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I don't recall exactly how the custom began, but I consistently call every one of my Pokémon trainers Malfunction.

Whether it's a core franchise title or a side project like Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the moniker always stays the same. Malfunction alternates between male and female avatars, with dark and violet locks. Sometimes their fashion is flawless, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest installment in the enduring series (and one of the more fashion-focused entries). Other times they're confined to the assorted school uniform designs from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Yet they remain Malfunction.

The Constantly Changing World of Pokemon Titles

Similar to my characters, the Pokemon titles have evolved across installments, with certain superficial, some substantial. However at their heart, they remain the same; they're consistently Pokemon to the core. Game Freak discovered an almost flawless mechanics system approximately 30 years ago, and just recently seriously tried to evolve on it with games such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your avatar is now in danger). Across every iteration, the core gameplay loop of catching and fighting alongside charming creatures has stayed consistent for nearly as long as my lifetime.

Shaking the Mold with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Similar to Arceus previously, featuring lack of arenas and focus on compiling a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings multiple changes to that framework. It takes place completely in a single location, the Paris-inspired Lumiose City from Pokémon X and Y, abandoning the region-spanning adventures of earlier titles. Pokemon are meant to coexist alongside people, trainers and civilians, in manners we've only glimpsed previously.

Far more drastic than that Z-A's live-action combat mechanics. This is where the series' near-perfect gameplay loop undergoes its most significant transformation to date, swapping deliberate turn-based bouts with more frenetic action. And it is thoroughly enjoyable, despite I feel eager for another traditional release. Though these alterations to the traditional Pokémon formula sound like they create an entirely fresh adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as any other Pokémon title.

The Heart of the Adventure: The Z-A Championship

Upon first arriving at Lumiose Metropolis, whatever plans your created character planned as a visitor are discarded; you're immediately recruited by the female guide (for male avatars; Urbain for female characters) to become part of her team of battlers. You're gifted a creature from them as your starter and are sent to participate in the Z-A Royale.

The Championship serves as the centerpiece in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's similar to the traditional "gym badges to Elite Four" progression of past games. However here, you battle a handful of trainers to gain the opportunity to participate in a promotion match. Win and you'll be promoted to a higher tier, with the ultimate goal of reaching rank A.

Real-Time Combat: An Innovative Frontier

Character fights take place at night, while sneaking around the assigned combat areas is quite entertaining. I'm always trying to surprise an opponent and launch a free attack, because all actions occur instantaneously. Moves function with cooldown timers, indicating both combatants can sometimes attack each other concurrently (and defeat each other simultaneously). It's a lot to adjust to at first. Despite playing for nearly 30 hours, I continue to feel that there is plenty to learn regarding using my Pokémon's moves in methods that work together synergistically. Positioning also factors as a significant part during combat since your creatures will follow you around or move to designated spots to execute moves (certain ones are distant, while others must be up close and personal).

The real-time action causes fights go so fast that I often repeating sequences through moves in the same order, even when this amounts to a suboptimal strategy. There isn't moment to breathe during Z-A, and plenty of chances to become swamped. Creature fights rely on response post-move execution, and that information is still present on the display within Z-A, but whips by quickly. Sometimes, you can't even read it because taking your eyes off your adversary will spell immediate defeat.

Exploring Lumiose Metropolis

Away from combat, you will traverse Lumiose City. It's relatively small, though tightly filled. Far into the adventure, I continue to find unseen stores and elevated areas to explore. It's also full of charm, and fully realizes the concept of creatures and humans living together. Pidgey inhabit its pathways, flying away as you approach like the real-life pigeons getting in my way when walking through NYC. The Pan Trio monkeys joyfully cling on streetlights, and bug-Pokémon such as Kakuna attach themselves to trees.

A focus on city living represents a fresh approach for the franchise, and a positive change. Even so, exploring Lumiose becomes rote over time. You may stumble upon a passage you never visited, but you wouldn't know it. The architecture lacks character, and most rooftops and sewer paths provide minimal diversity. While I haven't been to Paris, the model behind the city, I've lived in NYC for almost ten years. It's a city where no two blocks differs, and they're all alive with uniqueness that provide character. Lumiose Metropolis doesn't have that. It has beige structures topped with colored roofs and flatly rendered balconies.

Where The Metropolis Really Excels

Where Lumiose City truly stands out, oddly enough, is inside buildings. I loved the way creature fights in Sword & Shield occur in arena-like venues, providing them genuine significance and meaning. Conversely, battles in Scarlet & Violet take place on a court with few spectators observing. It's a total letdown. Z-A finds a balance between both extremes. You will fight in restaurants with diners observing as they dine. A fancy battle society will invite you to a competition, and you'll battle on its penthouse court under a lighting fixture (not Chandelure) suspended overhead. The most memorable spot is the beautifully designed base of the Rust Syndicate with atmospheric illumination and magenta walls. Several distinct combat settings brim with character that's absent from the overall metropolis as a whole.

The Familiarity of Repetition

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