Catching Meloetta in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s Indigo Disk DLC is less a straightforward quest and more a whimsical dance of bizarre steps that feels like a throwback to the wildest schoolyard rumors. From spinning in a cyclone of leaves to activating a sepia-filtered camera and listening for an ethereal song, this convoluted ritual turns the hunt for the mythical Pokémon into a hilariously intricate adventure that fans can’t help but love.
The first time I saw the process was on TikTok, and according to that video, you have to go a specific spot, twirl around for ten seconds, and then pull out your camera and use the sepia filter to find the Pokémon. It’s so specific that I thought a content creator was trying to take advantage of unsuspecting players; it reminded me of hearing old rumors about Mew hiding under a truck.
But then I saw another similar video. and another. It wasn’t some sort of collective joke. I checked it myself and the convoluted process is very much real.
I – and likely many other fans – delighted in the process. In a world where everything can be crowdsourced and datamined, it’s hard to find a genuine sense of surprise in a Pokémon game anymore. As a kid, I puzzled on how to catch the Regis for weeks. In this case, it took a few days for players to find and tell others about the process. And while this is arguably a short period of time, it feels like an eternity in the scheme of internet video game discoveries. So with that, we’ll explain how to catch Meloetta in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.
How to catch Meloetta in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet: The Indigo Disk
To catch Meloetta in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s Indigo Disk DLC, you must perform a quirky and specific sequence in the Coastal Biome of the Terrarium. First, locate a cyclone of leaves near the Coastal Outdoor Classroom, then stand in its center and spin your character clockwise for at least 10 seconds until dizzy. Immediately after, open the camera app and switch to the Sepia filter. Meloetta will appear singing nearby, and you can then exit the camera mode and approach it to start the battle. This unusual method, reminiscent of old Pokémon playground rumors, requires patience and precision but successfully reveals this Mythical Pokémon for capture at level 70.
You can catch Meloetta in The Indigo Disk DLC for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. To play The Indigo Disk, make sure you have previously purchased the DLC and completed the mainline story for The Teal Mask. If you’ve finished The Teal Mask, the nice part is you can go catch Meloetta early on in The Indigo Disk mainline story.
You can go catch Meloetta immediately after you unlock the Terrarium at the Blueberry Academy. Once you’re there, go to the Coastal Biome. You’re going to want to head in a region in the southwest part of the biome by a waterfall. You can see the exact location below:
You’ll need to locate the exact spot to find Meloetta in the general area. To find the right spot, walk around the area until the background music dies down and you see a breeze swirl around your character. The breeze appears in multiple locations here, so it’s especially important to listen carefully for when the music dies down. Luckily there is a plant in the right spot so you can walk from plant to plant until you find the one where the music dies down. You can see an image of the spot below.
Once you find the right spot, you need to spin for roughly ten seconds or more. You can make your Pokémon trainer spin by twirling the left control stick continuously. It’s not the same as just turning around regularly and will have a special animation shown below.
After you finish spinning, press down on the D-pad to pull out your Rotom Phone and camera. Use the left and/or right arrows on the D-pad to change the camera to the Sepia filter. The Sepia filter adds a brownish tint to the camera, and you can check which filter you’re using on the top right of the screen.
Use your camera, with the Sepia filter, to look around until you find Meloetta. You will know the steps worked once you start hearing a new song playing with a flute-like instrument.
Why is catching Meloetta in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet so hilariously convoluted
Catching Meloetta in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet is hilariously convoluted because it requires a bizarre and obscure sequence of actions that feel more like a cryptic puzzle than a typical in-game encounter. Players must first unlock the Terrarium at Blueberry Academy, then head to a very specific spot in the Coastal Biome, spin clockwise for about 10 seconds, and use a sepia-toned camera filter to spot Meloetta playing her flute. Additionally, players need to listen carefully for a change in background music to trigger the encounter, making the process feel like a nostalgic callback to the days when finding mythical Pokémon relied on cryptic rumors and trial-and-error rather than straightforward gameplay. This intricate ritual stands out in contrast to the simpler methods used for other legendaries and adds a layer of mystery and challenge that is both frustrating and endearing to fans.
What specific clues or hints do players need to find Meloetta easily
To find Meloetta easily in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s Indigo Disk DLC, players need to follow these specific clues and steps:
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Head to the Coastal Biome, specifically near the Coastal Outdoor Classroom in the Terrarium.
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Locate a very specific spot where a small cyclone of leaves is swirling continuously between a few bushes or trees.
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Stand in the center of this cyclone and spin your character clockwise for at least 10 seconds by rotating the control stick until your character starts spinning and keep it going.
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Immediately after spinning, open the in-game camera by pressing down on the D-Pad.
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Cycle through the camera filters by pressing left or right on the D-Pad until you reach the Sepia filter.
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While in Sepia mode, look around or listen carefully for Meloetta’s singing and the music changing to Meloetta’s Relic Song.
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Once Meloetta appears in the camera view, exit the camera and approach it to initiate the battle.
This sequence is very precise and must be executed exactly to trigger Meloetta’s appearance, making the hunt feel like a playful nod to old-school Pokémon rumors.
