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I'm not sure exactly how the custom started, however I always name all my Pokemon characters Glitch.

Whether it's a main series title or a spinoff such as Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the name never changes. Glitch alternates between male and female avatars, featuring black and purple locks. Sometimes their fashion is impeccable, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest addition in this enduring series (and among the most fashion-focused releases). Other times they're confined to the assorted academic attire designs of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Yet they remain Malfunction.

The Ever-Evolving Realm of Pokemon Titles

Much like my characters, the Pokemon titles have evolved between releases, with certain cosmetic, others significant. But at their heart, they stay identical; they're consistently Pokemon to the core. The developers discovered a nearly perfect mechanics system some 30 years ago, and just recently truly attempted to evolve upon it with entries like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your character faces peril). Throughout all iteration, the core gameplay loop of capturing and battling alongside charming creatures has remained consistent for nearly the same duration as my lifetime.

Breaking the Mold with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Similar to Arceus previously, with its absence of gyms and emphasis on creating a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces several deviations into that framework. It's set completely in one place, the Paris-inspired Lumiose Metropolis of Pokémon X and Y, ditching the region-spanning adventures of earlier titles. Pokemon are intended to coexist with humans, trainers and civilians, in manners we have merely seen glimpses of before.

Far more radical is Z-A's live-action combat mechanics. It's here the series' near-perfect core cycle experiences its most significant evolution to date, swapping deliberate turn-based bouts with something more chaotic. And it is immensely fun, despite I feel ready for a new turn-based entry. Though these changes to the traditional Pokemon recipe sound like they create a completely new adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as any other Pokemon game.

The Core of the Adventure: The Z-A Championship

When first arriving at Lumiose Metropolis, whatever plans your created character planned as a visitor are discarded; you're promptly recruited by the female guide (for male avatars; the male guide if female) to join her team of trainers. You receive a creature from them as your first partner and you're dispatched into the Z-A Royale.

The Championship is the epicenter of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's similar to the classic "gym badges to Elite Four" advancement of past games. However here, you battle a handful of trainers to gain the chance to compete in an advancement bout. Win and you will be promoted to a higher tier, with the ultimate goal of achieving the top rank.

Live-Action Battles: An Innovative Frontier

Trainer battles occur during nighttime, and navigating stealthily the designated battle zones is very entertaining. I'm always attempting to get a jump on a rival and launch a free attack, since everything happens in real time. Attacks operate on recharge periods, indicating you and your opponent may occasionally attack each other concurrently (and defeat each other at once). It's a lot to adjust to initially. Despite playing for nearly thirty hours, I continue to feel like there's plenty to learn in terms of employing my creatures' attacks in ways that complement each other. Placement also plays a significant part in battles since your creatures will trail behind you or move to specific locations to execute moves (some are long-range, while others need to be up close and personal).

The real-time action makes battles go so fast that I often repeating sequences through moves in the same order, despite this results in a suboptimal strategy. There isn't moment to breathe during Z-A, and numerous chances to get overwhelmed. Creature fights rely on response post-move execution, and that information remains visible on the display in Z-A, but whips by quickly. Sometimes, you cannot process it because taking your eyes off your opponent will spell immediate defeat.

Exploring Lumiose City

Away from combat, you will traverse Lumiose City. It's relatively small, though densely packed. Far into the adventure, I'm still discovering new shops and elevated areas to visit. It is also full of charm, and fully realizes the concept of Pokémon and people living together. Common bird Pokemon populate its sidewalks, taking flight when you get near similar to actual city birds getting in my way when walking through NYC. The monkey trio joyfully cling from lampposts, and insect creatures such as Kakuna cling to trees.

A focus on urban life is a new direction for Pokémon, and a welcome one. Nonetheless, navigating the city becomes rote over time. You may stumble upon an alley you never visited, but it feels identical. The building design is devoid of personality, and most rooftops and underground routes provide minimal diversity. While I never visited the French capital, the model behind the city, I've lived in NYC for nearly a decade. It's a metropolis where no two blocks differs, and all are vibrant with differences that give them soul. Lumiose City doesn't have that. It has tan buildings with blue or red roofs and simply designed balconies.

The Areas Where The Metropolis Really Excels

Where Lumiose City really shines, oddly enough, is inside buildings. I adored the way creature fights in Sword and Shield occur in arena-like venues, giving them genuine significance and importance. On the flipside, battles in Scarlet and Violet happen in a field with two random people watching. It's a total letdown. Z-A finds a balance between the two. You will fight in eateries with diners observing as they dine. An elite combat club will invite you to a tournament, and you will combat in its rooftop arena with a chandelier (not the Pokemon) suspended overhead. The most memorable spot is the elegantly decorated base of a certain faction with its moody lighting and purple partitions. Various individual combat settings overflow with personality missing in the overall metropolis as a whole.

The Comfort of Repetition

During the Championship, as well as subduing wild powered-up creatures and filling the Pokédex, there's an inescapable feeling of, {"I