--- title: "Sinistcha (#1013): Stats, Weaknesses, Moves & Lore | pokee.si" url: "https://pokee.si/pokemon/sinistcha" description: "Sinistcha (#1013): Grass/Ghost-type Matcha Pokémon from Paldea. Base stat total 508. Stats, matchups, evolutions, moves, every Pokédex entry and lore on pokee.si." last_updated: "2026-10-21" publisher: "pokee.si: a Pokédex for families (unofficial fan site)" last_checked: "2026-10-20" --- #1013 · Paldea · Generation 9 # Sinistcha Matcha Pokémon · Grass/Ghost-type ![Sinistcha official artwork](https://pokee.si/img/art/1013.webp) Sinistcha is a [Grass](https://pokee.si/types/grass)/[Ghost](https://pokee.si/types/ghost)-type Pokémon, the Matcha Pokémon, number 1013 (#1013) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 9 and comes from the [Paldea](https://pokee.si/guide/regions/paldea) region. It is 0.2 m tall and weighs 2.2 kg. Sinistcha is the Matcha Pokémon, a Grass and Ghost type that pretends to be tea so that people will drink it and hand over their life-force. The Pokédex says the ruse is generally unsuccessful. ## How to pronounce Sinistcha Sinistcha is pronounced **sih-NIS-chuh**. The capital letters show the stressed syllable. Listen to Sinistcha said out loud: [Listen](https://pokee.si/audio/names/1013.mp3) In Japanese it is ヤバソチャ (Yabasocha). Hear every other name on the [Pokémon pronunciation guide](https://pokee.si/pronounce). ## Lore ### Biology Sinistcha is 0.2 m tall and weighs 2.2 kg. Its body is a swirl of green matcha with a yellow mouth and spiral eyes, and it lives in a black and white tea bowl whose cracks are sealed with green. A broken bamboo tea whisk sits on its head. ### Behaviour The Pokédex says Sinistcha hunts after dark, and that the Masterpiece Form lives in a teacup made by a famous potter, which collectors adore. Before a fight it stirs itself with the whisk: the more it stirs, the more energy it builds. ### Habitat The Pokédex places it in cool, dim corners such as behind a shelf or beneath a home's floorboards. In The Teal Mask you evolve Poltchageist, or find it in 5 and 6 star Tera Raid Battles in Kitakami. ### Powers Its signature move Matcha Gotcha fires a blast of tea that can burn the target and heals Sinistcha by up to half the damage dealt; Bulbapedia says only Sinistcha learns it. Its Ability Hospitality restores a quarter of an ally's HP when it enters battle, with Heatproof hidden. With 121 base Special Attack and 106 Defense it is a bulky special attacker. ### Name origin Sinistcha may combine 'sinister' and matcha, following the pattern of Sinistea. The Japanese name is Yabasocha (ヤバソチャ), which may blend yabai ('dangerous'), Yabacha (Sinistea's name) and socha ('coarse tea'). ### Design inspiration Bulbapedia says Sinistcha is based on Polteageist, a design by James Turner, and that their similar bodies may reference convergent evolution. Its bowl and whisk come from the Japanese tea ceremony, and its green-sealed cracks are based on kintsugi, the craft of mending pottery with metal-dusted lacquer, according to Bulbapedia citing the official Japanese site. ### Evolution notes Poltchageist evolves into Sinistcha when exposed to a teacup, and the form it started in decides which one: an Unremarkable Teacup for Counterfeit Form and a Masterpiece Teacup for Artisan Form. ### In the games Sinistcha arrived with The Teal Mask as number 77 in the Kitakami Pokédex. Bulbapedia lists it as unobtainable in Legends: Z-A. ### In the anime Carmine's Sinistcha debuted in Pokémon Horizons in 'Roy is Crocalor, and Crocalor is Roy!'. ### Fun facts - Masterpiece Form Sinistcha has a stamp of authenticity under its bowl, so in the mobile Pokémon HOME app its Pokédex model can be rotated to show the underside. - Eggs from a Masterpiece Form Sinistcha always hatch as Counterfeit Form Poltchageist, because the form does not follow the usual inheritance rules. - Although Polteageist is its counterpart, Sinistcha's name resembles Sinistea instead; Bulbapedia calls this a distinction no other pair of convergent species shares. Sources: [Bulbapedia: Sinistcha (Pokémon)](https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Sinistcha_(Pok%C3%A9mon)) · [Serebii: Sinistcha (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex)](https://www.serebii.net/pokedex-sv/sinistcha/) ## Base stats - HP: **71** - Attack: **60** - Defense: **106** - Sp. Atk: **121** - Sp. Def: **80** - Speed: **70** Sinistcha’s base stat total is **508**. Its highest stat is Sp. Atk. ## Type matchups ### What is Sinistcha weak to? Sinistcha takes extra damage from [Fire](https://pokee.si/types/fire) (2×), [Ice](https://pokee.si/types/ice) (2×), [Flying](https://pokee.si/types/flying) (2×), [Ghost](https://pokee.si/types/ghost) (2×), [Dark](https://pokee.si/types/dark) (2×) moves. It resists [Water](https://pokee.si/types/water) (½×), [Electric](https://pokee.si/types/electric) (½×), [Grass](https://pokee.si/types/grass) (½×), [Ground](https://pokee.si/types/ground) (½×). It is immune to [Normal](https://pokee.si/types/normal), [Fighting](https://pokee.si/types/fighting) moves. ## Evolution ### What does Sinistcha evolve from? Sinistcha evolves from [Poltchageist](https://pokee.si/pokemon/poltchageist) (Unremarkable Teacup or Masterpiece Teacup). Sinistcha is the final stage of its evolution family. The whole family: [Poltchageist](https://pokee.si/pokemon/poltchageist), **Sinistcha**. ## Abilities - [Hospitality](https://pokee.si/abilities/hospitality): When a Pokémon with Hospitality enters a battle, it restores HP for an ally by 25%. - [Heatproof](https://pokee.si/abilities/heatproof) (hidden ability): Halves damage from Fire moves and burns. ## Moves ### Moves Sinistcha learns by level up in Scarlet / Violet | Level | Move | Type | Category | Power | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Evo | [Matcha Gotcha](https://pokee.si/moves/matcha-gotcha) | Grass | Special | 80 | | 1 | [Stun Spore](https://pokee.si/moves/stun-spore) | Grass | Status | — | | 1 | [Withdraw](https://pokee.si/moves/withdraw) | Water | Status | — | | 1 | [Astonish](https://pokee.si/moves/astonish) | Ghost | Physical | 30 | | 6 | [Absorb](https://pokee.si/moves/absorb) | Grass | Special | 20 | | 12 | [Life Dew](https://pokee.si/moves/life-dew) | Water | Status | — | | 18 | [Foul Play](https://pokee.si/moves/foul-play) | Dark | Physical | 95 | | 24 | [Mega Drain](https://pokee.si/moves/mega-drain) | Grass | Special | 40 | | 30 | [Hex](https://pokee.si/moves/hex) | Ghost | Special | 65 | | 36 | [Rage Powder](https://pokee.si/moves/rage-powder) | Bug | Status | — | | 42 | [Strength Sap](https://pokee.si/moves/strength-sap) | Grass | Status | — | | 48 | [Shadow Ball](https://pokee.si/moves/shadow-ball) | Ghost | Special | 80 | | 54 | [Memento](https://pokee.si/moves/memento) | Dark | Status | — | | 60 | [Leaf Storm](https://pokee.si/moves/leaf-storm) | Grass | Special | 130 | “Evo” means Sinistcha learns the move the moment it evolves: [Matcha Gotcha](https://pokee.si/moves/matcha-gotcha). ### TM moves (31) Sinistcha can learn 31 moves from TMs in Scarlet / Violet: [Protect](https://pokee.si/moves/protect), [Hex](https://pokee.si/moves/hex), [Magical Leaf](https://pokee.si/moves/magical-leaf), [Night Shade](https://pokee.si/moves/night-shade), [Endure](https://pokee.si/moves/endure), [Foul Play](https://pokee.si/moves/foul-play), [Sleep Talk](https://pokee.si/moves/sleep-talk), [Reflect](https://pokee.si/moves/reflect), [Rest](https://pokee.si/moves/rest), [Imprison](https://pokee.si/moves/imprison), [Substitute](https://pokee.si/moves/substitute), [Iron Defense](https://pokee.si/moves/iron-defense), [Giga Drain](https://pokee.si/moves/giga-drain), [Shadow Ball](https://pokee.si/moves/shadow-ball), [Energy Ball](https://pokee.si/moves/energy-ball), [Calm Mind](https://pokee.si/moves/calm-mind), [Grassy Terrain](https://pokee.si/moves/grassy-terrain), [Nasty Plot](https://pokee.si/moves/nasty-plot), [Phantom Force](https://pokee.si/moves/phantom-force), [Leaf Storm](https://pokee.si/moves/leaf-storm), [Trick Room](https://pokee.si/moves/trick-room), [Hyper Beam](https://pokee.si/moves/hyper-beam), [Solar Beam](https://pokee.si/moves/solar-beam), [Tera Blast](https://pokee.si/moves/tera-blast), [Spite](https://pokee.si/moves/spite), [Scald](https://pokee.si/moves/scald), [Uproar](https://pokee.si/moves/uproar), [Poltergeist](https://pokee.si/moves/poltergeist), [Pain Split](https://pokee.si/moves/pain-split), [Psych Up](https://pokee.si/moves/psych-up), [Curse](https://pokee.si/moves/curse). ## Breeding & training - Gender: genderless. - Egg groups: Mineral, Amorphous. - Egg cycles: 20 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 2,560). - Catch rate: 60 out of 255. - Base friendship (Gen 8 onward): 50. - Growth rate: Slow (1,250,000 experience points to reach level 100). - Defeating it gives 2 Sp. Atk effort values. - Base experience yield: 178. ## Pokédex entries It prefers cool, dark places, such as the back of a shelf or the space beneath a home's floorboards. It wanders in search of prey after sunset. *(Violet)* It pretends to be tea, trying to fool people into drinking it so it can drain their life-force. Its ruse is generally unsuccessful. *(Scarlet)* ## Names around the world - **Japanese**: ヤバソチャ - **Romaji**: Yabasocha - **French**: Théffroyable - **German**: Fatalitcha - **Spanish**: Sinistcha - **Italian**: Sinistcha - **Korean**: 그우린차 - **Chinese (Simplified)**: 来悲粗茶 - **Chinese (Traditional)**: 來悲粗茶 ## Trivia - Taller than 1% of all Pokémon (0.2 m). - Heavier than 8% of all Pokémon (2.2 kg). - Base stat total 508, ranked #256 of 1,025. - Its best stat is Sp. Atk, ranked #74 of 1,025. - One of 10 Pokémon that are both Grass and Ghost. - One of 130 green Pokémon. - Number 108 of 120 Pokémon introduced in Generation 9 (Paldea). - Part of an evolution family of 2 Pokémon. - Can learn 41 different moves in Scarlet / Violet. - Catch rate 60: about 7.8% 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](https://pokeapi.co) open game data. - Lore: written by pokee.si in our own words, researched from [Bulbapedia: Sinistcha (Pokémon)](https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Sinistcha_(Pok%C3%A9mon)), [Serebii: Sinistcha (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex)](https://www.serebii.net/pokedex-sv/sinistcha/). - Pronunciation (sih-NIS-chuh): no English source says it out loud, so it is our best guess from the parts of the name. **Last checked:** 20 October 2026. Every sentence of the lore was checked against Bulbapedia, Serebii and the game data. ## Explore [Grass-type Pokémon](https://pokee.si/types/grass) · [Ghost-type Pokémon](https://pokee.si/types/ghost) · [Grass/Ghost weaknesses and matchups](https://pokee.si/types/grass-ghost) · [Paldea region guide](https://pokee.si/guide/regions/paldea) · [Hospitality ability](https://pokee.si/abilities/hospitality) · [Heatproof ability](https://pokee.si/abilities/heatproof) · [Compare Sinistcha](https://pokee.si/compare?ids=1013) · [Full Pokédex](https://pokee.si/pokedex) · [Type chart](https://pokee.si/types) · [All moves](https://pokee.si/moves) ## Browse similar Pokémon [Gen 9 Grass-type Pokémon](https://pokee.si/types/grass/gen-9) · [Gen 9 Ghost-type Pokémon](https://pokee.si/types/ghost/gen-9) · [Gen 9 Pokémon list](https://pokee.si/pokedex/gen-9) · [Green Pokémon list](https://pokee.si/colours/green) · [Mineral egg group](https://pokee.si/egg-groups/mineral) · [Amorphous egg group](https://pokee.si/egg-groups/amorphous) · [Pokémon that start with S](https://pokee.si/pokemon-names/s) ← [Poltchageist](https://pokee.si/pokemon/poltchageist) | [Okidogi](https://pokee.si/pokemon/okidogi) → --- Source: https://pokee.si/pokemon/sinistcha (HTML page). pokee.si is an unofficial fan site and is not affiliated with Nintendo, Creatures, GAME FREAK or The Pokémon Company. 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