Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s shiny Koraidon/Miraidon GameStop event creates chaos with sold-out stores and eBay scalpers charging $40+ for codes.
When Pokemon Events Go Horribly Wrong
The Pokemon Company just reminded everyone why physical distribution events are a terrible idea in 2025. What should have been an exciting opportunity for trainers to snag shiny versions of Scarlet and Violet‘s legendary mascots has instead become a perfect storm of artificial scarcity, scalper exploitation, and fan frustration.
The situation is genuinely awful: GameStop stores running out of codes within hours, $40+ eBay listings from scalpers, and thousands of fans left empty-handed despite the event supposedly running until October 15. This isn’t just poor planning – it’s a masterclass in how not to handle modern Pokemon distribution.
What Actually Happened: A Timeline of Disaster
September 12: The Pokemon Company announces shiny Koraidon and Miraidon distribution event September 13: GameStop stores open with limited physical code cards September 13 (Hours Later): Most stores completely sold out
September 13 (Evening): eBay flooded with scalped codes at premium prices September 14-Present: Angry fans flooding Reddit and social media with complaints
The core problem: Treating digital codes like physical collectibles in an era where online distribution exists and works perfectly.
Please do not buy these
byu/dansam003 inPokemonScarletViolet
Why This Distribution Method Makes No Sense in 2025
Let’s be clear about something: there is zero technical reason these codes need to be physical cards distributed through retail stores. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet already support online Mystery Gift distribution, as evidenced by the concurrent Shiny Treasures of Ruin event that works flawlessly through internet download.
What they could have done instead:
- Limited-time Tera Raids featuring shiny legendaries
- Online Mystery Gift codes distributed through official channels
- Pokemon Home integration with time-limited claiming
- Special Research tasks similar to Pokemon GO events
- Digital lottery system to maintain exclusivity without enabling scalping
Any of these alternatives would have been more consumer-friendly, scalper-resistant, and logistically sensible.
The Scalping Problem That Was Entirely Predictable
The moment The Pokemon Company announced physical code cards for highly desirable shiny legendaries, scalping became inevitable. This isn’t hindsight – it’s basic understanding of how rare Pokemon distribution works in 2025.
Current eBay reality check:
- Shiny Koraidon codes: $25-$50
- Shiny Miraidon codes: $30-$60
- “Guaranteed authentic” listings: $40-$80
- International shipping premiums: Additional $10-$20
The math that makes scalping profitable:
- GameStop codes: Free with store visit
- Time investment: 30 minutes in line
- Potential profit per code: $25-$50
- Risk: Virtually zero
This economic incentive structure guaranteed that dedicated scalpers would clean out stores while legitimate fans went home disappointed.
Regional Inequality That Makes Things Worse
Here’s an aspect that makes this distribution even more problematic: massive geographic inequality in access.
Urban vs. Rural Reality:
- Major cities: Multiple GameStop locations, but still sold out quickly
- Suburban areas: One nearby GameStop, probably cleaned out by scalpers
- Rural regions: Nearest GameStop potentially hours away
- International fans: Completely excluded despite Pokemon being a global franchise
The demographic most hurt by this system: Working adults who can’t line up at GameStop during weekday store openings, parents with limited transportation flexibility, and anyone living in areas with poor retail coverage.
What the Community Response Reveals
The Pokemon Scarlet and Violet subreddit and broader community reaction shows genuine anger, not just disappointment. This isn’t typical “Pokemon fans complain about everything” – this is frustration with a distribution system that feels deliberately exclusionary.
Common community sentiments:
- “Why not just make it a Tera Raid like every other event?”
- “Scalpers cleaned out my store before I even got off work”
- “This punishes rural players and rewards people who can skip work/school”
- “The Pokemon Company is enabling scalpers with these physical distributions”
The most telling response: Fans are actively encouraging each other to contact The Pokemon Company’s support website with complaints. When a community organizes feedback campaigns, that’s a sign of systemic problems, not minor inconvenience.
Technical Alternatives That Actually Work
The irony here is that Pokemon already has multiple distribution methods that work better:
Tera Raids (Best Option):
- Available to all players simultaneously
- Requires actual gameplay engagement
- Impossible to scalp or resell
- Creates community participation through online coordination
- Already proven successful for other legendary distributions
Online Mystery Gift:
- Simple code entry through internet connection
- Can be time-limited for exclusivity
- Reaches global audience instantly
- Eliminates geographic inequality
- Zero scalping potential
Pokemon Home Integration:
- Cross-game compatibility
- Account-based claiming prevents abuse
- Mobile accessibility
- Built-in trading systems for legitimate exchange
The Broader Pattern of Distribution Problems
This isn’t an isolated incident – The Pokemon Company has a history of creating artificial scarcity that primarily benefits scalpers:
- Physical TCG events with limited attendance
- Region-locked distribution events
- Store-exclusive merchandise with insufficient stock
- Convention-only distributions that exclude most fans
The pattern reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of how their modern fanbase actually accesses and plays Pokemon games.
What Should Happen Next (But Probably Won’t)
Immediate fixes:
- Emergency online distribution for remaining event duration
- Official statement acknowledging the distribution problems
- Clear anti-scalping policies for future physical events
- Additional code allocation to stores that sold out quickly
Long-term changes:
- Transition to digital-first distribution for all future events
- Regional parity ensuring global fans get equal access
- Community feedback integration in event planning
- Scalper-resistant distribution methods as default choice
The Real Cost of These Distribution Failures
Beyond immediate fan frustration, these events damage The Pokemon Company’s relationship with its community:
Trust erosion: Fans stop believing that events will be accessible or fair Engagement reduction: Players skip events expecting distribution problems
Community fragmentation: Creates haves vs. have-nots based on geography/availability Brand perception: Pokemon appears out of touch with modern gaming distribution
International Perspective: A Global Franchise Acting Local
Pokemon is a $100+ billion global franchise that continues operating like a regional Japanese company when it comes to distribution logistics. While the games themselves launch worldwide simultaneously, special events often feel like afterthoughts for non-Japanese markets.
The disconnect is jarring:
- Simultaneous global game launches with sophisticated digital infrastructure
- Distribution events that require physical store visits in specific regions
- Online competitive systems that work flawlessly worldwide
- Mystery Gift systems that could handle this distribution easily
Bottom Line: A Solvable Problem That Remains Unsolved
The shiny Koraidon and Miraidon distribution disaster represents everything wrong with how The Pokemon Company handles special events in 2025. This was entirely preventable with existing technology and distribution methods that they already use successfully for other content.
For fans affected by this event:
- Don’t pay scalpers – it only encourages future exploitation
- Contact The Pokemon Company through official feedback channels
- Support community calls for better distribution methods
- Consider this a lesson about The Pokemon Company’s priorities
For The Pokemon Company: Your technical infrastructure can handle global digital distribution. Your competitive systems work worldwide. Your regular Mystery Gift events function perfectly through internet download. The only reason this event failed was a deliberate choice to use an outdated, scalper-friendly distribution method.
The solution is simple: Treat digital Pokemon like digital content, not physical collectibles. Your fans deserve better than driving to GameStop to compete with scalpers for codes that could have been distributed fairly through systems you already have working.
Until The Pokemon Company modernizes their approach to special events, fans should expect more of these preventable disasters. The technology exists to do better – what’s missing is the willingness to prioritize fan accessibility over artificial scarcity.
Other News Articles:
