A/N: And another! I'm afraid there's not much to this one, it's mostly emotional, but I hope you enjoy it anyway.

Thank you to MissMoe 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.

It was two hours after Cameron took the cocky unconscious kid and his unfortunate pokémon to the Pokémon Center that he received a call from an old war buddy.

"First Lieutenant Cameron Henberg?" a familiar voice asked promptly.

Cameron rolled his eyes and leaned against the wall. "I've retired, Mustang, which you know full well," he said boredly. "What do you want?"

"My apologies," Mustang said, slightly resigned. "I know you dislike communicating with the military…"

"Then why are you making me?"

"But this is a matter of consequence," Mustang finished.

Cameron sighed. "What is it, Mustang? Get on with it. I want to check on Mightyena soon." That kid really had done a number on her leg with that automail of his, he'd give him that.

"Then I'll make this quick," Mustang promised. "You should be receiving a challenger within the next few weeks. I'd like you to let me know when he gets there."

"Why?" Cameron frowned, then modified, "No, don't tell me, I probably don't want to know. What's he look like?"

"He'll be a kid," Mustang told him, voice deadly serious. "Blond hair, gold eyes, kind of short."

Cameron frowned, brow furrowing. "Automail arm?" he asked slowly.

"…Yes," Mustang said, voice unreadable. "How did you know?"

"He was just here a couple hours ago," Cameron answered, scratching the back of his head. "Got a good hit in on Mightyena, but not much else. He's at the Pokémon Center right now. What's so special 'bout him?" He knew Mustang never took interest in anyone but for a good reason.

For a long moment, Mustang was silent. When he finally spoke, it was to ask,

"How secure is your line, Henberg?"

That made Cameron pause. How important was this kid? "Checked it last month. It's clear."

Cameron heard Mustang exhale heavily. "I spoke with the kid last year," he told his former comrade. "He'd just lost an arm and a leg and he looked as good as dead. Had one pokémon, a Riolu."

Cameron frowned. "And?" he asked slowly, mind working. If he'd lost his arm and leg the year before, and was just fine now… that meant that he'd done his rehab in under a year.

Definitely more to him that it seemed.

"He's also an alchemist," Mustang continued, voice slightly grave. "One of the most promising I've ever seen."

Cameron bit down hard, jaw clenching. "Mustang, don't you dare tell me…"

"I offered to let him take the State Alchemist exam," Mustang finished.

Cameron restrained the urge to strangle the Lieutenant Colonel, distance be damned. "And what possessed you to do that?" he demanded.

"I think he can," Mustang said simply. "And there are circumstances, Henberg. Suffice to say that the kid needs the title more than most people need their next breath."

Cameron, for a long time, wrestled down the various obscenities he'd very much like to spit out. Finally, he managed, voice harsh, "You better know what you're doing, Mustang."

And then he hung up.

It was some time later that Ed, one bandage wrapped around his head and another binding the bites on his shoulder, trudged into the room. Al – who'd been waiting anxiously, too worried to read – leapt up, soulfire eyes going straight to him, Togepi tumbling onto the spare bed in the eleven-year-old's haste.

"Sorry, Al," was all Ed managed to say, gaze cast to the ground, unable to meet his brother's gaze.

"Brother," whispered Al, taking a faltering step forward. Riolu, fully restored by Nurse Joy, looked up, red eyes uneasy and upset, and that was all it took to bring Al the rest of the way forward, anxiously, but gently, grabbing Ed's shoulders and holding him still to examine him. "How bad?"

Ed shrugged and winced slightly. "I'll be fine," he muttered. He looked at Riolu, who looked back guiltily, and managed a smile. "We'll have to work on fighting blind, Riolu."

"What happened?" Al pleaded, unsatisfied.

Ed sighed and sat on the bed, leaning back a little. Riolu hopped up next to him. "Cameron's a pretty big guy," he told Al. "Not that bad, though. Anyway, I didn't even get to see his second pokémon, but his first was this big-ass Mightyena. Strong Bite attack." Seeing Al's worried look, he added, "I took a Bite to the shoulder and another a little further up. Hit my head on the wall, too. That's all."

"Togeprri," Togepi whimpered, scampering across the floor to Ed's feet. Ed smiled wanly and picked the mini pokémon up, and Togepi cuddled up against him in an attempt to comfort him. Ed carefully squeezed Togepi back, and then looked back to Al and continued,

"Anyway, that wasn't really the problem – the problem was that the arena was dark, really dark." He gestured to himself with his free hand. "He could see me just fine, between the practice and my coloring, but I couldn't see worth shit, which is why we'll have to learn to fight blind."

"Oh," Al said quietly.

Ed looked at him and smiled painfully. "We're trying again in a week," he told his little brother with forced confidence. "That should be long enough to train real good. Power wasn't the problem, after all, it was fighting blind. We can learn that, right, Riolu?"

Riolu 'huh'ed and nodded frantically, guilt still in his eyes; he'd been extremely upset with himself for allowing Cameron to capture and hold him the way he had.

"And you, Riolu," Ed added, "can probably sense them in the dark, outside of Detect. We'll work on that too."

Al sighed, interrupted Ed's trailing thoughts of moves and training. "Brother?"

Ed stopped. "Yeah, Al?"

"…Are you sure you can do this?" Al's eyes shone at him worriedly. "Brother… I don't want you to get hurt. Please."

Ed looked down. Flexed his fingers. Tapped his foot. "Can't help it, Al," he said softly. "But I'll try, okay? I'll try."

"Do. Please, brother."

On the fourth day, Ed exhausted himself training and fell asleep on the outskirts of town. Al looked down at him and sighed sadly.

Ed really was giving this his all; Al was worried that this was taking more than he had to give, especially so soon after his hastened rehabilitation. He wondered if his brother would ever slow down.

But at the same time, in a distant, selfish way, he was glad. Ed was working his hardest, and when Ed worked his hardest, you could be sure that he was going to achieve whatever he was setting out to do, because he would build mountains and dig oceans if he had to. And that meant that Al would get his body back – escape this empty, cold shell, regain his ability to breathe, to sleep, to feel – feel his brother's warmth, Plusle's gentle shock, Togepi's smooth shell, all things that were just distant impressions by now.

Brother, though… Brother, still soft flesh and fragile bone, would always come first.

He picked his brother up and propped him onto his back, though it would be easier to carry him in his arms, and started the walk home. Riolu, exhausted and half-asleep already, stumbled after him, satisfied but tired.

"You both are trying really hard," Al said softly to Riolu, who grunted in return, not looking at him. "But you're trying for Ed, aren't you? Because this means so much to him."

Riolu, red eyes half-glazed, nonetheless looked up at him and grunted again, before tapping Al's hollow leg with one paw.

"For me, too," Al agreed, nodding slightly. "But mostly for brother."

"Huh." Riolu looked ahead. If he could've, Al would've smiled.

"That's okay, Riolu. Brother needs someone to put him first, because we both know he won't."

Riolu glanced up at him and nodded. "Uh. Uh huh."

"That's good," Al said warmly. "I'm glad I have you to help me keep Brother safe, Riolu. Thank you."

Riolu paused, looked up at him, and smiled. "Uh."

Al thought that said more than human words ever could.

Not much action in this one, I'm afraid. But! Next chapter, Ed battles the gym again! *grin* Five reviews or one week's time gets the battle.