National Film Vault

FILM NOTES

Released in 1999, Pokémon: The First Movie arrived at the height of a cultural phenomenon that had swept from video games and trading cards onto television and, finally, the big screen. For a generation of young fans, it was a defining moment—the first chance to see beloved characters rendered in theatrical animation. The trailer that heralded its arrival helped build anticipation, offering early glimpses that fueled schoolyard excitement and cemented the franchise's place in late-nineties pop culture.

This particular cell captures Charmeleon and Caterpie, two familiar faces from the Pokémon roster. Owning a physical frame from the trailer means holding an actual piece of celluloid that light once passed through, a tangible artifact from an era before digital projection. It is a small, genuine fragment of animation history.