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I don't recall exactly how the custom started, however I consistently call all my Pokémon trainers Malfunction.

Whether it's a core franchise title or a side project like Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the moniker never changes. Glitch switches between male and female characters, featuring black and purple hair. Occasionally their style is flawless, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest installment in this enduring franchise (and among the most style-conscious entries). Other times they're limited to the assorted academic attire designs of Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. Yet they remain Glitch.

The Constantly Changing World of Pokemon Games

Much like my trainers, the Pokémon games have evolved across installments, with certain superficial, others substantial. But at their core, they stay the same; they're always Pokemon to the core. Game Freak uncovered an almost flawless mechanics system some 30 years ago, and just recently seriously tried to innovate upon it with entries such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (different timeline, your character faces peril). Across every iteration, the fundamental gameplay loop of capturing and battling with adorable monsters has remained consistent for almost the same duration as I've been alive.

Shaking the Mold with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Similar to Arceus before it, featuring lack of arenas and emphasis on compiling a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces multiple deviations to that framework. It's set completely in a single location, the French capital-inspired Lumiose City from Pokémon X & Y, abandoning the region-spanning adventures of earlier games. Pokémon are meant to coexist with people, battlers and civilians, in ways we have merely glimpsed previously.

Far more drastic is Z-A's real-time battle system. This is where the series' near-perfect core cycle undergoes its most significant transformation yet, replacing deliberate turn-based fights for something more chaotic. And it is thoroughly enjoyable, even as I find myself eager for a new traditional release. Though these changes to the traditional Pokémon formula sound like they form an entirely fresh adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as every other Pokémon title.

The Core of the Adventure: The Z-A Championship

Upon initially reaching at Lumiose Metropolis, any intentions your created character had as a tourist are discarded; you're promptly enlisted by the female guide (for male avatars; the male guide if female) to join their squad of trainers. You receive one of her Pokémon as your starter and are sent to participate in 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 from earlier titles. But here, you fight several trainers to gain the chance to compete in an advancement bout. Succeed and you will be elevated to the next rank, with the final objective of reaching rank A.

Real-Time Combat: An Innovative Frontier

Trainer battles occur at night, while sneaking around the assigned battle zones is very entertaining. I'm constantly trying to get a jump on a rival and unleash a free attack, because all actions occur instantaneously. Attacks operate on recharge periods, indicating you and your opponent may occasionally strike simultaneously concurrently (and defeat each other simultaneously). It's a lot to get used to initially. Even after gaming for almost thirty hours, I still feel like there's plenty to learn regarding employing my creatures' attacks in ways that work together synergistically. Positioning also plays a major role in battles since your creatures will follow you around or go to specific locations to perform attacks (certain ones are distant, while others must be up close and personal).

The real-time action makes battles progress so quickly that I find myself sometimes cycling through moves in the same order, even when this results in a less effective approach. There isn't moment to breathe in Z-A, and numerous opportunities to get overwhelmed. Pokémon battles rely on feedback after using an attack, and that information remains visible on the display in Z-A, but flashes past quickly. Sometimes, you cannot process it since taking your eyes off your adversary will result in certain doom.

Exploring Lumiose Metropolis

Away from combat, you will traverse Lumiose City. It's fairly compact, although densely packed. Deep into the game, I'm still discovering new shops and elevated areas to explore. It's also rich with character, and perfectly captures the vision of creatures and humans living together. Pidgey inhabit its pathways, flying away as you approach similar to actual pigeons obstructing my path while strolling in New York City. The monkey trio joyfully cling from lampposts, and insect creatures such as Kakuna attach themselves to trees.

A focus on urban life is a new direction for Pokémon, and a welcome one. Nonetheless, exploring Lumiose grows repetitive eventually. You might discover an alley you haven't been to, but you wouldn't know it. The architecture lacks character, and many elevated areas and sewer paths provide minimal diversity. While I never visited Paris, the inspiration for Lumiose, I reside in New York for nearly a decade. It's a city where no two blocks differs, and they're all vibrant with differences that give them soul. Lumiose Metropolis lacks that quality. It features tan buildings with blue or red roofs and flatly rendered terraces.

The Areas Where Lumiose City Really Excels

In which Lumiose City truly stands out, surprisingly, is inside buildings. I loved the way creature fights within Sword and Shield take place in arena-like venues, providing them real weight and meaning. Conversely, battles in Scarlet and Violet happen in a field with two random people watching. It's very disappointing. Z-A finds a balance between both extremes. You will fight in restaurants with patrons watching as they dine. A fancy battle society will extend an invitation to a competition, and you'll battle in its rooftop arena with a chandelier (not Chandelure) hanging above. The most memorable spot is the elegantly decorated base of the Rust Syndicate with its moody lighting and purple partitions. Various individual battle locales overflow with personality missing in the larger city in general.

The Familiarity of Repetition

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