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I don't recall exactly how the custom began, however I consistently call every one of my Pokémon trainers Glitch.

Whether it's a core franchise title or a spinoff like Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the moniker never changes. Malfunction switches between male and female avatars, featuring black and purple hair. Sometimes their fashion is flawless, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest addition in this enduring franchise (and one of the more style-conscious entries). At other moments they're limited to the various school uniform styles from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. But they remain Malfunction.

The Constantly Changing World of Pokémon Titles

Much like my characters, the Pokemon titles have transformed across installments, with certain superficial, some significant. However at their heart, they stay the same; they're consistently Pokemon to the core. The developers discovered an almost flawless mechanics system approximately 30 years ago, and has only seriously tried to innovate upon it with entries like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (different timeline, your character is now in danger). Across all iteration, the fundamental mechanics cycle of capturing and fighting alongside adorable monsters has stayed steady for nearly the same duration as I've been alive.

Shaking Conventions in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus before it, featuring absence of gyms and emphasis on creating a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces multiple changes to that framework. It takes place entirely in a single location, the French capital-inspired Lumiose Metropolis of Pokémon X and Y, ditching the region-spanning adventures of previous titles. Pokémon are meant to coexist alongside humans, battlers and civilians, in ways we've only seen glimpses of before.

Far more drastic than that Z-A's live-action combat mechanics. This is where the series' near-perfect core cycle experiences its most significant transformation yet, replacing methodical sequential fights for something more chaotic. And it's immensely fun, even as I find myself eager for another turn-based entry. Although these changes to the traditional Pokemon recipe seem like they form an entirely fresh experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as any other Pokémon title.

The Core of the Adventure: The Z-A Royale

Upon first arriving in Lumiose City, whatever plans your created character had as a tourist are discarded; you're promptly recruited by Taunie (for male avatars; Urbain if female) to become part of their squad of trainers. 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 similar to the classic "arena symbols to final challenge" progression of past games. But here, you battle several trainers to gain the opportunity to participate in a promotion match. Win and you'll be elevated to the next rank, with the final objective of achieving the top rank.

Real-Time Battles: A New Approach

Character fights occur at night, and navigating stealthily the designated combat areas is very enjoyable. I'm constantly trying to get a jump on an opponent and unleash an unopposed move, since all actions occur instantaneously. Moves operate on recharge periods, meaning both combatants can sometimes attack each other concurrently (and knock each other out simultaneously). It's much to adjust to at first. Despite playing for nearly 30 hours, I continue to feel like there's much to master regarding using my Pokémon's moves in ways that work together synergistically. Placement also factors as a major role in battles since your creatures will follow you around or go to specific locations to execute moves (some are long-range, whereas others must be up close and personal).

The real-time action makes battles progress so quickly 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 pause during Z-A, and numerous chances to get overwhelmed. Creature fights rely on response after using an attack, and that information remains visible on screen in Z-A, but whips by rapidly. Occasionally, you can't even read it since taking your eyes off your adversary will spell immediate defeat.

Exploring Lumiose Metropolis

Away from combat, you'll explore Lumiose City. It's fairly compact, though tightly filled. Far into the adventure, I'm still discovering new shops and elevated areas to visit. It is also full of charm, and perfectly captures the vision of creatures and humans living together. Pidgey inhabit its pathways, flying away as you approach like the real-life city birds obstructing my path while strolling in New York City. The monkey trio gleefully hang from lampposts, and insect creatures such as Kakuna attach themselves on branches.

An emphasis on urban life is a new direction for Pokémon, and a welcome one. Even so, exploring Lumiose grows repetitive eventually. You might discover a passage you never visited, but it feels identical. The building design is devoid of personality, and most rooftops and underground routes offer little variety. Although I haven't been to Paris, the model behind the city, I reside in New York for nearly a decade. It's a metropolis where every district differs, and all are alive with uniqueness that give them soul. Lumiose City lacks that quality. It features tan buildings topped with colored 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 take place in arena-like venues, providing them genuine significance and importance. On the flipside, fights within Scarlet and Violet happen on a court with two random people observing. It's very disappointing. Z-A strikes a middle ground between both extremes. You will fight in eateries with patrons watching while they eat. An elite combat club will invite you to a tournament, and you'll battle on its penthouse court under a lighting fixture (not the Pokemon) suspended overhead. The most memorable spot is the elegantly decorated base of the Rust Syndicate with its moody lighting and purple partitions. Various individual combat settings brim with character missing in the larger city in general.

The Comfort of Repetition

Throughout the Royale, along with subduing wild powered-up creatures and completing the creature index, there's an inescapable feeling of, {"I