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. It marked the franchise's theatrical debut and became one of the highest-grossing animated films of that year, cementing Pokémon's cultural reach beyond television and trading cards.

This cell, titled Team Rocket, captures Jessie, James, and Meowth mid-tumble through the film's dark, storm-tossed sequence as the trio make their way toward New Island. The deep blue and brown palette is characteristic of this passage in the film. Four frames show a single continuous shot, with subtle animation progression visible across the strip.