What subtitle was used for the Japanese release of Pokémon: The First Movie?

The Japanese release of Pokémon: The First Movie used the subtitle “Mewtwo Strikes Back.”

The film's Japanese title translates as Pocket Monsters the Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back. It was directed by Kunihiko Yuyama and first released in Japan on July 18, 1998. The story centers on Mewtwo, a genetically engineered Pokémon who questions its origin and confronts the humans who created it.

For English-speaking audiences, the film was released in North America on November 10, 1999, under the title Pokémon: The First Movie—Mewtwo Strikes Back. Some references shorten that title to Pokémon: The First Movie, while others use the subtitle as the main identifier.

The movie is distinct from Pokémon the Movie 2000: The Power of One, which is the second theatrical Pokémon film. The title also should not be confused with Mewtwo Strikes Back—Evolution, a 2019 computer-animated remake.