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I don't recall precisely when the tradition started, however I always name all my Pokémon trainers Malfunction.

Be it a core franchise game or a spinoff like Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the moniker never changes. Malfunction alternates between male and female avatars, featuring dark and violet locks. Occasionally their fashion is impeccable, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest addition in this enduring franchise (and among the more fashion-focused entries). At other moments they're confined to the various academic attire styles of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Yet they remain Malfunction.

The Ever-Evolving Realm of Pokemon Games

Similar to my trainers, the Pokemon titles have transformed between releases, with certain cosmetic, some substantial. But 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 just recently seriously tried to evolve upon it with entries like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your avatar is now in danger). Throughout all version, the core mechanics cycle of capturing and battling with charming creatures has stayed steady for nearly the same duration as my lifetime.

Shaking the Mold with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus previously, with its lack of arenas and emphasis on compiling a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces several deviations into that framework. It's set entirely in one place, the French capital-inspired Lumiose City of Pokémon X & Y, ditching the expansive journeys of earlier games. Pokémon are meant to live together with people, battlers and civilians, in manners we have merely glimpsed before.

Far more radical than that Z-A's live-action combat mechanics. This is where the franchise's near-perfect gameplay loop undergoes its most significant evolution to date, replacing methodical sequential fights for something more chaotic. And it is thoroughly enjoyable, despite I find myself eager for a new traditional entry. Though these alterations to the traditional Pokémon formula sound like they create a completely new experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as every other Pokemon game.

The Heart of the Adventure: The Z-A Championship

When initially reaching in Lumiose City, whatever plans your created character planned as a visitor are discarded; you're immediately recruited by Taunie (if playing as a male character; Urbain for female characters) to join their squad of battlers. You're gifted a creature from them as your first partner and are sent to participate in the Z-A Royale.

The Royale is the epicenter in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the traditional "gym badges to Elite Four" advancement from earlier titles. But here, you fight several trainers to earn the opportunity to compete in a promotion match. Succeed and you'll be elevated to the next rank, with the final objective of reaching rank A.

Live-Action Combat: A New Frontier

Character fights take place at night, and navigating stealthily the designated combat areas is very enjoyable. I'm constantly attempting to get a jump on an opponent and launch a free attack, since everything happens in real time. Attacks function with cooldown timers, meaning both combatants may occasionally strike simultaneously concurrently (and defeat each other simultaneously). It's a lot to adjust to at first. Even after playing for nearly thirty hours, I still feel like there's much to master in terms of employing my creatures' attacks in methods that work together synergistically. Placement also plays a significant part during combat since your creatures will follow you around or go to specific locations to execute moves (certain ones are distant, while others must be up close and personal).

The real-time action makes battles go so fast that I find myself repeating sequences through moves in the same order, despite this amounts to a suboptimal strategy. There isn't moment to breathe in Z-A, and numerous chances to become swamped. Creature fights rely on feedback after using an attack, and that information remains visible on screen in Z-A, but flashes past quickly. Sometimes, you cannot process it since taking your eyes off your adversary will spell certain doom.

Navigating Lumiose Metropolis

Away from combat, you will traverse Lumiose City. It's relatively small, though densely packed. Far into the adventure, I continue to find new shops and rooftops to explore. It is also rich with character, and fully realizes the vision of creatures and humans living together. Common bird Pokemon populate its sidewalks, flying away as you approach like the real-life city birds obstructing my path when walking through NYC. The Pan Trio monkeys joyfully cling on streetlights, and insect creatures such as 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 eventually. You may stumble upon an alley you never visited, but you wouldn't know it. The building design is devoid of personality, and many elevated areas and sewer paths offer little variety. Although I never visited Paris, the model behind the city, I've lived in NYC for nearly a decade. It's a metropolis 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 flatly rendered terraces.

Where The Metropolis Truly Shines

Where Lumiose City truly stands out, surprisingly, is indoors. I loved the way creature fights within Sword & Shield occur in football-like stadiums, giving them real weight and meaning. On the flipside, fights within Scarlet and Violet take place in a field with two random people watching. It's a total letdown. Z-A finds a balance between the two. You will fight in eateries with patrons watching as they dine. A fancy battle society will invite you to a tournament, and you'll battle on its penthouse court with a chandelier (not Chandelure) suspended overhead. The most memorable spot is the beautifully designed base of a certain faction with atmospheric illumination and magenta walls. Various individual battle locales brim with character missing in the overall metropolis in general.

The Familiarity of Repetition

Throughout the Royale, as well as quelling rogue powered-up creatures and completing the creature index, there's an inescapable sense that, {"I