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I don't recall precisely when the tradition began, however I consistently call every one of my Pokémon trainers Glitch.

Be it a main series title or a side project such as Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the moniker never changes. Glitch alternates between male and female characters, featuring black and purple locks. Sometimes their style is impeccable, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest addition in the enduring franchise (and one of the more style-conscious releases). Other times they're confined to the various academic attire styles of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. But they remain Glitch.

The Ever-Evolving Realm of Pokémon Games

Much like my trainers, the Pokémon games have transformed between installments, with certain cosmetic, some significant. However at their heart, they stay the same; they're always Pokemon to the core. The developers uncovered an almost flawless mechanics system some 30 years ago, and has only seriously tried to evolve on it with games such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (different timeline, your character is now in danger). Throughout every version, the core mechanics cycle of capturing and fighting alongside charming creatures has remained steady for almost as long as I've been alive.

Breaking Conventions with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus before it, featuring absence of gyms and emphasis on creating a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces several changes into that framework. It's set completely in a single location, the French capital-inspired Lumiose Metropolis of Pokémon X & Y, abandoning the region-spanning journeys of earlier games. Pokémon are intended to live together with people, battlers and non-trainers alike, in manners we have merely seen glimpses of before.

Far more drastic than that Z-A's live-action combat mechanics. It's here the series' almost ideal core cycle undergoes its biggest evolution to date, replacing deliberate sequential bouts for something more chaotic. And it is thoroughly enjoyable, despite I feel ready for another traditional release. Though these alterations to the traditional Pokemon recipe seem like they form an entirely fresh experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as every other Pokemon game.

The Heart of the Journey: The Z-A Championship

Upon first arriving in Lumiose City, any intentions your created character had as a tourist get abandoned; you're immediately enlisted by the female guide (for male avatars; the male guide for female characters) to join her team of battlers. You're gifted a creature from them as your starter and are sent into the Z-A Championship.

The Championship is the epicenter of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the traditional "arena symbols to final challenge" advancement from earlier titles. But here, you fight a handful of trainers to earn the chance to compete in an advancement bout. Win and you will be elevated to the next rank, with the ultimate goal of achieving rank A.

Live-Action Combat: An Innovative Frontier

Trainer battles occur during nighttime, while navigating stealthily the designated combat areas is quite entertaining. I'm constantly trying to surprise an opponent and unleash an unopposed move, since everything happens instantaneously. Attacks function with recharge periods, meaning you and your opponent may occasionally strike simultaneously at the same time (and defeat each other simultaneously). It's a lot to adjust to initially. Even after playing for nearly thirty hours, I still feel like there's plenty to learn in terms of using my Pokémon's moves in methods that work together synergistically. Positioning also plays a major role in battles as your Pokémon will trail behind you or go to designated spots to execute moves (some are long-range, while others need to be in close proximity).

The live combat makes battles go so fast that I find myself sometimes cycling of attacks in identical patterns, even when this amounts to a less effective approach. There isn't moment to breathe during Z-A, and numerous opportunities to get overwhelmed. Creature fights rely on feedback post-move execution, and that information is still present on screen within Z-A, but whips by quickly. Sometimes, you can't even read it since taking your eyes off your opponent will spell immediate defeat.

Navigating Lumiose City

Outside of battle, you will traverse Lumiose City. It's fairly compact, although densely packed. Far into the adventure, I continue to find unseen stores and rooftops to explore. It's also rich with character, and perfectly captures the vision of creatures and humans coexisting. Common bird Pokemon populate its sidewalks, taking flight as you approach like the real-life city birds getting in my way when walking through NYC. The monkey trio joyfully cling on streetlights, and insect creatures like Kakuna cling to trees.

An emphasis on city living is a new direction for Pokémon, and a positive change. Nonetheless, navigating the city becomes rote over time. You might discover an alley you haven't been to, but you wouldn't know it. The architecture lacks character, and many elevated areas and sewer paths provide minimal diversity. Although I haven't been to Paris, the inspiration for Lumiose, I reside in New York for nearly a decade. It's a city where every district differs, and all are alive with uniqueness that give them soul. Lumiose Metropolis doesn't have that. It features beige structures with blue or red roofs and simply designed balconies.

Where Lumiose City Really Excels

In which Lumiose City really shines, surprisingly, is inside buildings. I loved how Pokémon battles in Sword & Shield occur in football-like stadiums, providing them real weight and importance. On the flipside, battles in Scarlet and Violet take place in a field with two random people watching. It's very disappointing. Z-A strikes a middle ground between the two. You will fight in eateries with patrons watching as they dine. An elite combat club will extend an invitation to a competition, and you'll battle on its penthouse court with a chandelier (not the Pokemon) suspended overhead. The most memorable spot is the elegantly decorated base of the Rust Syndicate with atmospheric illumination and magenta walls. Various individual combat settings brim with character that's absent from the larger city as a whole.

The Familiarity of Repetition

During the Championship, as well as subduing wild powered-up creatures and filling the Pokédex, there is an unavoidable sense that, {"I