Pokémon: The Movie Trailer arrived in 1999 as part of the franchise's first major theatrical push in the West, produced to build anticipation ahead of Pokémon: The First Movie's release. Warner Bros. handled distribution in the United States, capitalizing on the cultural wave that had made Pikachu and the Pokémon brand a dominant presence in toy aisles, television, and trading cards. For a generation of young viewers, this was the moment animated pocket monsters crossed fully into the multiplex, and trailer material from this period marks that transition with historical weight.
This cell preserves a moment from that promotional reel, naming Ash Ketchum and Pikachu together as they fall. Ash, the series' central trainer, and Pikachu, its enduring mascot, are the two figures collectors most want to find in any Pokémon memorabilia from this era. A falling scene suggests tension or peril worked into the trailer's pacing, a common device used to hook audiences before the feature itself. As a piece of trailer film rather than the finished movie, this cell represents the marketing apparatus built to launch Pokémon into theaters, a snapshot of anticipation rather than resolution.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm positive release-print strip from the Pokémon: The Movie (1999) trailer.
Gauge
35mm: four perforations per frame along both edges, and the strip holds three complete frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges, evenly spaced, rounded-rectangle holes that look cleanly punched with no visible tears or missing holes.
Soundtrack
Two variable-area optical tracks run beside the picture, plus a dashed line along the top of the track area; the lower perforation edge shows dotted dye marks between holes, not clear Dolby Digital blocks.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture
Base & colour
Clear, slightly cool base with pale blue edge bands; the dye image looks saturated, with strong reds and no obvious fade.
Projection history
No scratches or splices seen, only a tiny white speck in the third frame; a faint ring on the middle frame is a camera reflection and is ignored.
Picture
Positive image; the three frames run consecutively as one continuous shot, and the cartoon style fits the Pokémon film on record.
Era check
Consistent with a 1999 release print: a colour positive with optical stereo tracks and Dolby Digital-style data between perforations was typical of late-1990s 35mm trailers.
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 000070055
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
