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I'm not sure exactly how the custom began, however I consistently call all my Pokemon characters Glitch.

Whether it's a core franchise title or a spinoff such as Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the name always stays the same. Malfunction switches from male to female avatars, with dark and violet locks. Occasionally their fashion is flawless, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest addition in this long-running series (and among the more style-conscious entries). At other moments they're limited to the various academic attire styles from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Yet they're always Malfunction.

The Ever-Evolving Realm of Pokemon Games

Similar to my trainers, the Pokemon titles have transformed between installments, some superficial, others significant. However at their core, they remain the same; they're always Pokemon to the core. The developers discovered a nearly perfect mechanics system some 30 years ago, and just recently seriously tried to evolve on it with games such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (different timeline, your character is now in danger). Across all version, the fundamental mechanics cycle of catching and fighting with adorable monsters has remained consistent for nearly the same duration as I've been alive.

Breaking Conventions with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Similar to Arceus before it, with its lack of arenas and focus on creating a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces multiple deviations to that formula. It's set completely in a single location, the French capital-inspired Lumiose City of Pokémon X & Y, ditching the region-spanning adventures of earlier titles. Pokemon are meant to coexist with people, battlers and non-trainers alike, in manners we've only glimpsed previously.

Far more drastic is Z-A's real-time combat mechanics. It's here the franchise's near-perfect core cycle undergoes its biggest evolution yet, replacing methodical turn-based bouts for something more chaotic. And it is thoroughly enjoyable, despite I feel eager for a new turn-based entry. Although these alterations to the classic Pokemon recipe sound like they create an entirely fresh experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A feels as recognizable as any other Pokémon title.

The Core of the Journey: The Z-A Championship

When initially reaching in Lumiose City, whatever plans your custom avatar had as a tourist are discarded; you're immediately recruited by Taunie (if playing as a male character; the male guide if female) to join her team of trainers. You receive one of her Pokémon as your first partner and you're dispatched to participate in the Z-A Championship.

The Royale serves as the centerpiece in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's similar to the classic "arena symbols to final challenge" progression from earlier titles. But here, you fight several trainers to earn the chance to participate in an advancement bout. Win and you will be promoted to the next rank, with the final objective of achieving rank A.

Live-Action Battles: An Innovative Approach

Character fights take place at night, while sneaking around the designated combat areas is very enjoyable. I'm always trying to surprise an opponent and launch an unopposed move, since everything happens instantaneously. Attacks function with cooldown timers, indicating you and your opponent may occasionally attack each other concurrently (and knock each other out at once). It's much to get used to initially. Even after 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. Positioning also plays a significant part in battles since your creatures will follow you around or go to specific locations to perform attacks (some are long-range, whereas others need to be in close proximity).

The live combat causes fights progress so quickly that I often repeating sequences through moves in identical patterns, even when this amounts to a suboptimal strategy. There's no time to breathe in Z-A, and numerous chances to get overwhelmed. Creature fights rely on feedback after using an attack, and that information is still present on screen within Z-A, but whips by rapidly. Occasionally, you can't even read it since taking your eyes off your opponent will result in immediate defeat.

Navigating Lumiose City

Outside of battle, you will traverse Lumiose Metropolis. It's fairly compact, though densely packed. Deep into the game, I'm still discovering new shops and elevated areas to visit. It's also full of charm, and perfectly captures the vision of Pokémon and people living together. Common bird Pokemon inhabit its pathways, flying away when you get near similar to actual pigeons getting in my way when walking in New York City. The monkey trio gleefully hang on streetlights, and insect creatures like Kakuna attach themselves on branches.

A focus on urban life is a new direction for the franchise, and a welcome one. Even so, navigating the city becomes rote over time. You may stumble upon a passage you haven't been to, but it feels identical. The building design is devoid of personality, and many elevated areas and sewer paths offer little variety. Although I never visited the French capital, the model behind the city, I reside in New York for almost ten years. It's a city where every district are the same, and all are alive with uniqueness that provide character. Lumiose City lacks that quality. It features beige structures with blue or red roofs and simply designed terraces.

Where The Metropolis Truly Shines

In which Lumiose City really shines, surprisingly, is inside buildings. I adored how Pokémon battles in Sword and Shield take place in arena-like venues, giving them genuine significance and meaning. On the flipside, fights within Scarlet & Violet take place on a court with few spectators observing. It's a total letdown. Z-A strikes a middle ground between both extremes. You'll battle in restaurants with patrons watching as they dine. An elite combat club will invite you to a competition, 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 purple partitions. Several distinct combat settings brim with character that's absent from the overall metropolis as a whole.

The Familiarity of Repetition

During the Championship, as well as subduing wild Mega Evolved Pokémon and completing the Pokédex, there is an unavoidable sense that, {"I