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National Film Vault

OFFICIAL FILM AUTHENTICATION BY CROWN GRADING
A
AUTHENTIC
CROWN CERTIFIED
Film cell NFV-000003367 Tap to enlarge
MOVIEPokémon 3: The Movie Trailer/Pikachu & Pichu Short Trailer
SCENEPikachu & Pichu - Title Card
FILM FORMAT35mm
YEAR2000
CERTIFICATE IDNFV-000003367

FILM NOTES

FILM NOTES

Released in 2000, Pokémon 3: The Movie arrived during the height of Pokémania, when the franchise's theatrical run was a near-guaranteed box office draw for Warner Bros. and 4Kids Entertainment. The feature was paired in American theaters with the short "Pikachu & Pichu," a Pokémon-only companion piece with no human dialogue, offering younger viewers and devoted fans alike a slice of pure character-driven fun. Together they represented the franchise at its commercial and cultural peak, with promotional material and trailers circulating widely to build anticipation among a generation raised on the games, cards, and television series.

This cell marks the opening identification for the "Pikachu & Pichu" short, the frame where the piece announces itself to the audience. Pikachu remains the franchise's defining figure, instantly recognizable and perpetually sought after by collectors of any Pokémon ephemera. Pichu and the Pichu Brothers extend that appeal into the short's own ensemble, representing the lighter, dialogue-free side of the franchise's storytelling. As a title card, this cell functions as a threshold piece, the first strip of film marking entry into a story told entirely through its Pokémon cast.

Authentication Findings 8 checks

Consistent with a 35mm release trailer print of the Pikachu & Pichu short trailer attached to Pokémon 3.

Gauge
35mm layout with four perforations per frame along both edges; the strip holds three frames, each tall and narrow as if framed for a vertical image.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges, evenly spaced, with rounded-rectangle holes that look cleanly punched and uniform along the strip.
Soundtrack
Two variable-area optical tracks run beside the picture; Dolby Digital data blocks appear in the gaps between the lower perforations. No DTS timecode or SDDS tracks seen.
Edge print
Only a small reversed code reading "00-0D" with a purple dot is visible at the lower edge; no manufacturer name or "SAFETY FILM" text is legible.
Base & colour
Light cyan-blue tint on the edge margins with a clear base; the dye image looks neutral to slightly warm, with no obvious fading or red shift.
Projection history
No scratches, cue marks or splices seen at this size; the strip looks clean, with only the curl of the film visible.
Picture
Positive image; the three frames repeat the same shot consecutively, and the "Pikachu & Pichu" title text matches the film on record.
Era check
Consistent with a 2000-era release trailer print: optical analogue tracks plus Dolby Digital blocks on a 35mm positive base fit that period's theatrical practice.
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 000071142
Original Film Capture As received
The film strip as photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size