Pokémon: Indigo League brought OLM's animated adaptation of the Pokémon franchise to American television in 1998 through syndication and the Kids' WB lineup, following Ash Ketchum's early journey through the Kanto region. The series arrived at the height of Pokémon's crossover into Western markets, alongside the trading card game and Game Boy titles, and became a defining artifact of late-90s children's media. Episode 22 belongs to this formative stretch of the show, when the Ghost-type Pokémon of Lavender Town and its surrounding lore were introduced to audiences for the first time, cementing Gengar, Gastly, and Haunter as fan favorites within the Ghost-type lineage.
This cell preserves a moment shared between the Ghost trio and the show's central pair, Ash and Pikachu. Gengar, Haunter, and Gastly represent one of the most collected Ghost-type family lines in the franchise, prized for their mischievous reputation and their early appearance in the anime's run. A cell pairing them with Ash and Pikachu marks a point of direct interaction between the series regulars and these early Ghost-types, a crossing of storylines collectors value for connecting the show's core duo to its growing cast of Pokémon.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm optical-sound release print of Pokémon Indigo League: Episode 22 (1998).
Gauge
35mm layout with four perforations per frame along both edges; the strip holds four complete frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges, evenly spaced, rounded-rectangle punches, cleanly cut with no tears or missing holes.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track, drawn as a band of light blue-and-white wavy lines, runs along one edge between the picture and the perforations.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture
Base & colour
Neutral to slightly cool pale base; the dye image shows saturated purples, oranges and blues with no visible fading or red shift.
Projection history
No scratches, splices or cue marks seen at this size.
Picture
Positive colour image; four consecutive frames of one near-static shot, and the animation style is consistent with the Pokémon anime on record.
Era check
The optical track, safety-base look and colour dye image are consistent with a late-1990s 35mm release print of an animated title.
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
