Skip to main content
Join The Community
- Join our community
Commenting
Join the discussion
Exclusive Articles Coming Soon
Member-only articles
Weekly Newsletters
Weekly gaming & entertainment news
Member Badges
Earn badges as you go
Exclusive Competitions
Members-only prize draws
Curated Deals Coming Soon
Tech and gaming deals worth grabbing
GET COMMUNITY ACCESS QUICK
For the quickest way to join, simply enter your email below and get access. We will send a confirmation and sign you up to our newsletter to keep you updated on all your gaming news.
By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
FIND OUT ABOUT OUR MAGAZINE
Want to subscribe to the magazine? Click the button below to find out more information.
Find out more
GET Community ACCESS QUICK

Join the GamesRadar community for quick access. Enter your email below and we'll send confirmation, and sign you up to our newsletter.

By submitting your information, you confirm you are aged 16 or over, have read our Privacy Policy and agree to the Terms & Conditions. Geographical rules apply.

Welcome to GamesRADAR+ Community !
Hi ,

Your membership journey starts here.

Keep exploring and earning more as a member.

MY ACCOUNT

Earn your first badge
Read 1 article to unlock your first badge.
Keep earning badges
Explore ways to get more involved as a member.
Latest Games News

Latest Games News

Breaking gaming news and updates

Read Now
Latest Games Reviews

Latest Games Reviews

Expert verdicts on the newest releases

Read Now

See what you’ve unlocked.

Explore your membership benefits.

Explore
Member Exclusives

Stay Ahead with GamesRadar+

Get the biggest gaming news, reviews, and releases straight to your inbox.

Explore

Sign Out
GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Buying Guides
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Video
    • Videos
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
    • G+RLS Podcast
  • Edge
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
  • Home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Buying Guides
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Video
    • View Video
    • Videos
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
    • G+RLS Podcast
  • Edge
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
Trending
  • EDGE GTAVI exclusive
  • Join our monthly RPG Club
  • Golden Joystick Awards 2026
  • Deal of the Day
  • Countdown to GTA 6
  • Submit your clips. Win prizes
  • RPG Hub
  • G+RLS Podcast
Want more Switch 2 news?

Sign up to our Switch 2 newsletter to make sure you get the very latest news on Nintendo's new console and its games every week


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


Want to add more newsletters?

GamesRadar+

Every Friday

GamesRadar+

Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.

GTA 6 O'clock

Every Thursday

GTA 6 O'clock

Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.

Knowledge

Every Friday

Knowledge

From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.

The Setup

Every Thursday

The Setup

Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.

Switch 2 Spotlight

Every Wednesday

Switch 2 Spotlight

Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.

The Watchlist

Every Saturday

The Watchlist

Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.

SFX

Once a month

SFX

Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!


Join the club

Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
  1. Games
  2. Adventure Games
  3. Pokemon
  4. Pokemon Pokopia

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

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Pokemon Pokopia screenshot showing Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle all gathered around a Ditto in human form between two green trees
(Image credit: The Pokemon Company)
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
0
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Subscribe to our newsletter

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.

Latest Videos FromGamesRadar+
Watch full video here:

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."

You may like
  • Pokemon Pokopia Pokemon Pokopia becomes second best-seller on Switch 2 with over 5 million sales in 5 months
  • Manaphy smiles in Pokemon Pokopia. How to get Manaphy in Pokemon Pokopia
  • A pink-haired trainer and a Chikorita sit outside a cafe in Pokemon Legends: Z-A. Pokemon fan shows what the RPG could look like with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's combat

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."

Want more Switch 2 news?

Sign up to our Switch 2 Spotlight newsletter to make sure you get the very latest news on Nintendo's new console and its games every week

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

For now, here's how to level up environments in Pokemon Pokopia and how to change humidity in Pokemon Pokopia.

TOPICS
The Pokemon Company Game Freak
CATEGORIES
Nintendo Switch 2 Platforms Nintendo
Kaan Serin
Kaan Serin
Social Links Navigation
Freelance 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.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

Read more
Pokemon Pokopia
Pokemon Pokemon Pokopia becomes second best-seller on Switch 2 with over 5 million sales in 5 months
 
 
Manaphy smiles in Pokemon Pokopia.
Pokemon How to get Manaphy in Pokemon Pokopia
 
 
A pink-haired trainer and a Chikorita sit outside a cafe in Pokemon Legends: Z-A.
Pokemon Pokemon fan shows what the RPG could look like with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's combat
 
 
An anime girl raises her hands in Ame Nochi Hare Onna
Pokemon Pokemon lead is making an "original" RPG where you wash your outfits and let them dry in real time
 
 
Approaching the final mountaintop battle in Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver
Pokemon Pokemon Gold and Silver keep getting referenced by official accounts, and I want to believe
 
 
A group of Spinda in the Pokemon anime
Pokemon Pokemon Bank shutdown will make 5 Pokemon unobtainable in modern Switch games
 
 
Latest in Pokemon
Cropped key art for Pokemon Unite shows Cinderace, Greninja, and Pikachu competing.
Pokemon Pokemon's free-to-play MOBA, Pokemon Unite, is shutting down in March after less than 6 years
 
 
A trainer standing on a rock next to the ocean during Pokemon Winds and Waves
Pokemon Pokemon Winds and Waves might benefit from next-gen water tech
 
 
Close up of the thunder designs on the Pokemon Beats Pill.
Speakers and Audio Apple's new Pokemon edition Beats Pill has reignited my appreciation of wireless Bluetooth speakers
 
 
A pile of presents with Pokemon products interspersed in the pile, and a fireplace visible in the background
Toys & Collectibles This year's Pokemon Center Christmas decorations already have me feeling festive
 
 
An anime girl raises her hands in Ame Nochi Hare Onna
Pokemon Pokemon lead is making an "original" RPG where you wash your outfits and let them dry in real time
 
 
Approaching the final mountaintop battle in Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver
Pokemon Pokemon fans made their own Wordle where you beat Gold and Silver with a random team every day
 
 
Latest in News
A man in ornate robes in Phantom Blade Zero stands in the snow while holding a strange, glowing, purple clockwork heart
Action RPGs Phantom Blade Zero is an action RPG for people tired of Soulslikes: Dev says "have fun, unwind"
 
 
Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard during the sci-fi show, Star Trek Picard.
Sci-Fi Shows Star Trek and X-Men actor Patrick Stewart dies at 86
 
 
Needle In A Haystack screenshot of two low-poly characters at a skill crane
Games Dev who copied a popular game on Steam complains another copycat "stole our code"
 
 
Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced screenshot from trailer showing edward kenway and james kidd standing in front of table with a treasure map on it
Assassin's Creed Ubisoft is done with Assassin's Creed remakes for now after Black Flag Resynced, Hexe update coming 2027
 
 
Destiny 2 character Lodi with glowing light blue eyes behind dark frame glasses
Destiny Bungie shares hopes for "a new forever Destiny" and "Destiny 'Legacy,'" but we aren't back yet
 
 
The Suicide Squad
DC Movies James Gunn confuses everyone by confirming The Suicide Squad is "the first canon film in the DCU"
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Finally, an action RPG I don't have to git gud to enjoy
    1
    Phantom Blade Zero is an action RPG for people tired of Soulslikes: Dev says "have fun, unwind"
  2. 2
    Star Trek and X-Men actor Patrick Stewart dies at 86
  3. 3
    Dev who copied a popular game on Steam complains another copycat "stole our code"
  4. 4
    Ubisoft is done with Assassin's Creed remakes for now after Black Flag Resynced, Hexe update coming 2027
  5. 5
    Former Valve dev hits back at Epic Games CEO's claims Steam holds gaming back

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • About us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...