Towards the end of September, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company revealed a collaborative event with the gaming retailer. Until October 15, Shiny versions of the legendary mascots from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet were distributed at physical GameStop stores in the United States and at EB Games outlets in Australia and New Zealand. Participating stores in other countries such as Japan and France have also been added in the campaign.
Initial Problems and Code Shortages
Nonetheless, the promotion got off to a rocky start—enthusiasts reported that their nearby shops had run out of codes in the days leading up to the giveaway. Currently, about halfway through the promotional period, the company has restocked codes, but it's likely your local store has depleted its stock again.
Due to overwhelming demand, the first wave of complimentary Shiny Koraidon and Miraidon codes went very quickly.
On Saturday, October 4, the retailer announced a replenishment of codes via social media. Their announcement noted that they had worked with Pokémon's creators to make more codes available, but there is a limitation. "We have received from Pokémon a limited number of receipt codes, approximately 50 per store."
Scalping and Resale Problems
Stores initially received 50 codes, though they quickly ran through them. Despite the event restricting codes to one per person, some online auction posts appeared with several codes available. This has continued for the second batch of codes. A prominent response on social media commented, "Are these the codes?" alongside screenshots of eBay listings for the codes, with one listing having multiple available.
Varied Outcomes for Fans
Certain fans managed to obtain codes during the weekend from their nearby shops, while some had no such luck. "Hoping for a third opportunity. Just called my GameStop. They’re out of codes (again)," one individual remarked, before other players came forward and gave them extra codes for the shiny legendary Pokémon.
Mystery Surrounding Distribution
The reason these shiny legendary Pokémon were not obtainable via a Tera Raid battle or distributed digitally via the Mystery Gift feature remains unknown. For now, you'll have to head to your local store and hope they still have codes left if you want a Shiny Koraidon or Shiny Miraidon.
