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I'm not sure exactly how the custom started, but I consistently call all my Pokémon trainers Malfunction.

Whether it's a core franchise game or a side project such as Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the name never changes. Malfunction switches between male and female avatars, with dark and violet hair. Sometimes their fashion is impeccable, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest installment in this long-running series (and one of the more style-conscious releases). At other moments they're confined to the assorted school uniform designs of Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. Yet they remain Malfunction.

The Constantly Changing World of Pokemon Games

Much like my trainers, the Pokémon games have transformed between installments, some superficial, some substantial. But at their heart, they remain the same; they're consistently Pokémon through and through. Game Freak discovered an almost flawless mechanics system some 30 years ago, and has only seriously tried to evolve on it with games such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (different timeline, your avatar faces peril). Across every iteration, the fundamental mechanics cycle of capturing and fighting alongside charming creatures has stayed steady for almost the same duration as I've been alive.

Breaking the Mold with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus before it, with its lack of arenas and focus on compiling a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces several deviations into that formula. It takes place entirely in a single location, the Paris-inspired Lumiose City of Pokémon X and Y, abandoning the region-spanning adventures of previous titles. Pokémon are intended to coexist alongside people, battlers and civilians, in ways we have merely glimpsed previously.

Far more radical than that Z-A's real-time combat mechanics. This is where the series' almost ideal core cycle experiences its biggest transformation yet, replacing deliberate sequential bouts for more frenetic action. And it's thoroughly enjoyable, even as I feel ready for a new turn-based release. Although these changes to the traditional Pokemon recipe sound like they create a completely new adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as every other Pokemon game.

The Core of the Journey: The Z-A Royale

When initially reaching in Lumiose City, whatever plans your custom avatar had as a tourist are discarded; you're promptly recruited by Taunie (if playing as a male character; the male guide for female characters) to join her team of battlers. You receive one of her Pokémon as your first partner and are sent into the Z-A Royale.

The Royale serves as the centerpiece in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the classic "arena symbols to final challenge" progression from earlier titles. However here, you fight several trainers to earn the opportunity 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 Battles: A New Frontier

Character fights take place at night, and navigating stealthily the assigned combat areas is quite entertaining. I'm always trying to get a jump on a rival and unleash a free attack, since all actions occur instantaneously. Attacks operate on recharge periods, meaning you and your opponent 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 gaming for almost 30 hours, I continue to feel that there is much to master in terms of employing my creatures' attacks in ways that complement each other. Positioning also factors as a major role in battles since your creatures will follow you around or move to designated spots to perform attacks (certain ones are distant, while others need to be up close and personal).

The live combat makes battles go so fast that I often repeating sequences through moves in the same order, despite this amounts to a suboptimal strategy. There's no time to pause in Z-A, and numerous chances to get overwhelmed. Pokémon battles rely on feedback after using an attack, and that data is still present on the display within Z-A, but whips by quickly. Sometimes, you cannot process it because taking your eyes off your opponent will result in immediate defeat.

Navigating Lumiose City

Outside of battle, you'll explore Lumiose Metropolis. It's relatively small, though densely packed. Deep into the game, I continue to find new shops and rooftops to explore. It's also full of charm, and fully realizes the concept of Pokémon and people coexisting. Common bird Pokemon inhabit its pathways, taking flight as you approach similar to actual pigeons obstructing my path while strolling in New York City. The monkey trio joyfully cling on streetlights, and insect creatures like Kakuna attach themselves on branches.

An emphasis on city living is a new direction for Pokémon, and a welcome one. Nonetheless, navigating the city becomes rote over time. You may stumble upon an alley you haven't been to, but it feels identical. The building design lacks character, and most rooftops and underground routes offer little variety. Although I never visited Paris, the model behind Lumiose, I reside in New York for nearly a decade. It's a metropolis where no two blocks are the same, and all are alive with uniqueness that give them soul. Lumiose Metropolis lacks that quality. It has tan buildings with blue or red roofs and simply designed balconies.

Where The Metropolis Really Excels

Where the city really shines, oddly enough, is inside buildings. I adored how Pokémon battles in Sword & Shield occur in football-like stadiums, providing them real weight and importance. On the flipside, battles in Scarlet & Violet take place on a court with few spectators observing. It's a total letdown. Z-A strikes a middle ground between both extremes. You'll battle in restaurants with patrons watching as they dine. 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 base of a certain faction with its moody lighting and magenta walls. Various individual battle locales overflow with personality that's absent from the overall metropolis as a whole.

The Familiarity of Repetition

During the Royale, as well as subduing wild Mega Evolved Pokémon and filling the Pokédex, there is an unavoidable sense that, {"I