How to evolve Sinistea in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

There are dozens of new and old additions to the Pokédex in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, but few are as unique as Sinistea. This tiny little teacup Pokémon is only found in two locations on the Paldea map, and players will need to find Sinistea if they want to evolve Charcadet.

However, what about evolving Sinistea itself? Unfortunately for players who want to see Sinistea evolve quickly, the tiny Pokémon has a complicated evolution method in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.

Like Charcadet, Sinistea requires an item to evolve. The caveat to this, though, is that the item changes depending on what version of Sinistea you actually have. Luckily, there’s an easy way to check what version you have and some simple ways of finding the items you will need. You can learn all of the details surrounding Sinistea’s evolution in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet below.

Evolve Sinistea in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

First and foremost, you will need to find a Sinistea in Paldea. While it can be found in two different spots, we recommend heading to Zapapico. This small town has a Pokémon Center on the east and west side of it. You want to go to the eastern Pokémon Center and then look around until you see a small, dead tree. Around that tree is where Sinistea can spawn, though it’s not often. If you want to reset what Pokémon can appear, just keep heading back to the Pokémon Center and then return to the tree until you find Sinistea.

Once you’ve caught Sinistea, you need to add it to your party and then check its summary. Here, you need to look at the bottom of the teacup that Sinistea takes the appearance of. If there is a mark on the bottom of the teacup, then you have an Antique Sinistea. If there’s no mark, then you have a Phony Sinistea.

If you have an Antique version, you will need a Chipped Pot to evolve it into Polteageist. For the Phony Sinistea, you need a Cracked Pot. Fortunately, both of these items can be bought at the Porto Marinada Auction House. Head into the brightly-lit pavilion at the port and begin looking around at the different auctions. With enough luck, you will be able to bid on either a Chipped or Cracked Pot. Just remember to bring enough money with you.

You can also find a Cracked Pot at the Socarrat Trail, which is an area within Cassoroya Lake. This area is right by the shrine where you can find a Legendary Pokémon.

Once you have either pot, use it on Sinistea and it will evolve into Polteageist.