Don't leave your matcha tea unattended, folks. The Pokémon Company has introduced spooky new matcha tea-themed Pokémon named Poltchageist, a haunted Grass and Ghost-type tea caddy from the land of Kitakami said to hold the spirit of its strict owner.
The new Pokémon, which will be added to Pokémon Scarlet and Violet's DLC, The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero, was introduced in a four-minute trailer where children gather at a Japanese temple to hear the story of how Poltchageist came to be.
The tea was spilled on a spooky new Pokémon in a tale as old as matcha. ?#PokemonScarletViolet ❤️? pic.twitter.com/jyHNsjCcyU
— Pokémon (@Pokemon) August 22, 2023
As the story goes, the tea master who originally owned the tea caddy was so strict about perfecting the art of the tea ceremony, no one would come to his house and he eventually died of exhaustion. After years of neglect, the matcha mist spilled out from the tea caddy, turning into Poltchageist. It broke out of the storehouse and sprinkled matcha on a woman scrolling through her phone (one of the latest Samsung Galaxy S models, perhaps?) who waved Poltchageist away and broke a teacup while doing so. The teacup being damaged incensed Poltchageist so much, it sucked the life force out of the woman, bringing the sprinkled matcha back to the caddy with it. Then it started fixing cracks on everything from broken phones to headlights.
Poltchageist is the latest Ghost-type Pokémon to also be a Grass-type following Decidueye (the final evolved form of Rowlet), Phantump, Pumpkaboo, Gourgeist, and Trevenant. If you're wondering how Poltchageist could be a Grass-type, it's because its signature matcha is finely ground powder made from specially grown and processed tea leaves, and it's mostly consumed in Japan.
Cristina Alexander is a freelance writer for IGN. To paraphrase Calvin Harris, she wears her love for Sonic the Hedgehog on her sleeve like a big deal. Follow her on Twitter @SonicPrincess15.
