Pokémon: The First Movie arrived in American theaters in November 1999 through Warner Bros., riding the crest of Pokémania as the franchise expanded from television and trading cards into a full theatrical event. Produced by OLM and distributed in the West with added footage, it introduced Mewtwo's origin story to audiences already devoted to Ash Ketchum and his Pikachu. The promotional trailer that preceded the film's release served as an early signal to fans that the series had grown into something larger, a cinematic companion to the games and show that had already become a cultural phenomenon among children and collectors alike.
This cell, drawn from that trailer under the name Ash & Pikachu Falling, centers on the franchise's two most enduring figures together in a single moment of peril suggested by the title itself. Ash, the series' constant young trainer, and Pikachu, its mascot and emotional core, are shown here mid-fall, a moment that trailers often use to heighten stakes and draw audiences toward the feature. For collectors, pairing these two characters in such a charged instant captures the partnership at the heart of the franchise's appeal.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm release trailer print of Pokémon: The First Movie (1999).
Gauge
Four perforations per frame along both edges, consistent with 35mm; the strip holds four complete frames, with a partial fifth edge-on at the left.
Perforations
Four per frame on each edge, evenly spaced and cleanly punched with uniform rounded-rectangle shapes; no torn, missing or distorted holes seen.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track with two wavy white-on-black bands runs along the lower edge; no Dolby Digital blocks, DTS timecode or SDDS tracks are visible.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture
Base & colour
Light blue-cyan tint along both edges; the dye image looks saturated and neutral, with no obvious fading or red shift.
Projection history
No scratches, cue marks or splices seen at this size; the frames look clean.
Picture
Positive image; the four frames run consecutively as one continuous shot, and the animated style is consistent with the Pokémon film on record.
Era check
A two-track variable-area optical track on 35mm stock is consistent with a 1999 theatrical trailer print; no later digital formats appear, though the panel and display look contemporary.
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
