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I don't recall exactly how the custom started, but I consistently call all my Pokémon trainers Malfunction.

Whether it's a main series game or a spinoff like Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the name never changes. Glitch alternates from male to female avatars, featuring black and purple hair. Occasionally their fashion is flawless, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest addition in this long-running series (and among the most style-conscious entries). Other times they're limited to the assorted school uniform designs of Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. But they remain Malfunction.

The Ever-Evolving Realm of Pokemon Titles

Much like my characters, the Pokemon titles have transformed between installments, some superficial, others substantial. However at their core, they stay the same; they're always Pokémon to the core. The developers uncovered an almost flawless gameplay formula some 30 years ago, and has only seriously tried to innovate upon it with entries such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your avatar is now in danger). Throughout all iteration, the fundamental mechanics cycle of capturing and battling with adorable monsters has remained consistent for almost the same duration as my lifetime.

Shaking the Mold 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 deviations to that formula. It's set completely in a single location, the Paris-inspired Lumiose City from Pokémon X & Y, abandoning the expansive adventures of earlier titles. Pokémon are meant to live together alongside humans, trainers and civilians, in manners we have merely glimpsed previously.

Even more radical than that Z-A's real-time battle system. It's here the series' near-perfect gameplay loop experiences its most significant evolution to date, replacing methodical turn-based bouts for more frenetic action. And it is thoroughly enjoyable, even as I feel ready for a new traditional entry. Although these changes to the classic Pokémon formula seem like they create an entirely fresh experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as every other Pokémon title.

The Core of the Journey: The Z-A Championship

When first arriving at Lumiose Metropolis, whatever plans your created character had as a tourist get abandoned; you're immediately enlisted by Taunie (if playing as a male character; Urbain if female) to join their squad of battlers. You're gifted one of her Pokémon as your starter and you're dispatched into the Z-A Royale.

The Royale serves as the centerpiece of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the traditional "gym badges to Elite Four" advancement of past games. But here, you fight a handful of opponents to earn the opportunity to participate 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: An Innovative Approach

Trainer battles occur during nighttime, and sneaking around the designated battle zones is quite entertaining. I'm always trying to surprise an opponent and launch a free attack, because everything happens in real time. Attacks function with cooldown timers, indicating you and your opponent may occasionally strike simultaneously concurrently (and knock each other out simultaneously). It's much to get used to at first. Despite playing for nearly thirty hours, I still feel that there is plenty to learn regarding employing my creatures' attacks in methods that work together synergistically. Positioning also factors as a major role in battles as your Pokémon will follow you around or move to specific locations to perform attacks (certain ones are distant, whereas others need to be up close and personal).

The live combat causes fights go so fast that I find myself sometimes cycling of attacks in identical patterns, despite this results in a less effective approach. There isn't moment to pause during Z-A, and numerous chances to become swamped. Creature fights depend on response post-move execution, and that data remains visible on screen within Z-A, but flashes past rapidly. Sometimes, you cannot process it because diverting attention from your adversary will spell certain doom.

Exploring Lumiose City

Away from combat, you will traverse Lumiose Metropolis. It's relatively small, though densely packed. Deep into the game, 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 coexisting. Pidgey inhabit its pathways, taking flight as you approach like the real-life city birds getting in my way while strolling through NYC. The monkey trio gleefully hang on streetlights, and insect creatures like Kakuna cling on branches.

An emphasis on city living is a new direction for Pokémon, and a welcome one. Even so, exploring Lumiose grows repetitive eventually. You may stumble upon a passage you never visited, but you wouldn't know it. The building design is devoid of personality, and most rooftops and sewer paths provide minimal diversity. While I never visited the French capital, the inspiration for Lumiose, I've lived in NYC for nearly a decade. It's a city where every district are the same, and they're all vibrant with differences that provide character. Lumiose Metropolis lacks that quality. It features tan buildings with blue or red roofs and simply designed balconies.

The Areas Where Lumiose City Really Excels

Where the city really shines, oddly enough, is indoors. I loved the way creature fights in Sword and Shield occur in football-like stadiums, providing them real weight and importance. Conversely, battles in Scarlet & Violet take place in a field with few spectators observing. It's a total letdown. Z-A finds a balance between the two. You'll battle in eateries with patrons watching as they dine. A fancy battle society will invite you to a competition, and you'll battle in its rooftop arena under a lighting fixture (not the Pokemon) suspended overhead. The most memorable spot is the beautifully designed headquarters of a certain faction with its moody lighting and purple partitions. Various individual battle locales overflow with personality that's absent from the larger city as a whole.

The Familiarity of Repetition

Throughout the Championship, as well as quelling rogue Mega Evolved Pokémon and filling the creature index, there is an unavoidable sense that, {"I