🔗 Share this article

I don't recall precisely when the custom began, however I consistently call all my Pokémon trainers Glitch.

Whether it's a main series title or a side project such as Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the name always stays the same. Glitch alternates from male to female avatars, featuring black and purple hair. Sometimes their style is impeccable, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest installment in the long-running franchise (and among the more fashion-focused entries). Other times they're limited to the assorted academic attire styles of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Yet they remain Glitch.

The Ever-Evolving Realm of Pokemon Titles

Much like my characters, the Pokémon games have transformed between releases, some superficial, some significant. However at their core, they stay the same; they're consistently Pokemon to the core. Game Freak uncovered a nearly perfect gameplay formula some 30 years ago, and just recently seriously tried to innovate upon it with games such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your avatar faces peril). Across every iteration, the fundamental gameplay loop of capturing and battling alongside adorable monsters has stayed steady for almost the same duration as I've been alive.

Breaking Conventions in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Similar to Arceus before it, with its lack of arenas and emphasis on creating a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces several changes into that framework. It's set entirely in a single location, the French capital-inspired Lumiose Metropolis from Pokémon X and Y, abandoning the region-spanning adventures of previous titles. Pokémon are intended to live together with humans, trainers and civilians, in manners we have merely glimpsed previously.

Far more drastic is Z-A's real-time combat mechanics. This is where the series' almost ideal core cycle undergoes its most significant transformation yet, swapping deliberate sequential fights for something more chaotic. And it's immensely fun, even as I find myself eager for a new turn-based release. Though these alterations to the traditional Pokémon formula seem like they create an entirely fresh adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as any other Pokémon title.

The Heart of the Adventure: The Z-A Championship

Upon first arriving in Lumiose City, whatever plans your custom avatar had as a tourist are discarded; you're immediately recruited by Taunie (if playing as a male character; the male guide for female characters) to become part of her team of trainers. You're gifted one of her Pokémon 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 classic "gym badges to Elite Four" advancement from earlier titles. But here, you battle several opponents to earn the opportunity to compete in an advancement bout. Succeed and you'll be promoted to the next rank, with the ultimate goal of achieving rank A.

Live-Action Battles: An Innovative Frontier

Trainer battles take place at night, while sneaking around the assigned combat areas is quite entertaining. I'm always trying to get a jump on a rival and launch an unopposed move, because everything happens in real time. Attacks operate on cooldown timers, meaning both combatants can sometimes attack each other at the same time (and defeat each other simultaneously). It's a lot to get used to at first. Even after gaming for almost 30 hours, I still 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 as your Pokémon will follow you around or go to designated spots to execute moves (some are long-range, while others must be in close proximity).

The real-time action causes fights progress so quickly that I find myself repeating sequences through moves in the same order, even when this amounts to a less effective approach. There's no time to pause during Z-A, and numerous opportunities to get overwhelmed. Pokémon battles rely on response after using an attack, and that information remains visible on screen within Z-A, but whips by quickly. Sometimes, you can't even read it since taking your eyes off your opponent will result in certain doom.

Navigating Lumiose City

Away from combat, you will traverse Lumiose Metropolis. It's fairly compact, though densely packed. Deep into the game, I'm still discovering unseen stores and rooftops to explore. It's also rich with character, and perfectly captures the concept of creatures and humans coexisting. Pidgey populate its sidewalks, flying away as you approach like the real-life city birds obstructing my path when walking through NYC. The monkey trio gleefully hang on streetlights, and insect creatures like Kakuna cling to trees.

A focus on urban life represents a fresh approach for Pokémon, and a welcome one. Nonetheless, exploring Lumiose becomes rote eventually. You might discover a passage you haven't been to, but you wouldn't know it. The building design lacks character, and most rooftops and underground routes offer little variety. While I haven't been to the French capital, the inspiration for Lumiose, I reside in New York for almost ten years. It's a metropolis where every district differs, and they're all vibrant with differences that give them soul. Lumiose Metropolis lacks that quality. It has tan buildings topped with colored roofs and simply designed balconies.

Where Lumiose City Really Excels

In which the city really shines, oddly enough, is indoors. I adored how Pokémon battles within Sword and Shield occur in arena-like venues, providing them genuine significance and meaning. On the flipside, battles in Scarlet & Violet take place in a field with few spectators observing. It's a total letdown. Z-A finds a balance between both extremes. You will fight in eateries with diners observing while they eat. An elite combat club will extend an invitation to a competition, and you will combat on its penthouse court under a lighting fixture (not Chandelure) suspended overhead. My favorite location is the elegantly decorated headquarters of the Rust Syndicate with atmospheric illumination 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 Championship, along with subduing wild Mega Evolved Pokémon and completing the Pokédex, there is an unavoidable feeling of, {"I