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I'm not sure exactly how the custom began, however I always name every one of my Pokemon characters Glitch.

Whether it's a main series game or a side project like Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the moniker never changes. Glitch switches from male to female characters, with black and purple locks. Occasionally their style is impeccable, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest installment in this long-running franchise (and among the more fashion-focused releases). At other moments they're confined to the assorted academic attire styles of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. But they remain Malfunction.

The Ever-Evolving World of Pokémon Titles

Similar to my trainers, the Pokemon titles have transformed across releases, some superficial, some significant. However at their heart, they remain identical; they're always Pokémon through and through. Game Freak uncovered a nearly perfect mechanics system some 30 years ago, and has only seriously tried to innovate on it with entries like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your avatar faces peril). Across all version, the fundamental gameplay loop of capturing and fighting with adorable monsters has remained steady for nearly as long as my lifetime.

Breaking Conventions with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Similar to Arceus previously, with its absence of gyms and focus on creating a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces several deviations into that formula. It takes place entirely in one place, the Paris-inspired Lumiose City of Pokémon X and Y, abandoning the expansive journeys of previous titles. Pokemon are intended to coexist with humans, battlers and non-trainers alike, in manners we've only seen glimpses of previously.

Far more drastic is Z-A's real-time battle system. This is where the series' almost ideal gameplay loop experiences its most significant evolution yet, swapping deliberate sequential bouts with more frenetic action. And it's thoroughly enjoyable, even as I find myself eager for another traditional entry. Though these changes to the traditional Pokémon formula sound like they form a completely new experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A feels as recognizable as any other Pokémon title.

The Heart of the Adventure: The Z-A Royale

When initially reaching at Lumiose Metropolis, whatever plans your created character had as a tourist get abandoned; you're immediately recruited by the female guide (for male avatars; the male guide for female characters) to become part of their squad of trainers. You're gifted a creature from them as your first partner and are sent into the Z-A Royale.

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

Live-Action Combat: An Innovative Approach

Character fights occur during nighttime, while navigating stealthily the designated combat areas is quite entertaining. I'm constantly attempting to get a jump on a rival and launch a free attack, since everything happens instantaneously. Moves function with recharge periods, indicating both combatants can sometimes attack each other concurrently (and defeat each other at once). It's a lot to get used to at first. Despite gaming for almost thirty hours, I still feel that there is much to master in terms of employing my creatures' attacks in ways that work together synergistically. Placement also plays a major role during combat since your creatures will trail behind you or move to specific locations to perform attacks (certain ones are distant, while others must be in close proximity).

The live combat causes fights progress so quickly that I find myself sometimes cycling of attacks in the same order, despite this amounts to a suboptimal strategy. There's no time to breathe during Z-A, and numerous chances to become swamped. Creature fights rely on feedback after using an attack, and that information is still present on screen within Z-A, but flashes past rapidly. Sometimes, you cannot process it since taking your eyes off your opponent will result in certain doom.

Navigating Lumiose City

Away from combat, you'll explore Lumiose Metropolis. It's fairly compact, though tightly filled. Far into the adventure, I continue to find new shops and rooftops to visit. It is also full of charm, and fully realizes the vision of Pokémon and people living together. Common bird Pokemon inhabit its pathways, taking flight when you get near like the real-life pigeons getting in my way while strolling in New York City. The monkey trio joyfully cling from lampposts, and bug-Pokémon like Kakuna cling to trees.

An emphasis on city living is a new direction for Pokémon, and a positive change. Even so, exploring Lumiose grows repetitive eventually. You may stumble upon an alley you haven't been to, but you wouldn't know it. The building design lacks character, and most rooftops and sewer paths provide minimal diversity. While I haven't been to the French capital, the inspiration for Lumiose, I reside in New York for nearly a decade. It's a metropolis where no two blocks differs, and they're all vibrant with differences that give them soul. Lumiose Metropolis lacks that quality. It has beige structures with blue or red roofs and simply designed balconies.

The Areas Where Lumiose City Truly Shines

In which Lumiose City truly stands out, surprisingly, is indoors. I adored the way creature fights in Sword and Shield take place in arena-like venues, providing them real weight and importance. On the flipside, fights within Scarlet & Violet take place on a court with few spectators observing. It's a total letdown. Z-A finds a balance between the two. You'll battle in restaurants with diners observing while they eat. An elite combat club will invite you to a tournament, and you'll battle on its penthouse court with a chandelier (not the Pokemon) hanging above. The most memorable spot is the beautifully designed base of a certain faction with atmospheric illumination and purple partitions. Various individual battle locales overflow with personality missing in the larger city as a whole.

The Comfort of Routine

During the Championship, as well as subduing wild Mega Evolved Pokémon and filling the creature index, there is an unavoidable sense that, {"I