How to Get Meltan in Pokémon Go and Pokémon Let's Go

Meltan is a special Mythical Pokémon that first appeared in Pokémon Go on smartphones. It later became available within Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu and Pokémon Let’s Go Eevee, and in Pokémon Sword and Shield, on the Nintendo Switch. Trainers who want to add Meltan to their Pokédexes need to do some tough research quests. We will show you what to do.

How to Get Meltan in Pokémon Go

There are two known methods for catching Meltan in Pokémon Go. The first is the Pokémon Go Meltan quest method, which is done entirely within the game. The second requires the use of either Pokémon Let’s Go Eevee or Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu on the Nintendo Switch.

Method 1: Let’s Go, Meltan Special Research

The Pokémon Go Meltan quest is the primary way to obtain the Pokémon for those who don’t own a Nintendo Switch. The quest, "Let’s Go, Meltan," is available to all players, and is found under the Special tab in the Research menu.

There are nine phases in total to complete the Let’s Go, Meltan Special Research quest, with each phase having three tasks that must be completed before proceeding.

After the eighth phase is completed, Meltan appears and you can capture it as you would a regular Pokémon. Capturing Meltan completes the ninth phase and finishes the Let’s Go Meltan research.

Here are the quests in each phase and the rewards for completing them all:

Method 2: Pokémon Let’s Go Mystery Box

The second method of capturing Meltan in Pokémon Go can be much faster than the above method, but only for those who have a Nintendo Switch and a copy of Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu or Eevee. They also need to complete most of the main game, making it all the way to Fuchsia City.

1. Travel to the Go Park in Fuchsia City in Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu or Pokémon Let’s Go Eevee and transfer any Pokémon from Pokémon Go to your Nintendo Switch.

2. Once the transfer finishes, you get an item called a Mystery Box in Pokémon Go on your smartphone.

   The Mystery Box is located within the Items screen. Simply tap the Poké Ball icon to access it.

3. Open the Mystery Box. For the next 30 minutes, numerous Meltan will be available to catch like regular Pokémon.

4. Capture as many Meltan as you can within the time limit.

   If you’re not encountering any Pokémon, try using an Incense item to increase your encounter rate.

5. Transfer one of the captured Meltan to Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu or Pokémon Let’s Go Eevee to register it in that game’s Pokédex and play with it on your Nintendo Switch.

How to Evolve Meltan Into Melmetal

Meltan’s evolved form is Melmetal, a much larger and stronger Pokémon that’s ideal for taking over and defending gyms.

To evolve Meltan into Melmetal, you need 400 Meltan candies. These are obtained by walking with a Meltan as your buddy Pokémon, catching Meltan, and using pinap berries before capturing a Meltan in the wild.

Unfortunately, Meltan can’t evolve in Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu or Pokémon Let’s Go Eevee, so you need to evolve it into Melmetal in Pokémon Go first, then transfer it over if you want one on your Switch.

How to Get a Shiny Meltan and Melmetal in Pokémon Go

Like all Pokémon species, Meltan and Melmetal are available in "shiny" forms in Pokémon Go. Shiny Pokémon have a special color variant. They appear completely at random and are incredibly rare.

Encountering one is purely a numbers game, i.e., the more Meltan you encounter in the wild, the greater the chance of you seeing a Shiny one.

Can I Get Meltan and Melmetal in Pokémon Sun And Moon?

Since Meltan and Melmetal are new Pokémon, it’s impossible to obtain them in the Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon games for the Nintendo 3DS.