Highlights
- Pokemon Scarlet and Violet introduced Sinistcha and Poltchageist, new pocket monsters that are based on a classic Japanese folktale and have intricate details in their design and names.
- Sinistcha is the teapot and Poltchageist is the utensil for serving matcha tea, while Sinistea is the teacup and Polteageist is the teaware. The names reflect the different terms used for tea in different regions.
- The theory shared by a fan on Reddit highlights the attention to detail in the Pokemon franchise and how it actively seeks diverse inspirations to bring its creatures to life. Game Freak continues to invest creatively in bringing unique Pokemon experiences to players.
A Pokemon fan shared a theory about Poltchageist and Sinistcha that other players agreed made a lot of sense. Pokemon is a franchise full of little details that enrich its lore, and it's no different with Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. Gen 9 introduced new Pokemon that brought new stories to the franchise's universe.
Among these Pokemon are Sinistcha and Poltchageist, new pocket monsters introduced in the Teal Mask DLC. Poltchageist is a Grass/Ghost-type Pokemon that inhabits a chaire, a traditional Japanese tea caddy, and holds a teaspoon called chashaku. Poltchageist's evolution is Sinistcha, a Grass/Ghost-type Pokemon living inside a chawan, a traditional Japanese tea bowl, and wears a bamboo whisk called a chasen on top of its head. Sinistcha and Poltchageist are convergent Pokemon, so although they bear a great resemblance to Sinistea and Polteageist, none of the Pokemon are related.
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While they aren't related, Reddit user sdrey shared a theory about Sinistcha and Poltchageist that makes a lot of sense. Poltchageist is a utensil for serving matcha tea, and Sinistcha, which is the teapot, is its evolution. Sinistea and Polteageist returned in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, and they go the opposite way. Sinistea is the teacup, and its evolution, Polteageist, is the teaware. Sinistea is a Ghost-type Pokemon that inhabits a glass of cold tea, and Polteageist is a Pokemon made of black tea known for living inside a large teapot with cracks.
The post also emphasized another detail in the names of the Pokemon. Sinistcha and Poltchageist have "cha" in their names, the term used by the Japanese to refer to tea. Likewise, countries in East Asia, Eastern Europe, Portugal, and Brazil also use the same term. Meanwhile, Sinistea and Polteageist have "tea" in their names, a term used to refer to tea in South Asia, the US, and most European countries. This differentiation caught the attention of other users of the Pokemon subreddit, as Sinistea and Polteageist made their debut in Pokemon Sword and Shield. The Gen 8 games are set in Galar, a Pokemon region inspired by the UK, one of the countries that uses "tea" to name tea.
The theory shared by sdrey shows how the Pokemon franchise seeks the most diverse inspirations to bring its critters to life. Sinistcha and Poltchageist, in particular, are Pokemon based on a classic Japanese folktale. This inspiration is reflected not only in the design of the Pokemon but also in their origin story and even in their names. This attention to detail shows that even though there are more than 1,000 Pokemon, Game Freak is still actively investing in creative ways to bring Pokemon to players.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are available now on Nintendo Switch.