Episode 26: Her Reason (2003 series)

Roy Mustang and Riza Hawkeye meet with Maria Ross at the hospital in Central who gives them the bills the Elrics racked up during their stay. When Mustang demands where they went to and Ross mentions to continue their journey, Hawkeye notices the map they left marked. Just then a mysterious couple bursts in and the woman demands to know where the Elrics are. Before a confrontation breaks out, her husband notices the map so they take it and leave. The Elrics and Winry arrive at Rush Valley where numerous Automail engineers and dealers live, which Winry goes ballistic over the latest designs. Meanwhile at an automail shop, a girl named Paninya asks her master Dominic for a new automail arm which he refuses, and also refuses the request of a rude customer since he only gives out automail to people who truly need it. The Elrics and Winry come across an automail arm wrestling competition and the Elrics quickly figure out why the challengers are losing. Paninya then comes out to prove the strength of her automail arm, having been mocked by the rude customer from earlier. Unaware that the fight promoter had been cheating through alchemy with a hidden transmutation circle underneath the table, Paninya loses as well and then runs away after being further mocked. When the promoter first insults Ed's height, then his automail arm which offends Winry, she encourages Ed to win which he does by tearing off part of the champions right automail arm. Later when the two confront the group, demanding that Ed return their prize money for cheating through alchemy, Ed reveals their earlier cheating, and Winry angrily responds by beating both men, and the Elrics with a wrench.

Meanwhile in Central, Mustang and Hawkeye meet with Major Armstrong to talk about Hughes' death. While Armstrong can't anything other than it being the individuals from the Elrics' investigation, Mustang suspects this ties in with the possibility of the State Military trying to create a Philosopher's Stone, and someone with a rank higher than him ordered Armstrong to remain silent. Back in Rush Valley, Al wonders where Winry went pointing out Ed shouldn't have cheated, while Winry encounters Paninya again. Noticing Paninya's legs are automail as well, Winry takes a look at her automail arm and could tell it is a high-performance design that needs slight repair. Answering Winry's question, Paninya reveals it is due to a train wreck that cost both of her legs and right arm and was an orphan on the street until Dominic found her and gave her automail. Paniya reveals that her dream is to make Dominic's skills well known. Winry decides to pit her automail against Ed to help Paninya have confidence in her automail. That night at Dominic's shop, while making repairs to Paninya's arm, Dominic goes into great shock after Winry reveals her name and Dominic remembers her grandmother Pinako Rockbell who he is afraid of and leaves them to their business after noticing what Winry is doing.

The next day after meeting with the Elrics, Winry tricks Ed to take out his State Alchemist pocket watch which Paninya steals, and threatens to take to a pawn shop. After giving Ed great chase throughout Rush Valley's rooftops, Paninya seemingly gets trapped after jumping into an alley, only to reveal her right automail leg has a hidden cannon before fleeing back to the rooftop. As she worries about Ed, Ed surprisingly counterattacks, reclaiming his pocket watch from Paninya. But when her right automail leg breaks down which threatens to have her fall off the the rooftop, Ed saves Paninya by transmuting several stone hands from the building's side. After criticizing her for trying to beat her at automail, she and Al return to Dominic's. After Dominic criticizes Paninya for her foolish quest, Al gets her to realize that Dominic was trying to teach her that automail is designed as a vital replacement for her lost limbs and not for show. In Central Sheska, is dismayed when Mustang informs her the investigation into Hughes' death has been suspended. Maj. General Hakuro arrives accompanied by another man and harshly mentions on Mustang's transfer to Central, just as an upset Sheska leaves.

As he prepares to return to their hotel room, Al recognizes two familiar people, the same couple that Mustang recently met earlier. Back in their room, after mentioning on Ed possibly growing taller, Winry sadly wonders if Ed wanted Automail, who promises to study harder so he doesn't become handicapped, though Ed mentions he still wants to get his original arm and leg back. Al comes back bringing bad news and seeing the man behind him, Ed goes into shock by recognizing him.

Episode Notes

 * Paniya's automail arm is exclusive to this anime series only. In the manga and 2009 anime, Paninya only has automail for her legs instead of her right arm and legs.
 * The man who accompanies Hakuro is Frank Archer, a character exclusive to this series who will be properly introduced three episodes later.
 * In the manga, only Ed was cheating when he competed in the automail arm wrestle match due to the fight promoter and audience insulting his height and Ed didn't get caught for cheating.