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I'm not sure precisely when the custom began, however I always name every one of my Pokémon trainers Malfunction.

Whether it's a core franchise game or a side project like Pokkén Tournament DX and 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 latest installment in the enduring franchise (and one of the more style-conscious releases). At other moments they're limited to the assorted academic attire designs from Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. Yet they remain Malfunction.

The Constantly Changing Realm of Pokémon Titles

Similar to my trainers, the Pokémon games have transformed between installments, with certain cosmetic, some significant. However at their core, they remain the same; they're always Pokémon to the core. The developers discovered an almost flawless gameplay formula approximately three decades back, and has only seriously tried to innovate upon it with games like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (different timeline, your character is now in danger). Across every version, the fundamental gameplay loop of capturing and battling alongside adorable monsters has remained steady for almost the same duration as I've been alive.

Shaking the Mold with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus previously, featuring absence of gyms and emphasis on creating a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings multiple deviations to that framework. It's set entirely in one place, the Paris-inspired Lumiose City of Pokémon X & Y, ditching the expansive adventures of earlier titles. Pokemon are intended to coexist with humans, battlers and civilians, in manners we have merely glimpsed previously.

Far more radical is Z-A's real-time combat mechanics. This is where the franchise's near-perfect gameplay loop undergoes its most significant transformation to date, replacing methodical sequential bouts for more frenetic action. And it's thoroughly enjoyable, despite I feel eager for a new traditional entry. Though these alterations to the traditional Pokémon formula seem like they create a completely new adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as every other Pokemon game.

The Heart of the Journey: The Z-A Royale

When initially reaching at Lumiose Metropolis, whatever plans your created character planned as a visitor are discarded; you're promptly recruited by the female guide (if playing as a male character; Urbain if female) to join her team of battlers. You receive a creature from them as your starter and are sent to participate in the Z-A Championship.

The Championship serves as the centerpiece of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the classic "gym badges to Elite Four" advancement from earlier titles. However here, you battle several opponents to gain the chance to participate in a promotion match. Win and you'll be promoted to a higher tier, with the final objective of achieving the top rank.

Live-Action Battles: A New Frontier

Trainer battles take place during nighttime, and sneaking around the designated combat areas is very enjoyable. I'm constantly trying to surprise an opponent and unleash an unopposed move, since all actions occur in real time. Attacks function with cooldown timers, meaning both combatants may occasionally strike simultaneously concurrently (and knock each other out at once). It's a lot to get used to initially. Despite gaming for almost 30 hours, I continue to feel that there is much to master in terms of using my Pokémon's moves in ways that complement each other. Positioning also plays a significant part during combat since your creatures will follow you around or move to designated spots to perform attacks (certain ones are distant, while others need to be in close proximity).

The real-time action causes fights progress so quickly that I find myself repeating sequences of attacks in the same order, even when this results in a suboptimal strategy. There's no time to pause in Z-A, and numerous chances to become swamped. Pokémon battles depend on response post-move execution, and that data is still present on the display within Z-A, but flashes past rapidly. Occasionally, you can't even read it since diverting attention from your adversary will spell immediate defeat.

Exploring Lumiose Metropolis

Away from combat, you will traverse Lumiose Metropolis. It's relatively small, though densely packed. Far into the adventure, I continue to find unseen stores and elevated areas to explore. It's also full of charm, and fully realizes the concept of creatures and humans living together. Pidgey inhabit its pathways, flying away as you approach like the real-life pigeons getting in my way while strolling through NYC. The monkey trio joyfully cling on streetlights, and bug-Pokémon 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, exploring Lumiose becomes rote over time. You may stumble upon an alley you never visited, but you wouldn't know it. The architecture is devoid of personality, and many elevated areas and sewer paths offer little variety. Although I haven't been to Paris, the inspiration for the city, I reside in New York for nearly a decade. It's a metropolis where no two blocks differs, and all are vibrant with differences that give them soul. Lumiose City doesn't have that. It features tan buildings topped with colored roofs and flatly rendered terraces.

The Areas Where The Metropolis Really Excels

In which Lumiose City really shines, surprisingly, is indoors. I loved the way creature fights in Sword and Shield take place in arena-like venues, giving them real weight and meaning. On the flipside, battles in Scarlet & Violet take place in a field with two random people observing. It's very disappointing. Z-A strikes a middle ground between the two. You'll battle in restaurants with diners observing while they eat. An elite combat club will invite you to a tournament, and you'll battle in its rooftop arena with a chandelier (not Chandelure) hanging above. My favorite location is the beautifully designed base of a certain faction with atmospheric illumination and magenta walls. Several distinct battle locales brim with character missing in the larger city as a whole.

The Familiarity of Routine

During the Championship, as well as quelling rogue Mega Evolved Pokémon and filling the Pokédex, there's an inescapable sense that, {"I