How To Get Metal Coats in Pokémon Platinum

All Metal Coat Locations
#	Location	Repeatable?
1	The Iron Ruins — Inside a Poké Ball item in the middle of the chamber.	No
2	Iron Island — Received from Leader Byron inside the house near the docks. Only available after receiving the National Pokédex.	No
3	Held item (5% chance) found on the following Pokémon: Magnemite (Route 222, Fuego Ironworks) Magneton (Route 222, Victory Road) Steelix (Victory Road, Iron Island) Beldum (Route 228 (during a Swarm only)) Bronzor (Route 211, Wayward Cave, Turnback Cave, Mt. Coronet) Bronzong (Turnback Cave, Mt. Coronet)	Yes

The easiest way to get a Metal Coat is to find the one located in the Iron Ruins. This is a small chamber near the exit of the cave on Iron Island. You will need to take a ship from Canalave City in order to reach the island.

But if you need multiple Metal Coats in the future then you can farm them from many different wild Pokémon as held items, with Magnemite being the easiest wild Pokémon to steal this item from.

Getting Metal Coats

Method #1: The Iron Ruins (Step-by-Step)

The first Metal Coat you can get is found in the Iron Ruins, which is located near the back exit of the cave on Iron Island.

You won’t need to use any HMs to reach the item’s exact location. It will be a long journey though, so it’s recommended that you stock up on healing items and Repels before you set out.

When you’re ready, fly to Canalave City and head west from the Pokémon Center.

Heading west over Canalave City’s drawbridge.

Once you pass Canalave Gym, turn south.

Turning south at the Canalave’s Gym.

Pass the houses, and turn right after you pass Sailor Eldritch’s house. Speak with Sailor Eldritch at the dock and he will offer to take you to Iron Island.

Sailor Eldritch offering to take you to Iron Island.

At Iron Island, head up the staircase to the east.

Climbing the steps of Iron Island.

Turn northward and go past the blue-roofed house, then climb the next staircase going up.

Passing the house and heading for the staircase.

Head through the entrance to Iron Island’s cave at the top of the stairs.

Entering Iron Island’s cave.

Once you’re inside, go down the stairs to the right.

Taking the right-hand staircase.

On this next floor, climb the first set of stairs and then head eastward.

Heading up the stairs and to the east.

Head east until you reach a lone red oil drum in the corner. Then climb down the nearby staircase and head southward.

Taking the staircase and moving south.

Make your way around the Picnicker trainer, then climb the stairs closest to the cavern’s southeastern corner.

After that you should be able to step onto the nearby lift to be lowered down to the next floor.

Stepping onto the lift at the southern edge of the cavern.

After taking the lift down, descend the stairs to the west.

Stepping off the lift and heading down the western staircase.

Note: If you haven’t been through this cave with Riley before, he will join you now, helping you in battles and healing your Pokémon after every skirmish. This is an excellent opportunity not only to grind levels, but also to find all the other items of the cave.

In the next cave chamber, head south at the first turn.

Traveling south through B2F.

Continue heading southward past the Black Belt and Battle Girl trainers.

Passing two trainers while moving south.

Wind around the trail until you reach two Ace Trainers on a raised section of the cave floor.

Then head a bit more south on this raised section & it should take you to a staircase going down.

Winding around the trail, heading south.

Just keep going south and then at the southern edge of this floor, step onto the lift platform to be lowered down.

Stepping onto the lift to descend.

Once you’re down, head through the western entryway.

Moving west through the cave door.

Step onto the lift in the next chamber to be raised up to the ledge above.

Stepping onto the lift in the next room.

Then step down the stairs when you’re at the top, and head for the entrance in the northeastern corner of the room.

Moving towards the cave chamber to the northeast.

Unless you’ve met the conditions to make Registeel appear in this room, it should be desolate except for a single Poké Ball in the middle of the floor.

The Metal Coat Poké Ball in the barren Iron Ruins.

Pick this Poké Ball up to acquire the Metal Coat and add it to your Bag.

Obtaining a Metal Coat in the Iron Ruins chamber.

Method #2: Iron Island

The next Metal Coat is also found on Iron Island.

This one is much simpler to find, but it won’t be available until after you’ve entered the Hall of Fame and received the National Pokédex. So this is only available in the post-game of Platinum.

With these prerequisites covered, take the ship from Canalave City’s harbor to Iron Island as usual. Once you arrive on Iron Island, head up the staircase to the east and enter the blue-roofed house.

Entering the house on Iron Island.

Leader Byron will be standing inside the usually-empty domicile.

Finding Leader Byron in the house on Iron Island.

Speaking to Byron will cause him to go on a long tirade.

Once he realizes that he’s taking up a lot of your time, he will give you a Metal Coat to make up for it.

Speaking with Leader Byron.

Receiving the Metal Coat after Byron’s speech.

Method #3: Held Item on Wild Pokémon (Repeatable)

Several Pokémon have a 5% chance of carrying a Metal Coat when you encounter them. Of all these options, the easiest to find and steam from are wild Magnemite.

You can also streamline the process of stealing Metal Coats by putting together a dedicated item-farming team.

Using the Abilities Compoundeyes and Frisk will boost the odds of finding held items, and will help you take them more efficiently.

Wild Magnemite can be found in two locations:

Route 222
And outside of the Fuego Ironworks

Magnemite’s habitat areas according to the Pokédex.

The Fuego Ironworks building is the first of these areas that you can access.

So if you want to farm for Metal Coats here, just prowl around in the tall grass out front and you’ll find a Magnemite before long.

Searching for wild Magnemite in front of Fuego Ironworks.

Encountering a wild Magnemite.

If you’re using an item-farming team, your Pokémon with Frisk will alert you when it finds a held item on a wild Pokémon.

Your odds of finding a Metal Coat will also be boosted from 5% to 20% thanks to Compoundeyes.

Identifying the Magnemite’s held item using the Frisk Ability.

Then you can catch the Pokémon or take its item by using a stealing move like Thief or Trick.

Stealing a Metal Coat using Trick.

Once you’ve got the Metal Coat, you can end the battle however you wish. You’ll keep the stolen item even if you flee.

This method can be repeated as many times as you’d like, and it’s one possible option to consider if you want more Metal Coats before reaching the Elite Four.

Metal Coat Details and Uses

The in-game description of the Metal Coat.

Uses In Battle

The Metal Coat boosts the power of Steel moves by 20%.

Steel types tend to have high Attack stats, so having one hold a Metal Coat can stretch its STAB-boosted moves to very impressive levels.

However, Steel Pokémon are notoriously sturdy.

They enjoy the most defensive advantages of any Pokémon type — with 10 types being ineffectual against them. This is compounded with extremely high Defense stats for most Steel-types.

This kind of combination makes Steel Pokémon able to handle the drawbacks of stronger items — like the Life Orb and the Choice Band.

So Metal Coats offer a good free attack boost, but it’s worth considering these other items for the sheer power they offer.

Uses Outside of Battle

Metal Coats are also used to evolve two Pokémon via trade:

Scyther into Scizor
Onix into Steelix

This evolution happens when you give the item to one of these Pokémon to hold, and then trade it to another player.

A Scyther holding a Metal Coat.

The newly-evolved Scizor.

Steelix vs. Scizor

With its evolution, Steelix’s base Defense stat is boosted to an astonishing 200.

It also has many more defensive type advantages than Onix did.

Most of Steelix’s other stats are lackluster (its 30 base Speed, for instance). But in many battles Steelix’s fortress-like build will more than compensate for it.

The newly-evolved Steelix.

Scizor is also impressive; in fact, it’s often considered to be one of the best non-legendary Pokémon to use in battle.

Its Bug/Steel typing leaves it only with one weakness to Fire-type moves (albeit a 4X one). And it has a staggering base Attack stat of 130.

Scizor can also have the fantastic ability Technician, which boosts weaker moves (base power 60 or lower) by 50%.

These moves tend to do less damage because they have some other benefit — like Bullet Seed’s multiple hits or Swift’s perfect accuracy. So raising their power can make them so effective that some moves arguably border on cheap.

Between these options, Scizor may be more worthwhile, but either one is worth using if you have a preference.

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Chris Haygood

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Chris is an American freelance writer and lifelong gamer. RPGs have been his genre of choice ever since he got Pokémon Blue in 1867, but if he finds a good rhythm game, he will prioritize playing it over both eating and breathing.

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