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.
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. Poltchageist bears a resemblance to Sinistea, although the two species are biologically unrelated.
Forms
Sinistea has two separate forms: Phony Form and Antique Form. Telling either of these forms apart requires careful inspection; 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.
A Sinistea appeared in HZ030, born from Diana's antique teacup when a Polteageist poured its tea into it. Along with Polteageist, it subsequently joined the Rising Volt Tacklers on their travels.
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.
Sinistea has two separate forms: Phony Form and Antique Form.[1] Its form is maintained through evolution into Polteageist and cannot be changed.
The Antique Form is rarer and has a stamp of authenticity hidden on the underside of its base. The only functional difference between the two forms is the Evolution item used by Sinistea to evolve into Polteageist: Phony Form Sinistea requires a Cracked Pot, while Antique Form Sinistea requires a Chipped Pot.
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.
In Japanese, the names of Sinistea's forms use 「フォルム」 form, the term otherwise primarily used in the names of forms localized as Forme in English.
Additionally, Sinistea and Poltchageist have similar evolution methods, as they both require being exposed to a specific item to evolve into a specific form of their evolved counterparts.
Origin
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.