Pokémon finally frees these legendary dragons from shiny lock, but with a catch
To celebrate Pokémon Legends: Z-A‘s imminent release, and mark the end of the Scarlet and Violet era, Pokémon has finally made the shiny Koraidon and shiny Miraidon available in-game. However, if you want to nab the legendary dragons’ alternate forms, you’ll have to act fast.
It’s no secret that Pokémon likes to shiny lock legendaries, trapping the special color palettes behind special events, DLC, or Pokémon Home achievements. For the game’s lifespan, the Pokémon Scarlet and Violet legendaries’ shinies have been unobtainable, but now you can claim the dragon Pokémon from your local game store. This is wonderful news for people looking to complete their Pokédex, or assemble a competitively viable team for VGC.
There are a couple of caveats, though. If you want shiny versions of both Koraidon and Miraidon, you have to own copies of both Scarlet and Violet. The fighting Pokémon is exclusive to Violet, and the electric Pokémon’s code only works in Scarlet. As a Violet owner who thinks Koraidon’s edgy shiny design is much cooler than Miraidon’s, this doesn’t bother me, but I know plenty of shiny collectors who won’t be happy.
What’s more is that, while Japan’s code distribution requires customers to show their console’s home screen in order to receive a code, the US website doesn’t say anything about proving that you have the game. It even states that there’s “no purchase required” to claim the code, which makes me worried that scalpers will snatch up all of the codes and try to sell them online before any actual trainers can get their hands on them. Hopefully, GameStop and EB Games will put something in place to prevent more scalping in the Pokémon community.
How do I get shiny Koraidon and shiny Miraidon in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet?
The two shiny legendaries are available to claim from September 26, 2025, to October 15, 2025. You can claim the Pokémon Scarlet and Violet mystery gift codes from GameStop in the US and EB Games in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
There’s no news on when us Europeans can claim these stylish dragons just yet, but I hope a UK distribution appears soon. If you’re looking for people to trade with, make sure to visit the Pocket Tactics Discord server and check out our Pokémon Go codes page for more freebies.
