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I don't recall exactly how the tradition started, however I consistently call every one of my Pokémon trainers Malfunction.

Whether it's a core franchise title or a spinoff like Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the name always stays the same. Malfunction alternates from male to female characters, with black and purple locks. Occasionally their fashion is flawless, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest addition in the enduring franchise (and one of the more fashion-focused releases). Other times they're limited to the various school uniform designs of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. But they're always Glitch.

The Ever-Evolving Realm of Pokemon Games

Much like my trainers, the Pokemon titles have transformed across releases, with certain superficial, others substantial. But at their heart, they stay identical; they're always Pokemon to the core. The developers discovered an almost flawless mechanics system approximately three decades back, and just recently truly attempted to evolve on it with games like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your character is now in danger). Throughout every iteration, the core mechanics cycle of catching and fighting alongside adorable monsters has stayed consistent for nearly as long as I've been alive.

Breaking Conventions in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Similar to Arceus before it, featuring absence of gyms and focus on compiling a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings multiple deviations to that framework. It takes place entirely in one place, the Paris-inspired Lumiose Metropolis from Pokémon X & Y, abandoning the region-spanning journeys of previous titles. Pokémon are meant to live together with people, trainers and civilians, in manners we've only glimpsed before.

Far more radical is Z-A's live-action battle system. It's here the franchise's near-perfect core cycle experiences its most significant evolution to date, swapping deliberate sequential fights for something more chaotic. And it is immensely fun, despite I feel ready for another traditional release. Though these changes to the classic Pokemon recipe seem like they create a completely new adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A feels as recognizable as any other Pokémon title.

The Core of the Journey: The Z-A Championship

When first arriving in Lumiose City, whatever plans your custom avatar had as a tourist get abandoned; you're promptly recruited by Taunie (if playing as a male character; Urbain if female) to become part of their squad of trainers. You receive a creature from them as your first partner and you're dispatched to participate in the Z-A Royale.

The Royale is the epicenter of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the classic "arena symbols to final challenge" advancement from earlier titles. However here, you fight several trainers to gain the opportunity to participate in a promotion match. Succeed and you will be elevated to a higher tier, with the ultimate goal of achieving rank A.

Real-Time Battles: An Innovative Frontier

Character fights occur at night, while navigating stealthily the assigned battle zones is quite enjoyable. I'm constantly attempting to surprise an opponent and unleash a free attack, since everything happens instantaneously. Attacks function with recharge periods, indicating both combatants can sometimes attack each other concurrently (and knock each other out simultaneously). It's much to adjust to initially. Even after gaming for almost 30 hours, I continue to feel that there is much to master in terms of using my Pokémon's moves in methods that complement each other. Positioning also factors as a major role during combat as your Pokémon will follow you around or go to specific locations to execute moves (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 through moves in the same order, even when this results in a less effective approach. There's no time to pause during Z-A, and numerous chances to get overwhelmed. Pokémon battles rely on response post-move execution, and that information is still present on screen in Z-A, but whips by quickly. Occasionally, you cannot process it since taking your eyes off your adversary will spell certain doom.

Navigating Lumiose City

Outside of battle, you'll explore Lumiose Metropolis. It's fairly compact, although tightly filled. Far into the adventure, I'm still discovering new shops and rooftops to explore. It is also full of charm, and perfectly captures the vision of creatures and humans living together. Pidgey 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 joyfully cling from lampposts, and insect creatures such as Kakuna cling to trees.

A focus 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 haven't been to, but you wouldn't know it. The building design lacks character, and most rooftops and underground routes provide minimal diversity. While I haven't been to Paris, the model behind the city, I reside in New York for nearly a decade. It's a metropolis where every district differs, and they're all vibrant with differences that provide character. Lumiose Metropolis lacks that quality. It features beige structures with blue or red roofs and simply designed balconies.

The Areas Where The Metropolis Truly Shines

In which Lumiose City really shines, oddly enough, is indoors. I loved the way creature fights in Sword and Shield take place in football-like stadiums, providing them genuine significance and meaning. Conversely, battles in Scarlet and Violet happen on a court with few spectators watching. It's very disappointing. Z-A finds a balance between the two. You will fight in eateries with diners observing as they dine. A fancy battle society will extend an invitation to a tournament, and you'll battle in its rooftop arena with a chandelier (not Chandelure) hanging above. The most memorable spot is the beautifully designed headquarters of a certain faction with atmospheric illumination and magenta walls. Various individual combat settings brim with character that's absent from the larger city as a whole.

The Familiarity of Repetition

During the Royale, along with subduing wild powered-up creatures and filling the Pokédex, there is an unavoidable sense that, {"I