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

Whether it's a core franchise title or a spinoff such as Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the moniker never changes. Malfunction switches from male to female characters, with dark and violet locks. Sometimes their fashion is flawless, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest addition in this long-running franchise (and one of the more fashion-focused entries). At other moments they're limited to the assorted school uniform styles of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Yet they're always Malfunction.

The Constantly Changing Realm of Pokémon Games

Much like my trainers, the Pokémon games have transformed across releases, with certain superficial, others substantial. But at their heart, they remain the same; they're consistently Pokémon through and through. Game Freak discovered an almost flawless mechanics system approximately three decades back, and just recently seriously tried to evolve upon it with games like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your character faces peril). Throughout every iteration, the fundamental mechanics cycle of catching and battling alongside charming creatures has remained steady for nearly the same duration as I've been alive.

Breaking Conventions with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus previously, featuring lack of arenas and focus on creating a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings multiple deviations to that formula. It's set entirely in one place, the Paris-inspired Lumiose Metropolis from Pokémon X and Y, abandoning the expansive adventures of earlier games. Pokémon are meant to live together alongside humans, trainers and civilians, in ways we've only seen glimpses of previously.

Even more drastic is Z-A's real-time battle system. This is where the franchise's near-perfect core cycle undergoes its biggest evolution yet, replacing methodical sequential bouts with something more chaotic. And it's immensely fun, even as I feel ready for another traditional entry. Although these alterations to the traditional Pokemon recipe sound like they create an entirely fresh experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A feels as recognizable as any other Pokémon title.

The Heart of the Journey: The Z-A Championship

When first arriving at Lumiose Metropolis, any intentions your custom avatar had as a tourist are discarded; you're promptly enlisted by the female guide (for male avatars; Urbain for female characters) to become part of her team of trainers. You receive one of her Pokémon as your first partner and are sent to participate in the Z-A Royale.

The Championship is the epicenter of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's similar to the traditional "gym badges to Elite Four" progression of past games. But here, you battle a handful of trainers to earn the chance to compete in a promotion match. Succeed and you'll be elevated to a higher tier, with the ultimate goal of reaching rank A.

Live-Action Combat: An Innovative Approach

Character fights occur during nighttime, and sneaking around the assigned combat areas is very entertaining. I'm constantly attempting to surprise a rival and unleash an unopposed move, because everything happens instantaneously. Moves function with cooldown timers, indicating both combatants can sometimes strike simultaneously concurrently (and knock each other out at once). It's a lot to get used to initially. Despite gaming for almost thirty hours, I continue to feel that there is much to master regarding employing my creatures' attacks in ways that work together synergistically. Placement also plays a significant part during combat as your Pokémon will trail behind you or move to specific locations to execute moves (some are long-range, while others must be in close proximity).

The real-time action makes battles progress so quickly that I often sometimes cycling of attacks in identical patterns, despite this results in a less effective approach. There isn't moment to breathe during Z-A, and numerous chances to get overwhelmed. Pokémon battles depend on feedback after using an attack, and that data remains visible on the display in Z-A, but flashes past rapidly. Occasionally, you can't even read it since diverting attention from your opponent will spell certain doom.

Navigating Lumiose Metropolis

Away from combat, you will traverse Lumiose City. It's fairly compact, although tightly filled. Deep into the game, 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 coexisting. Pidgey populate its sidewalks, taking flight when you get near like the real-life pigeons getting in my way when walking through NYC. The Pan Trio monkeys joyfully cling on streetlights, and insect creatures like Kakuna attach themselves to trees.

A focus on city living represents a fresh approach for Pokémon, and a positive change. Even so, exploring Lumiose grows repetitive over time. You might discover a passage you never visited, but you wouldn't know it. The architecture lacks character, and most rooftops and underground routes offer little variety. While I haven't been to the French capital, the model behind Lumiose, I reside in New York for nearly a decade. It's a metropolis where no two blocks are the same, and all are alive with uniqueness that give them soul. Lumiose Metropolis doesn't have that. It has tan buildings topped with colored roofs and simply designed balconies.

The Areas Where The Metropolis Really Excels

In which the city truly stands out, surprisingly, is indoors. I loved the way creature fights in Sword & Shield take place in football-like stadiums, providing them genuine significance and meaning. On the flipside, battles in Scarlet & Violet take place in a field with two random people observing. It's a total letdown. Z-A finds a balance between both extremes. You'll battle in restaurants with diners observing while they eat. An elite combat club will extend an invitation to a competition, 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 a certain faction with its moody lighting and magenta walls. Several distinct battle locales brim with character missing in the overall metropolis in general.

The Comfort of Repetition

During the Royale, along with subduing wild Mega Evolved Pokémon and completing the creature index, there is an unavoidable sense that, {"I