Sinistea is a Pokémon said to be created when a lonely spirit possesses a cold, leftover cup of tea. It is one of the shortest Pokémon in existence. The teacup that Sinistea lives in is a famous piece of antique tableware; seafoam green in color with gold rims and a lacy pattern that resembles a face. However, there are many forgeries in circulation. Antique Form Sinistea has a stamp of authenticity on the bottom of the cup, whereas Phony Form Sinistea lacks it. This stamp appears as a teal colored emblem on the bottom inside rim of the cup.
The swirl pattern on Sinistea's purple body serves as a weakness. Should a Sinistea get stirred, the swirl will disappear and cause it to get dizzy. Sinistea can absorb the life-force of anyone who drinks it. While it can wait patiently, most of Sinistea's opportunities end up being short, as it tastes so bad that it is spat out immediately. Sinistea inhabits hotels and homes.
It absorbs the life-force of those who drink it. It waits patiently, but opportunities are fleeting—it tastes so bad that it gets spat out immediately.
Antique Form Sinistea does not obey typical form inheritance rules when breeding, and therefore cannot produce Eggs that contain Antique Form Sinistea. All Sinistea that hatch from Eggs will always be Phony Form, regardless of the parent's form.
Sinistea is based on a ghost (possibly a poltergeist, a mischievous ghost that possesses objects) possessing a cup of tea,[4] which has historical and cultural significance in the United Kingdom, the country Galar is based on. The way Sinistea holds its own cup references a way of holding a teacup with one's pinky finger sticking out,[5] which is commonly and erroneously believed to be part of tea drinking etiquette. Additionally, the bit of tea hanging from Sinistea's rim resembles both a tongue and a tea bag tag.
Sinistea's forms may be based on porcelain forgeries. One way porcelain makers historically combatted forgeries was to create a stamp of authenticity on their products, hence the stamp under Antique Form Sinistea.
Name origin
Sinistea may be a combination of sinister and tea.
Yabacha may be a combination of やばい yabai (dangerous; terrible) and 茶 cha (tea).
↑ 4.04.1@JamesTurner_42 on Twitter: Happy Halloween to all! Here’s a pumpkin-infused cup of Sinistea - a friendly tea ghost Pokémon I designed for Sword and Shield 🎃 ☕️.
↑@JamesTurner_42 on Twitter: Thank you, the pinky is important! 😆
This Pokémon article is part of Project Pokédex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon species, as well as Pokémon groups and forms.