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I don't recall exactly how the custom started, however I consistently call all my Pokemon characters Glitch.

Be it a core franchise game or a side project like Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the name never changes. Glitch alternates between male and female avatars, with black and purple hair. Sometimes their fashion is impeccable, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest addition in the enduring series (and one of the most fashion-focused entries). At other moments they're limited to the various school uniform designs from Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. But they remain Glitch.

The Ever-Evolving Realm of Pokémon Titles

Similar to my trainers, the Pokémon games have transformed across releases, some superficial, others significant. But at their heart, they stay the same; they're consistently Pokémon through and through. The developers discovered an almost flawless gameplay formula some three decades back, and has only truly attempted to evolve upon it with games such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (different timeline, your avatar is now in danger). Throughout all iteration, the fundamental gameplay loop of catching and battling with charming creatures has remained steady for almost the same duration as my lifetime.

Shaking the Mold with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus before it, with its lack of arenas and emphasis on creating a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings multiple changes into that formula. It takes place entirely in a single location, the Paris-inspired Lumiose City of Pokémon X and Y, ditching the region-spanning adventures of earlier games. Pokemon are meant to live together with humans, trainers and non-trainers alike, in manners we've only glimpsed previously.

Far more drastic than that Z-A's real-time combat mechanics. It's here the series' near-perfect gameplay loop undergoes its biggest transformation yet, replacing methodical sequential fights for something more chaotic. And it's thoroughly enjoyable, even as I find myself eager for another turn-based release. Although these alterations to the traditional Pokemon recipe sound like they form an entirely fresh adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A feels as recognizable as every other Pokemon game.

The Core of the Adventure: The Z-A Royale

When initially reaching at Lumiose Metropolis, whatever plans your created character planned as a visitor are discarded; you're promptly enlisted by the female guide (if playing as a male character; Urbain for female characters) to become part of her team of trainers. You receive a creature from them as your first partner and you're dispatched to participate in the Z-A Championship.

The Championship serves as the centerpiece of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's similar to the classic "arena symbols to final challenge" progression of past games. But here, you battle several opponents to earn the chance to participate in a promotion match. Succeed and you will be promoted to the next rank, with the final objective of achieving the top rank.

Real-Time Combat: A New Frontier

Trainer battles occur at night, and navigating stealthily the designated combat areas is very enjoyable. I'm constantly attempting to surprise a rival and launch a free attack, because everything happens instantaneously. Attacks operate on cooldown timers, indicating both combatants may occasionally attack each other concurrently (and defeat each other simultaneously). It's a lot to adjust to initially. Despite playing for nearly 30 hours, I continue to feel like there's plenty to learn in terms of employing my creatures' attacks in methods that work together synergistically. Positioning also factors as a significant part during combat as your Pokémon will trail behind you or go to designated spots to execute moves (some are long-range, while others must be up close and personal).

The live combat makes battles progress so quickly that I often sometimes cycling through moves in the same order, even when this amounts to a suboptimal strategy. There's no time to breathe during Z-A, and plenty of chances to become swamped. Creature fights rely on response post-move execution, and that data is still present on the display in Z-A, but flashes past quickly. Sometimes, you cannot process it because diverting attention from your adversary will result in certain doom.

Navigating Lumiose Metropolis

Away from combat, you'll explore Lumiose City. It's relatively small, although tightly filled. Far into the adventure, I continue to find unseen stores and elevated areas to visit. It is also rich with character, and fully realizes the concept of creatures and humans living together. Common bird Pokemon populate its sidewalks, flying away as you approach like the real-life pigeons getting in my way while strolling in New York City. The monkey trio gleefully hang from lampposts, and bug-Pokémon like Kakuna attach themselves on branches.

An emphasis on city living is a new direction for the franchise, and a positive change. Nonetheless, exploring Lumiose grows repetitive over time. You may stumble upon a passage you haven't been to, but it feels identical. The building design is devoid of personality, and most rooftops and underground routes provide minimal diversity. Although I never visited the French capital, the model behind the city, I reside in New York for nearly a decade. It's a city where no two blocks differs, and all are vibrant with differences that provide character. Lumiose City doesn't have that. It features tan buildings topped with colored roofs and simply designed balconies.

Where The Metropolis Really Excels

In which Lumiose City truly stands out, oddly enough, is indoors. I loved the way creature fights in Sword & Shield take place in football-like stadiums, giving them real weight and meaning. Conversely, fights within Scarlet and Violet take place on a court with few spectators observing. It's very disappointing. Z-A strikes a middle ground between the two. You'll battle in eateries with diners observing while they eat. An elite combat club will invite you to a competition, and you'll battle in its rooftop arena with a chandelier (not the Pokemon) hanging above. My favorite location is the elegantly decorated headquarters of the Rust Syndicate with atmospheric illumination and purple partitions. Various individual combat settings brim with character that's absent from the larger city as a whole.

The Familiarity of Repetition

During the Royale, along with subduing wild powered-up creatures and completing the Pokédex, there is an unavoidable sense that, {"I