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I'm not sure exactly how the custom began, however I always name every one of my Pokémon trainers Malfunction.

Be it a main series game or a spinoff such as Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the moniker always stays the same. Malfunction alternates from male to female avatars, with dark and violet hair. Sometimes their fashion is flawless, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest installment in the enduring series (and among the more fashion-focused entries). At other moments they're confined to the various academic attire designs from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. But they're always Glitch.

The Constantly Changing Realm of Pokemon Games

Similar to my characters, the Pokemon titles have transformed between installments, with certain superficial, some significant. However at their core, they stay the same; they're consistently Pokémon through and through. Game Freak discovered an almost flawless gameplay formula approximately three decades back, and just recently seriously tried to innovate on it with entries like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (different timeline, your character is now in danger). Throughout every version, the core gameplay loop of catching and battling alongside charming creatures has stayed steady for nearly as long as I've been alive.

Breaking Conventions in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus before it, featuring absence of gyms and focus on creating a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings several deviations into that framework. It takes place completely in one place, the Paris-inspired Lumiose Metropolis of Pokémon X & Y, abandoning the expansive journeys of earlier titles. Pokemon are meant to live together alongside people, battlers and civilians, in ways we've only glimpsed previously.

Far more drastic than that Z-A's real-time battle system. This is where the series' near-perfect gameplay loop experiences its most significant evolution to date, swapping methodical turn-based bouts for something more chaotic. And it's immensely fun, even as I feel eager for another turn-based release. Though these changes to the classic Pokemon recipe seem like they create an entirely fresh experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as every other Pokemon game.

The Core of the Journey: The Z-A Royale

Upon initially reaching at Lumiose Metropolis, any intentions your custom avatar planned as a visitor get abandoned; you're promptly recruited by Taunie (for male avatars; Urbain for female characters) to become part of their squad of battlers. You receive a creature from them as your first partner and are sent to participate in the Z-A Championship.

The Royale is the epicenter in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the classic "gym badges to Elite Four" progression of past games. However here, you battle several trainers to gain the chance to participate in an advancement bout. Win and you'll be elevated to a higher tier, with the ultimate goal of reaching rank A.

Live-Action Combat: An Innovative Frontier

Character fights take place at night, while navigating stealthily the designated battle zones is very entertaining. I'm always trying to get a jump on an opponent and unleash an unopposed move, because everything happens instantaneously. Moves operate on cooldown timers, indicating both combatants can sometimes strike simultaneously concurrently (and knock each other out simultaneously). It's much to adjust to initially. Even after gaming for almost 30 hours, I continue to feel that there is plenty to learn in terms of employing my creatures' attacks in methods that work together synergistically. Placement also factors as a major role in battles as your Pokémon will follow you around or go to specific locations to perform attacks (certain ones are distant, whereas others need to be in close proximity).

The real-time action causes fights progress so quickly that I often 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 opportunities to get overwhelmed. Creature fights depend on feedback post-move execution, and that data remains visible on the display within Z-A, but whips by quickly. Sometimes, you can't even read it since taking your eyes off your adversary will spell certain doom.

Exploring Lumiose City

Outside of battle, you will traverse Lumiose City. It's relatively small, although tightly filled. Deep into the game, I continue to find unseen stores and rooftops to explore. It is also full of charm, and perfectly captures the concept of Pokémon and people living together. Common bird Pokemon inhabit its pathways, taking flight as you approach similar to actual city birds getting in my way when walking through NYC. The monkey trio gleefully hang from lampposts, and insect creatures like Kakuna attach themselves to trees.

An emphasis on urban life represents a fresh approach for the franchise, and a positive change. Nonetheless, navigating the city becomes rote 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 many elevated areas and underground routes offer little variety. Although I never visited Paris, the model behind Lumiose, I've lived in NYC for almost ten years. It's a city where every district differs, and all are vibrant with differences that provide character. Lumiose City lacks that quality. It has beige structures with blue or red roofs and simply designed balconies.

The Areas Where The Metropolis Truly Shines

Where the city truly stands out, surprisingly, is indoors. I loved the way creature fights in Sword and Shield take place in arena-like venues, giving them real weight and importance. Conversely, battles in Scarlet & Violet take place on a court with two random people observing. It's a total letdown. Z-A finds a balance between the two. You will fight in eateries with diners observing while they eat. A fancy battle society will extend an invitation to a competition, and you'll battle on its penthouse court under a lighting fixture (not Chandelure) hanging above. The most memorable spot is the elegantly decorated headquarters of a certain faction with its moody lighting and purple partitions. Various individual battle locales brim with character that's absent from the larger city in general.

The Comfort of Repetition

Throughout the Royale, along with quelling rogue Mega Evolved Pokémon and filling the Pokédex, there is an unavoidable sense that, {"I