National Film Vault

FILM NOTES

Released in 1999, Pokemon: The First Movie arrived at the height of a global phenomenon that had swept through television, trading cards, and video games. For countless young fans, it marked the moment their favorite characters made the leap to the big screen, and the trailer served as the first tantalizing glimpse of that event. It captured a cultural wave that defined a generation of childhoods around the world.

This particular cell comes from the Pokemon trailer itself, a piece of the very footage that built anticipation for the film. Holding an actual frame of 35mm film connects you directly to that era of theatrical presentation, a small but tangible artifact from a beloved moment in animation history.