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I don't recall precisely when the tradition began, but I consistently call every one of my Pokemon characters Glitch.

Be it a main series game or a side project like Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the moniker always stays the same. Glitch alternates from male to female characters, featuring black and purple locks. Sometimes their style is impeccable, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest installment in the enduring franchise (and one of the more style-conscious releases). At other moments they're limited to the various school uniform designs from Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. Yet they remain Glitch.

The Constantly Changing Realm of Pokemon Games

Similar to my trainers, the Pokémon games have transformed across installments, some cosmetic, some significant. However at their heart, they remain the same; they're consistently Pokémon through and through. Game Freak discovered an almost flawless mechanics system approximately 30 years ago, and just recently truly attempted to innovate upon it with entries like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your avatar faces peril). Throughout every iteration, the fundamental gameplay loop of capturing and battling with adorable monsters has remained consistent for almost the same duration as I've been alive.

Breaking Conventions with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus before it, with its lack of arenas and emphasis on compiling a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces several changes to that framework. It's set entirely in a single location, the Paris-inspired Lumiose Metropolis of Pokémon X & Y, abandoning the region-spanning adventures of previous titles. Pokemon are intended to live together with humans, trainers and civilians, in manners we've only glimpsed before.

Even more radical is Z-A's live-action battle system. This is where the franchise's almost ideal core cycle undergoes its most significant evolution yet, swapping deliberate sequential fights with something more chaotic. And it is immensely fun, even as I feel eager for a new traditional release. Though these alterations to the traditional Pokémon formula sound like they create a completely new experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A feels as recognizable as any other Pokemon game.

The Core of the Journey: The Z-A Championship

Upon first arriving in Lumiose City, whatever plans your custom avatar had as a tourist get abandoned; you're promptly recruited by Taunie (for male avatars; Urbain if female) to become part of her team of trainers. You're gifted a creature from them as your first partner and are sent into the Z-A Royale.

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

Real-Time Battles: An Innovative Approach

Character fights occur at night, while navigating stealthily the assigned combat areas is very enjoyable. I'm always attempting to surprise an opponent and launch an unopposed move, because all actions occur instantaneously. Moves operate on recharge periods, meaning you and your opponent can sometimes attack each other at the same time (and defeat each other simultaneously). It's a lot to get used to at first. Despite gaming for almost 30 hours, I still feel that there is plenty to learn in terms of using my Pokémon's moves in ways that complement each other. Positioning also factors as a significant part during combat as your Pokémon will trail behind you or go to designated spots to execute moves (certain ones are distant, whereas others need to be up close and personal).

The live combat makes battles go so fast that I find myself sometimes cycling through moves in the same order, despite this results in a suboptimal strategy. There's no time to breathe in Z-A, and numerous chances to become swamped. Pokémon battles rely on response post-move execution, and that information remains visible on the display within Z-A, but whips by quickly. Sometimes, you cannot process it because diverting attention from your adversary will result in immediate defeat.

Exploring Lumiose Metropolis

Outside of battle, you'll explore Lumiose Metropolis. It's fairly compact, although tightly filled. Far into the adventure, I continue to find new shops and elevated areas to explore. It is also rich with character, and perfectly captures the concept of Pokémon and people coexisting. Common bird Pokemon inhabit its pathways, flying away as you approach like the real-life city birds getting in my way when walking through NYC. The Pan Trio monkeys gleefully hang on streetlights, and insect creatures like Kakuna cling on branches.

An emphasis on city living represents a fresh approach for the franchise, and a welcome one. Even so, navigating the city becomes rote over time. You may stumble upon an alley you never visited, but it feels identical. The architecture is devoid of personality, and most rooftops and underground routes offer little variety. While I haven't been to Paris, the model behind the city, I reside in New York for nearly a decade. It's a city where every district are the same, and they're all alive with uniqueness that give them soul. Lumiose Metropolis lacks that quality. It features beige structures topped with colored roofs and flatly rendered balconies.

Where Lumiose City Truly Shines

In which the city truly stands out, oddly enough, is indoors. I adored how Pokémon battles in Sword & Shield occur in football-like stadiums, providing them genuine significance and importance. Conversely, fights within Scarlet and Violet take place on a court with few spectators observing. It's a total letdown. Z-A strikes a middle ground between both extremes. You will fight in eateries with diners observing while they eat. An elite combat club will extend an invitation to a competition, and you'll battle in its rooftop arena with a chandelier (not the Pokemon) suspended overhead. My favorite location is the beautifully designed base of a certain faction with its moody lighting and magenta walls. Several distinct battle locales brim with character that's absent from the larger city in general.

The Familiarity of Routine

Throughout the Royale, along with quelling rogue Mega Evolved Pokémon and completing the creature index, there's an inescapable feeling of, {"I