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I don't recall exactly how the custom began, but I always name all my Pokémon trainers Malfunction.

Whether it's a main series game or a side project like Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the moniker never changes. Glitch alternates between male and female avatars, with dark and violet hair. Sometimes their style is impeccable, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest installment in the long-running franchise (and among the more fashion-focused entries). Other times they're confined to the various academic attire styles of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Yet they remain Malfunction.

The Ever-Evolving World of Pokémon Games

Much like my characters, the Pokemon titles have evolved between installments, with certain superficial, others significant. However at their core, they stay the same; they're consistently Pokémon through and through. Game Freak discovered an almost flawless mechanics system approximately three decades back, and has only truly attempted to innovate upon it with entries such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (different timeline, your avatar faces peril). Across every version, the core gameplay loop of capturing and fighting alongside charming creatures has stayed steady for nearly as long as I've been alive.

Shaking Conventions with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus previously, with its lack of arenas and emphasis on creating a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces multiple changes to that framework. It's set entirely in a single location, the French capital-inspired Lumiose Metropolis from Pokémon X and Y, abandoning the expansive journeys of previous titles. Pokemon are intended to coexist with humans, trainers and non-trainers alike, in manners we have merely glimpsed before.

Far more radical than that Z-A's live-action battle system. This is where the series' near-perfect gameplay loop experiences its biggest evolution yet, swapping methodical sequential bouts with something more chaotic. And it's immensely fun, even as I find myself ready for another traditional entry. Although these alterations to the traditional Pokémon formula seem like they form a completely new adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A feels as recognizable as every other Pokémon title.

The Core of the Adventure: The Z-A Championship

Upon first arriving in Lumiose City, whatever plans your created character planned as a visitor are discarded; you're promptly enlisted by Taunie (for male avatars; Urbain if female) to join their squad of battlers. You're gifted a creature from them as your first partner and you're dispatched into the Z-A Championship.

The Royale is the epicenter in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the classic "arena symbols to final challenge" progression from earlier titles. However here, you battle several trainers to gain the chance to participate in an advancement bout. Succeed and you will be elevated to the next rank, with the final objective of reaching the top rank.

Real-Time Battles: A New Frontier

Character fights take place during nighttime, while navigating stealthily the designated battle zones is very entertaining. I'm always trying to get a jump on an opponent and unleash an unopposed move, because all actions occur instantaneously. Attacks operate on cooldown timers, meaning both combatants may occasionally attack each other at the same time (and knock each other out at once). It's much to adjust to at first. Despite playing for nearly 30 hours, I continue to feel like there's plenty to learn in terms of using my Pokémon's moves in methods that complement each other. Positioning also plays a major role during combat since your creatures will trail behind you or go to specific locations to perform attacks (certain ones are distant, whereas others must be in close proximity).

The real-time action makes battles go so fast that I often repeating sequences of attacks in the same order, even when this results in a less effective approach. There's no time to pause 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 can't even read it since taking your eyes off your opponent will result in immediate defeat.

Exploring Lumiose Metropolis

Outside of battle, you'll explore Lumiose Metropolis. It's relatively small, although tightly filled. Far into the adventure, I continue to find new shops and elevated areas to explore. It's also rich with character, and perfectly captures the concept of creatures and humans living together. Common bird Pokemon populate its sidewalks, flying away as you approach similar to actual pigeons getting in my way while strolling through NYC. The monkey trio gleefully hang from lampposts, and insect creatures like Kakuna cling to trees.

An emphasis on urban life is a new direction for Pokémon, and a welcome one. Nonetheless, exploring Lumiose becomes rote over time. You may stumble upon an alley you never visited, but it feels identical. The architecture is devoid of personality, and many elevated areas and underground routes offer little variety. While 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 alive with uniqueness that give them soul. Lumiose Metropolis doesn't have that. It features beige structures with blue or red roofs and flatly rendered terraces.

Where Lumiose City Truly Shines

Where Lumiose City really shines, oddly enough, is inside buildings. I loved the way creature fights within Sword and Shield occur in football-like stadiums, giving them genuine significance and meaning. Conversely, fights within Scarlet & Violet take place on a court with two random people watching. It's very disappointing. Z-A finds a balance between the two. You will fight in restaurants with diners observing as they dine. An elite combat club will extend an invitation to a competition, and you'll battle in its rooftop arena under a lighting fixture (not Chandelure) suspended overhead. The most memorable spot is the beautifully designed headquarters of the Rust Syndicate with atmospheric illumination and magenta walls. Various individual battle locales brim with character missing in the larger city in general.

The Comfort of Routine

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