Adorable new Pokemon merch has scary implications

One of the latest pieces of adorable Pokemon merchandise to get revealed on social media has some seriously scary lore implications.

One of the best things about being a Pokemon fan in 2024 is the wide variety of adorable merch and goodies to collect. Amidst all of the cute TCG accessories and plushes, though, you can often find some much stranger collector’s items.

A hilariously ominous item was unveiled on X recently by The Pokemon Company Japan. They posted a snap of a gorgeous Poltchageist and Sinistcha-themed tea set, accompanied by a Rowlet chestnut ice-cream, Pikachu steamed cheese-flavored cake, Alcremie matcha and yogurt parfait, and a Hisuian Lilligant pudding.

The snacks and tea set are part of a promotion for the Pokemon Cafe, following the “Cafe Chades” themed menu. This will be available from April 27th 2024 at the Pokemon Cafe in Japan – unfortunately, it doesn’t look like it’ll be available anywhere else.

If you order the set menu at the Cafe, you’ll get the adorable green acrylic menu stand shown in the post above. The best item shown off here, though, is the Sinistcha-themed tea set. As noted in the official news post for this reveal, this item will be available on the Japanese Pokemon Center website from May 3rd, 2024.

It’s a wonderful themed set – but if you’re a fan of Pokemon lore, you’ll know why this is such an ominous item. For those who are unfamiliar, the Pokedex entry for Sinistcha notes “It pretends to be tea, trying to fool people into drinking it so it can drain their life-force. Its ruse is generally unsuccessful.” Yikes.

Essentially, this tea set is themed on a life-stealing poltergeist that likes to disguise itself as a cozy beverage. The Pokedex entry for Poltchageist notes that it supposedly represents the spirit of a long-gone tea ceremony master, too.

It’s a hilariously morbid pick for an otherwise adorable merch release, and fans online were immediately obsessed with it. Pokemon fans shared their thoughts underneath the X post, with many clamoring about how excited they were to go and see the cute items, and how tricky it was to get a reservation, too.

One fan excitedly noted “Now I have a reason to go to the Pokemon Cafe” and another shared that the tea set was “just so cute”. Others pointed out the creepy lore behind Poltchageist and Sinistcha, noting how odd of a choice it seemed to be.

It may be quite hard to get hold of the Sinistcha tea set outside of Japan – but certainly not impossible. Once it releases in May it’s likely that people will put it up for resale online, so keep an eye out for verified resellers with reliable delivery policies if you’re keen on this eerie piece of crockery.