Sources: Wikidata. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
Pikachu's Vacation debuted in 1999 as the short accompanying Pokémon: The First Movie, produced by OLM under Nintendo and The Pokémon Company's oversight during the franchise's first great wave of American popularity. Rather than advancing the main film's drama, it offered a breather: Pikachu and friends left behind by their trainers, free to spend a day among themselves at a lakeside resort. For many young audiences this short was their first extended look at Pokémon behavior unmediated by battle or plot, and it remains a touchstone for collectors chasing the gentler, slice of life side of the franchise's early years.
This cell centers on a race between Marill and Squirtle, two water types whose rivalry supplies one of the short's recurring bits of business, with Snorlax present as onlooker or obstacle along the course. Snorlax cells are prized for the character's sheer scale and the comic contrast it brings to smaller Pokémon in motion. As a moment from a footrace sequence rather than a title card or credits frame, this piece captures the short's easy, playful pacing, the kind of unscripted downtime that made Pikachu's Vacation a favorite among fans seeking the era's lighter storytelling.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of Pokémon: Pikachu's Vacation (1999).
Gauge
35mm, confirmed by four perforations per frame visible on both edges; the strip holds one frame fully visible with partial frames above and below.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges; spacing appears even and the punched holes appear cleanly formed with no torn or deformed edges visible.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible running along the left edge of the picture area, appearing as a single variable-area stripe; a dense data block consistent with Dolby Digital is visible in the inter-perforation gaps on the left edge.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to read manufacturer codes or key numbers clearly.
Base & colour
The base appears with a slight warm-neutral tint consistent with a colour print stock; the dye image shows saturated colour with no visible fading or red shift.
Projection history
Light vertical lines consistent with projection wear are visible across the frame area; no splices or cue marks are seen.
Picture
Positive colour image; the single visible frame appears to be part of a consecutive shot sequence, and the animated character style is consistent with the Pokémon animated film on record.
Era check
The combination of a variable-area optical track with Dolby Digital inter-perforation data blocks is consistent with a 1999 theatrical release print, as dual-format optical sound was standard for that period.
Read from the original intake capture shown below. Observations only — film is authenticated, not graded.
This original motion picture film element has been examined and authenticated by Crown Grading, and encapsulated for archival preservation.
Why so little survivesRelease prints were leased to theaters, not sold. When the run ended they went back to the distributor to be destroyed, and most were. What collectors hold today came from the prints that escaped that order, and no new 35mm prints of these films are being struck.
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
