Sinistea is one of the most interesting returning Pokemon in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet. Not because of its stats or typing, but because of its evolution. While most Pokemon evolve through levels and stones, this Ghost-type Pokemon requires specific items to evolve.
To evolve Sinistea into Polteageist, you’ll need either a Chipped Pot or Cracked Pot, depending on what kind of Sinistea you have. At a glance, it may be hard to determine which item you need, since it isn’t immediately obvious what sort of Sinistea you have, and which item is required to evolve it.
Updated on February 11, 2025, by Andrew Scariati: If you’re struggling with how to evolve Sinistea, then you’re not the first, as finding a Chipped Pot or Cracked Pot in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet can be a pain. Understanding the Sinistea evolution process is far from easy, but we’ve included a step-by-step guide for farming Cracked Pots and Chipped Pots to make things simple.
Where To Catch Sinistea
On The Outskirts Of Alfornada
Sinistea can only be found in a few locations in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, with the best chance to spawn being on the far southwest corner of the map.
On the map above, you can see this area marked, called South Province (Area Six).
Here, you will find the town of Alfornada, which is home to the Psychic Gym. The town itself was built on a portion of a flat plain, where many Pokemon spawn nearby.
To find a Sinistea, all you need to do is wander the areas just outside the town of Alfornada proper until they begin to spawn.
Sinistea isn’t too rare, so you should be able to find one here in no time.
Try searching this area during the day, as it seems this is when the little cup appears the most.
How To Find An Antique Form Sinistea
Check The Bottom Of The Tea Cup
Sinistea comes in two forms, Phony Form and Antique Form. The only difference between the two is a stamp of authenticity found on the bottom of the Pokemon.
The rarer of the forms, Antique Sinistea, will have a stamp on the bottom of the teacup, while the vastly more common Phony Sinistea will not.
The odds of encountering an Authentic Sinistea is roughly one in 100 or one percent.
Tips To Check For Sinistea Authenticity
Unfortunately, there is no ‘easy’ way to spot an authentic Sinistea, but there are tips that you can follow to make the process go a bit smoother.
When you catch your first Sinistea, it is added to your Pokedex. Chances are, the Pokedex will display the phony version.
Once you do manage to catch an authentic Sinistea, the Pokedex will give you the option to view its second form.
This is a great way to check if you do, somehow, have an authentic Sinistea in a box.
The stamp of authenticity can also be seen from the overworld. This allows you to approach the Pokemon and angle your camera upwards, allowing you to see its bottom.
This can be a bit difficult, especially if Sinistea is moving around, but it’s possible to spot an authentic one this way.
Lastly, be sure to visit Sinistea outbreaks.
Authentic versions aren’t guaranteed to appear, but your chances are better for one spawning if there are more Sinistea spawning in general.
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How To Evolve Antique & Phony Sinistea
Pairing The Right Item With The Right Form
Once you’ve caught the form you want, you’ll need the correct item to evolve your Sinistea, as the two forms require different items to evolve.
- To evolve Phony Sinistea, you will need a Cracked Pot.
- To evolve Antique Sinistea, you will need a Chipped Pot.
Where To Get The Cracked Pot
To find the Cracked Pot in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, head north of Casseroya Lake, and left of the Groundblight Shrine (pictured in the image above.)
From the shrine, head left up the hill until you reach the water.
The Cracked Pot is on the ground next to a small pond, pushed up against the cliffside.
Where To Get The Chipped Pot
The Chipped Pot will be found behind the houses in Porto Marinada and is much easier to locate.
Head up the first ramp from the Auction House and head towards the back of the houses. The Chipped Pot will be underneath a large tree.
How To Farm For Cracked Pots & Chipped Pots At The Auction House
Unfortunately, since loot does not respawn over time, you cannot go back to the previous locations later and get more of each item. However, there is another method to get more Cracked and Chipped Pots.
The Porto Marinada Auction House has three vendors in the middle of the auction that change their products daily.
All three vendors have a one percent chance each day of selling Cracked Pots or Chipped Pots at their auctions starting at 3,000 Pokedollars.
If you plan on evolving multiple Sinistea into Polteageist, this is the only way to get more Pots since the item is consumed after evolution.
Make sure you have lots of cash ready for when the bidding starts.
Items at the Auction House reset every day, so you can visit several times in hopes of the Pots appearing.
You can refresh the vendor inventories at the Auction House by leaving the immediate area, and then changing your Switch clock (moving one day forward, or a few minutes back both cause a reset).
To change your Switch time, follow these steps:
- Go to your Nintendo Switch Home Screen by pressing the Home button. Do not close your software.
- Click on your Settings (the gear wheel at the bottom of the screen).
- Scroll down and click Date & Time.
- Set the minutes back by at least two, or ahead by about an hour.
- Exit your Settings and return to your game.
- Re-enter the Port Marinada area and the vendor inventories should be changed.
Return to the Auction House after resetting the clock and the items on offer should be updated.
Keep in mind that there are a lot of possible auction items, so it may take a while for the Pots to appear.
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