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I'm not sure precisely when the custom started, but I always name all 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 avatars, with black and purple hair. Occasionally their style is impeccable, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest installment in this enduring franchise (and among the more fashion-focused releases). At other moments they're limited to the various school uniform designs from Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. Yet they remain Glitch.

The Ever-Evolving World of Pokemon Titles

Similar to my characters, the Pokémon games have evolved between installments, with certain cosmetic, some substantial. But at their core, they stay identical; they're always Pokémon through and through. The developers uncovered an almost flawless gameplay formula approximately 30 years ago, and just recently seriously tried to evolve upon it with games like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your avatar is now in danger). Across all version, the core mechanics cycle of catching and battling alongside charming creatures has remained consistent for nearly as long as I've been alive.

Breaking Conventions with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Similar to Arceus before it, featuring lack of arenas and focus on compiling a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces several deviations to that framework. It's set entirely in one place, the Paris-inspired Lumiose Metropolis of Pokémon X and Y, ditching the expansive adventures of previous titles. Pokémon are meant to live together with humans, battlers and civilians, in ways we have merely seen glimpses of previously.

Far more radical than that Z-A's live-action battle system. It's here the franchise's near-perfect gameplay loop undergoes its most significant transformation to date, swapping methodical sequential fights with more frenetic action. And it's thoroughly enjoyable, even as I feel eager for another traditional release. Though these changes to the classic Pokémon formula sound like they form a completely new adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A feels as recognizable as every other Pokémon title.

The Heart of the Adventure: The Z-A Royale

Upon initially reaching at Lumiose Metropolis, any intentions your created character planned as a visitor are discarded; you're immediately enlisted by the female guide (if playing as a male character; the male guide for female characters) to become part of her team of battlers. You receive one of her Pokémon as your first partner 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 traditional "arena symbols to final challenge" advancement from earlier titles. However here, you battle a handful of trainers to gain the opportunity to compete in an advancement bout. Succeed and you'll be promoted to the next rank, with the ultimate goal of achieving the top rank.

Real-Time Battles: An Innovative Approach

Trainer battles take place at night, and navigating stealthily the designated battle zones is very entertaining. I'm constantly attempting to surprise an opponent and unleash an unopposed move, because everything happens in real time. Moves operate on cooldown timers, meaning you and your opponent can sometimes strike simultaneously concurrently (and defeat each other at once). It's much to adjust to initially. Even after playing for nearly 30 hours, I continue to feel like there's much to master regarding employing my creatures' attacks in ways that complement each other. Placement also factors as a significant part during combat since your creatures will trail behind you or move to specific locations to perform attacks (certain ones are distant, whereas others need to be in close proximity).

The real-time action causes fights progress so quickly that I find myself sometimes cycling through moves in the same order, even when this amounts to a suboptimal strategy. There's no time to pause during Z-A, and numerous opportunities to get overwhelmed. Creature fights rely on feedback after using an attack, and that data remains visible on screen within Z-A, but flashes past quickly. Sometimes, you can't even read it since diverting attention from your opponent will result in immediate defeat.

Exploring Lumiose City

Outside of battle, you'll explore Lumiose City. It's fairly compact, though tightly filled. Far into the adventure, I continue to find new shops and elevated areas to explore. It's also rich with character, and perfectly captures the concept of creatures and humans living together. Pidgey inhabit its pathways, taking flight when you get near like the real-life pigeons obstructing my path when walking through NYC. The monkey trio gleefully hang on streetlights, and insect creatures such as Kakuna cling on branches.

An emphasis on city living represents a fresh approach for Pokémon, and a positive change. Nonetheless, navigating the city grows repetitive eventually. You may stumble upon an alley you haven't been to, but it feels identical. The building design is devoid of personality, and many elevated areas and underground routes provide minimal diversity. Although I haven't been to the French capital, the inspiration for Lumiose, I've lived in NYC for nearly a decade. It's a metropolis where every district differs, and all are alive with uniqueness that give them soul. Lumiose Metropolis doesn't have that. It features tan buildings topped with colored roofs and flatly rendered balconies.

Where Lumiose City Truly Shines

Where the city truly stands out, oddly enough, is indoors. I loved how Pokémon battles within Sword & Shield take place in arena-like venues, giving them real weight and meaning. Conversely, fights within Scarlet and Violet take place on a court with few spectators observing. It's a total letdown. Z-A finds a balance between both extremes. You'll battle in restaurants with patrons watching as they dine. An elite combat club will invite you to a competition, and you'll battle on its penthouse court with a chandelier (not the Pokemon) suspended overhead. My favorite location is the elegantly decorated headquarters of the Rust Syndicate with its moody lighting and purple partitions. Various individual battle locales brim with character missing in the overall metropolis in general.

The Comfort of Repetition

Throughout the Royale, along with quelling rogue Mega Evolved Pokémon and completing the Pokédex, there's an inescapable feeling of, {"I