Towards the end of September, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company announced a partnered giveaway with GameStop. Until October 15, Shiny editions of the iconic legendary Pokémon from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet were distributed at brick-and-mortar GameStop locations in the United States and at EB Games in New Zealand and Australia. Involved local stores in additional nations such as Japan and France have also been added in the promotion.
Initial Problems and Supply Issues
Nonetheless, the giveaway faced difficulties from the beginning—Pokémon fans stated that their local stores had exhausted their code supplies in the period before the giveaway. Currently, midway into the promotional period, GameStop has restocked codes, but it's likely your local store has depleted its stock again.
Due to overwhelming demand, the first wave of free Shiny Koraidon and Shiny Miraidon code cards went very quickly.
Saturday, October 4th, GameStop announced a replenishment of codes on X. Their announcement explained that they had collaborated with The Pokémon Company to make more codes available, but there is a limitation. "We have received from Pokémon a limited number of codes, around 50 per location."
Scalping and Resale Issues
Initially, stores were given fifty codes, but they quickly ran through them. Even with the promotion limiting codes to one per person, some online auction posts appeared with multiple codes for sale. This has continued for the new round of codes. A prominent response on social media stated, "Are these the codes?" alongside screenshots of eBay listings for the codes, with one listing having several codes on offer.
Mixed Experiences for Players
Certain fans managed to obtain codes during the weekend from their nearby shops, while others weren't so lucky. "Hoping for a third opportunity. I contacted my local GameStop. They’re out of codes (again)," a fan commented, before fellow enthusiasts stepped up and gave them extra codes for Shiny Koraidon and Shiny Miraidon.
Mystery Surrounding Distribution
The reason these shiny legendary Pokémon weren't earned through a Tera Raid battle or given away online via the Mystery Gift feature remains unknown. For now, you'll have to head to your nearest retailer and hope they still have codes left if you desire a Shiny Koraidon or Shiny Miraidon.
