After 30 years, Pokemon Pokopia finally answers an important question for "the hardcore lore freaks" – whatever happened to that one NPC builder in Vermillion City?

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After 30 years, Pokemon Pokopia finally answers an important question for "the hardcore lore freaks" – whatever happened to that one NPC builder in Vermillion City? News By Kaan Serin published 6 March 2026

He got his dream, that's what

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Behind its cutesy designs and wholesome life sim gameplay loop, Pokemon Pokopia is quite an odd game, seemingly set in a post-apocalyptic Kanto however many years, decades, or centuries after humans up and left the region. But that also means the crafty game can give us a peek into the series' future, and notably acknowledges one Pokemon mystery that's been left hanging for 30 years.

So, yeah, Pokopia's world is full of dilapidated Pokemon Centers, half-finished or destroyed buildings, lonely pocket monsters who sometimes yearn for things long gone, and a distracting lack of humans. Still, some eagle-eyed fans have managed to deduce that one of the game's areas is a neglected version of Kanto's Vermillion City based on its layout and placement of key landmarks.

And, of course, the lore sickos among us had one thing on their mind: Whatever happened to that old man who was forever stuck building something in the area? For context, during the first generation of Pokemon games, you can find one dude in Vermillion City who's planning to make a building on a plot of land. In Gen 2, you find out that him and his Machop gave up on their dream.

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For three decades, players didn't know what the NPC builder was planning on constructing or whether he eventually achieved his goal.

Pokopia just casually solved a 30-YEAR-OLD POKÉMON MYSTERY!!!It's a very small worldbuilding detail that won't matter much to many people, but is a lore drop I have been waiting for since I was 6 years old 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/WOYnjBnloAMarch 6, 2026

Fast forward to now, streamer Cecilily decided to trace that man's location in Pokemon Pokopia. Lo and behold, a slightly worn lighthouse stands where the old man's plot of land would have been. You can even find a document nearby that all but confirms it, framed as an in-universe interview with the builder, who we now know is called Kenzo, and became renowned as the "owner of the largest building in the area."

He even shouts out his old Machop who since evolved into a Machamp. They really did think of everything, huh? "My family has dreamed of constructing a building here for generations," he says in the interview, and it's fair to say some fans have also been dreaming of this day themselves.

"This is literally my childhood dream," Cecilily exclaims on stream. "I'm so happy I could die. Game of the year... This game is for the hardcore lore freaks."

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TOPICS The Pokemon Company Game Freak CATEGORIES Nintendo Switch 2 Platforms Nintendo Kaan SerinSocial Links NavigationFreelance contributor

Kaan freelances for various websites including Rock Paper Shotgun, Eurogamer, and this one, Gamesradar. He particularly enjoys writing about spooky indies, throwback RPGs, and anything that's vaguely silly. Also has an English Literature and Film Studies degree that he'll soon forget.

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