The Difference Between Counterfeit & Masterpiece Form Poltchageist In Teal Mask

Summary

The new DLC for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, Teal Mask, introduces 200 new and returning Pokémon to the Kitakami Pokédex, including the Ghost/Grass-type Pokémon, Poltchageist.
Poltchageist has two forms, Counterfeit Form and Masterpiece Form.
To evolve Poltchageist into Sinistcha, trainers need to use the Unremarkable Teacup on the Counterfeit Form or the Masterpiece Teacup on the Masterpiece Form. The spawn rate for the authentic Masterpiece Form is lower, but the forms seem to have no combat difference.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet‘s Teal Mask DLC added in 200 new and returning Pokémon to the Kitakami Pokédex. Poltchageist is one of the new Gen 9 Pokémon found in the DLC and is a Ghost/Grass-type. Much like its Gen 8 counterpart, Sinistea, it has two forms and will evolve according to what kind of special item is used on it.

Although the difference can be subtle, Poltchageist’s two forms don’t seem to affect its use in battle. For the most part, the forms are purely aesthetic – and pretty hard to notice at that. Like the two forms of Sinistea, Poltchageist has a Counterfeit Form and a Masterpiece Form (like Gen 8 Polteageist’s Authentic Form).

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What An Authentic Masterpiece Form Poltchageist Looks Like

Poltchageist superimposed over an image of Pokemon Scarlet Violet: Teal Mask, which is blurred.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet‘s Teal Mask DLC brought a handful of new monsters to Gen 9, but perhaps none of them are as hard to catch as a Masterpiece Form Poltchageist. The odds are slim, so knowing how to spot the real thing is important. The only real difference between a Counterfeit Form and Masterpiece Form Poltchageist is a small stamp on its bottom. This can be seen in a side-by-side comparison via MasterDarkwingz on X (formerly Twitter), which shows the barely-noticeable distinction:

The Masterpiece Poltchageist has a small stamp underneath it, marking it as “authentic.” Still, because of its rarity and authenticity, many Pokémon collectors will likely want to catch it for their own collections instead of simply sticking with the Counterfeit Form – but either form works for the Pokédex entry.

What Item Is Needed To Evolve Poltchageist Masterpiece Form & Counterfeit Form

In order to evolve Poltchageist into Sinistcha in the Teal Mask DLC, trainers will need to use the Unremarkable Teacup on a Counterfeit Form or the Masterpiece Teacup on the Masterpiece Form. As expected, the spawn rate for an authentic Poltchageist is much lower than for its Counterfeit Form. Again, there doesn’t seem to be a difference from a combat perspective, so this is purely for the stamp (or for collecting). It’s difficult to know the discrepancy in spawn rates, but an Authentic Form had around a 1% chance of spawning when Sinistea appeared in Gen 8, so Poltchageist’s chances are likely around the same in the Teal Mask DLC for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.

Source: MasterDarkwingz/Twitter