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I don't recall exactly how the custom started, however I always name all my Pokémon trainers Malfunction.

Whether it's a core franchise game or a spinoff such as Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the name always stays the same. Glitch alternates between male and female characters, featuring black and purple locks. Occasionally their fashion is flawless, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest addition in this enduring series (and among the more style-conscious releases). Other times they're confined to the various academic attire designs of Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. But they remain Glitch.

The Constantly Changing Realm of Pokémon Games

Similar to my trainers, the Pokémon games have transformed between releases, with certain cosmetic, others significant. But at their heart, they remain identical; they're consistently Pokemon through and through. Game Freak uncovered an almost flawless mechanics system approximately three decades back, 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 version, the fundamental mechanics cycle of catching and battling alongside adorable monsters has remained steady for nearly the same duration as my lifetime.

Breaking the Mold with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Similar to Arceus previously, featuring absence of gyms and emphasis on compiling a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings several deviations into that framework. It's set entirely in one place, the French capital-inspired Lumiose Metropolis from Pokémon X & Y, abandoning the region-spanning journeys of previous titles. Pokémon are meant to live together with humans, trainers and non-trainers alike, in ways we've only glimpsed previously.

Even more radical is Z-A's real-time combat mechanics. This is where the franchise's near-perfect gameplay loop undergoes its most significant transformation to date, replacing deliberate sequential bouts with more frenetic action. And it's thoroughly enjoyable, despite I feel ready for a new traditional entry. Though these alterations to the traditional Pokemon recipe sound like they create a completely new experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as any other Pokemon game.

The Core of the Adventure: The Z-A Championship

When first arriving at Lumiose Metropolis, whatever plans your created character planned as a visitor are discarded; you're immediately enlisted by the female guide (for male avatars; Urbain if female) to become part of their squad of battlers. You're gifted a creature from them as your starter and are sent into the Z-A Royale.

The Royale is the epicenter of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's similar to the classic "arena symbols to final challenge" advancement from earlier titles. However here, you fight several trainers to gain the chance to participate in a promotion match. Win and you'll be elevated to the next rank, with the final objective of reaching the top rank.

Live-Action Battles: An Innovative Approach

Trainer battles take place at night, while sneaking around the designated battle zones is very enjoyable. I'm constantly attempting to get a jump on a rival and launch a free attack, because everything happens instantaneously. Attacks function with cooldown timers, indicating you and your opponent may occasionally attack each other at the same time (and defeat each other simultaneously). It's much to adjust to initially. Despite gaming for almost thirty hours, I still feel like there's plenty to learn in terms of employing my creatures' attacks in ways that complement each other. Positioning also factors as a significant part in battles since your creatures will follow you around or go to specific locations to perform attacks (certain ones are distant, whereas others must be in close proximity).

The live combat makes battles progress so quickly that I find myself sometimes cycling of attacks in the same order, even when this amounts to a suboptimal strategy. There's no time to pause during Z-A, and plenty of chances to become swamped. Pokémon battles depend on feedback post-move execution, and that data is still present on screen within Z-A, but whips by rapidly. Occasionally, you cannot process it since diverting attention from your adversary will spell certain doom.

Exploring Lumiose City

Away from combat, you will traverse Lumiose City. It's fairly compact, although tightly filled. Far into the adventure, I'm still discovering new shops and rooftops to visit. It is also rich with character, and perfectly captures the concept of creatures and humans living together. Pidgey populate its sidewalks, flying away when you get near similar to actual city birds getting in my way when walking through NYC. The monkey trio gleefully hang on streetlights, and bug-Pokémon like Kakuna cling to trees.

An emphasis on city living represents a fresh approach for Pokémon, and a positive change. Nonetheless, exploring Lumiose becomes rote eventually. You may stumble upon a passage you never visited, but you wouldn't know it. The building design lacks character, and most rooftops and underground routes offer little variety. Although I haven't been to Paris, the inspiration for the city, I've lived in NYC for almost ten years. It's a city where every district differs, and they're all vibrant with differences that give them soul. Lumiose City lacks that quality. It features tan buildings topped with colored roofs and flatly rendered terraces.

Where The Metropolis Really Excels

In which the city really shines, surprisingly, is indoors. I loved the way creature fights within Sword and Shield occur in football-like stadiums, providing them genuine significance and importance. On the flipside, fights within Scarlet and Violet happen on a court with few spectators watching. It's a total letdown. Z-A finds a balance between the two. You will fight in restaurants with patrons watching as they dine. A fancy battle society will extend an invitation to a tournament, and you will combat on its penthouse court under a lighting fixture (not Chandelure) suspended overhead. The most memorable spot is the elegantly decorated headquarters of a certain faction with its moody lighting and purple partitions. Various individual combat settings brim with character that's absent from the overall metropolis in general.

The Comfort of Routine

During the Royale, as well as quelling rogue powered-up creatures and filling the creature index, there's an inescapable feeling of, {"I