Which Pokémon film was the first feature-length movie in the series?

Pokémon: The First Movie was the series’ first feature-length Pokémon film.

Released in Japan in 1998 as Pocket Monsters the Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back, the film centers on Mewtwo, a genetically engineered Pokémon created from research involving Mew. Mewtwo struggles with questions about identity, purpose and whether its existence makes it superior to naturally born Pokémon.

The English release used the title Pokémon: The First Movie—Mewtwo Strikes Back and arrived in North America in 1999. It was preceded by the short film Pikachu’s Vacation, which follows Pikachu and several other Pokémon at a holiday resort.

The film is sometimes shortened to Pokémon: The First Movie, while its Japanese title is often translated as Mewtwo Strikes Back. Pokémon 2000 was the second theatrical film, so it should not be mistaken for the franchise’s cinematic debut.