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

Be it a core franchise title or a spinoff such as Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the moniker never changes. Glitch switches from male to female avatars, featuring dark and violet hair. Occasionally their fashion is flawless, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest installment in this long-running franchise (and among the most style-conscious entries). At other moments they're limited to the various school uniform designs from Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. Yet they remain Glitch.

The Constantly Changing World of Pokemon Titles

Much like my trainers, the Pokemon titles have evolved across releases, some superficial, some substantial. But at their core, they stay identical; they're always Pokemon to the core. The developers uncovered an almost flawless gameplay formula some three decades back, and just recently seriously tried to evolve on it with games such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your avatar is now in danger). Throughout every version, the core mechanics cycle of capturing and battling with charming creatures has stayed steady for almost the same duration as I've been alive.

Breaking the Mold with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus before it, with its absence of gyms and emphasis on compiling a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces multiple changes into that formula. It's set completely in one place, the French capital-inspired Lumiose Metropolis of Pokémon X and Y, abandoning the expansive journeys of previous games. Pokémon are intended to coexist with people, trainers and non-trainers alike, in ways we have merely glimpsed previously.

Even more drastic than that Z-A's real-time battle system. It's here the franchise's near-perfect core cycle undergoes its biggest transformation to date, swapping methodical turn-based bouts with more frenetic action. And it's thoroughly enjoyable, even as I find myself eager for a new traditional entry. Although these alterations to the classic Pokemon recipe sound like they create a completely new adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A feels as recognizable as any other Pokemon game.

The Heart of the Adventure: The Z-A Royale

When first arriving in Lumiose City, whatever plans your custom avatar planned as a visitor are discarded; you're immediately recruited by the female guide (for male avatars; the male guide for female characters) to become part of her team of trainers. You receive one of her Pokémon as your first partner and are sent into the Z-A Championship.

The Championship serves as the centerpiece in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the classic "arena symbols to final challenge" advancement from earlier titles. But here, you fight several opponents to gain the chance to participate in an advancement bout. Win and you will be promoted to the next rank, with the ultimate goal of achieving the top rank.

Real-Time Combat: An Innovative Frontier

Character fights occur during nighttime, while sneaking around the assigned combat areas is very entertaining. I'm constantly attempting to get a jump on a rival and unleash an unopposed move, since all actions occur in real time. Attacks operate on cooldown timers, meaning you and your opponent may occasionally strike simultaneously concurrently (and knock each other out simultaneously). It's much to adjust to at first. Even after gaming for almost thirty hours, I still feel that there is plenty to learn regarding employing my creatures' attacks in ways that work together synergistically. Placement also plays a major role in battles as your Pokémon will follow you around or go to specific locations to execute moves (certain ones are distant, whereas others must be up close and personal).

The live combat causes fights go so fast that I find myself repeating sequences of attacks in the same order, even when this results in a suboptimal strategy. There isn't moment to pause during Z-A, and numerous opportunities to become swamped. Creature fights rely on response post-move execution, and that data remains visible on the display in Z-A, but flashes past rapidly. Sometimes, you cannot process it because taking your eyes off your adversary will spell immediate defeat.

Navigating Lumiose City

Away from combat, you'll explore Lumiose City. It's fairly compact, though densely packed. Far into the adventure, I'm still discovering unseen stores and elevated areas to visit. It's also full of charm, and perfectly captures the concept of creatures and humans coexisting. Common bird Pokemon inhabit its pathways, flying away as you approach like the real-life city birds getting in my way while strolling through NYC. The Pan Trio monkeys gleefully hang on streetlights, and insect creatures like Kakuna attach themselves on branches.

A focus on city living is a new direction for the franchise, and a positive change. Even so, exploring Lumiose grows repetitive eventually. 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. Although I haven't been to the French capital, the model behind Lumiose, I've lived in NYC for almost ten years. It's a metropolis where no two blocks differs, and all are vibrant with differences that provide character. Lumiose Metropolis doesn't have that. It features beige structures topped with colored roofs and simply designed terraces.

The Areas Where The Metropolis Truly Shines

In which Lumiose City truly stands out, surprisingly, is indoors. I adored how Pokémon battles within Sword & Shield take place in football-like stadiums, providing them genuine significance and meaning. On the flipside, battles in Scarlet and Violet take place in a field with few spectators observing. It's a total letdown. Z-A finds a balance between both extremes. You'll battle in restaurants with patrons watching while they eat. A fancy battle society will extend an invitation to a tournament, and you will combat on its penthouse court under a lighting fixture (not Chandelure) suspended overhead. My favorite location is the elegantly decorated headquarters of the Rust Syndicate with its moody lighting and magenta walls. Several distinct battle locales brim with character that's absent from the overall metropolis as a whole.

The Comfort of Routine

Throughout the Royale, as well as quelling rogue Mega Evolved Pokémon and completing the creature index, there's an inescapable sense that, {"I