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I'm not sure precisely when the tradition started, however I always name all my Pokemon characters Malfunction.

Be it a core franchise title or a side project such as Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the name never changes. Malfunction alternates between male and female avatars, featuring dark and violet hair. Sometimes their fashion is impeccable, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest installment in this enduring series (and among the most fashion-focused releases). At other moments they're confined to the various academic attire styles of Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. Yet they remain Malfunction.

The Ever-Evolving Realm of Pokemon Games

Similar to my trainers, the Pokemon titles have transformed across installments, with certain superficial, others significant. But at their heart, they stay the same; they're always Pokémon to the core. The developers uncovered an almost flawless gameplay formula approximately three decades back, and just recently seriously tried to evolve upon it with entries such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (different timeline, your avatar is now in danger). Throughout every iteration, the fundamental mechanics cycle of catching and battling alongside adorable monsters has stayed steady for almost as long as I've been alive.

Shaking Conventions in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus before it, with its absence of gyms and emphasis on compiling a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings several changes to that framework. It takes place entirely in a single location, the Paris-inspired Lumiose Metropolis from Pokémon X and Y, abandoning the expansive adventures of previous titles. Pokémon are intended to coexist with people, battlers and civilians, in manners we have merely glimpsed previously.

Even more radical is Z-A's real-time battle system. It's here the series' almost ideal core cycle experiences its biggest evolution to date, swapping methodical sequential bouts with more frenetic action. And it is thoroughly enjoyable, despite I feel eager for another traditional entry. Though these changes to the traditional Pokémon formula seem like they create an entirely fresh experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as any other Pokémon title.

The Core of the Journey: The Z-A Championship

When initially reaching at Lumiose Metropolis, any intentions your created character planned as a visitor are discarded; you're promptly recruited by Taunie (for male avatars; the male guide if female) to become part of her team of trainers. You receive a creature from them as your first partner and you're dispatched to participate in the Z-A Royale.

The Royale serves as the centerpiece in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the classic "gym badges to Elite Four" progression from earlier titles. However here, you fight a handful of trainers to gain the opportunity to participate in an advancement bout. Win and you'll be promoted to the next rank, with the final objective of achieving rank A.

Live-Action Combat: An Innovative Approach

Trainer battles take place during nighttime, and sneaking around the assigned combat areas is very enjoyable. I'm constantly attempting to get a jump on an opponent and launch a free attack, because all actions occur instantaneously. Attacks operate on recharge periods, indicating both combatants can sometimes attack each other concurrently (and defeat each other at once). It's a lot to adjust to at first. Despite playing for nearly thirty hours, I still feel that there is much to master in terms of using my Pokémon's moves in methods that work together synergistically. Positioning also plays a major role during combat as your Pokémon will follow you around or move to specific locations to perform attacks (some are long-range, while others must be in close proximity).

The real-time action makes battles progress so quickly that I find myself sometimes cycling of attacks in identical patterns, 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 response post-move execution, and that information remains visible on screen within Z-A, but whips by quickly. Occasionally, you can't even read it because diverting attention from your adversary will spell immediate defeat.

Navigating Lumiose Metropolis

Outside of battle, you'll explore Lumiose Metropolis. It's fairly compact, though densely packed. Deep into the game, I continue to find unseen stores and elevated areas to visit. It is also rich with character, and perfectly captures the concept of Pokémon and people coexisting. Common bird Pokemon populate its sidewalks, taking flight as you approach like the real-life city birds getting in my way when walking in New York City. The monkey trio gleefully hang from lampposts, and bug-Pokémon such as Kakuna cling to trees.

A focus on urban life is a new direction for Pokémon, and a positive change. Nonetheless, navigating the city becomes rote eventually. You may stumble upon an alley 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 never visited Paris, the model behind Lumiose, I've lived in NYC for almost ten years. It's a city where every district are the same, and all are vibrant with differences that give them soul. Lumiose City doesn't have that. It features beige structures topped with colored roofs and simply designed balconies.

The Areas Where The Metropolis Really Excels

Where Lumiose City really shines, oddly enough, is inside buildings. I loved the way creature fights in Sword and Shield occur in football-like stadiums, providing them genuine significance and meaning. Conversely, fights within Scarlet and Violet take place on a court with two random people watching. It's very disappointing. Z-A strikes a middle ground between both extremes. You'll battle in eateries with patrons watching while they eat. An elite combat club will invite you to a competition, and you'll battle on its penthouse court with a chandelier (not the Pokemon) hanging above. My favorite location is the beautifully designed headquarters of a certain faction with its moody lighting and magenta walls. Several distinct combat settings brim with character that's absent from the larger city as a whole.

The Familiarity of Repetition

Throughout the Championship, along with quelling rogue Mega Evolved Pokémon and completing the creature index, there's an inescapable sense that, {"I