Many people and pokemon have been disturbed by the intense stares of the Gothita, whether they or some far-off tree was the recipient of said stare, for their gaze does not seem to correspond to anything in this reality. These pokemon will watch stillness as closely, if not more so, than most would watch movement, and the inevitable attempts by onlookers to challenge Gothita to a staring contest, although successful in altering temporarily their target of attention, inevitably end in failure.
Gothita are typically described as psychic pokemon, but perhaps astral or extra-dimensional would be a more apt appellation, for their powers rely less on controlling minds than on manipulating the invisible and unseen. The reason these two forms of attack are associated is not an arbitrary one, for the effect in our own world is remarkably similar, but the mechanism which Gothita use is different, alien, and wholly dependent on grasping aspects of this hidden environment which even these pokemon struggle to see. A Gothita's vision is perfect for viewing our world, but can only dimly see the world of alternate dimensions and invisible light which these pokemon rely on for self-defense against our own.
A Gothita's acknowledgment of the unknown, although a boon in dealing with our world, also places them in danger from forces with which humanity and most pokemon need never contend. The fact that Gothita stare at them or manipulate their world is not unnoticed by the lifeforms of that strange alternate realm, and the corollary that they can do the same back is not lost on these spirits. It is not rare for hapless Gothita to fall horribly ill or die from maladies which fail to even register on pokemon center scanners.