Karen stared. She blinked. Then stared again.
If not for the Magneton beside her spamming Flash like a faulty lighthouse beacon, she wouldn't have been able to witness the utterly ridiculous spectacle unfolding in the pitch-black depths of Rock Tunnel.
Blue—yes, that Blue—was in full monster mode, decimating a swarm of Zubats with surgical precision. One by one, the winged pests dropped like flies under the assault of his monstrously powerful team, only to be scooped up and captured with ruthless efficiency.
"Damn Zubats!" Blue roared, delivering a finishing blow as another one collapsed.
Karen turned to the man beside her—Bob, the slightly overworked and increasingly frazzled leader of Machamps Works. "Does Koga know that Blue hates his new ace Pokémon this much?"
Bob sighed deeply, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Oh, Koga knows. Blue's relationship with Zubat is... complicated. He calls them a plague—an infestation that needs total eradication. That's why he's been rounding up every last one in Kanto and dumping them into a newly designated cave in the southeast. It's under Koga's jurisdiction now. Blue's exact words were: 'So they don't annoy anyone ever again.'"
Karen blinked, absorbing this odd rationale. "Huh."
She tilted her head, squinting upward at the enormous hole blasted into the ceiling above them. "Bob... why is there a giant crater in the roof?"
"Because we're going up, Karen," Bob muttered, already sounding exhausted beyond belief. "And I quote Blue again: 'Until we see the damn sky.'"
Karen sighed, crossing her arms. "I'm no geography expert, but isn't Rock Tunnel inside a massive mountain?"
"Oh, it's not just massive," Bob said, eyes wide and voice thick with disbelief. "One of the biggest mountains in all of Kanto. This tunnel is practically a cave network carved deep into its belly."
Suddenly, a bellow echoed from above them.
"GYARADOS!" Blue's voice boomed. "HYPER BEAM!"
A searing blast tore through the rock ceiling, expanding the already absurd crater. A scattering of Zubats caught in the crossfire disintegrated instantly.
Karen watched the destruction, a trace of reluctant admiration creeping into her voice. "You know... with blasts like that, maybe he can actually punch his way out of this mountain."
Bob grumbled, wiping sweat from his forehead. "I mean, we've been wandering this labyrinth for hours. And right at the dead center—the absolute furthest point from both Route 10 and Lavender Town entrances—he decides this is the spot to start blasting upwards. Aren't we supposed to be building a settlement here? Why choose the hardest place to reach?"
Karen smiled sweetly, her eyes glinting with mischief. "Well, nobody said visiting my village should be easy. If people have to crawl through a mountain full of monsters just to see me, isn't that kind of perfect?"
"HYPER BEAM!"
The tunnel shook violently. Dust rained from the walls like a gentle storm.
Karen blinked, incredulous, as Blue suddenly teleported himself up into the hole he'd just blasted open.
"…Is it possible," she asked slowly, "that he's going to collapse the entire mountain before we even start building anything?"
Bob groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose again. "Very possible. He asked me how to do this safely, and I... well, I didn't take into account Blue's 'special' Hyper Beams. Now that I think about it—that was incredibly stupid of me."
Nearby, Karen noticed dozens of Rhydon standing around looking about as thrilled as rocks.
"What are they even here for?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Well," Bob sighed, "they were supposed to be digging a tunnel through the ceiling. Ground-type Pokémon doing ground-type work, right? But Blue showed up, impatient as ever, and they were just too slow. Who needs a professional excavation crew when you've got a Water-type specialist who blasts holes with his Gyarados?"
Bob let out a sarcastic laugh. "Not a single drop of water in sight, and yet his team is still a hundred times faster than Rhydon with drills."
"HYPER BEAM!"
The mountain trembled again.
Karen flinched. "Seriously, what is that Gyarados eating?"
Bob rubbed his temples. "I've been working with Blue for three years now. If I've learned anything, it's this: at some point, you just have to stop asking questions. You won't get answers, and if you do, they'll only raise more questions."
Suddenly, as if summoned by their complaints, Blue appeared before them, grinning from ear to ear.
"Finished!" he declared proudly. "Come on up, you two!"
Before either of them could protest, a bright flash enveloped them—and just as quickly, they were whisked away.
Their eyes stung from the sudden light, forcing them to blink repeatedly as their vision adjusted. When the haze cleared, they found themselves standing atop the highest peak of the mountain.
They were on a vast plateau, carved with unnerving precision—like someone had kicked the very summit off the mountain. Blue had probably done exactly that.
But the view was breathtaking.
To the east, the endless sea shimmered under the setting sun, waves sparkling like scattered jewels. Distant ships dotted the horizon, tiny silhouettes against the fiery sky.
To the west, the sprawling expanse of Kanto unfolded beneath them. Cerulean City's glistening waterways, the towering buildings of Saffron City, and the bustling docks of Vermilion City were all visible, their lights beginning to twinkle as dusk settled. Far to the south, the eerie silhouette of Lavender Town loomed, its haunted reputation almost tangible in the cool mountain air.
Above, thick clouds drifted lazily, hanging low as if guarding this lofty sanctuary.
Karen's eyes widened in awe. "Damn…"
Bob was practically vibrating with excitement. "This has to be the best view in all of Kanto!"
Blue spread his arms wide, pride radiating from every word. "Welcome to your new home. Welcome to… Twilight Plateau."
He smiled smugly. "Twilight Plateau—the place where night becomes day."
Karen looked at Blue, her gaze sharp. "So... you want me to control all the Dark-type Pokémon from up here, huh?"
Blue nodded. "We're building a massive staircase from Rock Tunnel to the plateau. The entrances from Route 10 and Lavender Town will be blocked with giant, sturdy gates. Then, we'll pack this mountain with every Dark-type Pokémon we can find. Your job? Make sure none escape. One loose Dark-type, and my beautiful Kanto turns into chaos."
Bob's enthusiasm returned in full force. "This is going to be one of the most incredible places in all of Kanto! But... do we really have to make it so hard to reach?"
Blue's eyes gleamed with mischief. "Oh yes. Twilight Plateau needs to be a place wrapped in mystery—a true test. Only trainers willing to fight through a mountain full of monsters will get the reward of this view. It's the ultimate motivation."
Karen gripped Blue's collar and pulled him close, a fierce grin lighting her face. "You're a genius. This is paradise."
She hugged him tight, almost squeezing the air out of him.
Because really, what could be better for a Dark-type specialist? Beneath their feet, a cavern teeming with shadowy Pokémon; above, the most stunning panorama imaginable—especially now, as twilight deepened and the distant city lights sparkled like stars below.
Suddenly, a flurry of movement caught their eyes. Tens of Kadabra appeared, teleporting trainers and Pokémon up to the plateau, followed by crates of supplies.
Blue laughed maniacally. "Alright! Time to get to work. Let's start with the Essential Seven, shall we?"
Karen blinked as hundreds of humans and Pokémon popped into existence like someone had accidentally mashed the "spawn" button on reality. Kadabras teleported people, furniture, vending machines, even a Wailord (somehow), with the casual efficiency of a moving company on ten espressos. Within minutes, the quiet Plateau was transformed into a bustling, chaotic construction zone that felt more like rush hour in Celadon City—if rush hour involved Machamps in hard hats and a Jigglypuff operating a jackhammer.
Especially the Pokémon. So many Pokémon. Was that a Rapidash hauling lumber? And a Blastoise mixing cement with its water cannons?
Karen stared. "How many Pokémon even work here?"
"All of them," Blue replied, without looking up. "Even the lazy ones. Especially the lazy ones."
Blue clapped his hands like a villain announcing his evil plan. "Now, Karen, I thought long and hard about the theme of your village. Should it be a charming tourist trap? A quaint little trading post? But in the end, I rejected all that."
"Why?" Karen asked, raising an eyebrow. "The view is breathtaking."
"Yes, but let's be honest," Blue said, gesturing grandly at the mountains around them. "To get here, you have to fight your way through an army of feral, mountain-dwelling murderbeasts. Then, if you survive that, you arrive at a village perched on top of more murderbeasts."
He pointed at a giant hole in the ground he had apparently just blown into existence with zero regard for local geology.
Karen peered down into it. "Oh."
"Exactly," Blue said. "Soon, those delightful little nightmares down there are going to realize they can't break out through the gates on Route 10 or Lavender Town—because those are getting sealed shut with top-secret, totally-not-overkill Silph Co. anti-monster alloys. So when they get tired of bouncing off those walls, guess where they're going to go?"
Karen slowly turned to him, eyes wide. "...Out of this hole?"
"Right into the middle of your village!"
Karen's face lit up like a Gengar in a spotlight. "Isn't that... FABULOUS?!"
"For someone like you? Absolutely," Blue grinned like a man who just found out dynamite was legal.
"This village will be constantly under siege by swarms of unruly Dark-types who just want to mess things up for the vibe. Think about it—stampedes! Sneaky ambushes! Just pure chaos!"
"THIS IS THE BEST IDEA ANYONE'S EVER HAD!" Karen squealed.
"RIGHT?!" Blue threw an arm around her shoulder. "IT'S THE COOLEST SHIT I'VE EVER COME UP WITH!"
They stood there, arms around each other, practically vibrating with excitement.
Nearby, Bob—random, very normal construction guy—watched them with the blank expression of a man reconsidering all his life choices.
What the hell is wrong with these two?! he thought, backing slowly toward the Kadabra teleportation line.
Eventually, Blue calmed down just enough to regain the ability to speak in full sentences. "So yeah. Given the totally bonkers nature of this place, it's obviously a paradise for insane Trainers who want to fight nonstop. People who eat danger for breakfast. People who look at a wild Hydreigon and think, 'Oh boy, a warm-up.'"
It was the perfect place for Red.
"Twilight Plateau will become a battlefield," Karen said with a nod. "Its primary purpose is to raise the overall caliber of trainers in the region."
"Exactly," Blue agreed. "Only the truly unhinged will want to live up here—but that's expected when your main clientele are Dark-type trainers."