National Film Vault

OFFICIAL FILM AUTHENTICATION BY CROWN GRADING

AUTHENTIC

CROWN CERTIFIED

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MOVIEPokémon 3: The Movie Trailer/Pikachu & Pichu Short Trailer

SCENEPikachu & Pichu - Title Card

FILM FORMAT35mm

YEAR2001

CERTIFICATE IDNFV-000003368

FILM NOTES

Released in 2001 by Warner Bros. as part of the theatrical rollout for Pokémon 3: The Movie, this trailer package introduced American audiences to two pieces of Pokémon media at once: the main feature's promotional reel and the companion short Pikachu & Pichu. The short itself became a fixture of the franchise's early theatrical presence, screening ahead of the feature and giving Pikachu a rare showcase apart from Ash and the human cast. For collectors, this period represents the height of the franchise's first wave of American popularity, when Pokémon's theatrical releases were treated as major studio events and supporting material like trailers and shorts carried genuine promotional weight.

This piece preserves the card that opens the Pikachu & Pichu short, the frame of 35mm film announcing the feature before any story begins. Title cards hold a particular appeal for collectors since they mark the threshold moment of a release, the handshake between studio and audience. The pairing of Pikachu with the Pichu Brothers places this squarely in the short's own world, separate from the main film's cast, built around the franchise's most recognizable character alongside its smaller, paired companions.

Authentication Findings 8 checks

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

Gauge: 35mm: four perforations per frame along both edges, and the strip holds three frames.
Perforations: Four per frame on both edges, evenly spaced, rounded-rectangle shape and cleanly punched, with no torn or missing perforations seen.
Soundtrack: A variable-area optical track of two parallel tracks runs beside the picture; the gaps between the perforations hold grey data blocks, which looks like Dolby Digital.
Edge print: Only a small number reading "57" is visible near the lower edge; no manufacturer name or "SAFETY FILM" text is legible in this capture.
Base & colour: Pale blue-cyan tinted base with a neutral, unfaded dye image; the colours look saturated and show no red shift.
Projection history: No scratches, splices or cue marks seen at this size; the dark rings on the frames are phone reflections and are ignored.
Picture: Positive colour image, three consecutive frames of one shot, and the "Pikachu & Pichu" title text matches the short trailer on record.
Era check: The blue-tinted base, two-track optical track and Dolby Digital data blocks are consistent with a 2001 35mm release 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 000071143

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