National Film Vault

FILM NOTES

Pokémon: The First Movie arrived in North American theaters in November 1999, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures and produced by OLM, Inc. for Nintendo and Game Freak. Released at the height of the global Pokémon phenomenon, the film marked the franchise's theatrical debut and became one of the highest-grossing animated films of that year, drawing audiences well beyond its core young demographic.

This cell, titled Pikachu Crying, captures Pikachu in an emotional close-up against a dark background, tears streaming down his face across four consecutive frames. The sequence belongs to one of the film's most quietly affecting moments, and the repetition across the strip gives the grief a sustained, almost meditative quality that stills viewers even decades later.