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I'm not sure exactly how the tradition began, however I consistently call every one of my Pokémon trainers Malfunction.

Be it a main series title or a side project like Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the name never changes. Malfunction switches from male to female avatars, with dark and violet hair. Occasionally their style is flawless, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest installment in the enduring franchise (and one of the more fashion-focused releases). Other times they're limited to the assorted academic attire styles from Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. But they're always Glitch.

The Constantly Changing Realm of Pokemon Titles

Much like my characters, the Pokémon games have transformed between installments, some cosmetic, some significant. But at their heart, they remain identical; they're always Pokémon to the core. The developers discovered an almost flawless gameplay formula approximately 30 years ago, and has only seriously tried to innovate on it with games such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (different timeline, your character is now in danger). Throughout every iteration, the core mechanics cycle of capturing and battling with adorable monsters has remained consistent for nearly the same duration as my lifetime.

Shaking the Mold with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus before it, with its absence of gyms and emphasis on creating a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings several deviations into that formula. It's set completely in one place, the French capital-inspired Lumiose City from Pokémon X and Y, abandoning the expansive journeys of earlier games. Pokemon are intended to coexist with people, trainers and non-trainers alike, in manners we've only seen glimpses of before.

Even more radical is Z-A's real-time combat mechanics. It's here the franchise's almost ideal core cycle experiences its biggest transformation yet, swapping methodical turn-based fights for more frenetic action. And it's immensely fun, even as I feel ready for another turn-based release. Though these alterations to the classic Pokemon recipe sound like they form a completely new adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as any other Pokemon game.

The Core of the Adventure: The Z-A Royale

Upon first arriving at Lumiose Metropolis, whatever plans your created character had as a tourist get abandoned; you're immediately recruited by the female guide (if playing as a male character; the male guide if female) to become part of their squad of battlers. You receive a creature from them as your first partner and you're dispatched to participate in the Z-A Championship.

The Royale is the epicenter in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's similar to the traditional "arena symbols to final challenge" progression of past games. But here, you fight a handful of trainers to gain the opportunity to compete in an advancement bout. Succeed and you will be elevated to a higher tier, with the final objective of reaching rank A.

Real-Time Battles: An Innovative Frontier

Trainer battles take place during nighttime, while sneaking around the designated combat areas is quite enjoyable. I'm constantly attempting to get a jump on a rival and launch an unopposed move, because everything happens instantaneously. Attacks function with recharge periods, indicating you and your opponent may occasionally strike simultaneously concurrently (and knock each other out at once). It's a lot to adjust to at first. Despite playing for nearly 30 hours, I still feel that there is much to master in terms of employing my creatures' attacks in methods that complement each other. Placement also factors as a major role in battles since your creatures will trail behind you or go to specific locations to perform attacks (some are long-range, whereas others need to be in close proximity).

The real-time action makes battles progress so quickly that I find myself sometimes cycling through moves in identical patterns, even when this results in a less effective approach. There isn't moment to pause in Z-A, and numerous opportunities to become swamped. Pokémon battles rely on feedback after using an attack, and that information is still present on the display in Z-A, but whips by quickly. Occasionally, you can't even read it because taking your eyes off your opponent will result in immediate defeat.

Exploring Lumiose Metropolis

Away from combat, you will traverse Lumiose City. It's fairly compact, though tightly filled. Deep into the game, I'm still discovering new shops and rooftops to visit. It's also rich with character, and fully realizes the vision of creatures and humans coexisting. Pidgey populate its sidewalks, taking flight as you approach similar to actual city birds getting in my way when walking in New York City. The monkey trio joyfully cling from lampposts, and insect creatures such as Kakuna cling to trees.

A focus on city living represents a fresh approach for the franchise, and a welcome one. Even so, exploring Lumiose becomes rote eventually. You may stumble upon a passage you haven't been to, but you wouldn't know it. The building design is devoid of personality, and many elevated areas and sewer paths provide minimal diversity. Although I haven't been to 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 has beige structures with blue or red roofs and simply designed balconies.

Where The Metropolis Really Excels

In which Lumiose City really shines, oddly enough, is indoors. I loved the way creature fights in Sword and Shield occur in football-like stadiums, providing them genuine significance and meaning. On the flipside, fights within Scarlet & Violet happen on a court with two random people watching. It's a total letdown. Z-A strikes a middle ground between both extremes. You will fight in restaurants with diners observing while they eat. An elite combat club will extend an invitation to a tournament, and you'll battle in its rooftop arena under a lighting fixture (not the Pokemon) hanging above. The most memorable spot is the elegantly decorated headquarters of a certain faction with atmospheric illumination and purple partitions. Several distinct battle locales brim with character missing in the larger city in general.

The Familiarity of Repetition

During the Championship, along with subduing wild powered-up creatures and filling the Pokédex, there's an inescapable sense that, {"I