Pokémon: The First Movie arrived in theaters in 1999 courtesy of Warner Bros. and Nintendo, riding the crest of a cultural wave that had swept through playgrounds, trading card binders, and Saturday morning television. The teaser trailer that circulated ahead of release was engineered to pull in both die-hard fans of the franchise and newcomers curious about the hype, promising big-screen spectacle built from a property that had, until then, lived mostly on small screens and handheld consoles. Its theatrical run cemented Pokémon as more than a passing fad, pushing the brand firmly into mainstream film history.
This cell preserves a moment from that promotional reel featuring Jessie, one third of Team Rocket and a character prized by collectors for her sharp presence and enduring popularity within the series. A close-up in a teaser carries particular weight, as trailer footage was cut sparingly and selectively to tease personality rather than plot. Holding a strip built around her likeness connects directly to that early marketing push, a tangible artifact from the moment Pokémon's leap to cinema was first being sold to audiences.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm Dolby Digital release-print trailer strip of Pokémon: The First Movie (1999).
Gauge
35mm: four-perforation frame pitch with perforations on both edges, matching the frame heights shown; the strip holds three frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges, rounded-rectangle, evenly spaced and cleanly punched, with no torn or missing perforations seen.
Soundtrack
Two variable-area optical tracks (stereo-style pair) run between the picture and the lower perforations, with a dashed line above; small speckled Dolby Digital data blocks sit between the lower perforations.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture
Base & colour
Light blue-tinted base at the edges with a neutral, clear picture area; dye colours look saturated and unfaded.
Projection history
None seen at this size; the picture area and soundtrack appear free of visible scratches, cue marks or splices.
Picture
Positive image; the three frames run consecutively as one shot with a small progressive change, and the animated style is consistent with the film on record.
Era check
Optical tracks plus Dolby Digital blocks on a blue-tinted base fit a late-1990s 35mm release print, consistent with 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 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 000069828
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
