Can Meltan Be Shiny In Pokémon GO?

Meltan is a highly unusual Pokémon, and I’m not even referring to the fact that it’s a sentient puddle of molten steel with a hex nut for a head. The existence of Meltan was leaked well before it was implemented in any Pokémon games, mainline or otherwise, leaving everyone to speculate on its existence for a pretty lengthy period. Even once it was finally implemented, its presence in the series has been somewhat… ephemeral, and that goes double for its shiny variant. So, can Meltan be Shiny in Pokémon GO?

In the first place, Meltan can’t even be found in the wild in Pokémon GO, nor can it be encountered in raids or hatched from eggs. There are precisely two ways to obtain a Meltan: complete a series of nine extremely specific Field Research Tasks, or connect your Pokémon GO account with a copy of either Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu or Let’s Go Eevee via the in-game Go Park. Those two methods are the only ways you can get a Meltan year-round, though there have been special events in the past where you could more easily obtain one. So, what about its shiny variant?

Can Meltan Be Shiny In Pokémon GO?

Here’s the thing: while Meltan’s shiny variant is in Pokémon GO’s PokéDex, you can’t get it right now. I don’t mean the odds are extremely low like with other shiny Pokémon, I mean you literally can’t get it right now. Shiny Meltan only appeared during those aforementioned special events that have been held during week-long periods in years past. We haven’t had one of those events in a while, and at least as of writing, there’s been no word from Niantic about when we could potentially expect another. 

So, in broad terms, yes, Meltan can be shiny. Are you getting one right now? Nope. But I’m sure Niantic will hold another Meltan-centric event at some point.