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I'm not sure precisely when the custom began, but I consistently call all my Pokémon trainers Glitch.

Whether it's a main series title or a spinoff like Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the name never changes. Malfunction alternates between male and female characters, featuring black and purple hair. Sometimes their style is impeccable, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest addition in the enduring franchise (and one of the more fashion-focused entries). Other times they're confined to the assorted academic attire styles of Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. But they remain Glitch.

The Constantly Changing World of Pokémon Titles

Similar to my trainers, the Pokemon titles have transformed across installments, some cosmetic, some significant. However at their heart, they remain the same; they're always Pokemon to the core. The developers discovered a nearly perfect mechanics system approximately 30 years ago, and has only truly attempted to innovate on it with games such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your avatar is now in danger). Throughout every iteration, the core gameplay loop of capturing and fighting alongside charming creatures has stayed steady for nearly as long as my lifetime.

Shaking the Mold with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Similar to Arceus previously, with its absence of gyms and focus on compiling a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces several changes into that formula. It takes place completely in one place, the French capital-inspired Lumiose Metropolis from Pokémon X & Y, ditching the expansive journeys of previous titles. Pokémon are intended to live together alongside people, battlers and non-trainers alike, in ways we've only glimpsed previously.

Far more radical is Z-A's live-action battle system. This is where the series' near-perfect core cycle experiences its most significant transformation to date, replacing deliberate turn-based bouts for something more chaotic. And it's immensely fun, despite I find myself eager for another traditional entry. Though these alterations to the classic Pokemon recipe seem like they create an entirely fresh experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A feels as recognizable as any other Pokemon game.

The Core of the Journey: The Z-A Championship

Upon first arriving at Lumiose Metropolis, whatever plans your custom avatar had as a tourist get abandoned; you're immediately enlisted by the female guide (if playing as a male character; the male guide for female characters) to join her team of battlers. You're gifted one of her Pokémon as your starter and you're dispatched into the Z-A Championship.

The Championship serves as the centerpiece in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's similar to the traditional "gym badges to Elite Four" progression of past games. However here, you battle a handful of trainers to gain the opportunity to participate in an advancement bout. Win and you'll be promoted to the next rank, with the final objective of reaching rank A.

Live-Action Combat: A New Approach

Character fights take place at night, while sneaking around the assigned battle zones is very enjoyable. I'm always trying to get a jump on a rival and unleash an unopposed move, because all actions occur instantaneously. Attacks function with recharge periods, indicating you and your opponent can sometimes strike simultaneously at the same time (and defeat each other at once). It's a lot to adjust to at first. Despite playing for nearly 30 hours, I continue to feel like there's plenty to learn regarding employing my creatures' attacks in methods that complement each other. Placement also plays a significant part in battles since your creatures will trail behind you or go to specific locations to execute moves (some are long-range, whereas others need to be in close proximity).

The live combat makes battles progress so quickly that I often repeating sequences of attacks in identical patterns, despite this results in a suboptimal strategy. There's no time to pause during Z-A, and numerous opportunities to get overwhelmed. Creature fights depend on response post-move execution, and that data is still present on screen in Z-A, but whips by quickly. Occasionally, you cannot process it because taking your eyes off your opponent will spell certain doom.

Navigating Lumiose Metropolis

Away from combat, you will traverse Lumiose City. It's relatively small, although tightly filled. Deep into the game, I'm still discovering unseen stores and rooftops to explore. It's also rich with character, and perfectly captures the vision of Pokémon and people coexisting. Common bird Pokemon populate its sidewalks, taking flight as you approach similar to actual pigeons obstructing my path when walking through NYC. The monkey trio joyfully cling from lampposts, and insect creatures such as Kakuna cling on branches.

A focus on city living is a new direction for Pokémon, and a welcome one. Nonetheless, navigating the city becomes rote eventually. You might discover a passage you haven't been to, but it feels identical. The architecture is devoid of personality, and most rooftops and underground routes offer little variety. Although I haven't been to the French capital, the model behind the city, I've lived in NYC for nearly a decade. It's a metropolis where no two blocks differs, and all are alive with uniqueness that provide character. Lumiose City doesn't have that. It features tan buildings topped with colored roofs and flatly rendered balconies.

The Areas Where Lumiose City Really Excels

Where the city really shines, surprisingly, is inside buildings. I loved how Pokémon battles within Sword and Shield occur in arena-like venues, providing them real weight and meaning. Conversely, fights within Scarlet & Violet take place on a court with few spectators observing. It's very disappointing. Z-A strikes a middle ground between the two. You'll battle in restaurants with patrons watching while they eat. A fancy battle society will extend an invitation to a tournament, and you will combat in its rooftop arena under a lighting fixture (not Chandelure) suspended overhead. My favorite location is the beautifully designed base of a certain faction with atmospheric illumination and purple partitions. Various individual combat settings overflow with personality missing in the larger city as a whole.

The Familiarity of Routine

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