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I'm not sure precisely when the tradition began, but I consistently call all my Pokemon characters Glitch.

Be it a main series game or a spinoff like Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the name always stays the same. Glitch alternates from male to female characters, featuring dark and violet hair. Sometimes their style is flawless, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest addition in the enduring franchise (and one of the more style-conscious entries). Other times they're limited to the various school uniform designs from Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. But they remain Glitch.

The Constantly Changing World of Pokemon Games

Similar to my trainers, the Pokemon titles have evolved between installments, some superficial, others substantial. But at their core, they remain identical; they're consistently Pokemon to the core. The developers discovered a nearly perfect mechanics system some three decades back, and has only truly attempted to innovate on it with entries like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your character is now in danger). Throughout every iteration, the fundamental gameplay loop of capturing and fighting with charming creatures has stayed consistent for almost as long as my lifetime.

Shaking the Mold in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus before it, with its lack of arenas and focus on creating a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces several changes into that framework. It takes place completely in one place, the French capital-inspired Lumiose Metropolis from Pokémon X and Y, abandoning the expansive adventures of earlier games. Pokémon are intended to coexist alongside people, battlers and non-trainers alike, in ways we've only glimpsed previously.

Even more radical than that Z-A's real-time battle system. It's here the series' near-perfect gameplay loop undergoes its biggest evolution yet, swapping deliberate turn-based bouts for something more chaotic. And it's immensely fun, despite I find myself eager for another turn-based entry. Although these alterations to the classic Pokémon formula seem like they form a completely new experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A feels as recognizable as any other Pokémon title.

The Core of the Journey: The Z-A Championship

When first arriving at Lumiose Metropolis, whatever plans your created character had as a tourist are discarded; you're promptly enlisted by the female guide (for male avatars; the male guide for female characters) to join their squad of battlers. You receive one of her Pokémon as your starter and are sent into the Z-A Royale.

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 fight several trainers to gain the opportunity to compete in a promotion match. Succeed and you will be promoted to the next rank, with the final objective of achieving rank A.

Real-Time Combat: An Innovative Approach

Trainer battles take place at night, while sneaking around the assigned battle zones is very enjoyable. I'm constantly attempting to get a jump on an opponent and unleash a free attack, because everything happens instantaneously. Attacks function with cooldown timers, indicating you and your opponent can sometimes attack each other concurrently (and knock each other out simultaneously). It's a lot to adjust to initially. Despite playing for nearly 30 hours, I continue to feel that there is plenty to learn regarding using my Pokémon's moves in ways that work together synergistically. Placement also factors as a significant part in battles since your creatures will follow you around or move to specific locations to execute moves (certain ones are distant, whereas others must be in close proximity).

The live combat makes battles go so fast that I find myself sometimes cycling through moves in the same order, despite this amounts to a suboptimal strategy. There's no time to breathe during Z-A, and numerous chances to get overwhelmed. Pokémon battles depend on response after using an attack, and that data remains visible on the display in Z-A, but whips by rapidly. Sometimes, you can't even read it since diverting attention from your opponent will result in immediate defeat.

Exploring Lumiose City

Outside of battle, you'll explore Lumiose Metropolis. It's relatively small, although densely packed. Deep into the game, I continue to find unseen stores and rooftops to explore. It is also full of charm, and fully realizes the vision of Pokémon and people coexisting. Pidgey inhabit its pathways, flying away when you get near like the real-life city birds obstructing my path while strolling through NYC. The monkey trio joyfully cling from lampposts, and insect creatures such as Kakuna attach themselves to trees.

A focus on urban life is a new direction for Pokémon, and a welcome one. Even so, exploring Lumiose becomes rote eventually. You might discover an alley you haven't been to, but you wouldn't know it. The architecture lacks character, and many elevated areas and sewer paths offer little variety. Although I haven't been to Paris, the inspiration for the city, I reside in New York for nearly a decade. It's a city where no two blocks are the same, and all are alive with uniqueness that give them soul. Lumiose Metropolis doesn't have that. It features tan buildings with blue or red roofs and flatly rendered terraces.

Where The Metropolis Truly Shines

Where Lumiose City truly stands out, oddly enough, is indoors. I adored the way creature fights within Sword and Shield occur in arena-like venues, providing them real weight and importance. On the flipside, battles in Scarlet & Violet happen on a court with two random people observing. It's very disappointing. Z-A finds a balance between the two. You will fight in restaurants with diners observing as they dine. An elite combat club will extend an invitation to a competition, and you will combat on its penthouse court under a lighting fixture (not Chandelure) hanging above. My favorite location is the beautifully designed base of the Rust Syndicate with atmospheric illumination and purple partitions. Various individual combat settings brim with character missing in the overall metropolis as a whole.

The Comfort of Routine

Throughout the Royale, as well as subduing wild powered-up creatures and filling the creature index, there is an unavoidable feeling of, {"I