How to Get Shiny Meltan in Pokémon GO — Mystery Box Guide 2026

Great news, trainers Shiny Meltan is back! 🎉 The golden Hex Nut Pokémon is available via the Mystery Box during the Steeled Resolve event (April 28 – May 4, 2026), and the cooldown is reduced so you can open it more often than usual. Here's your complete guide to getting it.

⏰ When Is Shiny Meltan Available?

Shiny Meltan is only available during limited-time events you cannot encounter it from the Mystery Box year-Round. The current window is:

Steeled Resolve: April 28, 10:00 AM – May 4, 8:00 PM local time

During this event, the Mystery Box cooldown is reduced (normally 3 days), giving you more chances to open it and hunt for shiny spawns. Don't let this window pass the next one could be months away!

Step 1: Get the Mystery Box

The Mystery Box is a special item like an Incense that only attracts Meltan. To get one, you need to connect Pokémon GO to Pokémon HOME (free app).

Here's exactly how:

1. Download Pokémon HOME from the App Store or Google Play it's free, no paid plan needed
2. Open HOME and sign in with your Nintendo Account
3. Open Pokémon GO and go to: Main Menu → Pokémon → Transfer (the Pokémon HOME icon at the top right)
4. Select any Pokémon you don't need (even a common duplicate works fine) and transfer it
5. The Mystery Box will appear in your Item Bag automatically if it doesn't show up immediately, close and reopen the app

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⚠️ Important: Pokémon sent to HOME cannot be transferred back to GO. Only send Pokémon you're happy to let go!

🔓 Step 2: Open the Mystery Box

Once you have the box in your inventory:

1. Open your Item Bag and tap the Mystery Box
2. Confirm you want to open it Meltan will start spawning around you for 60 minutes ⏱️
3. Catch every single one each has a chance to be Shiny during this event!

The shiny rate for Meltan during events is approximately 1 in 125 much better than the standard shiny odds. You're looking for sparkles in the encounter screen and a golden, yellow-tinted body instead of the usual grey.

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💡 Pro tip: Use Pinap Berries on every Meltan you catch. You need 400 Candy to evolve into Melmetal, and Pinap doubles your candy per catch. This is the fastest way to get there!

🔄 Step 3: Recharge the Box

After your 60-minute Meltan session, the Mystery Box goes on cooldown.

• Normal cooldown: 3 days
• During Steeled Resolve: Reduced cooldown check your box and recharge it sooner!

To recharge, just transfer another Pokémon to HOME again. The box doesn't reset automatically you must do a new transfer each time. Check your inventory to see if it's ready.

✨ What Does Shiny Meltan Look Like?

Shiny Meltan has a golden/yellow body with a blue tail instead of the usual red two differences from the standard version. During the encounter, watch for the shiny sparkle animation and check the tail color in the catch screen.

Shiny Meltan also evolves into Shiny Melmetal which has a radiant silver/gold appearance. Absolutely worth the 400 Candy grind!

Fastest Way to Farm Meltan Candy

Getting to 400 Candy is the main grind here's how to speed it up:

• Pinap Berry every catch doubles candy per Meltan caught (6 instead of 3)
• Mega Evolve a Steel-type before opening the box extra candy per catch
• Set Meltan as your Buddy earns Candy while you walk
• Recharge the box every cooldown consistency beats luck
• Silver Pinap Berries if you have them best of both worlds (bonus candy + better catch rate)

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💡 With Pinap Berries and a Mega Steel-type active, you can earn 8–10 candy per Meltan. At 20–25 spawns per 60-minute session, that's 160–250 candy per box opening roughly 2 sessions to Melmetal!

✅ Quick Checklist

• Download Pokémon HOME (free)
• Transfer a Pokémon to HOME to get your Mystery Box
• Open the box during Steeled Resolve (Apr 28 – May 4) for shiny eligibility
• Use Pinap Berries on every Meltan
• Mega evolve a Steel-type for bonus candy
• Recharge the box every cooldown during the event window
• Set Meltan as your buddy between sessions

Good luck hunting that golden Hex Nut you've got this trainer ✨