National Film Vault

FILM NOTES

Pokémon: The First Movie arrived in North American cinemas in November 1999, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures and produced by OLM, Inc. for Nintendo and Creatures Inc. Adapted from the globally dominant television series, the film marked the franchise's theatrical debut and became a cultural milestone of late-nineties animation, drawing record opening-weekend audiences and cementing Pokémon's crossover appeal beyond its core audience.

This cell captures Team Rocket — Jessie, James, and Meowth — mid-tumble against a dark environment punctuated by blue and orange lighting, consistent with one of the film's kinetic action passages. The sequence across four frames preserves the trio's characteristic comedic physicality, offering a candid look at three of the film's most enduring supporting figures caught in characteristic disarray.