On Sept. 12, not only did Nintendo and The Pokémon Company reveal the oddest-looking Pokémon game yet, they also announced a Shiny Koraidon and Shiny Miraidon giveaway for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. However, unlike the recent Shiny Treasures of Ruin, which players earned via victorious Tera raids and received via Mystery Gifts, trainers are going to have to venture to the Outside Region to claim the Shiny box legendaries. Specifically: Gamestop and EB Games.
From Sept. 26 to Oct. 15, GameStop in the United States and EB Games in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand will be giving away codes redeemable for one Shiny Koraidon or Shiny Miraidon, the respective box legendaries for Scarlet and Violet. They’ll also be given away at various game stores in Japan. The initial giveaway announcement notes the codes are available only “while supplies last” and urges players to not delay snagging a code, yet it seems as if some GameStop locations have already jumped the gun in handing out the codes to players.
Several players have shared on social media that they were able to get codes earlier this week, with at least one player getting two cards, seemingly by just asking nicely for a pair. Another player reportedly went to their GameStop, only to be told the location had given away the 50 codes it had been sent. Fans were already irked by the giveaway being available only in certain countries, and stores potentially being out of codes before the promotion technically begins is only going to add fuel to the fire.
As with so many things Pokémon, scalpers are trying to make a quick buck off players. Several listings have shown up on eBay, with sellers asking for anywhere from $30 to $40 for a Shiny ‘mon.
Giving away Pokémon and other in-game goodies by having players go to their local stores is nothing new for Nintendo and The Pokémon Company. Next month, there will even be a “Pokéween” event at participating stores. But this in-store, region-specific giveaway feels frustrating hot off the heels of the Shiny Treasures of Ruin events. Not distributing the Shiny Koraidons and Shiny Miraidons via Mystery Gift, like the other legendaries, is certainly an odd choice.
Players looking to get a new Shiny legendary will have to hope their local GameStop or EB Games isn’t yet out of them. The promotion formally starts tomorrow, Sept. 26.
