National Film Vault

FILM NOTES

Released in 1999, "Pikachu's Vacation" arrived alongside the first Pokémon feature during the height of the franchise's global surge. As a lighthearted short paired with the main film, it offered younger audiences a gentler, dialogue-light adventure centered entirely on the Pokémon themselves. For a generation who grew up with the trading cards, games, and television series, it remains a warm memory of a cultural moment when Pokémon seemed to be everywhere at once.

This cell captures Squirtle and Pikachu, two of the franchise's most beloved and recognizable characters. Owning an actual frame of 35mm film from their scene means holding a physical piece of theatrical history, a small artifact once threaded through a projector and shared with audiences worldwide.