Crown Grading

FILM NOTES

Pokémon: The First Movie arrived in North American theaters in November 1999, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures following its original Japanese release the prior year. Produced by OLM, Inc. for Nintendo and Game Freak, the film marked the franchise's theatrical debut and became a cultural milestone for an entire generation of young audiences, grossing over 160 million dollars domestically and cementing Pokémon's reach far beyond the television series.

This cell, titled Pikachu Crying, captures one of the most quietly devastating images in the film: Pikachu alone against a dark, rain-streaked background, tears streaming down its face. The moment belongs to the climax sequence and remains among the most recognizable frames in animated cinema of its era.