A/N: Now, if you look to your screen, you'll see... a gym battle! Thank you for waiting patiently. Heh.

Thank you to dynamicParadox, tylerxc626, and Alisontheperson for reviewing!

Title: Another Kind of Battle

Author: liketolaugh

Rating: T

Pairings: None

Genre: Friendship/Adventure

Warnings: AU

Summary: 'An Amestrian battle is different from a battle in any other region. For one thing, a human battles right alongside their pokemon.' 'There were three requirements to be a State Alchemist. First, you had to pass the State Alchemist exam. Second, you had to have at least three pokemon. And third, you had to get the first four gym badges.' (Follows Ed through his Pokemon journey and then skips ahead to a post-2003 anime AU. Post-Hoenn Ash in later chapters.)

Disclaimer: If I owned Fullmetal Alchemist, would I really be here right now? Or Pokemon, for God's sake.


One week after his defeat, Ed stepped into Cameron's gym once again.

"Back, sunshine?"

Cameron was smirking down at Ed from his perch, but Ed thought that there was a different quality to his eyes; less mocking. He dismissed it quickly, though, and glared up at the cocky gym leader.

"You bet your ass I am," he snapped, arms crossed.

This time around, Ed had abandoned his red coat and white gloves, letting his automail remain visible now that the secret was blown anyway. He'd also temporarily dyed his hair black, though his eyes, he knew, could still give him away.

Additionally, Al had insisted on accompanying him, and the boy shuffled uncomfortably one step behind, Togepi cradled in his arms, Eevee under his feet, and Plusle clinging to his head. It made for a pretty comical image.

"Who's your friend?" Cameron asked, amused eyes flickering over Al. "Armor's against the rules, you know."

"I don't want to fight," Al said hastily. "I just want to watch Brother's battle, okay?"

"Brother, huh?" Cameron mused, eyes running over Al more thoroughly this time. He was beginning to get a small idea about why Mustang said the kid needed the title so bad.

"Leave Al out of it," Ed demanded, drawing Cameron's attention back to him. "I want a rematch!"

Cameron barked a harsh laugh. "Sure thing, sunshine. Just don't cry when you lose."

Ed gritted his teeth.


"Trainers, begin!"

Unlike last time, neither side sprang right into action; instead, soft sounds filled the air, not least of which was the clanking of Al's armor, a sound that Ed barely noticed but that Cameron found highly distracting.

Both sides were listening carefully, making as little noise as possible. Or at least, Ed, Cameron, and Mightyena were.

Riolu, on the other hand, was edging closer and closer to Mightyena, concentration decorating his face as he identified her aura. A grin broke across Ed's face as he judged that enough time had passed.

"Riolu," he ordered. "Force Palm."

"Mightyena, dodge!" Cameron said quickly, and Ed grinned as the man's location was revealed as he dodged as well, throwing himself in that direction and hitting the former soldier hard in the gut, earning himself a choking sound and a cough.

On top of that, blue light briefly flared in the room and Mightyena cried out as Riolu's attack struck, sending it flying halfway across the room, scraping to a halt. Ed heard Al inhale sharply, loud when set against the dark of the room.

Ed grunted as Cameron's fist came down hard on his head and lashed out reflexively, tripping the man up. Cameron didn't go down easy, taking Ed down with him and pinning him to the ground, knee on his stomach.

"Pretty clever," Cameron gritted out with a forced smirk Ed could barely see. "You had your Riolu pick out her aura, didn't you?"

"Yep," Ed replied, and he brought his automail knee up hard, throwing the gym leader off him. "Riolu?"

"Huh!" Riolu sounded slightly panicked. "Huh!"

"Mightyena! Tackle!"

Ed's eyes widened and he pushed himself up, and then gasped sharply as a familiar weight crashed into him. This time, it wasn't a human pinning him; it was a well-trained pokémon, heavy and muscled, teeth bared inches from his eyes. Ed's eyes widened.

A moment later, a pained whine came from Riolu, and Cameron chuckled.

"Gotcha now, sunshine," he muttered. A thud came from Cameron's direction, and Riolu cried out again. Then another, and another. Ed cursed under his breath.

"Brother!" cried Al, who could probably see a little better than the others in the room.

Ed stiffened.

No. He couldn't lose.

He wouldn't lose.

He'd promised Al.

"Riolu! Quick Attack away from him!" he ordered, heaving himself upward and scoring another hard hit with his automail hand, trying to drive Mightyena off him. Mightyena growled in pain, but barely budged, instead biting down on his shoulder in retribution. Ed grunted in pain.

On the other hand, Riolu, from Cameron's sharp, frustrated sound, had clearly succeeded, and Ed called again, "Quick Attack again!"

A hard thud signaled Riolu's success, and Ed bucked again, growling himself. Then an idea sparked and he rolled and lashed out with his leg simultaneously, and Mightyena was propelled off him with a sharp cry and didn't get up again.

"Mightyena is unable to battle!" the referee called out dutifully. Huh. Apparently he could see.

Eyes closed, Ed waited for Cameron to call out his next pokémon. Cameron, for obvious reasons, didn't disappoint.

"Not bad, kid," he said approvingly, face lit up in the brief red light to withdraw his pokémon. "And well done, Mightyena. Go, Sneasel!"

Light flashed again and Ed got a glimpse of a fierce-looking Sneasel just before the darkness returned.

Then he moved fast and tackled Cameron himself, pinning him to the ground with the weight of the automail.

"Not bad, kid."

He could hear Cameron's smirk in his voice and gritted his teeth. Cameron heaved and Ed yelped and did his best to hold on, and Cameron stood up with Ed clinging on to him.

That was a bit of a blow to Ed's pride.

But with the spark of a new idea, he swung over and switched to Cameron's back, his legs around Cameron's waist like a small child and one metal arm digging into his throat.

"Huh!"

Ah. Right. They'd been neglecting something, and Riolu sounded very put off about it, even as he panted almost silently from previous exertion and whatever Cameron had done to him while keeping him in place. Ed suddenly realized he had no idea how badly hurt his pokémon was.

"Riolu! Force Palm!" Ed ordered, worried.

"Sneasel, Scratch!"

Sneasel was faster; Riolu let out a pained, weak cry as Sneasel used Scratch, and then the cry died out.

"Riolu is unable to battle!" the referee announced. Ed's eyes widened.

"I'll get him!" Al said hastily, and the clanking of armor was all any of them heard in the room briefly while Al went to get him.

Riolu moaned quietly and Al reassured him softly, clanking back to his spot.

"All clear!" Al promised, presumably cradling Riolu.

"You did good, Riolu!" Ed grunted, struggling to keep his hold on Cameron with his metal arm as the man struggled to throw him off. His flesh hand reached for his belt and he threw out his pokéball. "Minun, go!"

"Mi mi!" Minun called, sounding more than ready to go.

"Minun, Thunder Wave!"

"Mi, minu!" Electricity lit up the room briefly, and Sneasel cried out, while Cameron just grunted, falling to his knees, as both of them were paralyzed. This was the other reason Ed had taken extra time to get to the gym the first time around; he'd been teaching Minun Thunder Wave.

Ed, of course, was protected by Cameron's body, still between him and Minun.

"Spark!" Ed grunted.

The Sneasel cried out again and Ed let his feet hit the ground, hunching over Cameron and finally doing what he'd been putting off, pressing the hard metal of his automail arm to Cameron's throat.

Cameron grunted again, and he thrashed, trying to throw Ed off. Ed was having none of it; this was for Al, after all. Stress creased the lines of his forehead, unseen.

"Spark," Ed repeated. He saw a flash of Cameron trying to pull off his arm, and Sneasel screamed. "Spark." Flash. Ed felt slightly numb. Cameron started to slump and weaken. "Spark."

The gym leader and his pokémon went down together.


Now, I'm afraid that I only actually have one more chapter stored up for this, but then, progress is coming. (I'm just glad Pokemon has relinquished some of my attention. I have other stories, too!) Thanks for reading and please review!