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I'm not sure precisely when the custom began, however I consistently call every one of my Pokémon trainers Malfunction.

Whether it's a core franchise title or a side project such as Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the name never changes. Malfunction switches from male to female characters, with black and purple locks. Sometimes their fashion is impeccable, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest addition in this enduring series (and one of the most fashion-focused releases). Other times they're limited to the assorted school uniform styles from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. But they remain Malfunction.

The Constantly Changing World of Pokemon Titles

Much like my trainers, the Pokemon titles have transformed across installments, some cosmetic, others substantial. However at their core, they stay identical; they're always Pokémon through and through. Game Freak discovered an almost flawless gameplay formula approximately 30 years ago, and just recently truly attempted to innovate upon it with entries like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your avatar is now in danger). Across all version, the core mechanics cycle of catching and battling with charming creatures has remained consistent for nearly the same duration as I've been alive.

Breaking Conventions in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus previously, featuring absence of gyms and focus on creating a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings several deviations into that formula. It's set entirely in one place, the French capital-inspired Lumiose City from Pokémon X & Y, abandoning the region-spanning adventures of previous titles. Pokemon are intended to live together with people, trainers and non-trainers alike, in manners we've only seen glimpses of before.

Even more drastic than that Z-A's real-time battle system. This is where the series' near-perfect gameplay loop experiences its biggest evolution yet, replacing methodical sequential bouts for something more chaotic. And it's immensely fun, despite I feel ready for another turn-based entry. Though these alterations to the classic Pokémon formula seem like they form an entirely fresh experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as any other Pokemon game.

The Core of the Adventure: The Z-A Championship

When initially reaching at Lumiose Metropolis, any intentions your custom avatar planned as a visitor are discarded; you're immediately recruited by the female guide (if playing as a male character; the male guide if female) to become part of their squad of trainers. You receive a creature from them as your starter and you're dispatched to participate in the Z-A Royale.

The Championship serves as the centerpiece in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the traditional "arena symbols to final challenge" progression from earlier titles. But here, you battle a handful of opponents to earn the opportunity to participate in an advancement bout. Succeed and you'll be elevated to a higher tier, with the ultimate goal of reaching the top rank.

Real-Time Battles: A New Approach

Character fights occur at night, while sneaking around the designated battle zones is quite entertaining. I'm constantly attempting to surprise an opponent and launch a free attack, since all actions occur instantaneously. Moves operate on cooldown timers, meaning both combatants can sometimes strike simultaneously at the same time (and defeat each other simultaneously). It's much to get used to at first. Despite gaming for almost 30 hours, I still feel that there is much to master regarding employing my creatures' attacks in methods that complement each other. Placement also factors as a major role during combat as your Pokémon will trail behind you or go to specific locations to perform attacks (certain ones are distant, while others need to be up close and personal).

The live combat makes battles go so fast that I often sometimes cycling through moves in the same order, even when this amounts to a suboptimal strategy. There isn't moment to breathe during Z-A, and numerous opportunities to become swamped. Creature fights depend on response post-move execution, and that information is still present on the display in Z-A, but flashes past rapidly. Sometimes, you cannot process it because diverting attention from your adversary will result in immediate defeat.

Navigating Lumiose City

Away from combat, you will traverse Lumiose Metropolis. It's fairly compact, though densely packed. Far into the adventure, I continue to find unseen stores and rooftops to visit. It is also rich with character, and perfectly captures the concept of creatures and humans coexisting. Pidgey inhabit its pathways, taking flight as you approach similar to actual city birds getting in my way while strolling in New York City. The monkey trio joyfully cling on streetlights, and bug-Pokémon such as Kakuna cling to trees.

An emphasis on urban life is a new direction for the franchise, and a positive change. Even so, exploring Lumiose grows repetitive over time. You may stumble upon an alley you haven't been to, but you wouldn't know it. The building design lacks character, and most rooftops and underground routes offer little variety. Although I haven't been to Paris, the model behind the city, I reside in New York for almost ten years. It's a city where no two blocks differs, and they're all vibrant with differences that give them soul. Lumiose City doesn't have that. It features beige structures with blue or red roofs and flatly rendered balconies.

Where Lumiose City Truly Shines

Where Lumiose City truly stands out, oddly enough, is indoors. I loved how Pokémon battles within Sword and Shield occur in arena-like venues, giving them genuine significance and meaning. Conversely, fights within Scarlet and Violet happen in a field with few spectators observing. It's very disappointing. Z-A strikes a middle ground between the two. You will fight in eateries with patrons watching while they eat. An elite combat club will invite you to a tournament, and you'll battle on its penthouse court with a chandelier (not Chandelure) hanging above. My favorite location is the elegantly decorated headquarters of the Rust Syndicate with atmospheric illumination and purple partitions. Several distinct battle locales brim with character that's absent from the larger city in general.

The Comfort of Repetition

Throughout the Championship, along with subduing wild Mega Evolved Pokémon and filling the creature index, there is an unavoidable sense that, {"I