"Got into the battle again after stripping all his gear. Yeah I know it's cheap but I don't care. I want to keep his stuff."
I might be wrong, but I think you automatically get his stuff back after the battle anyway. In fact, if you don't mind the extra difficulty it results in, you can get two copies of it if you send him into battle with the best stuff possible and then steal it off him - it glitches and gives you the copies you stole, plus the copy he took into battle with him.
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James - Board 8's Resident Warm And Safe, Slipper-Wearing User
& The Cream of Porcupine Tree Fanboyism