Event legendaries through promo codes

For me a good way to obtain those legendaries that are not gonna be in big events would be with in game quests. Maybe put a code to unlock the quest so it is a unique oportunity per account of getting that legendary, make it universal of course, everyone around the world get's the code in their mailbox or in game notification, with no exceptions.

When you enter the code Professor Willow or another known character from the game starts the quests, something like "we have received reports that a .... has been seen around your area, be careful traveler, this mon is very strong and won't be easy to find or catch...".

Then using the AR and fitness part of the app you have to follow the line to get to that legendary. For example using AR when you find an unown you will find a clue printed in some part of the screen about a legendary dog, this will led to the next step, for example walk 5km with a Pikachu so its static electricity attract x mon with the following clue...At the end of the quest line you get an special ball and berry to make that mon fall sleep and you have a try to get it, just an example of course, many options here in the actual catch process...

I think this kind of quest lines involving fitness and AR is one of the things that should be used more in the game, mixed with some kind of incentive and the beloved characters from the old games.

I can't see them locking Legendaries away from a large part of the community by only giving them away in selected regions to selected promotions through limited sponsors.
If nothing else, it just doesn't make sense to upset such a large number of the player base, for a one off payment from a sponsor.

How are people making the leap from a couple of free consumables if you go and listen to a salesman...to Legendaries only through promo codes?

I think they will make it where you just have to attend a special event "in person" and get a special code card which you enter in the game...

This will stop all spoofers from getting one for all their accounts and maybe they can stamp your hand or something so you don't get more than 1 card...

Even though there are complaints that it's not fair you have to travel somewhere, if you look at the Ingress events, they are still pretty spreadout all over the world and occur many times/places.

With how much bigger PoGo is, they can probably have even MORE events at more places which you register first so it's not too crazy (think Comic-con).

I'd hope it's not just getting a ball to catch something since it'd suck to accidentally hit your screen and the ball plops short by accident.

The Gen2 legendary beasts would be the easiest to implement first.

In the main series games, Raikou, Entei, and Suicune wake up and immediately go running off before you can even interact with them. You will later randomly encounter them, they immediately run the first turn, but after you have seen them you can use your pokedex to track their general location as they move around the map. Unlike other random encounters, they retain any damage and status conditions inflicted upon them, so even though you only get one turn at a time, you can still weaken them over time to make them easier to catch.

This could be translated pretty interestingly into PokemonGo. Let one legendary beast spawn within a larger metropolitan area each week or so. It will have a 99% flee rate like Abra, but will respawn throughout the week several times a day (same IVs and moveset). Once you catch it, that specific beast will no longer spawn for you in that city that week.

I am curious how the moveset and IV will be applied if you only get one.
A Moltress with heatwave or one with overheat is a big difference.