Pokémon Event Distributions: Every Past Giveaway
Every special Pokémon distribution and obtain method, 1997 to today: bonus discs, e-Reader cards, Mystery Gift, serial codes and Pokémon HOME gifts.
Published
Some Pokémon were never in the grass. Mew, Celebi, Jirachi, Deoxys, Darkrai, Arceus, Zarude and dozens more were handed out at events — at a shop counter in 1997, on a GameCube disc in 2003, over Wi-Fi in 2009, as a serial code in 2020, as a Pokémon HOME gift today. This page lists every one of those windows we can source: what you got, when, where in the world, on which games, and what you actually had to do.
- Covers
- Special distributions and special obtain methods from Nintendo Space World 1997 to the Pokémon HOME gifts still running now.
- You need
- Nothing, for almost all of it — these windows are closed. The rows are the history, and they say which Pokémon are now trade-only.
- Still open
- The Pokémon HOME gifts and the in-game routes below — those have no deadline.
- Where next
- Moving an event Pokémon into a modern game is the transfer chart; the 3DS half of it closes on 25 February 2027.
Warning — Almost every window on this page has closed: Except the Pokémon HOME gifts and the in-game routes, none of these can be claimed again. A Pokémon from a closed event reaches a modern game only by trade, or by moving one you already own — which is what the transfer chart and the Bank shutdown checklist are for.
How to read this event list
The events are grouped by the mechanism — by what the player physically did, not by which Pokémon came out — because that is what tells you whether a window could ever reopen. A shop kiosk cannot come back; a serial code could. Every row has its own link: click a row heading in your browser’s address bar as #event-id and it will point at that one event. Dates are the first announced window; where an event ran again in another country, the row says so instead of pretending there was one date. Rows are authored from Bulbapedia’s distribution records, and any row whose facts we could not confirm says so in its own text.
Event kiosks and in-store downloads
The oldest mechanism and the one with no way back: you carried your cartridge to a counter, a convention hall or a touring roadshow, and a Nintendo machine wrote the Pokémon onto it. Every Mew and Celebi of the Game Boy era came out this way, and so did the tickets that opened Navel Rock and Faraway Island.
| Pokémon | When & where | Games | How you got it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mew | 22 Nov 1997 – 24 Nov 1997 · Japan | Red, Green (Japan) | Received directly onto a cartridge at the Nintendo Space World 1997 convention in Japan via a special distribution unit. One of the very first Mew distribution events, setting the pattern Nintendo used through Gen 3. |
| Mew | 8 Dec 1999 – 12 Dec 1999 · North America | Red, Blue, Yellow | Given away in person at United States Toys ’R’ Us stores via a Nintendo distribution kiosk. First official Mew distribution outside Japan. |
| Celebi | 25 Aug 2000 – 27 Aug 2000 · Japan | Gold, Silver, Crystal | Distributed directly onto cartridges at the Nintendo Space World 2000 event in Japan. First public Celebi distribution outside the in-game GS Ball route. |
| Celebi | 23 Aug 2001 – 4 Nov 2001 · Europe — Exact dates varied per country stop on the touring roadshow. | Gold, Silver, Crystal | Given out at the touring Celebi Tour roadshow event across multiple European countries. |
| Celebi | 4 Aug 2001 – 9 Sep 2001 · North America | Gold, Silver, Crystal | Distributed at the touring Pokémon Fun Fest event in North America. |
| Lugia, Ho-Oh | 17 Jul 2004 – 15 Aug 2004 · Japan — First (Japanese, Pokémon Festa 2004) window; redistributed repeatedly through Jan 2007 in Japan, plus a separate US wave starting May 2005. | FireRed, LeafGreen, Emerald | Redeemed the Mystic Ticket at a Pokémon Festa event to unlock the ferry to Navel Rock. Gives both Lugia and Ho-Oh at the same location, unlike the Eon Ticket’s version split. |
| Mew | 17 Jul 2005 – 21 Aug 2005 · Japan — First (Pokémon Festa 2005) window; a second Japanese wave ran Sep 1-25 2005, and a Taiwanese wave ran Jun-Sep 2006. | Emerald | Received the Old Sea Map at a Japanese Pokémon Festa event, then sailed with Mr. Briney from Lilycove City to Faraway Island. Emerald-only — unlike the other Gen 3 tickets the Old Sea Map was never made for Ruby, Sapphire, FireRed or LeafGreen, and never left Japan and Taiwan. Read the full guide → |
| Jirachi | 1 Jul 2003 – 30 Aug 2006 · Japan — Represents the recurring annual Tanabata Jirachi Daisuki Club lottery giveaways held each July from 2003-2006; collapsed into one record rather than one per year. | Ruby, Sapphire, FireRed, LeafGreen, Emerald | Selected by lottery among Pokémon Daisuki Club members and redeemed at Japanese Pokémon Centers each Tanabata season. Shows Japan’s recurring-annual-event pattern for Jirachi, long after the movie tie-ins ended. |
| Celebi | 25 Feb 2006 – 23 Jul 2006 · North America | Ruby, Sapphire, FireRed, LeafGreen, Emerald | Distributed at Pokémon Center kiosks during the touring Journey Across America event in the US. Distributed at Level 70 — unusually high for an event Pokémon of this era, most of which were Level 5 to 10. |
The Mobile Adapter GB and the GS Ball
Japan alone got a phone adapter for the Game Boy Color, and Crystal used it for a Pokémon News Machine that handed out the GS Ball. The ball is not the prize: carrying it to the Ilex Forest shrine is what summons a level 30 Celebi, and the ball is consumed doing it. The service closed in December 2002 and nothing replaced it.
| Pokémon | When & where | Games | How you got it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Celebi | 27 Jan 2001 – 14 Dec 2002 · Japan — Window covers the Mobile System GB’s whole service life; the GS Ball went out via monthly Pokémon News Machine updates, not on one fixed date. | Gold, Silver, Crystal | Collected the GS Ball from the Trade Corner attendant via the Mobile System GB phone adapter, then placed it in the Ilex Forest shrine. The GS Ball itself is not the reward; it summons a wild Level 30 Celebi at the shrine, consuming the ball. |
GameCube discs: the Celebi and Jirachi bonus discs
This is the one everybody gets wrong, so it is two rows and not one. The Japanese Pokémon Colosseum Bonus Disc gave Celebi and a special Pikachu. The North American disc gave Jirachi — a different Pokémon entirely. Europe and Australia got neither disc; their Jirachi came from Pokémon Channel, a full retail GameCube game that sends it over the same GC–GBA cable. A save could take Jirachi from the disc or from Channel, never both.
| Pokémon | When & where | Games | How you got it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Celebi, Pikachu | From 21 Nov 2003 · Japan — Available for as long as the Japanese Pokémon Colosseum Bonus Disc (bundled at launch) was used; no fixed end date recorded. | Ruby, Sapphire, FireRed, LeafGreen, Emerald | Cleared Mt. Battle (zones 1-100) in Pokémon Colosseum’s Battle Mode using the bonus disc, then linked to a GBA cartridge. The Japan-only Ageto Celebi plus a matching special Pikachu — NOT the same species North America’s disc gave. |
| Jirachi | From 9 Feb 2004 · North America — Wishmaker Jirachi; available while supplies of the US disc lasted, exact discontinuation date not recorded. | Ruby, Sapphire, FireRed, LeafGreen, Emerald | Redeemed from the North American Pokémon Colosseum Bonus Disc via GameCube-to-GBA link cable. The North American disc gave Jirachi, not Celebi — the reverse of Japan’s disc; a save could receive Jirachi from this disc OR Pokémon Channel, never both. |
| Jirachi | From 1 Apr 2004 · Europe, Australia — Channel Jirachi; obtainable indefinitely after finishing the PAL release of Pokémon Channel, not time-limited. | Ruby, Sapphire, FireRed, LeafGreen, Emerald | Unlocked the full Pichu Bros. in Party Panic short in Pokémon Channel, then sent Jirachi to a linked GBA cartridge from the options menu. Europe and Australia’s Jirachi route, Germany included — Pokémon Channel never released in North America or Japan. |
e-Reader cards
The e-Reader swiped a printed card past a Game Boy Advance and wrote what was on it into the game. In the west it is remembered for one thing: the Eon Ticket, which unlocks the ferry to Southern Island and the second Lati. The full hunt is in the Latios and Latias guide. English FireRed, LeafGreen and Emerald had e-Reader support removed.
| Pokémon | When & where | Games | How you got it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mareep, Togepi, Scizor | No fixed window · Japan — Exact distribution dates not confirmed; tied to Pokémon Colosseum’s Japan-only e-Reader support. | Colosseum | Scanned a Pokémon Colosseum-specific e-Reader card to unlock three extra obtainable Shadow Pokémon in-game. Shows the e-Reader gating extra content rather than running a core-series distribution; e-Reader support was removed from English FireRed, LeafGreen and Emerald. |
| Latias, Latios | From 1 Nov 2003 · Japan, North America, Europe — First wave was Nintendo Power vol. 173 (November 2003, month precision only); redistributed many more times through 2004 via e-Card, tours and Toys ’R’ Us. | Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald | Redeemed the Eon Ticket (Nintendo Power mail-in, e-Card, or event handout) to unlock the ferry to Southern Island. Ruby gives Latias, Sapphire gives Latios, Emerald lets the player choose — the only Gen 3 ticket with a version-exclusive pick. Read the full guide → |
Local wireless events
The Game Boy Advance Wireless Adapter let a shop beam an item to everyone in the room at once — the direct ancestor of today’s convention codes. Gen 3 used it for exactly one ticket, and it is the one that opens Birth Island.
| Pokémon | When & where | Games | How you got it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deoxys | 17 Apr 2004 – 31 Aug 2004 · Japan — Japanese window; separate US, Mexican and European waves followed through 2004-2005; Japanese Emerald copies could not receive it due to timing. | FireRed, LeafGreen | Received the Aurora Ticket over a Game Boy Advance Wireless Adapter at a Nintendo event, unlocking the ferry to Birth Island. The only Gen 3 ticket distributed over local wireless — a direct predecessor to today’s Gamescom-style local events. Read the full guide → |
Wi-Fi Mystery Gift on the Nintendo DS
Generation 4 was the first that could hand you a Pokémon without you leaving the house: Mystery Gift over Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Two of its gifts are items that open a place — the Member Card for Newmoon Island, Oak’s Letter for Flower Paradise — and one is the reason Arceus exists in anyone’s box at all. Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection closed in May 2014, so every one of these windows is gone.
| Pokémon | When & where | Games | How you got it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Darkrai | From 26 Apr 2008 · Japan, North America, Europe — Japanese release date; English release followed Dec 1 2008, with other languages the same date. | Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold, SoulSilver | Received the Member Card via Mystery Gift, then used it at Canalave City’s harbour to reach Newmoon Island. Founding example of Gen 4’s item-unlocks-a-location pattern, later reused for Shaymin. |
| Shaymin | From 6 Jul 2008 · Japan, North America, Europe — Japanese cinema tie-in start; US wave ran Feb 8-14 2009, Europe’s Movie 11 wave ran Apr 4-Jun 20 2009. | Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold, SoulSilver | Received Oak’s Letter via Mystery Gift, then took it to Floaroma Town’s Seven Star hill entrance to reach Flower Paradise. Shaymin’s Sky Forme, via a Gracidea flower, only became meaningfully reachable after this event. |
| Arceus | 11 Jul 2009 – 30 Sep 2009 · Japan, North America, Europe, Australia, Korea — Japanese cinema window (M12); Toys R Us US wave ran Nov 7-15 2009, European wave Feb 17-Apr 11 2010, Korean wave Dec 2009-Jan 2010, Australian wave Nov 2009. | Diamond, Pearl, Platinum | Received directly as a Level 100 Arceus via Mystery Gift tied to the Arceus movie, NOT by redeeming the in-game Azure Flute. The Azure Flute, the item that canonically opens the Hall of Origin, was never released to the public in Generation IV — every legitimate Arceus came from a direct Mystery Gift instead. |
| Victini | 3 Dec 2011 – 14 Jan 2012 · North America, Europe — English Wi-Fi wave; a second English wave ran Jun 12-26 2012, German, Italian and Spanish waves ran Apr 2012, French Jun 2012. | Black, White, Black 2, White 2 | Redeemed via Mystery Gift during the Movie 14 promotional window. |
| Keldeo | 27 Aug 2012 – 31 Jan 2013 · North America, Europe, Australia | Black, White, Black 2, White 2 | Redeemed via Mystery Gift during the Summer 2012 window tied to the Kyurem vs. the Sword of Justice movie. |
| Meloetta | 23 Feb 2013 – 19 Apr 2013 · North America, Europe, Australia | Black 2, White 2 | Redeemed via Mystery Gift during the Spring 2013 promotional window. |
| Genesect | 7 Oct 2012 – 12 Nov 2012 · North America, Europe | Black 2, White 2 | Redeemed via Mystery Gift as the Plasma Genesect, tied to the Extremespeed Genesect movie. |
Serial codes and QR codes: Gamescom, cinemas and online campaigns
From Generation 6 onward almost every distribution is a string of characters: printed on a Gamescom flyer, handed out at a cinema, published on the official site for a fortnight. The code is typed into Mystery Gift and the Pokémon arrives over the internet. It is the largest group here, and the only mechanism still in regular use.
| Pokémon | When & where | Games | How you got it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vivillon | 14 Aug 2014 – 30 Sep 2014 · Europe | X, Y | Redeemed a serial code handed to Gamescom 2014 attendees in Cologne for a Poké Ball-patterned Vivillon. The clearest Gamescom-tied event code; that pattern is otherwise unobtainable through normal wild encounters. |
| Diancie | 16 Oct 2014 – 28 Feb 2015 · North America — North American window; a parallel PAL window ran Oct 23 2014-Feb 25 2015, and separate cinema and local waves ran in Japan, Taiwan and Korea. | X, Y, Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire | Redeemed an online serial code from participating retailers to receive Diancie ahead of its film debut. First Mythical distributed primarily as a pre-release movie tie-in for the XY generation. |
| Hoopa | 21 Aug 2015 – 30 Nov 2015 · Japan, North America | X, Y, Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire | Redeemed an online serial code for the Manesh Hoopa distribution tied to the Hoopa movie promotion. Hoopa’s waves are named individually — Manesh, Harry, Mighty, Mac, Alexander, Cinema, Full Force — rather than reusing one label. |
| Volcanion | 9 Oct 2016 – 31 Jan 2017 · North America — American window; a parallel PAL wave ran Oct 1 2016-Jan 31 2017, and Japanese Nebel waves ran across three windows into Feb 2017. | X, Y, Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire | Redeemed an online serial code for the Helen Volcanion distribution. |
| Latias, Latios | 1 Nov 2014 – 2 Mar 2015 · Japan, North America, Europe — Spans the CoroCoro (Japan, Dec 2014), StreetPass, Nintendo World Store NYC (Nov 26 2014-Jan 14 2015) and Pokémon.com (Feb 27-Mar 2 2015) redistribution windows. | Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire | Redeemed a serial code or StreetPass tag to receive the Eon Ticket again for the Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire remakes. Reopened Southern Island almost a decade after the original Gen 3 distribution ended. |
| Mew | 27 Jan 2016 – 31 May 2016 · North America, Europe | X, Y, Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire | Redeemed an online code during the Pokémon 20th Anniversary promotional window. First Level 100 Mew ever legitimately distributed; earlier Mews were Level 5 to 10. |
| Celebi | 1 Mar 2016 – 24 Mar 2016 · Worldwide | X, Y, Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire | Redeemed an online code during the Pokémon 20th Anniversary promotional window. Part of the same 20th Anniversary promotion that also gave a Level 100 Mew. |
| Marshadow | 9 Oct 2017 – 23 Feb 2018 · North America — American window; Japanese local distribution ran Jul 2-Sep 30 2017, PAL online ran Sep 30 2017-Feb 23 2018, a further Ultra Sun and Moon wave ran Nov 2017-May 2018. | Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, Ultra Moon | Redeemed an online serial code for the Marshadow distribution tied to the Everyone’s Story movie promotion. |
| Zeraora | 19 Oct 2018 – 24 Jan 2019 · North America — American window; Japanese local distribution ran Jul 1-Sep 30 2018, PAL online ran Oct 1-Nov 15 2018 plus a May 2019 rerun. | Ultra Sun, Ultra Moon | Redeemed an online serial code for the Fula City Zeraora distribution tied to The Power of Us movie promotion. |
| Zarude | 7 Aug 2020 – 31 Mar 2021 · Japan, North America, Europe — First (Japanese Jungle) window; an international wave ran Nov 13 2020-Mar 31 2021, plus separate Korean windows. | Sword, Shield | Redeemed an online serial code for the Jungle Zarude distribution tied to the Secrets of the Jungle movie promotion. |
| Zarude | 25 Dec 2020 – 31 Mar 2021 · Japan, North America, Europe — A second wave ran Oct 7-Dec 31 2021. | Sword, Shield | Redeemed a separate online serial code for the alternate-coloured Dada Zarude, distributed at a higher level than the standard Jungle Zarude. Two visually distinct Zarude were distributed for the same movie in the same window — a rare double release for one species. |
| Celebi | 7 Aug 2020 – 31 Mar 2021 · Japan, North America, Europe — Same window as the Jungle Zarude wave; whether it required its own code or rode on the Zarude code was not independently confirmed. | Sword, Shield | Redeemed alongside the Zarude Jungle distribution as a companion Shiny Celebi, sharing the same in-game Original Trainer as the Zarude events. The Sword and Shield Shiny Celebi — bundled with, not separate from, the Zarude movie promotion. |
| Genesect | 20 Nov 2020 – 30 Apr 2021 · Worldwide | Sword, Shield | Redeemed an online code for the Get Challenge Genesect distribution. |
| Koraidon, Miraidon | 26 Sep 2025 – 24 Oct 2025 · Worldwide | Scarlet, Violet | Redeemed an online serial code for a Shiny version of the game’s own box legendary — Koraidon for Scarlet, Miraidon for Violet. Box legendaries are Shiny-locked in normal play; this is one of the only legitimate ways to get a Shiny one. |
| Chien-Pao, Chi-Yu, Ting-Lu, Wo-Chien | 8 Aug 2025 – 30 Sep 2025 · Worldwide — Collapsed family record — Wo-Chien, Chien-Pao, Ting-Lu and Chi-Yu each had a separate staggered window inside this range, roughly two weeks apart. | Scarlet, Violet | Redeemed a species-specific online code to receive a Shiny Treasure of Ruin ahead of general availability. One record stands for the family rather than four near-identical entries. |
| Keldeo | 22 Nov 2024 – 31 May 2025 · Worldwide | Scarlet, Violet | Redeemed an online code during the Pokémon Get Large-scale Campaign 2024 window. Keldeo’s first Generation IX distribution, over a decade after its Black and White debut. |
Pokémon HOME gifts
These are the ones you can still claim. Pokémon HOME hands out a gift for opening it, a Kanto starter with its Hidden Ability, a Gigantamax-capable Melmetal on your first Pokémon GO transfer, and more since. None of them has a deadline, and the transfer chart shows where they can go afterwards.
| Pokémon | When & where | Games | How you got it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle | From 12 Feb 2020 · Worldwide — Pokémon HOME’s mobile launch date; ongoing one-time gift since. | Pokémon HOME | Chose one of Bulbasaur, Charmander or Squirtle as a one-time gift the first time the mobile version of Pokémon HOME was opened. Each starter carries its Hidden Ability, otherwise hard to get on a starting-stage Kanto starter. |
| Pikachu | From 12 Feb 2020 · Worldwide | Pokémon HOME | Received automatically the first time any version of Pokémon HOME, mobile or Switch, was launched. |
| Melmetal | From 12 Feb 2020 · Worldwide | Pokémon HOME, Pokémon GO | Received a one-time Melmetal capable of Gigantamaxing on the first transfer of any Pokémon from Pokémon GO into Pokémon HOME. The only way to get a Gigantamax-capable Melmetal; Melmetal cannot Gigantamax if evolved any other way. |
| Meltan | From 12 Feb 2025 · Worldwide | Pokémon HOME | Completing the Kanto Pokédex inside Pokémon HOME unlocks a one-time Shiny Meltan gift. Meltan otherwise cannot be Shiny outside this specific HOME reward. |
| Magearna | From 12 Feb 2020 · Worldwide | Pokémon HOME | Claimed through Pokémon HOME to receive the Original Color Magearna form. The Original Color scheme appeared in the anime years before HOME made it legitimately obtainable in-game. |
In-game and cross-game gifts
Not every special Pokémon needed an event at all. Some are standing routes a player can still walk today: a Wii game that hands one back to a DS cartridge, a side game whose reward is an Egg, a hidden room behind a shrine. They are here because a player asking “how did anyone get this?” is asking the same question, and it would be unhelpful to answer it on a different page.
| Pokémon | When & where | Games | How you got it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pichu | No fixed window · Japan, North America, Europe — No calendar distribution window — a standing in-game encounter, not a timed event. | HeartGold, SoulSilver | Entered the hidden room behind the Ilex Forest shrine, the same shrine as the GS Ball route, to find a uniquely patterned Pichu once per save. A special-pattern Pichu unique to this one encounter — a scripted obtain method rather than a timed distribution. |
| Mew | No fixed window · Japan, North America, Europe — No fixed calendar date — available once the condition is met on any DPPt or HGSS save. | Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold, SoulSilver | Sent 999 total Pokémon into My Pokémon Ranch on Wii, at which point a Mew becomes available to collect. One of the very few post-event ways to obtain a legitimate Generation IV Mew without attending a giveaway. |
| Manaphy | From 16 Nov 2006 · Japan, North America, Europe — Ties to the Japanese release of Pokémon Ranger; the Egg is earned per playthrough, not time-limited. | Diamond, Pearl | Completed the Manaphy Egg special mission in Pokémon Ranger, then transferred the resulting Egg to Diamond or Pearl. The only Mythical whose Gen 4 route runs entirely through a separate handheld game rather than an event or Mystery Gift. |
| Pikachu | No fixed window · Japan, North America, Europe — Available for as long as Pokémon Battle Revolution’s in-game shop offered it; no fixed calendar window recorded. | Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold, SoulSilver | Beat Poketopia’s Master Mysterial in Pokémon Battle Revolution on Wii, then downloaded the Pikachu to a linked DS cartridge. A Gen 4 successor to the original Stadium Surfing Pikachu — again the only legitimate way to teach that generation’s Pikachu Surf. |
| Victini | No fixed window · Japan, North America, Europe — No fixed calendar date — a standing in-game route in Black and White only, one per save. | Black, White | Used the Liberty Pass, available from the start with no external event, to sail to Liberty Garden and encounter Victini. Unusually needed no external Mystery Gift or code in Black and White; only Black 2 and White 2 required an event for Victini. Read the full guide → |
Other special obtain methods
The leftovers that are genuinely their own thing: a Nintendo 64 tournament prize written back through a Transfer Pak, a QR code scanned with the 3DS camera, and a live cross-game mechanic between Pokémon GO and Let’s Go.
| Pokémon | When & where | Games | How you got it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pikachu | No fixed window · North America, Europe — Tied to Pokémon Stadium’s 1999-2000 non-Japanese release window; no single redemption date recorded. | Red, Blue, Yellow | Won by clearing the Master Ball-class Round 2 Prime Cup in Pokémon Stadium using only cartridge-loaded Pokémon, then sent back via Transfer Pak. One of the only legitimate ways to teach a Generation I/II Pikachu the move Surf. |
| Magearna | From 18 Nov 2016 · Japan, North America, Europe, Korea — Japanese and Taiwanese start; American wave began Dec 5 2016, PAL Dec 7 2016, Korean Dec 14 2016 — all open-ended. | Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, Ultra Moon | Scanned a QR code with the in-game QR Scanner to receive Magearna. First core-series Mythical distributed by scanning a printed or on-screen QR code rather than a Mystery Gift code. |
| Meltan | From 16 Nov 2018 · Worldwide — Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee released Nov 16 2018 with the GO Park link; the Mystery Box in Pokémon GO has run on and off since. | Pokémon GO, Let's Go, Pikachu!, Let's Go, Eevee! | Opened the Mystery Box in Pokémon GO, unlocked by sending a Pokémon to a Let’s Go GO Park, to trigger a temporary Meltan-only spawn window. First Pokémon revealed exclusively through a live cross-game mechanic rather than a scripted event or code. |
Event Pokémon distributions: quick answers
- How can you get Mew, Celebi or Jirachi now?
- Not from an event — every Mew, Celebi and Jirachi window on this page is closed. What is still open: Mew through My Pokémon Ranch on a Wii, Celebi as the GS Ball route on a Japanese Crystal cartridge, Mew on Faraway Island in Emerald if your save already has the Old Sea Map, and otherwise a trade. Pokémon HOME will give you neither.
- Did the Colosseum Bonus Disc give Celebi or Jirachi?
- Both, but never on the same disc. Japan’s Bonus Disc gave Celebi plus a special Pikachu; the North American disc gave Jirachi. Europe and Australia never got a bonus disc at all.
- Could one save get Jirachi from both the Bonus Disc and Pokémon Channel?
- No. A cartridge accepts one of the two and then refuses the other, so a single save has exactly one Jirachi from that era. They are also different Jirachi: the disc’s is the Wishmaker, Channel’s is the Channel Jirachi.
- Was the Azure Flute ever released for Arceus?
- No. The Azure Flute — the item that opens the Hall of Origin — was never distributed to the public in Generation 4. Every legitimate Gen 4 Arceus came directly from a Mystery Gift tied to the twelfth film, already at level 100.
- Which event Pokémon can you still get today?
- The Pokémon HOME gifts, and the in-game and cross-game routes: the Ranch Mew, the Ranger Manaphy Egg, the Liberty Garden Victini in Black and White, the Spiky-eared Pichu in HeartGold and SoulSilver, and the Surfing Pikachu from Battle Revolution. Everything else is trade-only.
- What was the Gamescom Vivillon code?
- A serial code handed to Gamescom 2014 attendees in Cologne for a Poké Ball-patterned Vivillon in X and Y. That pattern cannot be obtained by any normal encounter, so the only route now is a trade.
- Do these events still work on a modern game?
- No, but the Pokémon do. Move an event Pokémon forward with the transfer chart — and mind the deadline: Pokémon Bank, Poké Transporter and the Bank to HOME transfer all stop on 25 February 2027.