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National Film Vault

OFFICIAL FILM AUTHENTICATION BY CROWN GRADING
A
AUTHENTIC
CROWN CERTIFIED
Film cell NFV-000003374 Tap to enlarge
MOVIEPokémon 3: The Movie Trailer/Pikachu & Pichu Short Trailer
SCENECleffa, Igglybuff, Smoochum and Furret
FILM FORMAT35mm
YEAR2001
CERTIFICATE IDNFV-000003374

FILM NOTES

Pokémon 3: The Movie arrived in theaters in 2001, distributed by Warner Bros. as part of the franchise's early push to keep its animated features in American cinemas following the success of the first two films. This release paired the main feature with a short, Pikachu & Pichu, giving audiences a bonus adventure starring the franchise's baby Pokémon alongside the trailer material promoting the full movie. That era of Pokémon releases captured the height of the franchise's theatrical presence, when each new installment was treated as a cultural event for fans who had grown up with the games and television series.

This cell draws from that promotional material, pairing Cleffa, Igglybuff, and Smoochum, three baby Pokémon beloved for their rarity and charm among collectors, with Furret, a more established character from the main game lineage. A trailer or short-form cell like this one captures a promotional moment rather than a scene from the primary narrative, making it a snapshot of how the franchise marketed its gentler, kid-focused side. For collectors, the presence of these particular characters together signals the playful tone that the Pikachu & Pichu short was built around.

Authentication Findings 8 checks

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

Gauge
35mm: four perforations per frame along both edges, and the strip holds three frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges, evenly spaced, with rounded-rectangle holes that look cleanly punched.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track of two tracks runs between the picture and the lower perforations, and Dolby Digital data blocks sit in the gaps between the lower perforations.
Edge print
A small 'CL' code reads along the lower edge, backwards because the strip is emulsion-up; no other edge text is legible.
Base & colour
The base is clear with a pale blue-green edge tint; the dye image looks vivid, with no visible fading or red shift.
Projection history
No scratches, splices or cue marks seen at this size.
Picture
Positive colour image; the three frames run consecutively as one shot, and the cel-animated style is consistent with the Pokémon film on record.
Era check
Consistent with an early-2000s release print, since a two-track optical track with Dolby Digital blocks between the perforations was standard on 35mm trailers of that period.
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 000071149
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