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

Whether it's a core franchise title or a spinoff such as Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the moniker always stays the same. Glitch alternates from male to female characters, with dark and violet locks. Occasionally their style is flawless, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest addition in the enduring series (and one of the more fashion-focused releases). Other times they're limited to the various academic attire styles of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Yet they're always Glitch.

The Constantly Changing Realm of Pokemon Games

Similar to my characters, the Pokemon titles have evolved between installments, with certain cosmetic, some significant. But at their core, they remain identical; they're consistently Pokemon through and through. Game Freak uncovered an almost flawless gameplay formula some 30 years ago, and has only seriously tried to innovate on it with games such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your avatar faces peril). Across every iteration, the core mechanics cycle of catching and fighting with adorable monsters has remained consistent for nearly as long as my lifetime.

Breaking Conventions in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Similar to Arceus previously, with its absence of gyms and focus on compiling a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings multiple changes into that framework. It's set entirely in one place, the French capital-inspired Lumiose Metropolis of Pokémon X & Y, abandoning the region-spanning journeys of previous titles. Pokémon are intended to live together with people, battlers and civilians, in ways we have merely glimpsed previously.

Even more radical is Z-A's live-action battle system. It's here the series' near-perfect core cycle undergoes its most significant evolution to date, replacing deliberate sequential fights with something more chaotic. And it's thoroughly enjoyable, despite I find myself eager for another traditional entry. Although these changes to the traditional Pokemon recipe seem like they form a completely new adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A feels as recognizable as every other Pokémon title.

The Heart of the Adventure: The Z-A Championship

When first arriving in Lumiose City, whatever plans your created character planned as a visitor get abandoned; you're immediately enlisted by Taunie (for male avatars; Urbain if female) to join their squad of trainers. You receive one of her Pokémon as your first partner and are sent to participate in the Z-A Championship.

The Championship is the epicenter of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's similar to the classic "arena symbols to final challenge" progression from earlier titles. However here, you fight several trainers to gain the chance to compete in a promotion match. Win and you will be promoted to a higher tier, with the final objective of achieving rank A.

Live-Action Combat: A New Approach

Character fights take place during nighttime, and sneaking around the designated battle zones is very entertaining. I'm always trying to surprise a rival and launch a free attack, because everything happens instantaneously. Attacks function with recharge periods, indicating you and your opponent may occasionally attack each other at the same time (and defeat each other at once). It's a lot to adjust to initially. Even after gaming for almost 30 hours, I continue to feel like there's much to master regarding employing my creatures' attacks in ways that work together synergistically. Placement also factors as a significant part during combat since your creatures will trail behind you or move to designated spots to perform attacks (some are long-range, while others need to be up close and personal).

The live combat causes fights go so fast that I find myself repeating sequences through moves in the same order, despite this amounts to a less effective approach. There isn't moment to breathe in Z-A, and numerous opportunities to get overwhelmed. Creature fights depend on feedback post-move execution, and that information is still present on the display within Z-A, but flashes past quickly. Occasionally, you can't even read it since taking your eyes off your adversary will result in immediate defeat.

Navigating Lumiose Metropolis

Away from combat, you'll explore Lumiose City. It's relatively small, though tightly filled. Deep into the game, I'm still discovering unseen stores and elevated areas to explore. It is also rich with character, and fully realizes the vision of creatures and humans coexisting. Common bird Pokemon inhabit its pathways, taking flight when you get near similar to actual pigeons getting in my way when walking in New York City. The monkey trio gleefully hang on streetlights, and insect creatures such as Kakuna cling to trees.

A focus on urban life is a new direction for the franchise, and a welcome one. Even so, exploring Lumiose becomes rote over time. 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 underground routes provide minimal diversity. Although I never visited the French capital, the inspiration for Lumiose, I reside in New York for nearly a decade. It's a city where every district differs, and all are vibrant with differences that give them soul. Lumiose Metropolis doesn't have that. It features tan buildings with blue or red roofs and simply designed balconies.

Where Lumiose City Truly Shines

Where the city really shines, oddly enough, is inside buildings. I loved the way creature fights in Sword and Shield take place in football-like stadiums, providing them genuine significance and importance. On the flipside, battles in Scarlet and Violet take place in a field with two random people observing. It's a total letdown. Z-A strikes a middle ground between both extremes. You will fight in eateries with patrons watching while they eat. An elite combat club will invite you to a competition, and you'll battle on its penthouse court under a lighting fixture (not Chandelure) hanging above. The most memorable spot is the beautifully designed headquarters of a certain faction with atmospheric illumination and magenta walls. Several distinct battle locales overflow with personality that's absent from the overall metropolis as a whole.

The Comfort of Repetition

During the Royale, along with subduing wild powered-up creatures and filling the Pokédex, there's an inescapable feeling of, {"I