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Pokémon: The First Movie arrived in American theaters in November 1999 through Warner Bros., a co-release with Nintendo and 4Kids Entertainment that turned a Japanese theatrical feature into a full-scale cultural event. Riding the crest of Pokémon's arrival in the United States, the film paired Mewtwo Strikes Back with a Pikachu short and pulled in enormous box office from a fanbase primed by the television series and trading card craze. It stands as one of the defining artifacts of the franchise's original American breakout, a moment when Pokémon moved decisively from screen and card shop into the mainstream.
This cell, marked November 12, ties directly to that theatrical release window, placing it among the earliest frames shown to American audiences during the film's opening days. Such a date designation typically points to a print struck for premiere or early release screenings, making it a marker of the movie's actual theatrical debut rather than a later reissue. For collectors, that distinction matters: it anchors the cell to the precise moment Pokémon mania crossed fully into American theaters, a physical trace of the original run itself.
