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I'm not sure exactly how the tradition started, however I always name every one of my Pokemon characters Malfunction.

Whether it's a main series title or a side project like Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the moniker never changes. Glitch alternates from male to female avatars, featuring black and purple hair. Sometimes their fashion is flawless, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest addition in the enduring series (and among the most fashion-focused releases). Other times they're limited to the assorted school uniform styles of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Yet they're always Malfunction.

The Ever-Evolving Realm of Pokémon Titles

Similar to my characters, the Pokémon games have evolved across installments, some superficial, others significant. But at their heart, they remain the same; they're consistently Pokemon through and through. The developers discovered a nearly perfect gameplay formula approximately three decades back, and just recently seriously tried to innovate on it with games such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your character is now in danger). Across every version, the fundamental mechanics cycle of catching and fighting with charming creatures has stayed steady for almost the same duration as I've been alive.

Breaking Conventions in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus previously, with its lack of arenas and focus on compiling a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings multiple changes to that framework. It takes place entirely in a single location, the French capital-inspired Lumiose City from Pokémon X & Y, abandoning the expansive adventures of earlier games. Pokémon are meant to coexist with people, battlers and civilians, in manners we have merely seen glimpses of before.

Far more drastic is Z-A's real-time combat mechanics. This is where the series' near-perfect core cycle undergoes its biggest evolution to date, swapping deliberate turn-based bouts with something more chaotic. And it is thoroughly enjoyable, despite I feel ready for a new traditional entry. Although these alterations to the traditional Pokémon formula seem like they form an entirely fresh experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A feels as recognizable as any other Pokemon game.

The Heart of the Journey: The Z-A Royale

When initially reaching at Lumiose Metropolis, whatever plans your custom avatar planned as a visitor are discarded; you're immediately recruited by Taunie (for male avatars; Urbain for female characters) to join their squad of battlers. You receive one of her Pokémon as your starter and you're dispatched to participate in the Z-A Championship.

The Championship is the epicenter in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's similar to the classic "arena symbols to final challenge" progression of past games. However here, you fight a handful of trainers to earn the chance to compete in a promotion match. Succeed and you'll be promoted to a higher tier, with the final objective of reaching rank A.

Live-Action Combat: An Innovative Approach

Character fights occur during nighttime, while navigating stealthily the designated battle zones is very entertaining. I'm constantly trying to surprise an opponent and unleash a free attack, since everything happens in real time. Moves operate on recharge periods, indicating both combatants can sometimes attack each other at the same time (and defeat each other simultaneously). It's a lot to get used to initially. Even after playing for nearly thirty hours, I still feel that there is plenty to learn in terms of employing my creatures' attacks in methods that work together synergistically. Placement also factors as a significant part during combat since your creatures will trail behind you or move to specific locations to execute moves (certain ones are distant, while others must be in close proximity).

The real-time action causes fights progress so quickly that I find myself repeating sequences through moves in the same order, despite this results in a suboptimal strategy. There isn't moment to pause in Z-A, and plenty of chances to become swamped. Creature fights rely on feedback after using an attack, and that data remains visible on the display within Z-A, but whips by quickly. Sometimes, you cannot process it because taking your eyes off your adversary will spell certain doom.

Navigating Lumiose City

Away from combat, you will traverse Lumiose Metropolis. It's fairly compact, though densely packed. Far into the adventure, I'm still discovering unseen stores and elevated areas to explore. It is also full of charm, and perfectly captures the concept of creatures and humans coexisting. Pidgey populate its sidewalks, taking flight as you approach like the real-life city birds obstructing my path while strolling through NYC. The monkey trio joyfully cling from lampposts, and insect creatures like Kakuna cling on branches.

An emphasis on urban life represents a fresh approach for the franchise, and a positive change. Nonetheless, navigating the city grows repetitive over time. You may stumble upon a passage you haven't been to, but it feels identical. The architecture is devoid of personality, and many elevated areas and sewer paths provide minimal diversity. Although 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 are the same, and they're all vibrant with differences that give them soul. Lumiose Metropolis lacks that quality. It has tan buildings topped with colored roofs and simply designed balconies.

The Areas Where Lumiose City Truly Shines

In which the city really shines, oddly enough, is inside buildings. I adored the way creature fights in Sword & Shield take place in arena-like venues, providing them real weight and meaning. On the flipside, battles in Scarlet and Violet take place in a field with few spectators observing. It's very disappointing. Z-A strikes a middle ground between both extremes. You will fight in restaurants with patrons watching while they eat. A fancy battle society will invite you to a competition, and you will combat in its rooftop arena under a lighting fixture (not Chandelure) hanging above. The most memorable spot is the elegantly decorated headquarters of the Rust Syndicate with its moody lighting and magenta walls. Various individual combat settings overflow with personality that's absent from the overall metropolis as a whole.

The Familiarity of Routine

During the Royale, along with quelling rogue Mega Evolved Pokémon and filling the Pokédex, there's an inescapable sense that, {"I