Ash and Liko is at the ground near the lake that they found some days ago. Ash is there to help liko out because she asked him for help.
Flashback:
Ash was about to sleep in his bed, turn in for the day but a knock was heard on the door.
"I'm coming!"
When Ash opened the door, he's surprised to see liko is the one that knock on the door, with sprigatito hugged in front of her.
"Liko?!"
"Sorry Ash, did i disturb you?"
"I was about to lay on the bed and go to a deep sleep like a snorlax," Ash chuckled, "Is something wrong, Liko?"
"Umm." Liko fidget her body, feeling nervous towards Ash, "I want to train sprigatito, but i don't know if i could do it alone... Can you please help me train, Ash?"
Ash smile widely, "No problem! Of course i will help out! You're my friend after all!"
Liko face shows her wide smile with ash declaration, "Thank you!" She felt really happy that ash is willing to help.
"Pikachu, wanna help out too?"
"Pikano..."
Pikachu just curled up and sleep on Ash's bedside, giving Liko and Ash a sweatdrop.
"....guess pikachu's tired." And then greninja walked to ash and give him a nod, "You wanna help out, greninja??" Greninja give him a nod.
End of flashback:
"Sprigatito, Leafage!"
Sprigatito try to shoot leafage, but it's not working again.
"No good, huh...?" Liko felt bad that her training isn't working at all.
"I guess it's another fail again.." Ash commented with greninja sighed.
"I've tried so many times on training sprigatito, but..." Liko looked at sprigatito, who is scratching the small rock, "It doesn't go well at all.."
Liko looked down dejectedly.
Seeing this, Ash walked to liko and soflty put his left hand on her right shoulder.
"Sometimes it's okay to fail.."
Liko looked at Ash, who is giving her a warm smile, "Ash..." Liko's eyes sparkling with moon lights.
"Everyone's not perfect Liko. I once have trouble with get along with pikachu at the start of my journey."
Liko's eyes widened in surprise, "Y-your pikachu doesn't like you back then?!" It was a surprise for Liko because she saw how close Ash and Pikachu really are, so it was insane to learn that pikachu doesn't like him back then.
"Yeah.. back then pikachu won't listen to me at all. It took a disaster where both of us are being chased by the group of spearows." Ash removed his hand from Liko's shoulder and looked up at the moon before continued, "At that time, it was a heavy storm and i decide to shield myself to protect pikachu."
Ash decide to be silent as he remember the picture of it.
"W-what happen next..?"
Ash smiled, "That's when Pikachu jumped on my shoulder and charged at the group of spearows and give those spearows the first ever thunderbolt pikachu used."
Liko's ocean eyes shines in the night, "Ash... You got through a lot of things back then.."
"And that's what makes what i am right now." Ash look straight into Liko's eyes, "Liko, the first step is the hardest obstacle in our life, but i know you could overcome it."
Liko clutch both of her hands in front of her, "But Ash... What if i fail the first step?"
"You won't fail at all."
Liko looked at Ash in surprise and he elaborate, "Because i believe in you, so give it your best shot, okay?"
Those words resonate in Liko's own heart, Ash's words made Liko's anxiety calm down and a burst of happiness shines on her chest.
Liko give Ash the happiest smile she could give, "Ash... Thank you."
Ash nodded, "Glad to help." Ash uses his toothy grin.
"Besides, you could be like me when you have a great bond with your pokemon." Ash looked at greninja, "Let's do it!"
"Ninja!"
Ash and greninja then moved at the exact same time with the same posed.
"Let's go! Stronger, Stronger, and STRONGER! HRAAAAAAAAH!"
Greninja's body surrounder with a tornado of water, made both Liko and sprigatito surprised when seeing it.
The tornado of water transformed into a big shuriken on greninja's back while greninja's appearance changed, with around his eyes were the shape of Ash's hair, the top part of greninja's head is changed to a streak of red that resembles Ash's red hat, and the whole part of greninja's yellow color in the front change into a lines shaped into a Y.
"Yeah! We still able to do it!"
"Ninja!"
"Alright let's test this out! Run on the water while using Aerial Ace!"
Greninja run on the water with both legs using Aerial ace, the speed of Greninja's running is really insane unlike every normal greninja.
"Now greninja, turn around and use water shuriken on the water!"
Greninja turned around and jump to the air, followed with greninja throw the water shuriken on his back to the lake's water, made a pillar of water burst to the sky by the explosion.
"Now destroy that water pillar with your night slash!"
Greninja summoned a purple blade and split the water pillar with ease. After that, greninja landed in front of Ash with arm crossed as the water pillar back to normal.
"That's how i remembered, greninja!"
And then Ash heard a clap on the side, and saw liko's the one happily clapping.
"That was amazing, Ash! I never see anything like that before!"
"Nyaohaaa!!"
Looks like sprigatito is amazed with what Greninja did with Ash.
"Thanks Liko!" Ash rubbed the back of his head with a smile, "That was the power of my bond with Greninja!"
"Your bond with greninja..?" Liko and sprigatito tilted their head.
"Me and greninja have a special bond that no one else have, our bond give us the power to synchronize." Ash explained, "When both of us synchronized, i could see what greninja see, our body moves at the exact same time together."
A sparkle has spawned around Liko as a sign to show that Liko is beyond amazed.
"But when greninja gets hurt, that means i also got hurt as well."
Liko face instantly fills with worry.
"Ash... Are you okay with that happened to you?"
Ash nodded with a grin, "No problem, it will gone after a while that happened."
Liko suddenly yawned, a little tear came out of her eyes.
"Looks like you already tired."
"Yeah...." Liko rubbed her tired eyes a little, "It's pretty late now... I think it's time to go back to our rooms."
Ash suddenly grab liko's hand and drag her slowly.
"A-Ash?!" Liko got surprised along with both of her cheeks turned red.
"I'll carry you back to your room, Liko."
"But-"
"Don't worry, i'm doing what i always think the best for my friends after all."
Liko's face turned into a small smile with a blush and then whispered to herself, "Thank you..."
Greninja walked behind both trainer and sprigatito with eyes of satisfaction.
'It's all according to the plan'
Author note:
Happy new year guys! I hope you guys enjoy your new year, and this is the present i could give to you guys, some sweet moments between Ash and Liko, i hope you guys like it!
See ya!