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I'm not sure precisely when the tradition started, however I consistently call every one of my Pokémon trainers Glitch.

Be it a core franchise game or a side project such as Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the moniker always stays the same. Glitch switches from male to female avatars, featuring dark and violet locks. Occasionally their fashion is flawless, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest addition in this enduring series (and one of the most fashion-focused entries). Other times they're confined to the various school uniform styles from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Yet they remain Glitch.

The Constantly Changing Realm of Pokemon Titles

Much like my characters, the Pokémon games have transformed between installments, with certain cosmetic, some substantial. However at their heart, they remain identical; they're consistently Pokemon to the core. Game Freak discovered an almost flawless gameplay formula some 30 years ago, and just recently seriously tried to innovate upon it with entries like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your avatar is now in danger). Across every version, the core mechanics cycle of catching and fighting with adorable monsters has stayed steady for almost as long as my lifetime.

Breaking Conventions with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Similar to Arceus previously, featuring absence of gyms and focus on compiling a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings multiple deviations to that formula. It takes place completely in one place, the Paris-inspired Lumiose Metropolis from Pokémon X and Y, ditching the expansive adventures of earlier games. Pokemon are meant to live together with people, trainers and civilians, in manners we have merely glimpsed before.

Even more radical than that Z-A's real-time battle system. This is where the franchise's almost ideal core cycle experiences its biggest transformation to date, replacing methodical turn-based fights for more frenetic action. And it is immensely fun, even as I feel eager for a new turn-based release. Although these alterations to the classic Pokemon recipe sound like they form an entirely fresh adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as any other Pokémon title.

The Core of the Adventure: The Z-A Championship

When initially reaching at Lumiose Metropolis, whatever plans your created character had as a tourist get abandoned; you're immediately recruited by Taunie (for male avatars; the male guide if female) to join her team of trainers. You're gifted one of her Pokémon as your starter and you're dispatched to participate in the Z-A Championship.

The Championship serves as the centerpiece in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the classic "gym badges to Elite Four" advancement from earlier titles. But here, you battle a handful of trainers to gain the opportunity to compete in an advancement bout. Succeed and you'll be elevated to the next rank, with the ultimate goal of reaching the top rank.

Real-Time Combat: An Innovative Frontier

Trainer battles take place during nighttime, and sneaking around the assigned combat areas is very entertaining. I'm always attempting to surprise a rival and launch an unopposed move, because everything happens in real time. Attacks operate on cooldown timers, meaning both combatants may occasionally attack each other concurrently (and defeat each other simultaneously). It's a lot to get used to at first. Despite gaming for almost 30 hours, I continue to feel like there's plenty to learn regarding employing my creatures' attacks in ways that complement each other. Positioning also plays a significant part during combat since your creatures will follow you around or move to specific locations to perform attacks (certain ones are distant, while others need to be up close and personal).

The real-time action causes fights progress so quickly that I find myself sometimes cycling through moves in identical patterns, even when this results in a suboptimal strategy. There's no time to breathe during Z-A, and numerous chances to get overwhelmed. Pokémon battles rely on response post-move execution, and that data is still present on screen in Z-A, but whips by quickly. Sometimes, you can't even read it since diverting attention from your opponent will result in immediate defeat.

Exploring Lumiose Metropolis

Outside of battle, you will traverse Lumiose Metropolis. It's fairly compact, though densely packed. Deep into the game, I'm still discovering unseen stores and elevated areas to explore. It is also rich with character, and fully realizes the concept of Pokémon and people living together. Pidgey populate its sidewalks, flying away as you approach like the real-life city birds obstructing my path while strolling through NYC. The monkey trio joyfully cling from lampposts, and bug-Pokémon such as Kakuna attach themselves on branches.

A focus on city living represents a fresh approach for the franchise, and a positive change. Even so, exploring Lumiose grows repetitive over time. You might discover a passage you haven't been to, but it feels identical. The architecture is devoid of personality, and many elevated areas and sewer paths offer little variety. While I never visited the French capital, the inspiration for the city, I reside in New York for almost ten years. It's a city where no two blocks differs, and all are alive with uniqueness that provide character. Lumiose City lacks that quality. It features tan buildings with blue or red roofs and flatly rendered terraces.

Where The Metropolis Really Excels

Where Lumiose City really shines, oddly enough, is indoors. I adored how Pokémon battles within Sword and Shield take place in football-like stadiums, providing them genuine significance and meaning. Conversely, battles in Scarlet & Violet take place in a field with two random people observing. It's very disappointing. Z-A finds a balance between both extremes. You will fight in restaurants with patrons watching while they eat. A fancy battle society will invite you to a competition, and you'll battle on its penthouse court under a lighting fixture (not the Pokemon) hanging above. The most memorable spot is the elegantly decorated headquarters of a certain faction with its moody lighting and purple partitions. Several distinct combat settings brim with character that's absent from the overall metropolis in general.

The Comfort of Repetition

During the Championship, as well as subduing wild powered-up creatures and filling the creature index, there is an unavoidable sense that, {"I