Crown Grading

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 Game Freak. Released at the height of the franchise's cultural saturation, the film marked a significant theatrical milestone for anime in the Western market, drawing audiences well beyond its core demographic and cementing Pokémon as a genuine crossroads of animation, gaming, and popular culture.

This cell, titled Ash, Pikachu, Squirtle and Bulbasaur, captures a quiet compositional moment from the film's promotional trailer. Ash is seated against a purple-blue interior background with Pikachu perched atop his head, while Squirtle and Bulbasaur occupy the flanking space beside him. The three frames represent incremental steps within a single animation cycle, preserving the subtle movement characteristic of hand-drawn theatrical production.