Pokémon: The Movie Trailer (1999) arrived as Warner Bros. and Nintendo's joint push to carry the franchise from television into theaters, promoting Pokémon: The First Movie ahead of its American release. The trailer circulated in advance of a cultural wave, introducing mainstream audiences to a phenomenon already dominant in toys, games, and television. For collectors, early promotional 35mm from this campaign marks the moment Pokémon crossed into cinema, a transition point in the franchise's history and in late-1990s merchandising culture at large.
This cell, called Ash and Pikachu Falling, centers the franchise's two most recognizable figures: Ash Ketchum, the series' young trainer protagonist, and Pikachu, its mascot and emotional anchor. The scene described suggests a moment of peril or descent shared between them, a pairing that has defined the show's emotional core since its debut. As a trailer cell, this frame belongs to the promotional material crafted to build anticipation before the feature's release, making it a piece of the franchise's earliest theatrical marketing rather than the film itself. Collectors prize such material for capturing that transitional, promotional moment directly.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm release print of the Pokémon: The Movie (1999) trailer.
Gauge
35mm layout: 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 tears or missing perforations.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track of two tracks runs between the picture and the right-hand perforations, with Dolby Digital-style data blocks visible in the gaps between the lower perforations.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture
Base & colour
Clear base with a slight light-blue edge tint under the backlight; the dye image looks saturated and neutral, with no obvious fading or colour shift.
Projection history
None seen at this size beyond the camera reflection rings, which are ignored; no scratches, cue marks or splices are visible.
Picture
Positive image, three consecutive frames from one continuous shot, and the animated cartoon style is plausible for the Pokémon film on record.
Era check
Consistent with a late-1990s release print: an optical track plus Dolby Digital data between perforations fits a 1999 35mm theatrical trailer print.
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 000070061
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
