In a series first, a Mythical Pokemon has an evolution. Not a Forme Change, Primal Reversion, or even a Mega Evolution; an honest-to-Arceus proper Pokemon evolution.
Late last month, Pokemon GO players were introduced to Meltan, the legendary Ditto-like Pokemon that wears a gold hex nut like a hat. Of course, all the Meltan players caught were just transformed Dittos (and a few Chikoritas), but that only whetted trainers’ appetites for more information on the little, metal-eating blob. Fast forward to October 10th when a video teased Meltan’s ability to evolve, and the Internet lost its mind. Today, at long last, we have a new trailer and a name for this evolution: Melmetal.
As you can tell, Melmetal looks like big, beefy Meltan with actual legs and arms, as well as black hex nuts for shoulders, wrists, hands, and feet. It’s like a Regirock and Registeel had a baby, and it still rocks that adorable gold hex nut head.
According to the trailer, Melmetal is the result of a metric ton (possibly figuratively and literally) of Meltan fusing together into one massive conglomeration. This is hardly a unique phenomenon, as Magneton is just three Magnemite linked together, and Metagross is four Beldums combined into one sentient supercomputer. Still, Melmetal marks the first time a Mythical Pokemon has ever evolved, which raises the question: is the creature a one-off anomaly or is it the standard for future Pokemon games?
But, we’re not done with the Melmetal info dump. The official Pokemon: Let’s Go Pikachu/Eevee! page has been updated with pertinent information for trainers who want to tame this titanium titan. For starters, Melmetal will come with the unique move Double Iron Bash, a devastating Steel-type attack where the creature spin its arms around like an over-sized top (those hex nuts in its body ain’t for show). Not only does Double Iron Bash hit twice, it can make opponents flinch.
Now, players probably wonder how to evolve Meltan into Melmetal. Well, prepare for a bit of a grind because Meltan will only evolve in Pokemon GO after being fed a whopping 400 Meltan Candies. While all the normal methods of obtaining candies still apply (i.e., capturing Meltan, transferring them, walking with them, and trading them), 400 is a hefty number. Collecting that many isn’t an impossible task, though, just an arduous one —ask anyone who’s evolved a Magikarp, Swablu, or Wailmer.
Trainers can start catching Meltan (and evolving them into Melmetal) on November 16th when Pokemon: Let’s Go Pikachu! and Let’s Go Eevee! release for the Nintendo Switch.
