Age group(s) for this birthday party activity:
Preschool and Younger
Elementary School

Cost of birthday party activity:
Cake and Food are essential; party ware and game costs are variable.

Birthday party planning information:
Let's have this Outdoors, if possible, because Pokemon fans are rather an exuberant bunch.

The theme lends itself to a Treasure Hunt, with picture clues or word clues. Gotta catch 'em all! Give small prizes to every trainer who goes on the hunt.

What do Pocket Monsters eat? Lots of things, probably. Get a big empty punch bowl, and fill it with all kinds of cereals, chips, M and M's, and other colorful, crunchy, sweet and salty items. Have an adult ladle out servings of this "nuts n' bolts" type snack. Make sure the little darlin's are not running amuck as they eat; that increases the chance of choking.

For some reason, kids really enjoy the idea of a Picnic Cloth spread on the grass. If they can help "pack for the adventure," and pull supplies around in the li'l red wagon, and help spread out picnic cloths, they'll enjoy it even more! This could be as simple as peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, individual bags of potato chips, and choice of soda pop or juice.

Gelatin, in all kinds of colors n' flavors, sparkles in clear plastic cups. The elegant way to eat that is with a spoon. The Monster way to eat Jello is to suck it thru a straw; it makes a real disgusting noise, sure to amuse all the other monsters...

Cupcakes can be decorate to resemble Poke Balls.

Milk, juice or fruit punch will be more fun if you have Silly Straws for each guest...but I don't think Jello can make it up the curves (however, I haven't tried it...).

You might find or make a Pikachu pinata. The most un-rocket science way would be to insert one sturdy grocery bag inside another (double bag), fill with candy and prizes, and staple shut at the top. Make some ears from construction paper, or paper twist. Paint him with Yellow tempera paint, and paint on eyes, red cheeks, etc. It is Very Hard to stuff a pinata with entirely choke-proof items, so consider the age of your guests when planning.

Pikachu beanbag toss is adaptable for all ages. Get a Huge piece of foam core board, and draw your best rendition of Pikachu with paint or markers. Cut a large hole for the mouth; that is where the balls or beanbags will go. With older children, you might make more holes of different sizes, with highest points for smallest holes.

Encourage guests to draw or paint portraits of their favorite Pokemon characters. If you can work outdoors, tack up a Very Large piece of paper up, for mural-style art. (If perchance a guest is not a Pokemon fan, he/she may draw any cartoon character or critter desired.) Award prizes to all participants.

Beanbags can be made of small, sturdy fabric scraps, cut and sewn like small pillows, but stuffed w/beans. Another option is rolled up Socks! The more, the better.

Put a new spin on some old games. Hide and Seek becomes Hide from the Trainer. Bob for yellow delicious apples (Pikachu, again). Put Pokemon stickers on empty plastic pop bottles and let the kids knock 'em down like bowling pins, or do likewise with plastic cups, stacking 'em in a pyramid, like at a carnival.

Spread a tarp on the ground, and bust open a few bales of straw. Hide coins in among the straw. Mostly pennies will work OK, but some nickels are good, too. Make sure everyone gets some!

Not all time needs to be heavily structured. If the sun is out, and the kids want to play on your swingset, shoot hoops with a basketball, or read a story under the apple tree, why not just enjoy it?

You can also set up a tent or 2 in the back yard, or an enormous cardboard crate from an appliance store (indoors or out), and let some imaginary adventures happen.

If the weather's totally awful, and you have lots of time indoors, it might be fun to watch a grand Old classic movie that features a monster that won't quite fit in your pocket: King Kong. The youngest guests won't be up for it, but older ones will!

Other suggestions or comments:
Specific Pokemon items are cool for parting gifts/goodie bags, but a sticker or 2 is all it takes to make an ordinary item a Pokemon item. If you purchase extra paper cups, you can put some candy or other goodies into the cups, and "wrap" them with nylon netting in blue or red, gathered up and tied with a piece of curling ribbon.