Pokémon: The First Movie arrived in the United States in November 1999 through Warner Bros., riding the crest of a cultural phenomenon that had swept American childhoods via the television series, trading cards, and merchandise. Produced in Japan and localized for Western audiences, the film marked Pikachu and company's leap to the big screen, a milestone that cemented the franchise's staying power beyond its origins as a handheld game. For a generation of collectors, this theatrical debut remains a touchstone, and the trailer that preceded it became an artifact of anticipation in its own right, a preview reel designed to stir excitement in theaters before the feature itself unspooled.
This cell, drawn from that trailer, centers on Ash Ketchum and Pikachu under the name Pikachu Falling, a moment that speaks to vulnerability within a partnership built on trust and loyalty. Pikachu's status as the franchise's most recognizable figure makes any cell bearing its likeness a natural target for collectors, and a trailer cell carries its own distinction, a fragment meant to entice rather than narrate, promising emotional stakes without resolving them. Ash's presence alongside his companion reinforces the bond the series is known for, offered here as a single preserved frame of that promise.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm release-print trailer strip of Pokémon: The First Movie (1999).
Gauge
35mm: four perforations per frame along both edges, and the strip holds about four frames, two of them partly cut at the right end.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges, evenly spaced, rounded-rectangle shape, cleanly punched with no torn or missing holes in this capture.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track runs beside the picture, with Dolby Digital data blocks visible in the gaps between the lower-edge perforations.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture
Base & colour
Clear base with a light blue-teal tint at the edges; the dye image looks saturated and neutral, with no fading or red shift.
Projection history
No scratches, cue marks or splices seen at this size; the strip curves on the panel but shows no visible projection wear.
Picture
Positive colour image; the frames run consecutively, show Pikachu and Ash in animation, and are consistent with the Pokémon film on record.
Era check
Optical track plus Dolby Digital blocks on a clear base fits a late-1990s 35mm release print, matching a 1999 trailer.
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
