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I don't recall exactly how the tradition began, but I consistently call all my Pokémon trainers Malfunction.

Be it a core franchise game or a side project like Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the name never changes. Glitch alternates from male to female characters, with black and purple hair. Sometimes their style is impeccable, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest addition in the enduring franchise (and among the most fashion-focused entries). Other times they're limited to the assorted academic attire styles from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Yet they're always Glitch.

The Ever-Evolving World of Pokémon Games

Similar to my trainers, the Pokémon games have evolved across releases, some cosmetic, others significant. However at their heart, they remain identical; they're consistently Pokemon to the core. The developers uncovered an almost flawless mechanics system approximately three decades back, and has only truly attempted to innovate on it with entries such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your avatar faces peril). Throughout all version, the fundamental gameplay loop of capturing and fighting with charming creatures has remained consistent for almost as long as I've been alive.

Shaking the Mold in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus previously, featuring lack of arenas and focus on compiling a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces several deviations into that formula. It's set entirely in one place, the French capital-inspired Lumiose Metropolis from Pokémon X & Y, ditching the expansive journeys of previous titles. Pokemon are intended to live together alongside people, battlers and civilians, in ways we've only glimpsed previously.

Far more drastic than that Z-A's live-action combat mechanics. It's here the series' almost ideal gameplay loop undergoes its most significant transformation to date, swapping methodical sequential fights with more frenetic action. And it's immensely fun, despite I feel ready for a new traditional release. Though these alterations to the traditional Pokémon formula seem like they form an entirely fresh experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as any other Pokemon game.

The Heart of the Journey: The Z-A Championship

When initially reaching at Lumiose Metropolis, whatever plans your custom avatar planned as a visitor are discarded; you're immediately recruited by Taunie (for male avatars; the male guide if female) to join their squad of battlers. You're gifted one of her Pokémon as your first partner and are sent into the Z-A Championship.

The Championship serves as the centerpiece of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the traditional "arena symbols to final challenge" progression from earlier titles. However here, you battle several trainers to gain the chance to participate in an advancement bout. Win and you'll be elevated to a higher tier, with the ultimate goal of reaching rank A.

Real-Time Combat: An Innovative Approach

Character fights occur during nighttime, and navigating stealthily the designated combat areas is very entertaining. I'm constantly attempting to surprise an opponent and launch a free attack, since all actions occur in real time. Moves function with cooldown timers, meaning both combatants may occasionally strike simultaneously concurrently (and knock each other out simultaneously). It's a lot to adjust to initially. Despite playing for nearly thirty hours, I still feel that there is plenty to learn in terms of using my Pokémon's moves in methods 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 (certain ones are distant, whereas others must be up close and personal).

The real-time action makes battles progress so quickly that I often repeating sequences through moves in the same order, despite this amounts to a less effective approach. There isn't moment to pause in Z-A, and numerous opportunities to get overwhelmed. Creature fights depend on feedback after using an attack, and that information remains visible on the display within Z-A, but whips by quickly. Sometimes, you cannot process it because diverting attention from your opponent will spell immediate defeat.

Exploring Lumiose Metropolis

Outside of battle, you will traverse Lumiose City. It's relatively small, although densely packed. Deep into the game, I'm still discovering unseen stores and rooftops to visit. It's also full of charm, and fully realizes the concept of creatures and humans coexisting. Common bird Pokemon populate its sidewalks, taking flight as you approach like the real-life pigeons obstructing my path while strolling through NYC. The monkey trio gleefully hang from lampposts, and insect creatures like Kakuna cling on branches.

An emphasis on urban life is a new direction for the franchise, and a welcome one. Nonetheless, exploring Lumiose grows repetitive over time. You may stumble upon a passage you haven't been to, but it feels identical. The architecture lacks character, and many elevated areas and underground routes provide minimal diversity. While I never visited Paris, the model behind Lumiose, I reside in New York for almost ten years. It's a city where every district differs, and they're all vibrant with differences that give them soul. Lumiose City doesn't have that. It has beige structures topped with colored roofs and flatly rendered terraces.

The Areas Where The Metropolis Truly Shines

In which Lumiose City truly stands out, surprisingly, is inside buildings. I loved how Pokémon battles within Sword and Shield take place in football-like stadiums, providing them real weight and importance. Conversely, fights within Scarlet and Violet take place on a court with few spectators observing. It's very disappointing. Z-A strikes a middle ground between both extremes. You will fight in restaurants with patrons watching while they eat. An elite combat club will invite you to a competition, and you'll battle on its penthouse court under a lighting fixture (not the Pokemon) hanging above. The most memorable spot is the beautifully designed headquarters of the Rust Syndicate with atmospheric illumination and purple partitions. Various individual combat settings overflow with personality missing in the overall metropolis as a whole.

The Familiarity of Repetition

Throughout the Championship, as well as subduing wild powered-up creatures and filling the creature index, there is an unavoidable sense that, {"I