You remember that weird black-and-white square on the back of your cereal box? Well, Game Freak decided that was the future of catching 'em all back in 2016. It was a strange move. Honestly, when QR Pokemon Sun and Moon functionality was first announced, most of us thought it was a gimmick that would die out in a week. We were wrong.
It actually changed how we filled the Pokedex.
Most people think of the Rotom Dex as just a Chatty Cathy that won't stop vibrating in your pocket, but the QR scanner was the secret sauce. It wasn't just about scanning random barcodes on your shampoo bottle—though you could totally do that to get points. It was about the Island Scan. That was the only way to find non-Alolan starters like Chikorita or Cyndaquil out in the wild. It felt like a scavenger hunt that spanned the real world and the digital one.
How the QR Pokemon Sun and Moon Scanner Actually Works
The mechanics are pretty straightforward, but there’s some hidden math under the hood. You get 10 scans a day. Every scan gives you 10 points. Once you hit 100 points, you can trigger an Island Scan.
But here’s the kicker: the Pokemon you find depends entirely on which island you’re standing on and what day of the week it is.
If you’re looking for a Charmander, you can’t just scan and hope. You have to be on Melemele Island on a Sunday. If you mess up the day, you’ve wasted those 100 points and have to wait for your scans to regenerate. It’s a slow process. It requires patience. It’s basically the antithesis of the modern "I want it now" gaming culture.
There’s also the "Special" QR codes. These are different. While a normal barcode from a bag of chips gives you a random Pokedex entry, official Nintendo codes gave you specific mythical encounters. The most famous one is Magearna. Unlike the timed events of previous generations, the Magearna QR code actually still works today. You just have to beat the Elite Four first.
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The Mystery of the 20-Point QR Codes
Not all codes are created equal. Most random barcodes give you 10 points toward your Island Scan. However, specific "Special" codes—usually distributed during movie promotions or via the Pokemon Center—hand out 20 points.
Why does this matter?
Efficiency. If you have a folder of 20-point codes, you only need five scans to trigger an Island Scan instead of ten. It cuts your grind time in half. Professional shiny hunters used to keep binders of these things. It sounds overkill, but when you're hunting for a 5IV Litwick on Poni Island, every second counts.
Island Scan Rarities and the "Leaked" Codes
The community eventually cracked the system wide open. You don't actually need to find physical codes anymore. Sites like Imgur and various Reddit threads are filled with galleries of every single Alolan Pokedex QR code.
Scanning these doesn't just give you points; it registers the Pokemon as "seen" in your Dex.
This is huge for trading. You can’t ask for a Pokemon on the GTS (Global Trade System) unless you’ve seen it. By scanning a QR code for a rare beast like Dhelmise, you bypass the hours of fishing at 1% encounter rates. You just scan, see the entry, and then hop onto the GTS to trade your breedjects for it.
It's a shortcut. A legal one.
- Melemele Island: Usually yields starters or early-game favorites like Luxio.
- Akala Island: Better for mid-tier competitive picks like Honedge.
- Ula'ula Island: This is where things get serious with Rhyhorn and Swinub.
- Poni Island: The big guns. Eelektross and Togekiss live here.
It is worth noting that Pokemon caught via Island Scan often have unique "egg moves" they wouldn't normally possess in the wild. This makes them highly valuable for competitive breeding. For instance, an Island Scan Emboar might have moves that would otherwise take three generations of chain breeding to achieve.
Why Does Anyone Still Use QR Pokemon Sun and Moon Codes?
You might think that with the Switch and the move to Galar and Paldea, nobody cares about Alola anymore. You’d be surprised. The 3DS era was the last time we had a "National Dex" mentality where you could actually store everything in one place locally.
Many collectors still go back to Sun and Moon to catch specific mons in "Johto Balls" or to find rare Hidden Abilities that are harder to get in newer games. The QR system makes this infinitely easier than resetting your game or relying on the defunct Mirage Islands of ORAS.
Also, let's talk about the Magearna event again.
It’s one of the few Mythical Pokemon in history that isn't "time-locked." If you buy a used copy of Pokemon Sun today, you can still get Magearna. You just need to find the QR code online and scan it at the Antiquities shop in Hau'oli City. That’s a level of accessibility we rarely see from The Pokemon Company. Usually, if you miss the two-week window for a Mythical, you're out of luck for five years.
The Technical Limitation of the 3DS Camera
We have to be real for a second: the 3DS camera is garbage.
It’s a 0.3-megapixel sensor. If you’re trying to scan a code off a bright computer screen, the glare will kill the connection. I’ve spent way too long tilting my 3DS at 45-degree angles just to get it to recognize a QR code for a Chikorita.
Pro tip: Turn your screen brightness down. It helps the 3DS sensor distinguish the black squares from the white background without getting blinded by the backlight.
Hidden Value in Shiny Hunting
If you're a shiny hunter, the Island Scan is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it's the only way to find certain species. On the other hand, you can't use the SOS Chaining method on Island Scan Pokemon.
When you encounter a Pokemon via the QR scanner, it’s a one-and-done deal. It won't call for help. This means your odds are stuck at the base 1/4096 (or 1/1365 with the Shiny Charm).
It makes these specific shinies incredibly rare. A shiny Samurott caught in a Beast Ball via an Island Scan in Pokemon Sun is a massive flex in the trading community. It shows you put in the work and the luck.
The Legacy of the Scanner
Looking back, the QR Pokemon Sun and Moon system was an experiment in "Connected Play" that worked better than it had any right to. It bridged the gap between the physical world and the game without requiring expensive peripherals like the e-Reader of the GameBoy Advance days.
It was simple. It was free. It worked.
While we’ve moved on to Tera Raids and Dynamax Adventures, there's something nostalgic about the simplicity of scanning a random QR code on a soda bottle and finding a Kanto starter in the Alolan brush.
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If you're dusting off your 2DS or 3DS to revisit Alola, don't ignore the scanner. It's the most efficient way to round out your collection and get those rare entries without begging for trades on dead forums.
Essential Steps for Your Next Playthrough
- Beat the Melemele Grand Trial: You can't use the scanner effectively until you've at least unlocked the ability to travel between islands.
- Save your points: Don't just fire off an Island Scan the moment you hit 100. Check a calendar. If it's Tuesday and you're on Akala, you're getting a Marill. If you wait until Wednesday, you might get something you actually want.
- Find the Magearna Code: Seriously, it’s a free Mythical. It’s arguably the best Steel/Fairy type in the game behind Zacian. Search for "Magearna QR code North America" (or your specific region) and keep it on your phone.
- Download a QR Pack: There are several community-curated images that contain all 400+ Alolan Pokedex codes in one grid. Having this on your tablet makes filling the Dex a two-hour job instead of a two-week job.
- Check for "Island Scan" Moves: Before you trade away or release an Island Scan Pokemon, check its move pool. Many of them come with "illegal" moves that are normally only available through high-level breeding, making them perfect parents for your competitive team.
The QR system represents a specific era of Nintendo's design philosophy—experimental, slightly clunky, but ultimately very rewarding for the players who took the time to figure out the patterns. It's a tool that remains just as functional today as it was when the games launched, provided your 3DS camera lens isn't too scratched up. Grab your console, find a code, and start scanning. You've got 10 scans waiting for you right now.
Next Steps for Players:
To maximize your efficiency, download a complete Alolan Pokedex QR library to your phone or tablet to scan daily. Focus your Island Scans on Poni Island on Saturdays for the highest-level encounters, and ensure you have at least 100 points banked before the daily reset at midnight. If you're looking for competitive edge, prioritize Akala Island scans on Sundays to find Honedge, which remains a top-tier evolutionary line for both casual play and the Battle Tree.