FAD AT PEAK; `POKEMON' TOPS WITH TOTS, THEATERS.

Byline: Harrison Sheppard Staff Writer

Burger Kings and movie theaters braced today for an onslaught of Pokemon-crazed kids, as the fad hits a fever pitch in the first weekend of the movie's release and promotional tie-ins.

``I expect it to go crazy,'' said Bonifacio Miguel, manager of a Burger King in Pacoima. ``There's going to be a tremendous amount of kids.''

The restaurant chain's Pokemon toy promotion - its most popular ever - led to shortages at several locations Thursday when children were off for Veterans Day, but Friday company officials scrambled to restock.

This weekend, they expect the crowds to return. Miguel is anticipating about 30 percent to 40 percent more business than usual this weekend and will have four extra staff people on duty to handle the crush.

Friday afternoon, dozens of boisterous kids were lined up in front of the AMC Promenade 16 in Woodland Hills, which was showing ``Pokemon: The First Movie'' on three screens.

``I hope it's a really, really good movie,'' said 6-year-old Charles Einy of Tarzana, who stood in line with his mother and friend for an hour before show time.

He owns 73 Pokemon cards and wants to see the movie for his favorite character, Mewtwo, which he doesn't have on a card yet. Wide-eyed, he enthusiastically described seeing a young girl in line: ``She showed me her card, and she has a Mewtwo. That's the bestest card!'' he said, jumping up and down.

Huge crowds are expected today and Sunday at The Promenade at Woodland Hills, where a collectors store is hosting a Pokemon Expo near the theater, which is showing the movie at least a dozen times a day.

The Pokemon Expo, organized by Collectors Guide to the Galaxy, will feature training for kids who don't know how to play the Pokemon game, as well as trading, a tournament and display of Pokemon artwork.

The store will have almost 20 employees on duty but does not anticipate a need for extra security to control the crowds.

``The kids can be rowdy, but they're usually in control,'' said store owner Kenny Pruitt. ``I don't think they're going to be beating each other up or anything.''

The expo will be Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the mall's lower level, below the food court.

Pokemon - for anyone who has been living under a rock - is an animated Japanese import that features 151 characters on trading cards which kids collect and trade with each other.

The characters, which have become tremendously popular with children, are featured in video games, TV shows and toys, and in their first feature-length film, ``Pokemon: The First Movie,'' which was released Wednesday with huge sales.

Some Burger King stores, such as the one in Panorama City, were still reporting shortages Friday. While the company had expected an onslaught of customers, it simply could not stock enough supplies in advance, a spokesman said.

``After all we're selling hamburgers too,'' said corporate spokesman Charles Nicolas. ``There's just not enough room in the restaurants. We could basically fill the whole restaurant with toys.''

Nicolas said this is the company's largest promotion ever, topping ones for previous movies like ``The Lion King'' and ``Toy Story,'' for which at least 70 million toys were given away.

And things might get even crazier Monday, when Burger King unleashes yet another promotion: gold-plated trading cards, given away with the purchase of any $1.99 value meal. They come inside a Pokeball, which has a spring that opens it slowly to reveal the card inside. Unlike the main promotion, which will last until Jan. 2, the gold-plated cards will only be given out for three weeks, and supplies will not be replenished.

Other businesses have been riding the Pokemon wave as well.

Home builder Kaufman & Broad, which has several communities in the San Fernando Valley, is giving out two free tickets to anyone who visits one of the company's communities. Last weekend, that resulted in a 21 percent increase in customer traffic, and at least a few additional home sales, according to company spokeswoman Wendy Marlett.

The Pokemon trading cards have become so popular across the country that they have occasionally resulted in violence or theft.

In Lakeland, Fla., a seventh-grader was recently charged with a felony and may be expelled from school after he attacked a teacher who confiscated his Pokemon trading cards.

And in Rancho Palos Verdes, two students were arrested this week for allegedly stealing more than 150 trading cards from backpacks of other students at nearby elementary schools, according to a sheriff's deputy.

As a result of student fights and disruptions from constant trading, some schools have taken to banning the cards.

At Valerio Elementary School in Van Nuys, the cards were banned in early October.

``They play with them, and they get into arguments over them,'' said Assistant Principal Tom Kutras. ``There's been a few problems.''

But theater owners are thrilled with the receipts.

In its first two days of release, ``Pokemon: The First Movie'' grossed $19.7 million and could take in an additional $30 million in ticket sales by the end of the weekend, according to industry experts. Thursday's showings generated a slight 5 percent decline with business totaling $9.6 million at 2,901 theaters. The studio added 143 locations Friday.

And it appears the Pokemon craze won't be dying out anytime soon. Warner Bros. plans a sequel next summer called ``Pocket Monsters,'' based on a film released in Japan this summer that will be reworked for American audiences.

Staff Writer Dave McNary contributed to this article.

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Photo

Photo: (color) Josie Schneider, 4, dressed as Charmeleon, waits for her movie at The Promenade.

Charlotte Schmid-Maybach/Staff Photographer