Pokémon: The Movie 2000 arrived in theaters courtesy of Warner Bros. and Pokémon USA, riding the wave of the franchise's explosive late-1990s popularity. As the second theatrical feature, it pushed the animation beyond the television series' scope, built around the legendary bird Lugia and the gathering of the elemental titans. The promotional trailer that preceded its release played a key role in building anticipation, giving audiences their first extended look at the film's scale and stakes before a single ticket was sold, making these trailer cells valuable as historical markers of that marketing push.
This cell preserves a moment from that trailer: Charizard pulling Ash and friends, with Pikachu, Tracey Sketchit, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur alongside, and Lugia present in the frame's company. The pairing of Ash's traveling companions with his most powerful partner Pokémon speaks to the found-family core of the series, while Lugia's inclusion signals the mythic scope the movie promised. For collectors, a trailer cell like this one captures the franchise at its theatrical turning point, a single frame from the footage built to sell audiences on Pokémon's first true cinematic adventure.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm release-print trailer strip of Pokémon: The Movie 2000.
Gauge
35mm layout, with four perforations per frame along both edges; the strip holds three frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges, evenly spaced, with cleanly punched rounded-rectangle holes and no visible tears.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track runs beside the picture, with Dolby Digital data blocks visible in the gaps between the lower-edge perforations.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture
Base & colour
Clear base with a pale blue edge tint; the dye image looks neutral and saturated, with no visible fading or colour shift.
Projection history
No lines, scratches, cue marks or splices seen at this size.
Picture
Positive image; the three frames run consecutively from one shot, and the animated artwork is consistent with a Pokémon film, matching the title on record.
Era check
Consistent with a 2000-era release print: an optical track plus Dolby Digital data between perforations suits a 35mm theatrical trailer 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 000071251
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
