Air transportation in the Pokémon world
There are various methods of transportation by air in the Pokémon world. These methods include various aircraft, hot air balloons, spacecraft, cable cars, and recreational equipment.
Aircraft
Airplanes
Mistralton City has an airport.
In Pokémon Black 2 and White 2, upon completing the Unova Pokédex, the player can go to the Cargo Service in Mistralton City where Skyla will take the player to the Nature Preserve in an airplane. The Pilot Trainer class was introduced in Generation V depicting men in typical airplane pilot uniforms.
Airplanes have also been used several times in the anime. For instance, since the Unova region is far away from the other regions, it is said to be only reachable by plane. A plane was used by Ash to get there. A plane was also used by Ash to reach Kalos, where he arrived at an airport in Lumiose City in Kalos, Where Dreams and Adventures Begin!. Later, Lumiose Airport was shown to be under repair in The First Day of the Rest of Your Life! after the Team Flare events. Then in Till We Compete Again!, Team Rocket and Ash rode on Dragonite Airlines to travel back to Kanto. Serena also flew on Latias Airlines flight H71 to fly to Hoenn. A plane was also used by Noland in Numero Uno Articuno and Officer Jenny, as well as other police officers, in Losing Its Lustrous. Additionally, Grings Kodai had a seaplane in Zoroark: Master of Illusions.
Airships
In Pokémon Black 2 and White 2, Team Plasma uses an airship named the Plasma Frigate.
In the anime, airships have been used frequently by villains. Futuristic airships of a large size, powered apparently by anti-gravity technology of some kind have been used by J, Lawrence III, Zero, Argus Steel, and Alva.
Other futuristic hovercraft-like transport have appeared in various Pokémon media. Air cars have been seen commonly in the various manga. Most notably, Officer Jenny patrols in a flying car in The Electric Tale of Pikachu. Wallace and Cyrus also has a flying car in Pokémon Adventures. The Battle Pyramid features hovercraft-like turbines installed in its underside, giving it the ability to move around anywhere. This allowed Brandon to move the Battle Pyramid throughout Kanto, as well as to Snowpoint City. Hover cars have been used for various purposes in the anime. Small hover cars were used by Pokémon Pinchers in the Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs anime special. The Rising Volt Tacklers travel in the Brave Asagi during Pokémon Horizons: The Series.
Blimps
In Pokémon Conquest, a blimp is used to carry Warriors between non-adjacent kingdoms.
Blimps have appeared several times in the anime, usually to travel long distances. Ash, his friends, and Team Rocket used a blimp in A Scare in the Air! and Poké Ball Peril to travel to Valencia Island. Ash and his friends board a high-end blimp, the "Leviathan Two", in The Kecleon Caper!. Misty used a blimp to go back to Cerulean City from the Mirage Kingdom in A Togepi Mirage. Ash, his friends, and Barry, along with Team Rocket, used an blimp to go to Canalave City in Jumping Rocket Ship!. Khoury, Lyra, and Khoury's father bid farewell to Ash and his friends at the Lilypad Airport in Sinnoh near the end of Bagged Then Tagged!.
Helicopters
Helicopters are a common mode of transport used by various characters including Diantha and Steven, as well as by villainous teams such as Team Rocket, Team Magma, Team Aqua, Team Galactic, and Team Flare throughout the series. They are also often used by news crew. For example, Rhonda has been seen using a helicopter in All Dressed Up With Somewhere To Go!, and Team Rocket used a news crew helicopter in The Right Hero for the Right Job!. A pilot working with Ben also used one in Pokémon Ranger: Heatran Rescue!. In the Pokémon Adventures manga, Team Galactic used a helicopter to transport materials for the Galactic Bomb. Cassius also used a helicopter in Dancing Vivillon.
One of Team Rocket's helicopters
A Team Rocket cargo helicopter, skycrane variant
A Team Rocket cargo helicopter, transport variant
One of Team Rocket's helicopters in Pokémon the Series: Black & White
Cassius's helicopter in Pokémon Adventures
Hot air balloons
In the games
- Main article: Team GO Rocket balloons
In Pokémon GO, hot air balloons allow players to battle members of Team GO Rocket. If a player has a Rocket Radar equipped they can battle a Team GO Rocket Leader, and if a Super Rocket Radar is equipped then Giovanni will appear. If neither are equipped, a Team GO Rocket Grunt will be the opponent instead. In addition, during specific in-game events, a Meowth-shaped balloon may appear and will initiate two consecutive battles against Jessie and James.
In the anime
- Main article: Team Rocket's mechas → Team Rocket's balloons
The Team Rocket trio uses hot air balloons in many episodes. Most often they are shaped like one of their Pokémon, Meowth or Wobbuffet, but there were also Sneasel, Gliscor, and Carnivine models.
A hot air-balloon was also used by Ash and his friends in the episode The Kecleon Caper, a Pikachu one in Mewtwo Returns, and by various contestants, including Ash, in The Big Balloon Blow-Up. They are also commonly used in various contests requiring Flying-type Pokémon, such as the PokéRinger competition in That's Just Swellow and Pursuing a Lofty Goal!, and the Pokémon Sky Relay in A Relay in the Sky!. A hot air balloon also appeared in the movie The Rise of Darkrai.
Hot air balloon-like aircraft or dirigibles were also used in Great Bowls of Fire!, however it possessed the notable difference of seeming to be driven forward in the air by Pokémon (in the episode's specific usage, Charizard).
Spacecraft
UFOs
According to the Pokédex entries of Elgyem, UFOs were likely to be the mode of transport used by these Pokémon.
In the anime, a flying saucer appeared in A UFO for Elgyem! made by Professor Icarus, which was later destroyed by Team Rocket. The professor had become inspired by a UFO sighting when he was 8, and had previously made a small flying saucer after quitting university. The professor stated that by manipulating exotic matter and by extension, gravity, real UFOs could reach speeds faster than the speed of light.
Another UFO appeared in Capacia Island UFO! driven by several Beheeyem which crash landed near Capacia Island. Ash, his friends, and Team Rocket sneaked onto the UFO to try to save the people of Capacia Island who had all been turned into Behheyem.
Scott used a flying saucer as a mode of transport in Pokémon Adventures.
Rockets
Pewter Museum of Science
In the Pewter Museum of Science in Generations I and III as well as in Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, a model of a space shuttle is exhibited in the museum. In Generation I, the model was said to be a replica of Space Shuttle Columbia. It has just been referred to as 'space shuttle' from Generation III onwards, likely because of the real-life Space Shuttle Columbia disaster in 2003.
Mossdeep Space Center
The Mossdeep Space Center located in Mossdeep City successfully sends rockets into space, though specifics of the space missions are unknown. In Emerald, the Space Center plays a big part in the plot, where Team Magma attempts to steal rocket fuel while a rocket begins to launch into space. It also plays a key role in the Delta Episode of Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, where Professor Cozmo intends to use a rocket full of Infinity Energy as well as the energy of humans (found in Key Stones) to create a warp hole to take an asteroid off collision course with the planet. A rocket can be seen outside the Space Center.
In the episode It's Still Rocket Roll To Me, Ash and his friends visit the space center to find the gym leaders of the city. Max and gym leader Tate sneak into the cockpit of a space shuttle just before it is launched on a mission, and find that Team Rocket has taken over control of the shuttle.
Elsewhere
Rockets have appeared several times in the anime, including outside of the aforementioned areas. Many of Team Rocket's mechas are rocket-powered, and a rocket appeared in Where No Togepi Has Gone Before!, disguised as Team Rocket’s secret base, which eventually launched with Ash, his friends, and Team Rocket inside.
Recreational equipment
Hangliders
Hangliders appear a few times in the anime: used by Falkner in Fighting Flyer with Fire, used by Domino and many Team Rocket Grunts in Mewtwo Returns, and used by Team Rocket in The Battle Club and Tepig's Choice!.
Jet packs
In The Scheme Team, Butch and Cassidy rode on jet packs to go to the location of their mission. Domino also used one in Mewtwo Returns. Jet packs are also used by the Team Rocket trio in Pokémon the Series: Black & White to escape from the "twerps", replacing their traditional hot air-balloon getaway; it has thus proved to be more effective.
Santa's sleigh
Santa Claus rode a sleigh drawn by Ponyta in Christmas Night, and Stantler in Stantler's Little Helpers and Delibird's Dilemma to fly all over the world to give away gifts to good children.