Pokemon Scarlet and Violet: Shiny Koraidon and Miraidon Event Controversy Explained
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet players have the chance to obtain a free shiny Koraidon or shiny Miraidon by participating in a giveaway event from now until October 15, 2025. By visiting a GameStop or EB Games store, players can pick up a code card that can be redeemed from one of these shiny Legendaries in the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet games. However, while this event marks the first time Pokemon fans have been able to obtain shiny variants of Koraidon and Miraidon, many are finding the event largely inaccessible due to the method of its distribution.
Giveaways and Mystery Gift events are nothing new for the Pokemon series, which just recently allowed players to receive shiny versions of Chi-Yu, Wo-Chien, Chien-Pao, and Ting-Liu via an online download. Occasionally, these giveaways require players to visit a specific location and obtain a card with a download code for the featured mon, which is the case in this situation. Unfortunately, this distribution method seems to be causing more harm than good, with some disappointed fans walking away empty-handed.
Pokemon's Shiny Koraidon and Miraidon Giveaway Buries an Exciting Series First in Controversy
Fans Are Struggling to Get Event Codes from GameStop
The source of this shiny Koraidon and Miraidon controversy seems to be the limited supply of cards GameStop stores received for distribution. Many fans who visited their local GameStop in an attempt to obtain a code card were told they were only given 50, and that they had already run out. To make matters worse, some fans reported that GameStop was requiring a minimum purchase to obtain the code cards, with the cards being limited to one per customer.
Scalpers Are Re-Selling Codes Online
It seems like limiting the code cards to one per customer was an attempt to prevent scalpers from obtaining multiple cards and re-selling them online. Unfortunately, it appears some scalpers have gotten their hands on these giveaway cards regardless, with multiple eBay listings popping up to sell the Pokemon event cards for surprisingly high prices. With how few cards it sounds like GameStops were given in the first place, it’s clear that scalpers saw an opportunity to cash in on the FOMO of shiny Koraidon and Miraidon being made available for the first time, leaving stores unavailable to meet the demand from fans looking to pick up a shiny Legendary Pokemon for themselves.
The Shiny Koraidon and Miraidon Event Echoes the Broader Community Sentiment Toward Scalpers
Scalpers have long been a bane of the Pokemon community, particularly when it comes to the Pokemon TCG. The resurgence in popularity of Pokemon TCG collecting has created a grey market of resellers, resulting in many new Pokemon TCG releases like pre-orders for Phantasmal Flames being nearly impossible to get because of scalper bots. Now it seems the same sentiment is bleeding into other parts of the community as well, with scalpers now targeting giveaways for the Scarlet and Violet games.
Some Pokemon fans upset with how this event is being distributed are voicing their concerns by submitting support ticket requests on the official Pokemon Company website.
Pokemon Has an Easy Solution to Prevent Future Giveaway Controversies Hidden in a Forgotten App
Although things look dire for Pokemon fans trying to collect any form of limited physical product, the Pokemon Company had already created a solution to the shiny Koraidon and Miraidon giveaway problem 6 years ago. In 2019, the Pokemon Pass app was released, which allowed users to obtain codes for event giveaways in the app by simply going to the event’s location and sharing their GPS data or scanning a QR code. The app was used to distribute event mons like Mewtwo in Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee, shiny Solgaleo and Lunala in Pokemon Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon, and shiny Toxtricity in Pokemon Sword and Shield.
Unfortuantely, Pokemon Pass was delisted from mobile storefronts in 2023, and is no longer used for Pokemon giveaway events. However, it may be necessary for a new incarnation of this app to become standard in order to avoid physical code card giveaways and the potential for scalping that comes along with them. After the uproar caused by this latest event, it’s clear that Pokemon Pass was ahead of its time and deserves a second chance.
