In Pokémon GO, it evolves into Melmetal by using 400 Meltan Candy. It cannot evolve in the core series games.
Its appearance was first teased during the September Pokémon GO Community Day on September 22, 2018, and it was officially revealed on September 25, 2018.
Meltan is a small Pokémon with a silvery body of liquid metal. Its head is hard and resembles a golden hexagonal nut, with a small black sphere floating inside. This sphere serves as its eye. It has a red tail that resembles an electrical wire with two tiny protrusions at the end. According to official concept arts, Meltan's liquid body is made of gallium, and it can cry gallium tears. Its arms can stretch to be longer or shorter.[1] Meltan is one of the smallest Pokémon, tying with AlolanDiglett and Klefki as the shortestSteel-type Pokémon.
Meltan's body can corrode various metals, which it feeds on by absorbing them. The absorbed metals are circulated within Meltan's body to generate electricity, which it uses as an energy source. Meltan can also use this electricity to attack by firing it from its eye.[2] According to Professor Willow, Meltan has been described in ancient texts in the same place the Mystery Box was found. The Mystery Box was created by Melmetal's followers to store away the Meltan created after its death, until one day, they could create a new Melmetal. At the end of a Melmetal's life span, it'll rust and fall apart, however its shards will eventually be reborn as Meltan. It is known to live in groups, until the day comes where one strong Meltan absorbs the rest of the group to evolve.
As seen in the Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon episode Show Me the Metal!, the hexagonal nut on Meltan's body can be removed. It has also been seen working in packs. Meltan can spin its head, creating a sound that calls others of its kind. Its head-spinning can also be used as a sign of affection. In Got Meltan?, it's revealed that it can be tamed if fed metal-like treats. In Living on the Cutting Edge!, Meltan is shown multiplying in numbers overtime.
Meltan often uses its unique physiology to express itself in unexpected ways[1]
They are the only Pokémon in Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! whose Kanto Pokédex number (152) is not the same as its National Pokédex number (808). While KantoPokédex numbers are normally used throughout the game, the judge screen displays National Pokédex numbers, which is evident for Meltan and Melmetal.
They are the only Pokémon officially introduced in Generation VII that are not in the Alola Pokédex.
They are the only Pokémon in the National Pokédex of Pokémon GO and Pokémon HOME (Nintendo Switch only) to not be listed in a region section. Instead, they are put into "Unidentified" and "Unknown Origins", respectively.
They are the only Mythical Pokémon that can be traded or placed in a Gym as a defender in Pokémon GO.
In the animated series, Professor Oak is the person who gives Meltan its species name.
According to Junichi Masuda, Meltan and its evolution were created for Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! out of a "desire to build a bridge between players of the core Pokémon series and players of Pokémon GO", to make both groups happy.[1]
In a 2018 GameSpot interview, Junichi Masuda mentioned that Meltan was designed by someone "who was also a fan of the original games and played them as a kid".[3]
Two people were credited as "Pokémon Character Designers" in Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!: Misaki Hashimoto and Hironobu Yoshida. However, Yoshida has worked on the Pokémon games since Pokémon Yellow, implying that it was Hashimoto that designed Meltan.
Origin
Meltan is based on a hexagonal nut,[3] and its tail resembles an exposed wire. Its lower body is based on gallium,[1] a metallic element with a relatively low melting point of about 86 °F (30 °C). Gallium is used to make semiconductors, and can easily "attack" other metals, such as aluminium and tin, to form alloys that are either very brittle or liquid at room temperature. These may be referenced with Meltan's liquid body, electric affinity, and ability to absorb metals.
Meltan may also be inspired by mercury, a metallic element that is liquid at room temperature. Much like gallium, mercury can also conduct electricity, as well as react with many other metals to form alloys known as amalgams.
Meltan and Melmetal bear some resemblance to Wenlock, the official mascot of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, whose design also has a single large eye on a metal body. However this similarity may be a coincidence.
Name origin
Meltan may be a combination of melt, metal, and たん -tan (diminutive Japanese suffix). It may also be derived from molten.
This Pokémon article is part of Project Pokédex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon species, as well as Pokémon groups and forms.