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Pokemon: The Movie 2000 arrived from Warner Bros. and Nintendo/4Kids at the height of Pokemania in the United States, following the original film's blockbuster debut. Built on the franchise's television momentum, it pushed the animation to theatrical scale and paired it with a soundtrack aimed squarely at the era's young audience. For a generation raised on the show, this was an event picture, a chance to see Ash and his companions on the big screen. The film's box office success cemented Pokemon as more than a passing trend, giving Warner Bros. and Nintendo a durable theatrical franchise to build upon in the years that followed.
This 35MM cell captures Ash and Pikachu aboard Lugia, pairing the franchise's central trainer and his signature partner with one of the film's most significant legendary creatures. Pikachu remains the character most sought after by collectors, given its role as mascot and emotional anchor of the entire series, while this pairing with Lugia marks one of the film's defining alliances. A cell built around this moment represents a high point of the story, where trainer and Pokemon share passage with a being of considerable mythic weight, a scene collectors associate with the movie's most memorable imagery.
