Ultimate Guide to Pokemon Go Mystery Box: How to Obtain Meltan and its Shiny Variants

Pokémon Go trainers can capture the Mythical Meltan by utilizing the Mystery Box, but first, they need to unlock it. Here’s a comprehensive guide on how to obtain Meltan in Niantic’s Pokémon Go, along with information on whether it can be Shiny.

In Pokémon Go, various special items serve different functions, and one of the most essential is the Mystery Box, which enables players to acquire Meltan.

Though Meltan has been part of the game for some time, many trainers are still unaware of how to unlock it or how to make it function effectively. Thus, here’s a detailed walkthrough on how to utilize the Mystery Box to catch the Mythical Steel-type Pokémon.

How to Capture Meltan in Pokémon Go

To get Meltan in Pokémon Go, you must open a Mystery Box. After doing so, Meltan will spawn in your vicinity for 60 minutes, giving you ample opportunity to catch as many as possible before they vanish.

Once your Mystery Box has expired, a three-day cooldown period will initiate. Upon its completion, you can transfer another Pokémon to Pokémon Home, and the Mystery Box will be ready for reuse.

During special events like the Let’s Go celebration, this cooldown period may be shortened.

Can Meltan be Shiny in Pokémon Go?

Shiny Meltan is available in Pokémon Go, having made its debut in 2019. However, players can only encounter it during special events.

To date, Shiny Meltan has only appeared during the following events:

8th Anniversary Party (2024)
Let’s GO! event (2023)
Pokémon TCG Crossover event (2022)
5th Anniversary event (2021)
Pokémon HOME event (2020)

What is the Mystery Box in Pokémon Go?

The Mystery Box is a unique item similar to Incense, which is essential for attracting Meltan to spawn in Pokémon Go.

It was introduced in 2018 to commemorate the launch of Let’s Go! Pikachu and Let’s Go! Eevee on the Nintendo Switch. The introduction was significant, as Meltan was the first entirely new Pokémon to debut in the mobile game.

Mystery Boxes act like a special variant of Incense, meaning they’ll attract Meltan to your location for a 60-minute duration – providing plenty of chances to catch them.

How to Unlock the Mystery Box in Pokémon Go

The most straightforward method to unlock the Mystery Box is to transfer a single Pokémon from Pokémon Go to your Pokémon Home account. You’ll need a Nintendo account to proceed.

Once you’ve established a Home account, return to Pokémon Go and follow these steps:

Tap the Poke Ball at the bottom of the screen.
Select Settings from the top right corner.
Scroll down and tap ‘Connected Devices and Services’.
Tap ‘Pokémon Home’.
Log in using the same Nintendo Account linked to your Pokémon Home.

You’ll now gain access to the Go Transporter in the Home menu of Pokémon Go. Select the Pokémon you wish to transfer, then open the Pokémon Home app to complete the transfer.

Note that you cannot send Pokémon from Home back to Go.

If the process is done correctly, the Mystery Box should automatically appear in your Pokémon Go inventory. If it doesn’t show up immediately, try closing and reopening the app.

How to Evolve Meltan into Melmetal in Pokémon Go

After acquiring Meltan in Pokémon Go, your next goal will likely be to evolve it into Melmetal. You’ll need a total of 400 Meltan Candy to perform the evolution, which can be quite a challenge.

Pokémon Go Evolve Meltan to Melmetal — Niantic

This highlights the importance of farming Mystery Boxes. The optimal strategy to accumulate Meltan Candy is to utilize Mystery Boxes, catching as many Meltan as possible while employing Pinap Berries for extra Candy.

Additionally, setting Meltan as your Buddy and raising its Hearts is an effective strategy, as it will collect Candy while you explore. You can also transfer any extra Meltan you don’t need to Professor Willow for Candy rewards.

Pokémon Go Meltan Stats, Moves, Resistances & Weaknesses

As a Steel-type Pokémon, Meltan has the following stats:

ATTACK	DEFENSE	STAMINA	CP
118	99	130	1207

Meltan Fast Moves

Thunder Shock (Electric)

Meltan Charged Moves

Flash Cannon (Steel/STAB)
Thunderbolt (Electric)

Meltan Resistances

Normal
Flying
Rock
Bug
Steel
Grass
Psychic
Ice
Dragon
Fairy
Poison

Meltan Weaknesses

Fighting
Ground
Fire

That covers everything needed to unlock the Mystery Box and capture Meltan in Pokémon Go.

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