Poltchageist
Poltchageist is a Grass/Ghost-type Pokémon, the Matcha Pokémon, number 1012 (#1012) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 9 and comes from the Paldea region. It is 0.1 m tall and weighs 1.1 kg.
Poltchageist is a pile of matcha tea powder living in a tea caddy, said to be born from the regrets of a tea master who died before he could perfect his art. It could pass for a regional form of Sinistea, but the Pokédex says the two are entirely unrelated.
How to pronounce Poltchageist
Poltchageist is pronounced POHL-chuh-gyst. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.
Listen to Poltchageist said out loud:
In Japanese it is チャデス (Chadeath).
Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.
Lore
Biology
Poltchageist is just 0.1 m tall and weighs 1.1 kg. Its body is matcha powder inside a black-and-white tea caddy whose white lid sits above a sealed crack, with a painted face that can show emotion. A yellow swirl sits on the matcha just below the lid, and it always carries a chashaku, the scoop used in the Japanese tea ceremony.
Behaviour
The Pokédex says it dusts food with its powder and saps the life-force of anyone who licks it. Bulbapedia adds that it is more active at night, hides in cool, dark places by day, and likes old houses. It also tends to mend broken objects, sealing cracks with its powder.
Habitat
In Kitakami it lives in places such as Mossfell Confluence and Reveler's Road, and the Pokédex says it lodges in an extremely pricey tea caddy.
Powers
Its Abilities are Hospitality, which restores some HP to an ally when it enters battle, and the hidden Heatproof. It learns Shadow Ball, Giga Drain, Leaf Storm and Rage Powder. It comes in two forms that differ only in a stamp of authenticity under the caddy: the rarer Artisan Form has it and the Counterfeit Form does not, and Eggs always hatch as Counterfeit Form.
Name origin
Poltchageist may combine poltergeist and matcha, following the pattern of Polteageist. The Japanese name is Chadeath (チャデス), which may combine matcha, 'death' and Potdeath (Polteageist's Japanese name), plus a pun on cha desu, 'it's tea'.
Design inspiration
Poltchageist seems modelled on matcha and on a tsukumogami, an everyday object that comes to life, here tea-ceremony equipment. Its habit of sealing cracks may recall kintsugi, mending pottery with gold lacquer, and its two forms may nod to stamps that guarded against forged stoneware. These are fan readings.
Evolution notes
Poltchageist becomes Sinistcha with an Unremarkable Teacup if it is a Counterfeit Form, or a Masterpiece Teacup if it is an Artisan Form.
In the games
Poltchageist is a new Kitakami Pokémon in The Teal Mask, where it also appears in 3-star Tera Raid Battles; it is number 76 in the Kitakami Pokédex. Without that expansion it can be obtained by trade or from Pokémon HOME, and it is not available in Legends: Z-A.
In the anime
Poltchageist made its anime debut in a flashback in 'Mochi Mayhem!'.
Fun facts
- It was first hinted at the 2023 Pokémon World Championships, where visitors were handed a tea ceremony set printed with the date of the reveal trailer.
- Bulbapedia notes the name swap: Poltchageist resembles Polteageist, and Sinistcha resembles Sinistea.
- Bulbapedia points out that the three dots over its left eye match the map symbol used in Japan for tea fields.
Base stats
- HP: 40
- Attack: 45
- Defense: 45
- Sp. Atk: 74
- Sp. Def: 54
- Speed: 50
Poltchageist’s base stat total is 308. Its highest stat is Sp. Atk.
Type matchups
What is Poltchageist weak to?
Poltchageist takes extra damage from Fire (2×), Ice (2×), Flying (2×), Ghost (2×), Dark (2×) moves.
It resists Water (½×), Electric (½×), Grass (½×), Ground (½×).
It is immune to Normal, Fighting moves.
Evolution
How does Poltchageist evolve?
Poltchageist evolves into Sinistcha (Unremarkable Teacup or Masterpiece Teacup).
The whole family: Poltchageist, Sinistcha.
Abilities
- Hospitality: When a Pokémon with Hospitality enters a battle, it restores HP for an ally by 25%.
- Heatproof (hidden ability): Halves damage from Fire moves and burns.
Moves
Moves Poltchageist learns by level up in Scarlet / Violet
| Level | Move | Type | Category | Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stun Spore | Grass | Status | — |
| 1 | Withdraw | Water | Status | — |
| 1 | Astonish | Ghost | Physical | 30 |
| 6 | Absorb | Grass | Special | 20 |
| 12 | Life Dew | Water | Status | — |
| 18 | Foul Play | Dark | Physical | 95 |
| 24 | Mega Drain | Grass | Special | 40 |
| 30 | Hex | Ghost | Special | 65 |
| 36 | Rage Powder | Bug | Status | — |
| 42 | Giga Drain | Grass | Special | 75 |
| 48 | Shadow Ball | Ghost | Special | 80 |
| 54 | Memento | Dark | Status | — |
| 60 | Leaf Storm | Grass | Special | 130 |
TM moves (30)
Poltchageist can learn 30 moves from TMs in Scarlet / Violet: Protect, Hex, Magical Leaf, Night Shade, Endure, Foul Play, Sleep Talk, Reflect, Rest, Imprison, Substitute, Iron Defense, Giga Drain, Shadow Ball, Energy Ball, Calm Mind, Grassy Terrain, Nasty Plot, Phantom Force, Leaf Storm, Trick Room, Solar Beam, Tera Blast, Spite, Scald, Uproar, Poltergeist, Pain Split, Psych Up, Curse.
Breeding & training
- Gender: genderless.
- Egg groups: Mineral, Amorphous.
- Egg cycles: 20 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 2,560).
- Catch rate: 120 out of 255.
- Base friendship (Gen 8 onward): 50.
- Growth rate: Slow (1,250,000 experience points to reach level 100).
- Defeating it gives 1 Sp. Atk effort value.
- Base experience yield: 62.
Pokédex entries
Poltchageist looks like a regional form of Sinistea, but it was recently discovered that the two Pokémon are entirely unrelated. (Violet)
Supposedly, the regrets of a tea ceremony master who died before perfecting his craft lingered in some matcha and became a Pokémon. (Scarlet)
Names around the world
| Japanese | チャデス |
|---|---|
| Romaji | Chadeath |
| French | Poltchageist |
| German | Mortcha |
| Spanish | Poltchageist |
| Italian | Poltchageist |
| Korean | 차데스 |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 斯魔茶 |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 斯魔茶 |
Trivia
- Shortest Grass type: 0.1 m.
- Shortest Ghost type: 0.1 m, shared with 1 other.
- Shortest Pokémon in Gen 9: 0.1 m.
- Shortest Grass type in Gen 9: 0.1 m.
- Shortest Ghost type in Gen 9: 0.1 m.
- Taller than 0% of all Pokémon (0.1 m).
- Heavier than 4% of all Pokémon (1.1 kg).
- Base stat total 308, ranked #825 of 1,025.
- One of 10 Pokémon that are both Grass and Ghost.
- One of 130 green Pokémon.
- Number 107 of 120 Pokémon introduced in Generation 9 (Paldea).
- Part of an evolution family of 2 Pokémon.
- Can learn 38 different moves in Scarlet / Violet.
- Catch rate 120: about 15.7% per Poké Ball at full health.
- Appears in 2 distinct Pokédex entries.
Sources and fact-checking
- Stats, types, abilities, moves, evolutions, forms and Pokédex entries: PokéAPI open game data.
- Lore: written by pokee.si in our own words, researched from Bulbapedia: Poltchageist (Pokémon), Serebii: Poltchageist (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex).
- Pronunciation (POHL-chuh-gyst): no English source says it out loud, so it is our best guess from the parts of the name.
Last checked: . Every sentence of the lore was checked against Bulbapedia, Serebii and the game data.
Explore
Grass-type Pokémon · Ghost-type Pokémon · Grass/Ghost weaknesses and matchups · Paldea region guide · Hospitality ability · Heatproof ability · Compare Poltchageist · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves
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