Pokémon: The First Movie arrived in American theaters in November 1999, distributed by Warner Bros. after Nintendo and the Pokémon Company's merchandising juggernaut had already conquered toy aisles, trading cards, and Saturday morning television. The film's trailer campaign was a cultural event in its own right, heralding the franchise's leap to the big screen at the height of Pokémania. For a generation of young audiences, this was the first chance to see Ash Ketchum and his companions rendered in feature film form, making any surviving promotional material from this release a snapshot of a genuine pop culture peak.
This cell preserves a moment from that trailer, built around Ash Ketchum alongside Pikachu, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur, the core assembly that defined the series' early identity. Ash remains the franchise's central human figure, the trainer whose journey anchors every arc, while Pikachu stands as its most recognizable mascot worldwide. Squirtle and Bulbasaur round out the original starter lineup, favorites among collectors who trace Pokémon's roots to its earliest games and media. A trailer cell like this one captures the marketing language of the moment, the images chosen to sell anticipation before the feature itself ever reached audiences.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm release trailer print of Pokémon: The First Movie (1999).
Gauge
35mm: four perforations per frame along both edges, and the strip holds three full frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges, rounded-rectangle holes, evenly spaced and cleanly punched, with no torn or missing perforations seen.
Soundtrack
A two-track variable-area optical track runs beside the picture, with Dolby Digital data blocks in the gaps between the perforations on the sound edge.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture
Base & colour
Pale blue-tinted base; the dye image looks neutral to slightly cool, with no obvious red shift or fading.
Projection history
None seen at this size beyond a few tiny specks along the data-block edge; no splices, cue marks or visible scratches.
Picture
Positive colour image; the three frames run consecutively as one shot, and the animated Pokémon artwork matches the film on record.
Era check
Consistent: a dual optical track plus Dolby Digital blocks on a blue-tinted base fits a late-1990s 35mm release print, and the animated content fits a Pokémon 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 in partnership with National Film Vault, 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.
CROWN SERIAL 000069784
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
