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I don't recall precisely when the tradition began, however I always name every one of my Pokémon trainers Glitch.

Be it a main series game or a spinoff like Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the moniker never changes. Glitch switches from male to female characters, with black and purple hair. Occasionally their style is impeccable, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest installment in the long-running series (and among the more fashion-focused releases). At other moments they're limited to the assorted school uniform designs of Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. Yet they're always Glitch.

The Ever-Evolving World of Pokemon Games

Much like my characters, the Pokémon games have evolved between installments, with certain superficial, others significant. However at their core, they remain the same; they're consistently Pokémon to the core. The developers uncovered a nearly perfect mechanics system approximately three decades back, and has only truly attempted to innovate on it with entries like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your character is now in danger). Across every version, the core mechanics cycle of capturing and fighting with adorable monsters has remained consistent for almost the same duration as my lifetime.

Breaking Conventions in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus before it, featuring lack of arenas and focus on creating a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings multiple changes to that framework. It's set entirely in one place, the French capital-inspired Lumiose City of Pokémon X & Y, ditching the region-spanning journeys of earlier titles. Pokemon are meant to coexist alongside people, battlers and civilians, in manners we have merely glimpsed before.

Far more drastic than that Z-A's real-time combat mechanics. It's here the franchise's near-perfect core cycle experiences its most significant transformation yet, swapping deliberate turn-based fights with more frenetic action. And it's immensely fun, even as I feel eager for another turn-based entry. Though these changes to the classic Pokémon formula sound like they create an entirely fresh adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A feels as recognizable as any other Pokémon title.

The Core of the Adventure: The Z-A Royale

Upon first arriving in Lumiose City, any intentions your custom avatar had as a tourist are discarded; you're promptly enlisted by Taunie (if playing as a male character; the male guide if female) to become part of their squad of trainers. You receive a creature from them as your first partner and are sent to participate in the Z-A Royale.

The Royale is the epicenter in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the traditional "arena symbols to final challenge" progression of past games. However here, you battle a handful of opponents to earn the chance to compete in an advancement bout. Win and you will be promoted to the next rank, with the final objective of achieving the top rank.

Live-Action Battles: A New Frontier

Trainer battles occur during nighttime, while sneaking around the assigned battle zones is very enjoyable. I'm constantly attempting to get a jump on an opponent and launch a free attack, since everything happens instantaneously. Attacks operate on recharge periods, indicating both combatants can sometimes attack each other at the same time (and defeat each other at once). It's a lot to get used 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 factors as a significant part in battles as your Pokémon will trail behind you or go to specific locations to perform attacks (some are long-range, while others need to be in close proximity).

The real-time action causes fights go so fast that I often sometimes cycling of attacks in identical patterns, even when this amounts to a less effective approach. There's no time to pause during Z-A, and plenty of opportunities to become swamped. Creature fights depend on response post-move execution, and that information remains visible on screen within Z-A, but whips by rapidly. Occasionally, you cannot process it because diverting attention from your opponent will spell certain doom.

Navigating Lumiose City

Outside of battle, you'll explore Lumiose City. It's fairly compact, though tightly filled. Deep into the game, I continue to find new shops and rooftops to explore. It is also full of charm, and fully realizes the concept of Pokémon and people coexisting. Pidgey populate its sidewalks, taking flight when you get near similar to actual city birds obstructing my path when walking through NYC. The Pan Trio monkeys joyfully cling on streetlights, and bug-Pokémon such as Kakuna attach themselves on branches.

A focus on city living represents a fresh approach for Pokémon, and a welcome one. Even so, navigating the city grows repetitive eventually. You might discover a passage you never visited, but it feels identical. The building design is devoid of personality, and most rooftops and sewer paths provide minimal diversity. While I haven't been to the French capital, the inspiration for Lumiose, I reside in New York for nearly a decade. It's a metropolis where every district are the same, and all are vibrant with differences that provide character. Lumiose City lacks that quality. It features beige structures topped with colored roofs and flatly rendered balconies.

The Areas Where Lumiose City Truly Shines

In which Lumiose City really shines, surprisingly, is inside buildings. I adored the way creature fights within Sword & Shield occur in football-like stadiums, providing them real weight and meaning. Conversely, battles in Scarlet and Violet happen on a court with two random people watching. It's very disappointing. Z-A strikes a middle ground between the two. You'll battle in eateries with diners observing as they dine. An elite combat club will extend an invitation to a tournament, and you will combat in its rooftop arena with a chandelier (not Chandelure) suspended overhead. My favorite location is the elegantly decorated headquarters of a certain faction with atmospheric illumination and magenta walls. Various individual battle locales brim with character that's absent from the overall metropolis in general.

The Familiarity of Repetition

Throughout the Royale, along with subduing wild Mega Evolved Pokémon and completing the creature index, there is an unavoidable feeling of, {"I