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I'm not sure exactly how the custom started, however I always name all my Pokemon characters Malfunction.

Whether it's a main series game or a spinoff such as Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the name never changes. Glitch alternates between male and female avatars, with black and purple hair. Occasionally their style is impeccable, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest addition in the enduring series (and among the most style-conscious entries). At other moments they're limited to the various school uniform designs of Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. But they're always Glitch.

The Ever-Evolving World of Pokémon Games

Much like my characters, the Pokemon titles have transformed across installments, with certain cosmetic, others substantial. However at their core, they remain the same; they're always Pokemon to the core. Game Freak uncovered a nearly perfect gameplay formula some three decades back, and has only seriously tried to evolve on it with entries such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your avatar faces peril). Across all iteration, the core mechanics cycle of capturing and battling with adorable monsters has remained consistent for almost as long as my lifetime.

Breaking the Mold with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus before it, with its lack of arenas and focus on compiling a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces multiple changes to that formula. It's set completely in a single location, the French capital-inspired Lumiose Metropolis of Pokémon X & Y, ditching the expansive adventures of previous games. Pokémon are meant to live together alongside people, trainers and civilians, in ways we've only seen glimpses of previously.

Far more drastic than that Z-A's real-time combat mechanics. This is where the series' almost ideal core cycle undergoes its most significant evolution yet, replacing methodical sequential bouts for more frenetic action. And it's immensely fun, even as I feel ready for another turn-based entry. Though these alterations to the traditional Pokémon formula seem like they create a completely new experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A feels as recognizable as any other Pokemon game.

The Core of the Journey: The Z-A Championship

Upon initially reaching in Lumiose City, any intentions your custom avatar had as a tourist get abandoned; you're immediately enlisted by the female guide (for male avatars; Urbain for female characters) to join her team of battlers. You're gifted one of her Pokémon as your starter and are sent into the Z-A Royale.

The Championship serves as the centerpiece of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the classic "gym badges to Elite Four" progression of past games. However here, you fight several opponents to earn the chance to compete in a promotion match. Win and you will be promoted to the next rank, with the final objective of reaching the top rank.

Live-Action Battles: An Innovative Frontier

Character fights occur during nighttime, and sneaking around the designated combat areas is very entertaining. I'm always trying to surprise a rival and unleash a free attack, because everything happens instantaneously. Moves function with recharge periods, indicating you and your opponent can sometimes attack each other concurrently (and defeat each other at once). It's a lot to adjust to initially. Even after gaming for almost thirty hours, I continue to feel like there's plenty to learn regarding employing my creatures' attacks in methods that work together synergistically. Positioning also plays a significant part in battles as your Pokémon will follow you around or move to designated spots to perform attacks (certain ones are distant, whereas others must 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's no time to breathe during Z-A, and numerous chances to get overwhelmed. Creature fights depend on response post-move execution, and that information is still present on the display in Z-A, but flashes past rapidly. Occasionally, you cannot process it because diverting attention from your opponent will spell certain doom.

Exploring Lumiose City

Outside of battle, you will traverse Lumiose Metropolis. It's fairly compact, although tightly filled. Deep into the game, I'm still discovering new shops and rooftops to visit. It's also full of charm, and fully realizes the concept of creatures and humans coexisting. Pidgey inhabit its pathways, flying away as you approach like the real-life city birds getting in my way when walking through NYC. The monkey trio gleefully hang on streetlights, and insect creatures such as Kakuna cling on branches.

An emphasis on city living represents a fresh approach for Pokémon, and a welcome one. Even so, navigating the city becomes rote eventually. You may stumble upon a passage you haven't been to, but it feels identical. The architecture is devoid of personality, and many elevated areas and underground routes offer little variety. Although I haven't been to the French capital, the model behind the city, I've lived in NYC for almost ten years. It's a city where no two blocks differs, and all are alive with uniqueness that give them soul. Lumiose City doesn't have that. It features beige structures topped with colored roofs and simply designed balconies.

Where Lumiose City Truly Shines

In which the city truly stands out, surprisingly, is indoors. I loved how Pokémon battles within Sword and Shield occur in arena-like venues, giving them genuine significance and importance. Conversely, fights within Scarlet and Violet take place in a field with two random people observing. It's very disappointing. Z-A finds a balance between both extremes. You'll battle in restaurants with patrons watching as they dine. An elite combat club will invite you to a tournament, and you will combat on its penthouse court under a lighting fixture (not Chandelure) hanging above. My favorite location is the beautifully designed headquarters of the Rust Syndicate with atmospheric illumination and purple partitions. Several distinct combat settings brim with character that's absent from the larger city in general.

The Comfort of Routine

Throughout the Championship, along with subduing wild powered-up creatures and filling the Pokédex, there is an unavoidable feeling of, {"I