MOVIEPokémon 3: The Movie Trailer/Pikachu & Pichu Short Trailer
SCENEIgglybuff, Smoochum, Furret and Sunflora
FILM FORMAT35mm
YEAR2001
CERTIFICATE IDNFV-000003377
FILM NOTES
Pokémon 3: The Movie arrived in 2001 courtesy of Warner Bros. and 4Kids Entertainment, the third theatrical outing built from the long-running anime franchise that had already become a cultural phenomenon among young collectors and casual fans alike. Distributed alongside a promotional short featuring Pikachu and Pichu, the release package captured the franchise at its commercial peak, when trailers themselves circulated as collectible artifacts tied to toy lines, trading cards, and home video reissues. This slice of promotional film stock reflects that era's appetite for anticipation-building material ahead of a feature release.
This cell preserves a moment from that promotional reel, pairing Igglybuff, Smoochum, Furret, and Sunflora together on a single strip of 35mm. Each of these is a recognizable Pokémon species from the games and show, and their joint appearance here situates the piece as part of the broader marketing push meant to showcase variety and charm across the roster. Trailer cells like this one hold appeal precisely because they predate the feature itself, offering a glimpse of character selection choices made for promotional purposes rather than narrative ones, a detail prized by collectors tracking the franchise's early theatrical marketing history.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm release print of the Pokémon 3: The Movie trailer (2001).
Gauge
35mm: four perforations per frame along both edges, and the strip holds three frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges, evenly spaced and cleanly punched, with rounded-rectangle holes and no tears or missing perforations.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track runs beside the picture as two parallel white-on-black bands, with Dolby Digital data blocks visible between the lower perforations.
Edge print
A single word reading 'FUJICOLOR' (mirrored) is printed along the lower edge; no key numbers or other codes are legible.
Base & colour
Pale cyan-blue base with a neutral to slightly cool dye image; no fading or red shift seen.
Projection history
No scratches, cue marks or splices seen at this size; the only marks are glossy-base reflections, which are ignored.
Picture
Positive image; the three frames run consecutively as one near-identical shot, and the animated style is consistent with the film on record.
Era check
Consistent with an early-2000s release print: Fujicolor stock, an optical track and Dolby Digital blocks fit a 2001 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 000071152
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
