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I'm not sure exactly how the custom started, but I consistently call all my Pokemon characters Glitch.

Whether it's a core franchise title or a side project such as Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the moniker always stays the same. Malfunction switches from male to female characters, featuring black and purple hair. Sometimes their style is impeccable, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest installment in the long-running franchise (and one of the more style-conscious releases). Other times they're confined to the assorted school uniform styles of Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. Yet they remain Glitch.

The Constantly Changing World of Pokémon Games

Much like my trainers, the Pokémon games have transformed across releases, with certain superficial, some substantial. But at their core, they stay the same; they're always Pokémon through and through. The developers uncovered a nearly perfect mechanics system some 30 years ago, and just recently truly attempted to evolve upon it with games such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your avatar is now in danger). Across every iteration, the core mechanics cycle of capturing and fighting with charming creatures has stayed consistent for nearly the same duration as I've been alive.

Shaking 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 into that framework. It's set entirely in one place, the French capital-inspired Lumiose Metropolis from Pokémon X & Y, ditching the expansive adventures of previous games. Pokémon are meant to live together alongside humans, trainers and non-trainers alike, in ways we have merely seen glimpses of previously.

Far more drastic than that Z-A's live-action combat mechanics. This is where the series' near-perfect gameplay loop undergoes its most significant evolution yet, replacing methodical sequential bouts with more frenetic action. And it's thoroughly enjoyable, despite I find myself eager for another turn-based release. Although these alterations to the classic Pokémon formula sound like they create an entirely fresh experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as any other Pokemon game.

The Core of the Journey: The Z-A Championship

When first arriving in Lumiose City, whatever plans your custom avatar had as a tourist are discarded; you're immediately enlisted by Taunie (for male avatars; the male guide if female) 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 Royale.

The Royale is the epicenter of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the classic "gym badges to Elite Four" advancement of past games. However here, you battle a handful of trainers to earn the opportunity to compete in a promotion match. Succeed and you'll be promoted to the next rank, with the ultimate goal of reaching rank A.

Live-Action Battles: An Innovative Frontier

Trainer battles take place at night, while sneaking around the assigned battle zones is very entertaining. I'm always attempting to get a jump on a rival and unleash an unopposed move, because all actions occur instantaneously. Attacks function with cooldown timers, indicating you and your opponent can sometimes attack each other concurrently (and knock each other out at once). It's much to adjust to initially. Despite playing for nearly 30 hours, I still feel like there's much to master regarding using my Pokémon's moves in methods that work together synergistically. Positioning also plays a major role during combat as your Pokémon will follow you around or go to designated spots to execute moves (certain ones are distant, while others need to be up close and personal).

The real-time action causes fights progress so quickly that I find myself repeating sequences of attacks in identical patterns, despite this amounts to a less effective approach. There's no time to breathe in Z-A, and plenty of chances to become swamped. Creature fights rely on feedback after using an attack, and that data is still present on screen in Z-A, but whips by quickly. Sometimes, you can't even read it because taking your eyes off your adversary will result in immediate defeat.

Exploring Lumiose City

Outside of battle, you will traverse Lumiose City. It's fairly compact, although densely packed. Deep into the game, I continue to find unseen stores and rooftops to explore. It is also full of charm, and perfectly captures the vision of Pokémon and people coexisting. Pidgey inhabit its pathways, flying away when you get near similar to actual city birds obstructing my path when walking in New York City. The Pan Trio monkeys joyfully cling from lampposts, and insect creatures such as Kakuna cling on branches.

An emphasis on city living is a new direction 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 is devoid of personality, and many elevated areas and underground routes offer little variety. Although I never visited the French capital, the inspiration for Lumiose, I reside in New York for almost ten years. It's a city where every district differs, and all are alive with uniqueness that give them soul. Lumiose Metropolis lacks that quality. It has beige structures topped with colored roofs and simply designed balconies.

The Areas Where Lumiose City Truly Shines

Where the city really shines, oddly enough, is inside buildings. I loved how Pokémon battles in Sword & Shield occur in football-like stadiums, providing them genuine significance and meaning. Conversely, battles in Scarlet and Violet take place on a court with two random people watching. It's a total letdown. Z-A strikes a middle ground between both extremes. You'll battle in eateries with patrons watching while they eat. An elite combat club will extend an invitation to a competition, and you will combat on its penthouse court under a lighting fixture (not the Pokemon) hanging above. My favorite location is the elegantly decorated headquarters of the Rust Syndicate with its moody lighting and magenta walls. Several distinct combat settings brim with character that's absent from the larger city in general.

The Comfort of Repetition

During the Championship, along with subduing wild Mega Evolved Pokémon and completing the creature index, there is an unavoidable feeling of, {"I