A/N: Okay! So now there's this one, and NOW I'm out of chapters again. *sigh*

Thank you to tylerxc626 and guest 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.

Cubone wasn't injured, as it turned out.

No, Cubone was handicapped.

But, as far as Ed was concerned - if Cubone was willing - she could work through it the same way he had. Cubone's limp was bad, but she proved well enough that she could still fight; her swing was strong and her determination easily matched that of the rest of Ed's team.

Now he stayed back as he watched the pokémon play - Plusle and Minun and Eevee and Togepi and Riolu and Cubone and Seel.

Plusle and Minun were playing with Cubone, delighted to have another girl to play with. They were darting in circles around her while she turned around, looking faintly bemused but not bothered in the least. Off to one side, Togepi squealed as he clung to Riolu's back while the other pokémon ran around, grinning happily. Meanwhile, Eevee was curled up next to Seel, whose mobility was limited in the arid environment.

"What are you thinking about, brother?" Al asked him, clanking up from behind. Ed barely reacted, arms around his legs, feeling flesh against steel.

"...Nothing, Al."

"Brother."

Ed sighed. "I just… You remember that I was going to talk to them and offer to let them leave right before we get to Central, right, Al?"

Al nodded, clanking lightly.

"It's their choice," Ed said, half to himself, dim gold eyes on the pokémon. "But Al… what if they do?"

He could almost hear Al's gentle smile in his next words. "They won't."

Training sessions were more difficult as Ed gained more pokémon, but he wasn't called a prodigy for nothing, and he learned fast.

Now he watched, eyes intent, as Seel chased after fleeing Cubone, trying to learn to use Headbutt on land. Minun sparred with Riolu, now on a somewhat more equal footing with the younger but more experienced pokémon, and Al trained quietly with Plusle and Eevee, Togepi clinging to his helmet, wide-eyed.

North City's civilian gym was an Ice-Type gym. Last he'd heard, from Teacher, it had three pokémon, a Glaceon, a Piloswine, and a Froslass.

That meant they'd be dealing with an Ice type, an Ice/Ground, and an Ice/Ghost. The Froslass could present some difficulty - he and Riolu wouldn't be much good against that. He frowned to himself.

After a few more minutes spent thinking, he stood up and called out to his pokémon. "Hey, guys! Time to take a break!"

Seel accidentally ran into Cubone as the Ground-type stopped running, panting slightly, and knocked her over. Ed chuckled and moved over there, while the other pokémon gathered with him. Al shot him a questioning look, and Ed shook his head, letting his brother get back to his own training.

He sat on the ground as his pokémon faced him, looking expectant.

"You guys know that the next gym's an Ice gym, right?"

A chorus of affirmations met him, and he smiled slightly; yeah, alright, so he'd gone over that already.

"Well, we're getting close," he continued, face growing serious again. "We're almost out of the desert, and once we hit snow we're nearly there."

"Minun?" Minun questioned. Ed nodded.

"That's right. We need to discuss tactics now." He looked over them all, with a small, reassuring smile. "You're all getting pretty good. I think I could use any of you if I really wanted to." A few of them cheered, and he chuckled and waved his automail hand. "But, I'd rather not take risks with you if I don't have to, okay?"

"Cu bone bone," Cubone protested.

"I know you'll be fine," Ed answered, waving both his hands now. "Look. Riolu's fighting for sure - that all right, Riolu?"

"Huh!" Riolu nodded with a bright smile. Ed smiled and nodded, too.

"But Cubone, you're weak to Ice."

"Cuuu!" Cubone growled at him, waving her club angrily. Ed hesitated.

"...Are you sure?"

"Cuuu! Cubone, cucu!"

Ed shrugged uncertainly. "Alright…" He shook his head and refocused. "If they have three pokémon, that means I can use three, too. Minun, Seel, that means one of you."

"Seel, seel!" Seel cheered.

Ed nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, that's what I was thinking too. I've been meaning to ask - do you have Ice Body, Seel?"

"Seel?"

"Uh…" Ed shrugged. "Does hail heal you?"

"Seel!" Seel nodded eagerly. Ed smiled.

"That's great. That means you have the ability Ice Body - that'll be really helpful." He looked at Minun. "You alright with this, Minun?"

Minun nodded, shuffling. Despite her resolve to help Ed, Ed knew that she still didn't much like battling, even if she was getting used to it.

Ed gave her a warm smile and a nod. "That settles it, then. Riolu, Cubone, Seel - we're getting ready for a gym battle!"

They cheered.

He grinned, punching the air in anticipation. "Right! Ten minute break and then we're back to training. Riolu, Minun, you're good. Cubone, Seel, come see me when the break's over, we need to talk about moves."

He nodded at the chorus of acknowledgements and headed over to Al as his pokémon scattered.

Al was patiently teaching Plusle Helping Hand, and it looked like the little Electric type was making good progress. He didn't notice Ed's approach until Ed called out,

"Doing alright, Al?"

Al started, then looked up at Ed. "Yeah," he affirmed, voice warm and pleased. "Plusle's almost got it, right, Plusle?"

Plusle nodded eagerly. "Plusle plus!"

"That's great," Ed smiled, sitting down beside him. "So I've decided who I'm going to use in the gym battle."

Al grew serious. "Who?"

"Riolu, Cubone, and Seel," Ed replied promptly. He grinned. "Seel's got Ice Body, did you know?"

"That's great, brother. But Cubone? Are you sure?"

Ed shrugged. "She insisted."

"Alright." Al chuckled ruefully. "You ready for this, brother?"

Ed tensed slightly. "Better be," he said darkly, staring at the ground.

There we go! That's another chapter down, and a lot more time/space passed than I was expecting to manage this chapter. Thanks, Palkia! Heh. Well, thanks for reading and please review!