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

Whether it's a core franchise title or a side project such as Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the name always stays the same. Malfunction switches between male and female avatars, with dark and violet hair. Sometimes their fashion is impeccable, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest installment in this enduring franchise (and among the more fashion-focused entries). At other moments they're limited to the assorted academic attire designs from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. But they're always Glitch.

The Ever-Evolving Realm of Pokemon Games

Much like my characters, the Pokémon games have evolved between releases, some cosmetic, others significant. However at their heart, they remain identical; they're consistently Pokemon to the core. The developers discovered a nearly perfect mechanics system approximately 30 years ago, and just recently truly attempted to evolve on it with games such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your character faces peril). Across all iteration, the core gameplay loop of capturing and battling with adorable monsters has stayed steady for almost the same duration as my lifetime.

Shaking the Mold 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 deviations into that formula. It's set entirely in one place, the Paris-inspired Lumiose City from Pokémon X & Y, ditching the expansive journeys of previous titles. Pokémon are intended to coexist alongside people, trainers and civilians, in ways we have merely 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 biggest evolution to date, swapping deliberate turn-based fights with more frenetic action. And it's immensely fun, despite I feel eager for another traditional release. Though these changes to the classic Pokémon formula sound like they form a completely new adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A feels as recognizable as every other Pokémon title.

The Heart of the Journey: The Z-A Championship

Upon first arriving in Lumiose City, any intentions your custom avatar had as a tourist get abandoned; you're immediately enlisted by Taunie (for male avatars; Urbain if female) to become part of her team of trainers. You receive one of her Pokémon as your first partner and you're dispatched into the Z-A Championship.

The Championship serves as the centerpiece in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the traditional "gym badges to Elite Four" progression of past games. However here, you battle a handful of opponents to gain the opportunity to compete in an advancement bout. Win and you will be promoted to the next rank, with the ultimate goal of reaching the top rank.

Live-Action Battles: A New Approach

Character fights take place during nighttime, and navigating stealthily the assigned battle zones is quite enjoyable. I'm constantly attempting to get a jump on a rival and unleash a free attack, since all actions occur instantaneously. Attacks function with cooldown timers, meaning you and your opponent may occasionally attack each other concurrently (and defeat each other at once). It's a lot to get used to at first. Even after gaming for almost 30 hours, I still feel that there is plenty to learn in terms of employing my creatures' attacks in methods that complement each other. Placement also plays a major role during combat as your Pokémon will follow you around or move to specific locations to perform attacks (certain ones are distant, while others must be in close proximity).

The live combat causes fights progress so quickly that I often repeating sequences of attacks in the same order, despite this results in a less effective approach. There's no time to pause in Z-A, and numerous opportunities to get overwhelmed. Pokémon battles depend on feedback post-move execution, and that information remains visible on the display within Z-A, but whips by rapidly. Sometimes, you can't even read it because diverting attention from your opponent will spell immediate defeat.

Navigating Lumiose Metropolis

Away from combat, you will traverse Lumiose Metropolis. It's relatively small, though tightly filled. Far into the adventure, I continue to find new shops and rooftops to visit. It's also rich with character, and perfectly captures the vision of creatures and humans living together. Pidgey populate its sidewalks, taking flight as you approach similar to actual pigeons getting in my way while strolling in New York City. The monkey trio joyfully cling from lampposts, and insect creatures like Kakuna cling to trees.

An emphasis on city living is a new direction for the franchise, and a welcome one. Nonetheless, navigating the city becomes rote over time. You might discover an alley you never visited, but it feels identical. The building design lacks character, and most rooftops and sewer paths offer little variety. While I never visited 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 all are vibrant with differences that provide character. Lumiose City lacks that quality. It features tan buildings topped with colored roofs and flatly rendered balconies.

Where The Metropolis Really Excels

In which the city really shines, oddly enough, is inside buildings. I adored how Pokémon battles in Sword and Shield occur in arena-like venues, giving them real weight and importance. On the flipside, battles in Scarlet & Violet take place in a field with few spectators 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 will combat on its penthouse court with a chandelier (not the Pokemon) hanging above. My favorite location is the beautifully designed base of a certain faction with its moody lighting and magenta walls. Various individual battle locales brim with character that's absent from the overall metropolis in general.

The Comfort of Repetition

Throughout the Royale, along with quelling rogue powered-up creatures and completing the Pokédex, there is an unavoidable feeling of, {"I