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I don't recall exactly how the tradition started, but I always name every one of my Pokémon trainers Glitch.

Whether it's a core franchise title or a side project such as Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the name always stays the same. Glitch alternates between male and female characters, with dark and violet hair. Occasionally their fashion is flawless, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest addition in the enduring series (and one of the more fashion-focused entries). At other moments they're confined to the assorted school uniform designs of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Yet they remain Glitch.

The Ever-Evolving World of Pokemon Titles

Much like my characters, the Pokémon games have evolved between installments, with certain cosmetic, others substantial. However at their heart, they stay the same; they're consistently Pokémon through and through. The developers discovered an almost flawless mechanics system approximately 30 years ago, and just recently seriously tried to innovate upon it with games such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (different timeline, your character faces peril). Throughout all iteration, the fundamental mechanics cycle of catching and battling alongside adorable monsters has remained steady for nearly as long as I've been alive.

Breaking the Mold with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Similar to Arceus before it, with its lack of arenas and emphasis on compiling a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings several changes into that framework. It's set entirely in one place, the Paris-inspired Lumiose City of Pokémon X & Y, abandoning the expansive adventures of earlier games. Pokémon are intended to coexist with people, trainers and civilians, in manners we've only seen glimpses of previously.

Far more radical than that Z-A's real-time battle system. It's here the series' near-perfect core cycle experiences its most significant transformation to date, swapping methodical turn-based bouts for more frenetic action. And it is thoroughly enjoyable, despite I feel eager for another turn-based entry. Though these alterations to the classic Pokemon recipe seem 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

Upon initially reaching in Lumiose City, any intentions your created character had as a tourist are discarded; you're immediately recruited by Taunie (if playing as a male character; the male guide if female) to join their squad of trainers. You receive a creature from them as your first partner and are sent into the Z-A Championship.

The Royale is the epicenter in 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 opponents to earn the opportunity to compete in an advancement bout. Win and you'll be promoted to the next rank, with the ultimate goal of reaching the top rank.

Real-Time Battles: An Innovative Frontier

Trainer battles take place at night, while navigating stealthily the assigned combat areas is quite enjoyable. I'm constantly trying to get a jump on an opponent and launch an unopposed move, since all actions occur in real time. Moves operate on cooldown timers, indicating you and your opponent can sometimes strike simultaneously concurrently (and defeat each other simultaneously). It's a lot to adjust to at first. Even after gaming for almost thirty hours, I still feel like there's much to master in terms of employing my creatures' attacks in ways that work together synergistically. Placement also factors as a major role in battles since your creatures will follow you around or go to specific locations to perform attacks (some are long-range, while others need to be in close proximity).

The live combat causes fights progress so quickly that I often repeating sequences through moves in the same order, even when this amounts to a less effective approach. There isn't moment to breathe during Z-A, and plenty of chances to get overwhelmed. Pokémon battles depend on feedback after using an attack, and that information remains visible on the display within Z-A, but whips by rapidly. Sometimes, you cannot process it because diverting attention from your adversary will result in certain doom.

Exploring Lumiose Metropolis

Away from combat, you'll explore Lumiose City. It's relatively small, although densely packed. Far into the adventure, I'm still discovering new shops and elevated areas to explore. It's also full of charm, and perfectly captures the concept of Pokémon and people coexisting. Common bird Pokemon populate its sidewalks, taking flight when you get near similar to actual pigeons obstructing my path while strolling through NYC. The monkey trio joyfully cling on streetlights, and insect creatures such as Kakuna cling to trees.

An emphasis on urban life is a new direction for the franchise, and a welcome one. Even so, exploring Lumiose grows repetitive eventually. You may stumble upon an alley you haven't been to, but it feels identical. The building design is devoid of personality, and many elevated areas and sewer paths offer little variety. While I haven't been to the French capital, the model behind Lumiose, I reside in New York for almost ten years. It's a metropolis where no two blocks differs, and all are alive with uniqueness that give them soul. Lumiose Metropolis doesn't have that. It has tan buildings with blue or red roofs and flatly rendered balconies.

Where The Metropolis Truly Shines

In which the city really shines, surprisingly, is indoors. I loved the way creature fights in Sword & Shield take place in arena-like venues, giving them genuine significance and meaning. On the flipside, battles in Scarlet and Violet happen on a court with two random people watching. It's a total letdown. Z-A strikes a middle ground between both extremes. You'll battle in eateries with patrons watching while they eat. An elite combat club will invite you to a tournament, and you'll battle in its rooftop arena with a chandelier (not the Pokemon) suspended overhead. My favorite location is the beautifully designed headquarters of a certain faction with its moody lighting and purple partitions. Several distinct battle locales overflow with personality that's absent from the overall metropolis in general.

The Comfort of Routine

During the Championship, along with quelling rogue Mega Evolved Pokémon and completing the Pokédex, there is an unavoidable feeling of, {"I