Pokemon Go Mystery Box guide: How to encounter Shiny Meltan

❘ Updated: 2024-01-26T16:03:59

Niantic / The Pokemon Company

The Mythical Meltan can only be encountered by using the Mystery Box in Pokemon Go but you’ll have to unlock it first. So here’s everything you need to know about how to get Shiny Meltan encounters in the game.

Pokemon Go involves a lot of different elements and one of these is Mystery Boxes.

While these items have been in the game for quite a while now, some players still find them quite mysterious. Thankfully, getting your hands on one is relatively easy in the mobile game.

If you’re on the hunt for a Shiny Meltan in Pokemon Go, you’ll need to use a Mystery Box to get this special Mythical. Fortunately, we’ve got everything you need to know about Mystery Boxes and how to get Shiny Meltan encounters right here.

What is the Mystery Box?
How to unlock the Mystery Box
How to farm Mystery Boxes
How to evolve Meltan into Melmetal
Can Meltan be shiny?

Trainers need Mystery Boxes to get Meltan in Go.

What is the Mystery Box in Pokemon Go?

The Mystery Box is a special Incense-like item that is required to get Meltan to spawn in Pokemon Go.

It was introduced to Pokemon Go in 2018 to celebrate the release of Let’s Go! Pikachu and Let’s Go! Eevee on Nintendo Switch. It made waves at the time, as Meltan was the first brand-new Pokemon to debut in the mobile app.

Mystery Boxes are essentially a special type of Incense, meaning they’ll attract Meltan to your location for a total of 60 minutes – so you’ll have plenty of chances to catch them.

How to unlock the Mystery Box in Pokemon Go

The easiest way to unlock the Mystery Box is to transfer a single Pokemon from Pokemon Go to your Pokemon Home account.

Thus, one will need a Nintendo account to proceed.

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

Tap the Poke Ball at the bottom of the screen.
Choose Settings from the top right corner of the screen.
Scroll down and tap ‘Connected Devices and Services’.
Tap ‘Pokemon Home’.
Sign in using the same Nintendo Account you used to set up Pokemon Home.

You’ll now be able to access the Go Transporter in the Home menu of Pokemon Go. Select the Pokemon you want to send across, then open the Pokemon Home app to accept the transfer.

Be aware that you can’t send Pokemon from Home back to Go.

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

Pokemon Home can be used to get Meltan.

How to get Meltan in Pokemon Go

The only way to catch Meltan in Pokemon Go is to open a Mystery Box. Once you do this, Meltan will spawn in your nearby area for the next 60 minutes, so catch as many as you can before they disappear.

When your Mystery Box runs out, a three-day cooldown period will begin. Once this ends, you’ll be able to send another creature to Pokemon Home and the Mystery Box will be ready to use all over again.

During special celebrations like the Let’s Go event, this cooldown period will be reduced.

How to evolve Meltan into Melmetal in Pokemon Go

Once you’ve got your hands on Meltan in Pokemon Go, your next goal will likely be getting Melmetal. You’ll need a grand total of 400 Meltan Candy to evolve a Meltan, which is no easy task.

This is why farming Mystery Boxes is so important. The best way to stock up on Meltan Candy is to use Mystery Boxes and catch as many Meltan as you can while using Pinap Berries to get extra Candy.

Setting a Meltan as your Buddy and raising its Hearts is another good method, as it will pick up Candy while you go out exploring. You can also transfer any Meltan you don’t need for a Candy reward.