The shiny Koraidon and Miraidon distribution event for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet has not been a smooth one, as fans reported issues with GameStop running out of Mystery Gift code cards within a few hours. To make matters worse, some Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Mystery Gift cards from GameStop were being resold on eBay by scalpers.
On September 12, The Pokemon Company announced that shiny Koraidon and Miraidon would be available in a limited-time distribution event. This event is also the first time that the shiny variants of each Legendary Pokemon can legally be obtained. Shiny Koraidon is available for Pokemon Violet players, as is shiny Miraidon for Pokemon Scarlet trainers. The event is currently being conducted at various retailers in certain countries, including GameStop in the US, EB Games in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, as well as approved retailers in Japan. In GameStop's case, printed cards containing Mystery Gift codes for use in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet will be distributed while supplies last.
Pokemon Fans Criticize How the Shiny Koraidon and Miraidon Event Has Been Handled
Although the shiny Koraidon and Miraidon Mystery Gift code event runs until October 15, a vast number of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet players have been unsuccessful in claiming a card code from GameStop. On the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet subreddit, fans claimed that various GameStop locations across the US had run out of Mystery Gift code cards within each store opening for the day. To make matters worse, some serial code cards for shiny Koraidon and Miraidon were being resold on eBay for various amounts, including a listing that started at $40. In response to the event, Pokemon fans stated that the event was not consumer-friendly for players who do not live near a GameStop. Others suggested that another method, such as a limited-time Tera Raid, would have been a preferable alternative that could prevent scalping.
The start of the shiny Koraidon and Miraidion event lined up with the release of the Pokemon TCG Mega Evolution expansion. This timing added to fans' concerns that scalpers would take advantage of the situation and line up at GameStop in advance. Some fans additionally suggested submitting a request to The Pokemon Company via its support website, with the intent of providing feedback on how the shiny Koraidon and Miraidon event has been handled so far.
As a silver lining, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are currently hosting the Shiny Treasures of Ruin Mystery Gift event until September 30, which does not require a trip to GameStop to claim. Only time will tell if The Pokemon Company will address players' concerns about the shiny Koraidon and Miraidon event.
