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I don't recall precisely when the custom began, but I consistently call all my Pokemon characters Glitch.

Be it a main series game or a spinoff like Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the moniker never changes. Malfunction alternates between male and female avatars, featuring black and purple hair. Occasionally their style is flawless, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest addition in the enduring series (and among the most style-conscious releases). Other times they're confined to the various school uniform designs of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. But they remain Malfunction.

The Constantly Changing World of Pokemon Games

Similar to my characters, the Pokemon titles have evolved across releases, with certain superficial, others significant. But at their core, they stay the same; they're always Pokemon to the core. The developers discovered an almost flawless mechanics system some three decades back, and just recently seriously tried to evolve upon it with games like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your avatar is now in danger). Across every version, the fundamental gameplay loop of catching and battling with adorable monsters has stayed consistent for almost the same duration as I've been alive.

Shaking Conventions in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Similar to Arceus before it, with its lack of arenas and emphasis on creating a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings multiple changes into that framework. It's set entirely in one place, the Paris-inspired Lumiose Metropolis of Pokémon X & Y, ditching the expansive adventures of earlier titles. Pokemon are intended to live together alongside humans, trainers and non-trainers alike, in ways we have merely seen glimpses of before.

Far more radical than that Z-A's real-time battle system. This is where the franchise's almost ideal gameplay loop undergoes its biggest evolution to date, replacing deliberate turn-based bouts with something more chaotic. And it is thoroughly enjoyable, even as I find myself eager for a new turn-based release. Though these changes to the traditional Pokémon formula sound like they create an entirely fresh experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as every other Pokémon title.

The Core of the Adventure: The Z-A Championship

Upon first arriving at Lumiose Metropolis, whatever plans your custom avatar had as a tourist get abandoned; you're promptly recruited by Taunie (for male avatars; the male guide for female characters) to join her team of trainers. You receive one of her Pokémon 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 traditional "gym badges to Elite Four" progression from earlier titles. But here, you battle a handful of opponents to earn the opportunity to compete in a promotion match. Succeed and you'll be elevated to the next rank, with the ultimate goal of reaching rank A.

Live-Action Battles: A New Approach

Trainer battles take place at night, and sneaking around the assigned combat areas is quite enjoyable. I'm always trying to get a jump on a rival and unleash an unopposed move, since everything happens in real time. Moves operate on cooldown timers, meaning both combatants can sometimes strike simultaneously at the same time (and defeat each other at once). It's a lot to adjust to at first. Despite playing for nearly thirty hours, I continue to feel like there's much to master regarding using my Pokémon's moves in methods that work together synergistically. Positioning also plays a major role during combat since your creatures will follow you around or move to specific locations to perform attacks (some are long-range, while others must be in close proximity).

The real-time action causes fights go so fast that I often repeating sequences through moves in the same order, even when this amounts to a less effective approach. There's no time to breathe during Z-A, and numerous chances to get overwhelmed. Pokémon battles depend on feedback after using an attack, and that information is still present on screen in Z-A, but whips by rapidly. Occasionally, you can't even read it because taking your eyes off your opponent will spell immediate defeat.

Navigating Lumiose City

Away from combat, you will traverse Lumiose Metropolis. It's relatively small, although densely packed. Deep into the game, I continue to find unseen stores and rooftops to visit. It is also rich with character, and perfectly captures the concept of creatures and humans coexisting. Common bird Pokemon inhabit its pathways, taking flight when you get near similar to actual pigeons obstructing my path while strolling in New York City. The monkey trio gleefully hang on streetlights, and bug-Pokémon like Kakuna attach themselves to trees.

A focus on urban life represents a fresh approach for Pokémon, and a welcome one. Even so, navigating the city becomes rote over time. You may stumble upon a passage you never visited, but you wouldn't know it. The architecture lacks character, and most rooftops and sewer paths provide minimal diversity. Although I never visited the French capital, the model behind Lumiose, I've lived in NYC for almost ten years. It's a metropolis where no two blocks are the same, and all are vibrant with differences that give them soul. Lumiose City lacks that quality. It features tan buildings topped with colored roofs and flatly rendered balconies.

The Areas Where Lumiose City Really Excels

Where Lumiose City truly stands out, oddly enough, is inside buildings. I adored how Pokémon battles within Sword and Shield occur in arena-like venues, providing them real weight and meaning. Conversely, battles in Scarlet and Violet take place in a field with two random people watching. It's very disappointing. Z-A strikes a middle ground between both extremes. You'll battle in eateries with patrons watching while they eat. A fancy battle society will extend an invitation to a tournament, and you will combat in its rooftop arena with a chandelier (not Chandelure) suspended overhead. My favorite location is the elegantly decorated headquarters of a certain faction with atmospheric illumination and purple partitions. Various individual combat settings overflow with personality missing in the larger city as a whole.

The Comfort of Repetition

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