Pokémon: The Movie 2000 arrived in theaters as Warner Bros. and Nintendo capitalized on the franchise's peak North American popularity, following the 1999 debut film's massive box office success. Known internationally as Pokémon 2: The Power of One, it introduced American audiences to legendary birds Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres alongside Lugia, expanding the Pokémon mythology beyond the original 150 creatures that had defined the craze. The accompanying trailer served as a crucial marketing tool, building anticipation during the height of Pokémania and promising fans new creatures to discover.
This cell preserves a moment from that promotional trailer, specifically a card announcing new Pokémon to audiences still immersed in the original generation's roster. Trailer and title card cells like this one hold particular appeal for collectors because they capture the marketing apparatus of a cultural phenomenon rather than the finished feature itself, documenting how the franchise sold its expansion to a waiting public. The phrase "new Pokémon" reflects the promotional mood of discovery and escalation that defined the film's rollout, positioning the sequel as bigger and broader than what came before.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm Dolby Digital and optical release print of the Pokémon: The Movie 2000 trailer.
Gauge
35mm: four perforations per frame along both edges, and the strip holds three frames, all running sideways on the panel.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges, evenly spaced, with clean rounded-rectangle punches and no torn or missing holes.
Soundtrack
A two-track variable-area optical track runs beside the picture; between the perforations on the sound side there are Dolby Digital data blocks.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture
Base & colour
Clear base with a neutral to slightly cool look; the dye image shows no obvious fade or colour shift. The blue-grey margins appear to be the panel mask.
Projection history
Fine speckled dust or specks on the black areas, and no splices, cue marks or heavy scratches seen.
Picture
Positive image; three consecutive frames repeat the same Pokémon! title card with a NEW burst, which matches a Pokémon trailer.
Era check
Consistent with a circa 2000 release print: it carries both an analog optical track and Dolby Digital data blocks, as theatrical prints of that period did.
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 000071265
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
