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I don't recall precisely when the tradition started, but I consistently call all my Pokémon trainers Malfunction.

Whether it's a core franchise game or a side project like Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the moniker never changes. Glitch switches from male to female characters, featuring black and purple locks. Occasionally their style is impeccable, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest addition in the long-running series (and one of the most fashion-focused releases). Other times they're confined to the assorted academic attire styles from Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. But they remain Malfunction.

The Constantly Changing World of Pokémon Titles

Similar to my trainers, the Pokemon titles have evolved between installments, some cosmetic, some significant. But at their heart, they stay the same; they're consistently Pokemon through and through. The developers uncovered an almost flawless gameplay formula some three decades back, and just recently truly attempted to innovate on it with games like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your character is now in danger). Throughout every version, the fundamental mechanics cycle of catching and fighting alongside charming creatures has stayed consistent for almost as long as I've been alive.

Shaking the Mold in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus previously, with its lack of arenas and focus on creating a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings several changes to that framework. It's set entirely in one place, the Paris-inspired Lumiose Metropolis of Pokémon X and Y, ditching the expansive journeys of previous games. Pokémon are meant to coexist alongside humans, battlers and civilians, in manners we've only glimpsed before.

Even more drastic than that Z-A's live-action combat mechanics. This is where the series' almost ideal core cycle experiences its biggest evolution yet, swapping deliberate sequential fights for more frenetic action. And it's immensely fun, even as I find myself ready for a new traditional entry. Though these changes to the traditional Pokémon formula seem like they create a completely new adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as any other Pokémon title.

The Heart of the Journey: The Z-A Royale

Upon first arriving in Lumiose City, whatever plans your custom avatar had as a tourist get abandoned; you're immediately recruited by Taunie (for male avatars; Urbain if female) to join her team of battlers. You're gifted a creature from them as your starter and you're dispatched to participate in the Z-A Championship.

The Championship is the epicenter of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the classic "gym badges to Elite Four" progression of past games. But here, you fight several opponents to earn the opportunity to compete in an advancement bout. Succeed and you'll be elevated to a higher tier, with the ultimate goal of reaching rank A.

Real-Time Battles: An Innovative Approach

Character fights take place at night, and navigating stealthily the designated combat areas is very entertaining. I'm always trying to surprise a rival and launch an unopposed move, because everything happens instantaneously. Moves function with recharge periods, indicating you and your opponent may occasionally strike simultaneously concurrently (and knock each other out simultaneously). It's much to adjust to at first. Despite playing for nearly 30 hours, I still feel that there is plenty to learn regarding employing my creatures' attacks in methods that work together synergistically. Positioning also plays a major role in battles as your Pokémon will trail behind you or move to designated spots to perform attacks (some are long-range, while others need to be up close and personal).

The live combat causes fights go so fast that I often repeating sequences of attacks in identical patterns, despite this amounts to a less effective approach. There's no time to pause in Z-A, and numerous chances to get overwhelmed. Pokémon battles depend on feedback post-move execution, and that data is still present on the display within Z-A, but flashes past rapidly. Sometimes, you cannot process it since diverting attention from your opponent will spell certain doom.

Navigating Lumiose Metropolis

Away from combat, you'll explore Lumiose Metropolis. It's fairly compact, though densely packed. Far into the adventure, I'm still discovering unseen stores and elevated areas to visit. It's also full of charm, and perfectly captures the vision of creatures and humans coexisting. Pidgey populate its sidewalks, flying away when you get near similar to actual pigeons getting in my way while strolling through NYC. The Pan Trio monkeys gleefully hang from lampposts, and bug-Pokémon like Kakuna attach themselves on branches.

A focus on urban life represents a fresh approach for Pokémon, and a positive change. Even so, exploring Lumiose grows repetitive eventually. You may stumble upon a passage you haven't been to, but it feels identical. The architecture is devoid of personality, and many elevated areas and underground routes provide minimal diversity. Although I haven't been to the French capital, the model behind Lumiose, I reside in New York for nearly a decade. It's a city where every district are the same, and they're all alive with uniqueness that give them soul. Lumiose City lacks that quality. It features beige structures with blue or red roofs and simply designed balconies.

Where The Metropolis Really Excels

Where Lumiose City really shines, oddly enough, is indoors. I adored how Pokémon battles within Sword and Shield take place in arena-like venues, giving them real weight and meaning. Conversely, battles in Scarlet and Violet happen in a field with two random people watching. It's very disappointing. Z-A finds a balance between the two. You'll battle in eateries with diners observing while they eat. A fancy battle society will invite you to a tournament, and you'll battle in its rooftop arena under a lighting fixture (not Chandelure) suspended overhead. The most memorable spot is the elegantly decorated base of the Rust Syndicate with its moody lighting and purple partitions. Various individual battle locales brim with character missing in the larger city as a whole.

The Comfort of Routine

Throughout the Royale, as well as subduing wild powered-up creatures and filling the Pokédex, there is an unavoidable feeling of, {"I