You're digging through a drawer, find your old dusty 3DS, and pop in Pokémon Sun or Moon. Suddenly, that itch starts. You remember the thrill of the "Mystery Gift" chime. You want those rare Mythicals, the shiny legendaries, and the weird event items that made Gen 7 feel so alive.
But here is the cold, hard truth: it's 2026.
Most of those classic serial codes you find on old 2017 forums? They are deader than a fainted Magikarp. Nintendo shut down the 3DS servers ages ago, and most codes had an expiration date that passed before some of the newer fans were even born.
Don't toss the console out yet, though. There is actually one major exception and a few "side-door" ways to still get what you want without a time machine.
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The One Code That Never Dies: Magearna
Honestly, it’s kinda wild that this still works. While the "Get via Internet" option is basically a ghost town now, the QR Scanner in Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon is a local feature. It doesn't need to talk to a Nintendo server to verify a time-sensitive event.
Magearna, the Steel/Fairy Mythical, was distributed via a "persistent" QR code. Unlike the codes for Shiny Silvally or Marshadow which were printed on flimsy cardboard at GameStop, the Magearna code was designed to last.
How to get it right now
You can’t just scan this the second you start a new save file. You’ve actually got to put in the work first.
- Become the Champion: You must finish the main story. No shortcuts.
- Open the QR Scanner: It’s on the second page of your in-game menu.
- Scan the Code: You can find the official Magearna QR code on the Pokémon website or various archives like Serebii.
- Visit Hau’oli City: Head to the mall. There’s a guy at the "Antiquities of the Ages" shop who’s been waiting years to hand you that mechanical rabbit.
It’s worth noting that the code is region-locked. A North American QR code won't work on a Japanese 3DS. Make sure you're looking at the right image for your hardware.
Why "Get via Internet" is a Dead End
Basically, when you click "Receive Gift" and then "Get via Internet," your 3DS tries to knock on Nintendo’s door. Since the Nintendo Network for 3DS was officially sunset, nobody is answering.
This means the old rotating distributions—those monthly "Year of Legendary" events from 2018—are gone. You can't get that Shiny Zygarde or the Level 100 Regigigas anymore. If you see a website claiming to have "Active 2026 Mystery Gift Codes" for Sun and Moon, they are almost certainly lying for clicks.
Serial codes (the ones with 16 characters) also had hard-coded expiration dates. Even if the servers were up, a code for a 2017 Shiny Tapu Koko would have expired years ago.
The Secret World of Island Scan
If you're hunting for "pokemon codes for sun and moon mystery gift" because you want rare Mons, you should stop looking at the Mystery Gift menu and start looking at Island Scan.
This is the "secret" way to use QR codes to find non-Alolan Pokémon. It’s not a Mystery Gift in the traditional sense, but it functions similarly. You scan ten random QR codes (literally from a bag of chips or an old book, it doesn't matter) to earn 100 points. Once you hit 100, you trigger an Island Scan.
Depending on the day of the week and the island you are on, a rare Pokémon will spawn for exactly one hour. We're talking starters like Chikorita, Cyndaquil, or even Deino and Duosion.
The 2026 Reality: Can You Still Trade?
Link Trading still works locally. If you have a friend in the same room with another 3DS, you can swap those old event Pokémon. Online trading via the GTS (Global Trade Station), however, is a mess of glitched trades and connection errors.
If you’re desperate for a Marshadow or Zeraora and you missed the original pokemon codes for sun and moon mystery gift window, your best bet is finding someone who has a spare in Pokémon HOME. Since Pokémon Bank is still technically functional (for now) for those who had it installed, you can move old gifts up to the Switch, but you can’t move them back down to the 3DS.
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Is it worth it to "Reset" for Mystery Gifts?
Some people ask if they can change the 3DS system clock to trick the game into giving them old gifts.
Short answer: No.
The game checks the server's clock, not your hardware clock, for internet-based gifts. For local QR events like Magearna, the date doesn't matter anyway. If you're looking for that specific sense of "event" wonder, you're better off looking at the modern games like Scarlet and Violet, where Mystery Gifts are still very much alive.
Your Next Steps for Gen 7
- Check your Wonder Cards: Open the Mystery Gift menu and look at your "Card Album." If you have any "unpicked" gifts from years ago, the delivery man will still be standing in the Pokémon Center waiting for you.
- Scan for Magearna: If you haven't done this yet, it's the only "true" Mythical gift left that doesn't require hacking or external hardware.
- Backup your save: If you have rare event Pokémon from 2016-2018, get them into Pokémon Bank as soon as possible. We don't know when that service will finally go dark for good.