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

Be it a main series title or a spinoff like Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the moniker never changes. Malfunction alternates between male and female avatars, with dark and violet locks. Sometimes their fashion is flawless, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest addition in this long-running series (and one of the more fashion-focused entries). At other moments they're confined to the assorted academic attire designs from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. But they remain Malfunction.

The Constantly Changing Realm of Pokemon Games

Much like my characters, the Pokemon titles have transformed across installments, some cosmetic, others significant. But at their heart, they remain identical; they're always Pokémon to the core. Game Freak uncovered a nearly perfect gameplay formula approximately three decades back, and has only seriously tried to innovate upon it with games like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your character faces peril). Across every version, the fundamental mechanics cycle of catching and battling alongside charming creatures has stayed steady for nearly as long as my lifetime.

Shaking the Mold with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus previously, featuring absence of gyms and emphasis on creating a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces multiple deviations to that formula. It takes place completely in a single location, the Paris-inspired Lumiose Metropolis of Pokémon X and Y, ditching the expansive journeys of previous games. Pokemon are meant to coexist alongside people, trainers and non-trainers alike, in manners we've only glimpsed previously.

Even more drastic than that Z-A's real-time combat mechanics. This is where the series' almost ideal core cycle experiences its biggest transformation yet, swapping deliberate sequential fights with something more chaotic. And it's thoroughly enjoyable, despite I feel ready for a new turn-based release. Although these changes to the classic Pokemon recipe sound like they create an entirely fresh experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as any other Pokémon title.

The Core of the Journey: The Z-A Royale

When first arriving in Lumiose City, whatever plans your created character planned as a visitor are discarded; you're immediately enlisted by the female guide (for male avatars; Urbain if female) to become part of their squad of trainers. You receive a creature from them as your first partner and you're dispatched 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 fight several trainers to earn the chance to compete in a promotion match. Win and you will be promoted to a higher tier, with the final objective of reaching rank A.

Live-Action Combat: A New Frontier

Trainer battles occur at night, while navigating stealthily the assigned battle zones is quite entertaining. I'm always trying to surprise a rival and launch an unopposed move, since all actions occur instantaneously. Moves operate on recharge periods, meaning both combatants may occasionally strike simultaneously concurrently (and knock each other out at once). It's a lot 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. Placement also plays a significant part during combat since your creatures will follow you around or move to designated spots to perform attacks (some are long-range, while others need to be in close proximity).

The live combat causes fights go so fast that I find myself repeating sequences through moves in the same order, even when this amounts to a suboptimal strategy. There's no time to pause in Z-A, and plenty of chances to get overwhelmed. Creature fights depend on response after using an attack, and that information is still present on the display within Z-A, but whips by quickly. Sometimes, you can't even read it because diverting attention from your opponent will result in certain doom.

Exploring 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 rooftops to explore. It is also rich with character, and fully realizes the vision of creatures and humans living together. Common bird Pokemon inhabit its pathways, taking flight as you approach like the real-life pigeons getting in my way while strolling through NYC. The Pan Trio monkeys gleefully hang on streetlights, and bug-Pokémon like Kakuna cling on branches.

A focus on urban life is a new direction for Pokémon, and a positive change. Nonetheless, navigating the city grows repetitive over time. You might discover a passage you haven't been to, but you wouldn't know it. The architecture is devoid of personality, and most rooftops and underground routes 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 every district are the same, and all are alive with uniqueness that give them soul. Lumiose Metropolis doesn't have that. It features tan buildings topped with colored roofs and simply designed terraces.

Where Lumiose City Truly Shines

In which the city really shines, oddly enough, is indoors. I adored how Pokémon battles within Sword and Shield occur in football-like stadiums, providing them real weight and importance. Conversely, fights within Scarlet and Violet take place on a court with two random people watching. It's a total letdown. Z-A strikes a middle ground between both extremes. You'll battle in eateries with diners observing as they dine. An elite combat club will invite you to a tournament, and you'll battle in its rooftop arena with a chandelier (not the Pokemon) hanging above. My favorite location is the elegantly decorated headquarters of the Rust Syndicate with its moody lighting and magenta walls. Several distinct battle locales brim with character that's absent from the larger city in general.

The Familiarity of Repetition

Throughout the Championship, along with quelling rogue powered-up creatures and completing the creature index, there is an unavoidable sense that, {"I