There are 81 new Pokémon just waiting to be discovered, battled, and caught in the Galar Region in Pokémon Sword and Shield. And just like in previous games, the 8th generation of the popular RPG sees players evolving Pokémon in new and inventive ways beyond simply leveling up.
Among these is Sinistea, an adorable Ghost-type Pokémon said to have been created when a lonely spirit decided to possess a leftover cup of tea.
Aside from its low encounter rate and unique evolution requirements, Sinistea stands out as the only Pokémon to have both fake and authentic forms.
In this guide, we’ll be sharing detailed instructions for catching Sinistea, evolving it into Poltaegeist, and determining whether you have a real one or the phony version.
If you would like more general tips and tricks on getting started in Sword and Shield, check out our Beginner’s Guide for everything you need to know about the Galar Region.
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How To Catch Sinistea
Location
Like most interesting Pokémon, Sinistea is not that easy to come by. Your best chance of finding one is to head to the Glimwood Tangle, which happens to be located between Stow-on-Side and Ballonlea. If you Fast Travel to either town, you’ll be able to access the area easily by going either left or right.
Once you’ve reached the Glimwood Tangle, you’re going to want to be on the lookout for any exclamation mark icons that appear in the grass. Similar to Milcery, Sinistea cannot be seen wandering the overworld and can only spawn as a random encounter. A forgery Sinistea appears at a rate of 10% while an authentic Sinistea has a 1% chance of spawning.
Given the cramped design of the area and an abundance of Pokémon like Impidimp who will try to initiate a battle once they spot you, it’s recommended that you move the joystick carefully while walking to avoid detection.
Catching
Once you’ve managed to find Sinistea in the grass, you have a couple of different options at your disposal. Throwing a Quick Ball on the first turn is your best chance of catching Sinistea without risk of fainting it. Additional options include using a Level Ball if your Pokémon out-levels Sinistea by a significant amount or a Dusk Ball since Glimwood Tangle is considered a dark area.
How To Evolve Sinistea Into Polteageist
Find Cracked Pot And Chipped Pot
To evolve Sinistea, you’re going to have to give it either a Cracked Pot (counterfeit), or a Chipped Pot (authentic). You’ll find the Cracked Pot located on a rooftop in Stow-on-Side. Climb a ladder located by the steps leading to the Pokémon Gym and walk across the roof to find the item.
The Chipped Pot can be purchased from the local street vendor in Stow-on-Side. Since he only sells one item per day, you’ll have to check back every day until the Chipped Pot is available.
Different Versions
Evolving Sinistea into either an authentic or phony Polteageist has no impact on its battle performance and is strictly a matter of preference. To check which version you have, you’ll want to look for an authenticity label located underneath the Pokémon. It’s most visible during Dynamax transformations but can be seen in the Pokémon summary page if you look carefully.
