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I'm not sure precisely when the tradition started, but I consistently call all my Pokemon characters Glitch.

Be it a core franchise game or a spinoff such as Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the name always stays the same. Malfunction switches between male and female avatars, featuring black and purple locks. Occasionally their style is flawless, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest addition in this enduring series (and one of the more style-conscious entries). Other times they're confined to the assorted academic attire designs from Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. Yet they're always Glitch.

The Ever-Evolving Realm of Pokemon Games

Similar to my trainers, the Pokemon titles have transformed across installments, some superficial, others substantial. However at their core, they remain identical; they're always Pokémon to the core. Game Freak discovered an almost flawless gameplay formula some 30 years ago, and has only seriously tried to innovate on it with games such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your character faces peril). Across all version, the core gameplay loop of capturing and battling with charming creatures has stayed consistent for almost as long as my lifetime.

Shaking Conventions with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus previously, featuring absence of gyms and emphasis on compiling a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces several deviations to that framework. It's set entirely in a single location, the Paris-inspired Lumiose Metropolis from Pokémon X and Y, abandoning the region-spanning journeys of earlier titles. Pokemon are meant to coexist with people, battlers and non-trainers alike, in ways we've only glimpsed previously.

Far more radical than that Z-A's real-time battle system. It's here the franchise's near-perfect core cycle experiences its biggest transformation to date, swapping methodical sequential bouts with something more chaotic. And it's immensely fun, even as I feel ready for another traditional release. Although these changes to the traditional Pokemon recipe seem like they create an entirely fresh adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A feels as recognizable as any other Pokemon game.

The Core of the Journey: The Z-A Championship

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

The Royale serves as the centerpiece in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's similar to the classic "gym badges to Elite Four" advancement from earlier titles. But here, you fight several trainers to gain the opportunity to participate in a promotion match. Win and you will be promoted to the next rank, with the ultimate goal of reaching the top rank.

Real-Time Battles: An Innovative Frontier

Trainer battles occur at night, while navigating stealthily the designated combat areas is very enjoyable. I'm constantly attempting to get a jump on a rival and unleash a free attack, because everything happens instantaneously. Moves operate on recharge periods, indicating both combatants may occasionally attack each other concurrently (and defeat each other at once). It's much to adjust to at first. Even after playing for nearly thirty hours, I continue to feel that there is much to master regarding using my Pokémon's moves in ways that complement each other. Positioning also plays a significant part during combat as your Pokémon will follow you around or go to designated spots to execute moves (some are long-range, whereas others must be in close proximity).

The real-time action makes battles progress so quickly that I often repeating sequences of attacks in identical patterns, even when this results in a less effective approach. There isn't moment to breathe during Z-A, and plenty of opportunities to get overwhelmed. Creature fights depend on feedback post-move execution, and that data is still present on screen within Z-A, but flashes past rapidly. Sometimes, you can't even read it because diverting attention from your opponent will result in immediate defeat.

Navigating Lumiose Metropolis

Away from combat, you'll explore Lumiose Metropolis. It's relatively small, although tightly filled. Far into the adventure, I continue to find unseen stores and elevated areas to visit. It's also rich with character, and fully realizes the concept of creatures and humans living together. Common bird Pokemon inhabit its pathways, taking flight as you approach like the real-life city birds obstructing my path while strolling through NYC. The Pan Trio monkeys gleefully hang on streetlights, and insect creatures like Kakuna cling on branches.

A focus on city living represents a fresh approach for Pokémon, and a welcome one. Nonetheless, exploring Lumiose grows repetitive eventually. You might discover a passage you never visited, but it feels identical. The architecture lacks character, and many elevated areas and underground routes provide minimal diversity. Although I haven't been to the French capital, the inspiration for the city, I've lived in NYC for nearly a decade. It's a metropolis where no two blocks differs, and all are vibrant with differences that provide character. Lumiose City lacks that quality. It has beige structures with blue or red roofs and simply designed terraces.

The Areas Where The Metropolis Really Excels

Where Lumiose City truly stands out, oddly enough, is indoors. I adored how Pokémon battles in Sword & Shield take place in football-like stadiums, giving them genuine significance and meaning. On the flipside, fights within Scarlet & Violet happen on a court with few spectators observing. It's a total letdown. Z-A strikes a middle ground between both extremes. You'll battle in eateries with patrons watching while they eat. A fancy battle society will invite you to a tournament, and you'll battle on its penthouse court under a lighting fixture (not Chandelure) hanging above. The most memorable spot is the beautifully designed base of the Rust Syndicate with atmospheric illumination and purple partitions. Several distinct battle locales overflow with personality missing in the overall metropolis as a whole.

The Familiarity of Routine

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