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I'm not sure exactly how the tradition began, however I always name every one of my Pokémon trainers Glitch.

Be it a main series game or a side project like Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the moniker always stays the same. Glitch switches from male to female avatars, with dark and violet hair. Occasionally their style is flawless, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest addition in this enduring franchise (and one of the most style-conscious entries). At other moments they're confined to the various academic attire designs from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. But they're always Glitch.

The Ever-Evolving World of Pokémon Titles

Much like my trainers, the Pokemon titles have transformed across installments, with certain cosmetic, others significant. But at their core, they remain identical; they're consistently Pokémon through and through. The developers uncovered a nearly perfect mechanics system approximately three decades back, and just recently seriously tried to evolve on it with entries like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your character faces peril). Across every iteration, the fundamental mechanics cycle of capturing and battling alongside adorable monsters has remained consistent for almost as long as my lifetime.

Breaking Conventions in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Similar to Arceus previously, featuring absence of gyms and focus on creating a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces multiple deviations to that framework. It's set entirely in one place, the Paris-inspired Lumiose Metropolis of Pokémon X & Y, abandoning the expansive journeys of earlier games. Pokemon are intended to coexist alongside humans, battlers and civilians, in manners we've only glimpsed previously.

Far more drastic than that Z-A's live-action combat mechanics. It's here the series' near-perfect core cycle undergoes its most significant transformation yet, swapping deliberate turn-based fights with something more chaotic. And it is thoroughly enjoyable, even as I feel ready for a new traditional entry. Although these alterations to the traditional Pokemon recipe seem like they create a completely new adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as every other Pokémon title.

The Heart of the Adventure: The Z-A Royale

When initially reaching at Lumiose Metropolis, any intentions your created character planned as a visitor are discarded; you're immediately enlisted by the female guide (for male avatars; Urbain for female characters) to become part of her team of battlers. You receive a creature from them as your starter and are sent into the Z-A Championship.

The Royale is the epicenter of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's similar to the traditional "arena symbols to final challenge" advancement from earlier titles. But here, you fight a handful of opponents to gain the chance to compete in an advancement bout. Win and you will be elevated to a higher tier, with the final objective of reaching rank A.

Live-Action Combat: An Innovative Approach

Character fights take place during nighttime, while sneaking around the assigned combat areas is very entertaining. I'm constantly attempting to surprise an opponent and launch an unopposed move, since everything happens instantaneously. Attacks operate on recharge periods, meaning both combatants can sometimes attack each other concurrently (and defeat each other at once). It's much to get used to at first. Even after gaming for almost 30 hours, I continue to feel that there is plenty to learn in terms of employing my creatures' attacks in ways that work together synergistically. Placement also plays a significant part in battles as your Pokémon will trail behind you or go to specific locations to execute moves (certain ones are distant, while others must be in close proximity).

The real-time action makes battles go so fast that I find myself repeating sequences through moves in identical patterns, despite this results in a less effective approach. There isn't moment to breathe in Z-A, and numerous opportunities to become swamped. Pokémon battles rely on feedback after using an attack, and that data is still present on the display in Z-A, but whips by quickly. Occasionally, you cannot process it since diverting attention from your opponent will result in immediate defeat.

Exploring Lumiose City

Outside of battle, you will traverse Lumiose Metropolis. It's fairly compact, though tightly filled. Far into the adventure, I'm still discovering new shops and elevated areas to explore. It is also full of charm, and fully realizes the vision of Pokémon and people living together. Pidgey inhabit its pathways, taking flight when you get near similar to actual city birds obstructing my path when walking through NYC. The Pan Trio monkeys gleefully hang on streetlights, and bug-Pokémon like Kakuna cling to trees.

A focus on urban life is a new direction for the franchise, and a welcome one. Even so, navigating the city becomes rote over time. You might discover a passage you haven't been to, but you wouldn't know it. The architecture is devoid of personality, and many elevated areas and underground routes offer little variety. Although I never visited Paris, the inspiration for Lumiose, I reside in New York for nearly a decade. It's a city where no two blocks are the same, and all are vibrant with differences that give them soul. Lumiose City doesn't have that. It has tan buildings with blue or red roofs and flatly rendered terraces.

The Areas Where The Metropolis Truly Shines

Where the city truly stands out, oddly enough, is indoors. I adored how Pokémon battles within Sword and Shield occur in arena-like venues, giving them genuine significance and meaning. On the flipside, battles in Scarlet and Violet take place on a court with few spectators watching. It's very disappointing. Z-A finds a balance between the two. You'll battle in restaurants with diners observing while they eat. A fancy battle society will extend an invitation to a tournament, and you'll battle in its rooftop arena with a chandelier (not Chandelure) hanging above. The most memorable spot 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 in general.

The Familiarity of Repetition

During the Championship, as well as subduing wild powered-up creatures and filling the creature index, there's an inescapable sense that, {"I