How-to Evolve Sinistea into Polteageist in Sword & Shield

We've got a quick guide on how-to evolve Sinistea in Pokemon Sword and Shield. Sinistea is Ghost Black Tea Pokemon and is one of the most unique options to be found in this set of games. It is another of the Pokemon that has a unique way of evolving, which is a common theme for this generation. If you're looking to get a Polteageist, here's how it's done!

Where-to Find a Sinistea

Sinistea can only be found in the wild in one area, and that's the spooky mushroom laden forest of Glimwood Tangle. There's not a lot of Overworld Pokemon, so you'll need to run around the grass areas a bit and hit the exclamation marks. You can also get these in Max Raid Battles in the following sections: Giant's Mirror, Stony Wilderness, and Watchtower Ruins. I don't recommend the Max Raid Battles, because they are random and you'll have a hard time finding this specific Pokemon.

How-to Evolve Sinistea into Polteageist

Now that you've got a Sinistea, you're going to need a specific item to get it to evolve. This seems simple enough, but there can be a slight caveat with this process. The item you need to get it to evolve is the Cracked Pot. This can be purchased over at Stow-on-Side at the market from this guy:

The problem with this guy is that he doesn't have a predictable inventory. You'll want to check today's and yesterday's bargain to see if he's got the Cracked Pot. If not, you're going to have to wait. You'll see what he has next by hitting the Next bargain option. I tried to change the data in the settings on the Nintendo Switch, and unfortunately it doesn't seem to change his options. You're just going to have to wait for him to have it in stock.

Once you'e got the Cracked Pot, use it on your Sinistea and it SHOULD evolve.... oh, it didn't? Well, that means you have yourself a genuine Sinistea and not a knock off! You'll need to now go back to that same vendor and look for the rarer Chipped Pot item. Once you've gotten it, you can then use it on Sinistea and it should evolve. It should be noted that there's VERY little difference between the two versions of the Pokemon. You can only tell the difference when it's in its Dynamax form, apparently the "real" Polteageist will have a certificate of authenticity tagged onto the bottom of it!