Author's Notes

My first Pokémon fic, and plotless one at that. *sigh*

Anywho, enjoy, and tell me what you think.

Out of Hot Air

After the events of Snow Way Out, Ash and co. deliberate as to what to do with Team Rocket's hot air balloon. Set in Indigo League.

'So what do we do with this?' Misty wondered aloud, after the five, three humans and two Pokémon, disembarked from their temporary mode of transport: Team Rocket's hot air balloon.

Ash and Brock looked at each other, then at the large Meowth head which was floating calmly in the light wind, by far a contrast to the blizzards they had left behind on the mountains. 'We could leave it here,' the black-haired boy mused. 'But I don't want to give them another opportunity for them to try and snatch Pikachu.'

'Pi-Pikachu,' the yellow mouse Pokémon agreed, cheeks sparking a little before jumping and settling himself on the other's shoulder.

'Hmm...' the eldest of their trio mused, before going over to the green basket and examining the supplies. 'They have quite a bit of food and medical supplies in here,' he stated, straightening up, as Vulpix arrived at his heels. 'They'll be needing them. Even if they do try and steal Pikachu most of the time, they are human.'

'But what can we do about that?' the only female asked again. 'They're probably still up on the mountain.'

Ash simply plopped down on a rock. 'They'll be here before long,' he muttered in a tone half torn between amusement and exasperation. 'They always seem to know where we are.'

'Unless they froze in the blizzard.'

'I doubt that. With their luck, they probably landed in the hot spring Onix dug up.'

'Ah...you guys should have covered it.'

'So our adversaries froze to death? Besides, we didn't dig it up for that particular purpose.' She hummed for a moment, before continuing. 'Still...being frozen was probably better than being shocked.'

Over the electric Pokémon's laughter, Brock disagreed. 'The effects of electricity, if at a low voltage, are pretty instantaneous, and at times beneficial. The low temperatures are far more dangerous.'

The laughter cut off, Pikachu resorting to growling at the breeder. 'Though I'm surprised Team Rocket haven't short circuited by now,' he continued, noting the traits that ran from trainer to Pokémon. 'Though I suppose they get enough time to recuperate.'

They all sighed, before looking at the balloon again. 'We got off topic,' the red-head pointed out. 'What are we doing with the balloon?'

Ash fiddled around with his Poke-ball. 'Maybe they'll show up out of the blue like they always do,' he said, before covering up his stomach as it growled. 'I haven't got the energy to think right now. Can we have lunch first?'

Misty growled. 'Is food all you think about?'

She was forced to give up her frustration when her own stomach followed suit.

Meanwhile, a miserable threesome where dragging their feet through the last of the snow, mourning not only a lost opportunity to beat those 'twerps' and catch Pikachu, but also the loss of their supplies in the previous blizzard.

They had long since given up on complaining about it all, now simply happy to reach the end of the mountain and enter more humane civilisation, from where they could buy, more in the more likely scenario, steal some supplies and some decent food to make up for the meagre snow rolls they had eventually been forced to eat...and to Jessie's chagrin, without soy sauce.

Forget that all they had in their balloon were tin cans of who knows what.

At the base, a delicious and somewhat familiar scent caught their nose, and so they followed, as stealthily as a Meowth to put it into the graceful words of the said Pokémon, to three familiar twerps enjoying a Brock-cooked meal.

And the mouth-watering sensation, sated by nothing other than a pound of snow, gave way to desire.

They figured the food was more important than the Pokémon.

And somehow or other, the balloon had escaped their notice.

The trio and their Pokémon, all released from their Poke balls, were only faintly surprised to see Team Rocket spring out of the bushes; after all, they had been partially hoping for it. And since they, for a rare time, were not taking any interest in Pikachu, the five, three humans and two Pokémon, simply slipped off during the usual mundane motto recital, thanking the stars they were too preoccupied with their egos (and mouths) to realise their quarry had vanished.

They weren't too disappointed though, as the food had been left behind. And once their stomachs had been stuffed to the brim, having to reluctantly admit that Brock's cooking was superb, they also noticed their balloon innocently slumped in a corner, the Meowth head fresh out of air.

'The twerps were unusually nice,' James blinked, being the first to notice it.

The red haired woman frowned slightly at the uncharacteristic situation, but shrugged it off as she hopped into the balloon with Meowth. 'They couldn't have gotten far on foot,' she pointed out. 'We still have a shot at Pikachu.' Then she turned to her partner. 'Fire up the balloon.'

James saluted. 'Yes ma'am.'

Though after a bit of fiddling, he frowned. 'Um...Jessie?'

'What?'

'I think there is a hole in the balloon.'