Over the weekend, this weird-looking Pokemon began popping up in Pokémon Go. Players wanted to know more about it, but they couldn’t even catch it; when they tried, the creature would often turn into a Ditto. No shortage of memes and conspiracy theories ensued, but this morning Nintendo introduced the creature in a new Pokemon: Let’s Go trailer as the mythical Pokemon Meltan.
We still don’t know much about the newest Hex Nut Pokemon. According to the game’s website, he’s a steel type, weighs just under 20 lbs, and is only eight inches tall. Here’s the rest of the official description:
“Most of Meltan’s body is made from liquid metal, and its shape is very fluid. It can use its liquid arms and legs to corrode metal and absorb it into its own body.
According to a press release, unlocking Meltan in Let’s Go will require players to do something in Pokemon Go as well, but what exactly that is hasn’t been shared yet.
Clearly a curious Pokémon, Meltan is very expressive and shows an interest in all kinds of things.”
Meltan generates electricity using the metal it absorbs from outside sources. It uses this electricity as an energy source and also as an attack that can be fired from its eye.
Meltan’s first sighting was as an icon in Pokemon Go discovered by a data miner last Friday. Then, on Saturday, Pokemon Go players at Chikorita Community Day events in Asia and Europe were able to spot it in the wild, though it remained uncatchable.
With no real information to go off of, the internet christened the mysterious new creature Nutto, after its hex nut head and its proclivity to turn into a Ditto, and produced many fanart renderings in its honor. Some suspected it might just be a Ditto in disguise, but while that possibility gets mentioned in Meltan’s reveal trailer, Professor Oak makes it clear Meltan is something altogether unique.
We’ll likely find out more about Meltan in the coming weeks through Pokemon Go and certainly once the Pokemon: Let’s Go releases on November 16.