I started playing Pokémon when Red and Blue released in the US in 1998. At the time, I was a sophomore in high school, playing Pokémon Red on my original Game Boy when most folks had already upgraded to a Game Boy Pocket. Something about the game hooked me. I continued playing it until I got Pokémon Gold when that released. I lost my love a little bit after Sapphire. Honestly I’m not sure I ever finished that one, but it is on my list to play soon. Then I skipped a generation and bought Pokémon Black when I got a DS Lite. I thought this was where my Pokémon journey would end, but I was wrong.
When I saw the announcement for the Pokémon: Let’s Go games, I was super excited to jump back into the familiar Kanto region and recapture my childhood in beautifully redone graphics on a modern console. I loved playing through it and knew that whatever the next generation Pokémon game was, I would have to play it.
I played through Pokémon Shield at the end of 2019, and then I spent a bunch more time collecting a full Pokédex of all 400 Pokémon in the game. I was on such a kick that I went back and finished a full Pokédex in Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! Then, more recently, I went back and completed a full Pokédex after playing through Pokémon Sun (Alola only, not a full national ‘dex).
While doing so, I learned of a Mythical Pokémon, released a month after the game, at the end of 2016. Anyone who had completed the main storyline would be able to scan a QR code using the 3DS’s cameras to get Magearna, a Steel/Fairy type Pokémon. I was kind of worried that it would no longer work, but to my surprise, three years later, when I played through Pokémon Sun, the QR code was still scannable. I most recently tried it again after my Pokémon Moon playthrough in September 2020, and it was still available.
The Official Pokémon website has taken down their News article, letting you know how to get Magearna, so I’m not sure if it still works. Good thing I saved a local copy of the QR code. These were the basic instructions:
- In your game menu, select QR Scanner on the second page
- Scan the QR code below, which I believe is for North America only
- Find the delivery man by the antique shop on the top floor of Hau’oli City’s mall
Let me know if you have any luck!
I also published an article called “Melmetal and Meltan, Mythical Pokémon in Let’s Go: Pikachu and Eevee” with some details on getting those Mythical Pokémon as well.