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I'm not sure precisely when the tradition started, but I consistently call every one of my Pokémon trainers Malfunction.

Be it a core franchise game or a side project like Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the moniker never changes. Glitch switches between male and female characters, with black and purple hair. Sometimes their style is impeccable, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest installment in this enduring franchise (and among the more fashion-focused entries). Other times they're confined to the assorted academic attire styles from Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. But they're always Malfunction.

The Constantly Changing Realm of Pokemon Games

Similar to my trainers, the Pokemon titles have evolved between installments, with certain cosmetic, some substantial. But at their heart, they remain identical; they're consistently Pokemon to the core. The developers uncovered a nearly perfect mechanics system some three decades back, and just recently seriously tried to innovate upon it with entries like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your avatar faces peril). Across all iteration, the core gameplay loop of capturing and fighting alongside charming creatures has stayed consistent for nearly as long as I've been alive.

Shaking the Mold in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus before it, with its absence of gyms and focus on compiling a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces several changes into that framework. It takes place entirely in a single location, the French capital-inspired Lumiose Metropolis from Pokémon X and Y, ditching the region-spanning journeys of previous titles. Pokémon are meant to live together alongside humans, battlers and non-trainers alike, in ways we have merely seen glimpses of before.

Even more radical is Z-A's live-action battle system. It's here the series' almost ideal core cycle undergoes its biggest evolution yet, replacing deliberate turn-based bouts with something more chaotic. And it's immensely fun, even as I feel ready for another turn-based entry. Though these changes to the classic Pokémon formula seem like they form an entirely fresh experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A feels as recognizable as any other Pokémon title.

The Core of the Adventure: The Z-A Championship

When initially reaching at Lumiose Metropolis, any intentions your created character planned as a visitor are discarded; you're immediately enlisted by Taunie (for male avatars; the male guide for female characters) to join her team of battlers. You receive a creature from them as your first partner and are sent to participate in the Z-A Royale.

The Royale serves as the centerpiece of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the traditional "arena symbols to final challenge" advancement from earlier titles. But here, you battle a handful of opponents to gain the opportunity to compete in a promotion match. Succeed and you'll be promoted to a higher tier, with the ultimate goal of achieving the top rank.

Live-Action Combat: An Innovative Frontier

Trainer battles occur during nighttime, while navigating stealthily the assigned battle zones is quite enjoyable. I'm constantly attempting to surprise an opponent and unleash an unopposed move, since everything happens instantaneously. Attacks function with cooldown timers, meaning both combatants may occasionally strike simultaneously concurrently (and knock each other out at once). It's a lot to get used to at first. Despite playing for nearly thirty hours, I continue to feel like there's much to master regarding employing my creatures' attacks in ways that work together synergistically. Positioning also factors as a major role in battles as your Pokémon will follow you around or move to designated spots to execute moves (certain ones are distant, whereas others need to be up close and personal).

The real-time action causes fights progress so quickly that I find myself sometimes cycling of attacks in identical patterns, even when this results in a suboptimal strategy. There's no time to pause in Z-A, and plenty of chances to become swamped. Creature fights rely on feedback post-move execution, and that information is still present on the display in Z-A, but flashes past quickly. Occasionally, you can't even read it because diverting attention from your adversary will spell immediate defeat.

Navigating Lumiose City

Outside of battle, 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 explore. It's also full of charm, and fully realizes the concept of Pokémon and people living together. Common bird Pokemon populate its sidewalks, flying away when you get near similar to actual pigeons getting in my way when walking in New York City. The monkey trio joyfully cling on streetlights, and insect creatures like Kakuna cling to trees.

A focus on city living represents a fresh approach for Pokémon, and a welcome one. Nonetheless, navigating the city grows repetitive eventually. You may stumble upon an alley you never visited, but you wouldn't know it. The building design is devoid of personality, and most rooftops and sewer paths provide minimal diversity. Although I never visited the French capital, the inspiration for the city, I reside in New York for almost ten years. It's a city where no two blocks are the same, and they're all alive with uniqueness that provide character. Lumiose City lacks that quality. It features tan buildings with blue or red roofs and simply designed terraces.

Where The Metropolis Really Excels

Where Lumiose City truly stands out, surprisingly, is inside buildings. I loved the way creature fights within Sword and Shield occur in arena-like venues, giving them real weight and meaning. On the flipside, fights within Scarlet and Violet take place on a court with two random people observing. It's very disappointing. Z-A strikes a middle ground between the two. You will fight in eateries with diners observing while they eat. An elite combat club will invite you to a tournament, and you will combat in its rooftop arena under a lighting fixture (not the Pokemon) suspended overhead. The most memorable spot is the beautifully designed base of the Rust Syndicate with atmospheric illumination and magenta walls. Various individual combat settings overflow with personality missing in the overall metropolis in general.

The Comfort of Routine

Throughout the Championship, along with subduing wild powered-up creatures and completing the creature index, there's an inescapable sense that, {"I