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I'm not sure exactly how the tradition began, however I consistently call every one of my Pokemon characters Glitch.

Be it a main series title or a spinoff like Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the name always stays the same. Glitch switches from male to female characters, with black and purple locks. Sometimes their style is impeccable, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest addition in this enduring franchise (and among the more style-conscious releases). At other moments they're limited to the various academic attire styles of Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. Yet they remain Glitch.

The Ever-Evolving Realm of Pokemon Titles

Similar to my trainers, the Pokemon titles have evolved between installments, some cosmetic, some substantial. But at their heart, they remain identical; they're always Pokémon through and through. Game Freak discovered an almost flawless gameplay formula some 30 years ago, and has only truly attempted to evolve upon it with games such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your character is now in danger). Throughout all version, the core gameplay loop of catching and fighting with adorable monsters has stayed consistent for nearly the same duration as my lifetime.

Shaking the Mold with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus previously, featuring absence of gyms and emphasis on creating a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces several changes to that formula. It takes place completely in a single location, the Paris-inspired Lumiose City from Pokémon X and Y, abandoning the region-spanning adventures of previous games. Pokemon are meant to coexist alongside people, trainers and civilians, in ways we've only glimpsed previously.

Even more drastic is Z-A's real-time battle system. It's here the franchise's almost ideal gameplay loop undergoes its biggest transformation yet, replacing methodical sequential fights with more frenetic action. And it's immensely fun, even as I find myself eager for another traditional release. Although these alterations to the classic Pokémon formula sound like they create a completely new experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as any other Pokémon title.

The Heart of the Journey: The Z-A Royale

When initially reaching in Lumiose City, any intentions your custom avatar planned as a visitor get abandoned; you're promptly recruited by Taunie (for male avatars; Urbain if female) to become part of their squad of battlers. You're gifted 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 in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's similar to the classic "gym badges to Elite Four" progression from earlier titles. But here, you battle several opponents to gain the opportunity to participate in a promotion match. Succeed and you'll be elevated to the next rank, with the final objective of achieving the top rank.

Real-Time Battles: A New Frontier

Trainer battles occur during nighttime, and navigating stealthily the designated battle zones is quite entertaining. I'm always trying to surprise an opponent and launch an unopposed move, because all actions occur in real time. Attacks function with cooldown timers, meaning you and your opponent may occasionally strike simultaneously at the same time (and knock each other out at once). It's a lot to get used to at first. Despite gaming for almost thirty hours, I continue to feel like there's plenty to learn regarding using my Pokémon's moves in methods that work together synergistically. Positioning also plays a significant part in battles since your creatures will follow you around or go to designated spots to execute moves (some are long-range, while others need to be in close proximity).

The live combat causes fights go so fast that I often sometimes cycling through moves in identical patterns, despite this amounts to a less effective approach. There's no time to breathe in Z-A, and plenty of chances to get overwhelmed. Creature fights rely on response after using an attack, and that information remains visible on the display in Z-A, but flashes past rapidly. Sometimes, you can't even read it since diverting attention from your adversary will spell certain doom.

Navigating Lumiose City

Outside of battle, you'll explore Lumiose City. It's relatively small, though densely packed. Deep into the game, I'm still discovering new shops and elevated areas to visit. It is also full of charm, and fully realizes the vision of creatures and humans living together. Common bird Pokemon inhabit its pathways, flying away as you approach similar to actual city birds obstructing my path when walking in New York City. The Pan Trio monkeys joyfully cling from lampposts, and insect creatures like Kakuna cling on branches.

A focus on city living is a new direction for Pokémon, and a welcome one. Nonetheless, navigating the city grows repetitive over time. You may stumble upon a passage you never visited, but you wouldn't know it. The architecture lacks character, and most rooftops and sewer paths provide minimal diversity. Although I never visited the French capital, the model behind Lumiose, I've lived in NYC for nearly a decade. It's a city where no two blocks are the same, and they're all vibrant with differences that give them soul. Lumiose City lacks that quality. It features tan buildings with blue or red roofs and simply designed terraces.

The Areas Where Lumiose City Truly Shines

Where the city truly stands out, oddly enough, is inside buildings. I loved how Pokémon battles within Sword and Shield occur in arena-like venues, providing them genuine significance and meaning. On the flipside, battles in Scarlet and Violet take place on a court with few spectators observing. It's very disappointing. Z-A finds a balance between both extremes. You will fight in eateries with diners observing as they dine. A fancy battle society will invite you to a tournament, and you will combat in its rooftop arena with a chandelier (not Chandelure) hanging above. My favorite location is the beautifully designed headquarters of the Rust Syndicate with its moody lighting and purple partitions. Various individual combat settings overflow with personality missing in the overall metropolis in general.

The Comfort of Routine

During the Championship, along with subduing wild Mega Evolved Pokémon and completing the creature index, there is an unavoidable feeling of, {"I