Overview
The Kenzo plaque is one of the most celebrated Easter eggs in Pokemon Pokopia, found among the ruins of Bleak Beach (the post-apocalyptic version of Vermilion City). The plaque resolves a 30-year-old running joke from Pokemon Red and Blue, finally answering what happened to the eternally-building NPC who first appeared in 1996.
The Original Mystery
In Pokemon Red and Blue, an NPC in Vermilion City stood beside a partially-constructed plot of land with a Machop helping him build. The line he gave players was: "My Machop just isn't strong enough yet for this construction work."
Two generations later, the same NPC returned in Pokemon Gold and Silver. The plot of land was still under construction, but his Machop had now evolved into Machoke. He was still asking for help, still working on the same building, decades in-game later.
The NPC did not appear again in subsequent Kanto games. For thirty real-world years, players who returned to Vermilion City wondered whether his building was ever finished or whether the NPC ever moved on.
The Pokopia Reveal
In Pokemon Pokopia, players exploring the ruins of Bleak Beach discover a worn plaque on one of the larger remaining buildings. The plaque is framed as an in-universe interview with the building's owner, who is named Kenzo. In the interview, Kenzo explains that his family had dreamed of constructing a building on this plot "for generations," and that the project was eventually completed with the help of a fully evolved Machamp.
Kenzo became renowned as "the owner of the largest building in the area." The building he ultimately completed is the largest standing structure in what was once Vermilion City.
Significance
The reveal does several things at once:
Resolves a 30-year mystery: Players who remember the Vermilion City NPC from Red and Blue or Gold and Silver finally learn that he succeeded.
Confirms Pokopia's Kanto setting: The plaque is one of many environmental details that confirm Pokopia's biomes are post-apocalyptic versions of original Kanto towns. Bleak Beach corresponds to Vermilion City; the Kenzo building anchors that connection.
Acknowledges Pokemon evolution canon: Machop -> Machoke -> Machamp evolution arc is implicitly confirmed for the original NPC's partner.
Adds emotional weight: The phrase "my family has dreamed... for generations" reframes a lighthearted joke as a multi-generation goal that finally succeeded after decades of effort.
Where to Find the Plaque
The Kenzo plaque is mounted on a partially-collapsed building in the central ruins of Bleak Beach. Players naturally encounter it during the Brighten Things Up main quest line as they restore the area's electricity and explore the wreckage. There is no specific request that points players toward the plaque; it is environmental storytelling, designed to be found by curious explorers.
Related Pokemon in Pokopia
Both the Machop line and the broader Fighting-type roster appear as befriendable Pokemon in Pokopia. Machamp can be befriended through the standard habitat system, making it possible to recreate Kenzo's construction relationship in your own settlement.
Tips
If you have not yet visited Bleak Beach, prioritize the area's main quest line so you can find the plaque organically.
Photograph the plaque with Photo Mode for a screenshot worth keeping. The composition with the ruins behind it is one of the more cinematic scenes in the area.
Pair the discovery with a visit to the S.S. Anne wreckage off the coast of Bleak Beach for the most concentrated cluster of Vermilion City references in the game.