In late September, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company unveiled a joint giveaway with GameStop. Until October 15, Glittering versions of the iconic legendary Pokémon from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are being offered at brick-and-mortar GameStop locations in the United States and at EB Games outlets in Australia and New Zealand. Participating local stores in other countries such as Japan and France have also been included in the campaign.
Early Troubles and Code Shortages
However, the promotion faced difficulties from the beginning—enthusiasts stated that their nearby shops had exhausted their code supplies in the days leading up to the giveaway. Currently, about halfway through the promotional period, the company has replenished codes, but chances are your local store has depleted its stock again.
Because of high demand, the initial batch of free Shiny Koraidon and Shiny Miraidon code cards went very quickly.
On Saturday, October 4, GameStop announced a code restock via social media. The company's statement explained that they had collaborated with The Pokémon Company to provide additional codes, but there is a limitation. "We have received from Pokémon a restricted quantity of receipt codes, around 50 per location."
Scalping and Resale Issues
Stores initially received 50 codes, but they quickly ran through them. Even with the promotion limiting codes to a single code per individual, some online auction posts appeared with multiple codes for sale. This has continued for the second batch of codes. One of the top replies on X stated, "Are these the codes?" alongside images of online sales for the codes, with at least one having several codes on offer.
Mixed Experiences for Players
Certain fans were able to snag codes during the weekend from their local stores, while some had no such luck. "Hoping for a third opportunity. Just called my GameStop. They’re out of codes (again)," a fan commented, before other players came forward and gave them extra codes for the shiny legendary Pokémon.
Mystery Surrounding Distribution
Why the Shiny box legendaries weren't earned through a Tera Raid battle or given away online via Mystery Gift remains unknown. For now, you must visit your local store and pray they have codes remaining if you desire a Shiny Koraidon or Shiny Miraidon.
