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I don't recall precisely when the tradition began, however I consistently call every one of my Pokémon trainers Glitch.

Whether it's a core franchise title or a spinoff such as Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the name never changes. Malfunction switches from male to female characters, with black and purple locks. Occasionally their style is impeccable, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest installment in this long-running series (and one of the more style-conscious releases). Other times they're confined to the various academic attire styles from Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. But they're always Glitch.

The Ever-Evolving World of Pokémon Games

Much like my characters, the Pokemon titles have evolved across releases, some superficial, others significant. But at their heart, they stay identical; they're consistently Pokemon to the core. The developers discovered a nearly perfect gameplay formula some 30 years ago, and has only seriously tried to innovate on it with entries like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (different timeline, your avatar faces peril). Across all version, the core gameplay loop of capturing and fighting alongside adorable monsters has stayed consistent for almost the same duration as I've been alive.

Breaking Conventions with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus before it, with its lack of arenas and focus on compiling a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings several changes into that framework. It's set entirely in a single location, the French capital-inspired Lumiose Metropolis from Pokémon X and Y, ditching the region-spanning adventures of previous games. Pokemon are intended to coexist alongside humans, battlers and civilians, in manners we've only seen glimpses of previously.

Even more radical than that Z-A's live-action combat mechanics. This is where the franchise's near-perfect gameplay loop experiences its biggest evolution yet, replacing methodical sequential fights with something more chaotic. And it's immensely fun, even as I find myself eager for a new turn-based release. Though these alterations to the traditional Pokémon formula 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

When initially reaching in Lumiose City, whatever plans your custom avatar planned as a visitor get abandoned; you're promptly recruited by the female guide (for male avatars; Urbain if female) to become part of their squad of trainers. You're gifted a creature from them as your first partner and you're dispatched into 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 fight several trainers to earn the chance to participate in a promotion match. Succeed and you'll be elevated to a higher tier, with the ultimate goal of achieving rank A.

Live-Action Combat: A New Frontier

Trainer battles take place at night, and navigating stealthily the assigned battle zones is quite enjoyable. I'm constantly trying to get a jump on an opponent and launch a free attack, since all actions occur instantaneously. Attacks operate on cooldown timers, indicating you and your opponent may occasionally strike simultaneously concurrently (and defeat each other at once). It's much to get used to initially. Despite playing for nearly 30 hours, I still feel like there's much to master regarding employing my creatures' attacks in methods that complement each other. Placement also plays a significant part during combat as your Pokémon will follow you around or go to designated spots to perform attacks (certain ones are distant, whereas others need to be up close and personal).

The real-time action makes battles go so fast that I often sometimes cycling through moves in identical patterns, despite this amounts to a less effective approach. There's no time to pause during Z-A, and plenty of opportunities to become swamped. Creature fights rely on feedback post-move execution, and that data is still present on the display in Z-A, but flashes past rapidly. Sometimes, you cannot process it because diverting attention from your adversary will result in immediate defeat.

Exploring Lumiose Metropolis

Outside of battle, you'll explore Lumiose Metropolis. It's relatively small, though tightly filled. Far into the adventure, I'm still discovering new shops and rooftops to visit. It is also full of charm, and perfectly captures the concept of Pokémon and people living together. Pidgey inhabit its pathways, flying away as you approach like the real-life city birds obstructing my path when walking through NYC. The Pan Trio monkeys joyfully cling from lampposts, and insect creatures such as Kakuna attach themselves on branches.

A focus on urban life is a new direction for the franchise, and a positive change. Even so, navigating the city becomes rote eventually. You may stumble upon an alley you never visited, but it feels identical. The building design lacks character, and many elevated areas and sewer paths provide minimal diversity. Although I haven't been to the French capital, the inspiration for Lumiose, I've lived in NYC for almost ten years. It's a metropolis where every district are the same, and all are alive with uniqueness that provide character. Lumiose City doesn't have that. It features tan buildings with blue or red roofs and flatly rendered terraces.

Where The Metropolis Truly Shines

In which Lumiose City truly stands out, oddly enough, is inside buildings. I loved the way creature fights within Sword & Shield occur in arena-like venues, giving them real weight and importance. On the flipside, battles in Scarlet and Violet happen in a field with two random people observing. It's very disappointing. Z-A strikes a middle ground between both extremes. You'll battle in eateries with patrons watching as they dine. A fancy battle society will invite you to a tournament, and you'll battle on its penthouse court with a chandelier (not the Pokemon) hanging above. My favorite location is the beautifully designed base of the Rust Syndicate with its moody lighting and magenta walls. Various individual combat settings brim with character that's absent from the overall metropolis in general.

The Comfort of Repetition

During the Royale, as well as quelling rogue powered-up creatures and filling the Pokédex, there is an unavoidable feeling of, {"I