis

Away from combat, you'll explore Lumiose Metropolis. It's relatively small, though tightly filled. Far into the adventure, I'm still discovering unseen stores and rooftops to explore. It's also rich with character, and perfectly captures the vision of creatures and humans coexisting. Pidgey inhabit its pathways, taking flight as you approach like the real-life city birds obstructing my path while strolling in New York City. The monkey trio gleefully hang on streetlights, and insect creatures such as Kakuna cling to trees.

A focus on urban life is a new direction for the franchise, and a positive change. Nonetheless, exploring Lumiose becomes rote eventually. You may stumble upon an alley you haven't been to, but you wouldn't know it. The architecture is devoid of personality, and most rooftops and sewer paths offer little variety. While I haven't been to Paris, the model behind the city, I reside in New York for almost ten years. It's a city where no two blocks differs, and they're all vibrant with differences that provide character. Lumiose Metropolis lacks that quality. It features tan buildings topped with colored roofs and flatly rendered balconies.

Where The Metropolis Really Excels

Where the city truly stands out, surprisingly, is indoors. I adored how Pokémon battles in Sword and Shield occur in arena-like venues, providing them genuine significance and meaning. On the flipside, fights within Scarlet & Violet take place in a field with two random people observing. It's a total letdown. Z-A strikes a middle ground between the two. You will fight 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. The most memorable spot is the elegantly decorated headquarters of the Rust Syndicate with atmospheric illumination and purple partitions. Several distinct battle locales brim with character missing in the larger city in general.

The Familiarity of Repetition

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