Pokémon: The Movie 2000 arrived in theaters courtesy of Warner Bros. and 4Kids Entertainment, riding the crest of Pokémania as it swept American pop culture at the turn of the millennium. Following the surprise success of the first Pokémon film, this sequel, subtitled The Power of One, brought the franchise's promotional machine into full swing, with trailers and tie-in materials designed to keep young audiences and collectors alike primed for release. These promotional strips of film are now sought after as physical artifacts of that cultural peak, predating the digital marketing era entirely.
This particular cell comes from the trailer reel itself, a promotional strip meant to build anticipation rather than tell story. Pikachu anchors the frame as the franchise's central mascot, joined by Elekid and Psyduck, two Pokémon whose appearances in trailer material are less common than the marquee names. Bulbasaur and Venonat round out the grouping named for this cell, adding to its ensemble character. For collectors, trailer cells hold a particular appeal: they capture the marketing apparatus of the film itself, a distinct category from movie-proper stills, and this combination of characters makes it a notable grouping within that category.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of Pokémon: The Movie 2000.
Gauge
35mm, confirmed by four perforations per frame on both edges; the strip holds three frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges; spacing appears even and the punched edges look clean throughout the strip.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible running along the bottom edge beside the perforations, appearing as a dual bilateral variable-area pattern; a narrow blue-tinted stripe consistent with a Dolby SR or analog optical track is also present immediately above it.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture.
Base & colour
The base shows a warm amber-golden tint consistent with a colour dye-coupler release print; dye saturation appears intact with no visible fading.
Projection history
No splices, cue marks, or prominent scratches are visible; the surface appears consistent with a projected release print.
Picture
Positive colour image; all three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single continuous shot, and the animated character imagery is consistent with the Pokémon animated film on record.
Era check
The dual bilateral variable-area optical soundtrack, warm-base colour stock, and perforation layout are all consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print from the late 1990s to early 2000s, matching the 2000 release date on record.
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
