Ace had pretty much stopped managing the production line. After all, it was a fully automated system.
Of course, he still went there every three months, and if he couldn't go himself, he would send Rotom.
The reason was simple: a key component in the production process was a consumable that needed to be replaced regularly.
Naturally, Ace wouldn't tell anyone about this; it was his business secret.
This core component was produced in Ace's own lab, and he had made over twenty of them in one go, enough for five or six years.
As time went on, the first batch of Great Balls was successfully sold with the League's promotion.
After seeing the long string of zeroes in his bank account, Ace was extremely pleased.
With his future path secured, Ace began to think about how to complete his main mission.
Excluding the time he had spent, he had more than a year to slowly lay out his plans, so he wasn't in a hurry.
Just as Ace was about to depart for the Hoenn region, a League staff member delivered an invitation to him.
Ace took a look at the invitation and saw it was for a dinner party hosted by the League.
Most of the guests were influential figures from the Kanto and Johto regions.
Ace initially planned to decline, but then he realized that this was likely a strategic move by the League.
The purpose was self-evident: to open up the market for Great Balls.
After all, the performance of Great Balls was far superior to that of Ultra Balls, and their high price meant they couldn't be popularized among the general public early on. The main consumers would be these important people.
As the creator of the Great Ball, Ace's status was more than enough for him to attend this event.
Of course, he could refuse, playing hard to get.
But sometimes, having more connections gives you more options.
Ace tossed the invitation onto the coffee table and stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing out at the ocean. He said with a sigh, "So, I've become the very thing I used to hate—a nouveau riche dog. The hero who slays the dragon eventually becomes a dragon himself..."
The next evening, Ace, dressed in a custom-tailored suit, entered the venue with a Shiny Gardevoir on his arm.
The dinner party was held in an upscale hotel in Celadon City. Ace and Gardevoir's appearance immediately attracted the attention of most of the guests.
After all, Gardevoir was incredibly beautiful and a very rare Pokémon, so it naturally drew a lot of eyes.
What was more, most of the people attending the party arrived in luxurious cars. Ace, who had simply walked there, was truly the first of his kind.
After handing over his invitation, Ace was quickly shown into the hotel by a bellhop.
The entire hotel had been booked by the League. As soon as he entered the lobby, a staff member led him into a massive hall.
Just as Ace had imagined a high-society party would be, men and women in elegant suits and evening gowns were gathered in small groups, holding glasses and chatting.
Tables full of drinks and snacks lined the hall. Ace casually walked to the side with Gardevoir and looked around, but he didn't see any League members.
"Standing there like a lost goose will only make you stand out."
Just as Ace was observing, a familiar voice spoke up. Ace turned his head and saw Erika, the Celadon Gym Leader, standing in front of him in a slightly conservative but elegant evening gown.
"Long time no see," Ace said with a smile. He had only met Erika once before, and they hadn't had any further interactions.
"It has been a while. I never expected you to get this far," Erika said, holding two glasses of juice and offering one to Ace.
Ace took a sip, but didn't say anything.
"There's going to be a good show tonight. I hope you don't run away in a panic."
Sensing that Ace wasn't interested in making small talk, Erika smiled, raised her glass to him, and then walked away to chat with others.
"A good show? Run away in a panic?"
Ace pondered her words, a vague sense of unease bubbling up.
As he was thinking, he glanced at Erika's back and suddenly felt a lot of people were looking at him.
"What's wrong?"
Ace was puzzled, but the stares quickly retreated, and everyone began whispering to each other. The whole hall was filled with hushed murmurs.
While Ace was still confused, he noticed a group of girls on the other side. Encouraged by the others, a girl in a pure white evening gown, with a blush on her face, began walking toward him.
The girl was beautiful, her flushed cheeks making her look like a pure white water lily. Just one glance was enough to make her unforgettable.
"Hi, I'm Joan. You must be Ace. Can we get to know each other?"
The girl seemed shy but spoke with ease and confidence. Holding up her glass of juice, she wanted to toast with Ace.
Ace was a little bewildered, but out of politeness, he clinked glasses with the girl named Joan.
This toast seemed to be a signal. Before Joan could say anything, several other beautiful girls began walking up to Ace.
They all introduced themselves and expressed their desire to get to know him.
Ace was stunned for a moment, then he understood, a wry, amused expression on his face.
Most of the people who came to this dinner party were big shots, and they naturally had their own connections to easily find out Ace's background.
Honestly, Ace was making a killing from his collaboration with the League and had a significant say within the organization.
Even more importantly, Ace was only 17 years old, with a seemingly boundless future ahead of him.
These qualifications were extremely attractive to many people in high society.
On top of that, Ace was still single and had no other romantic interests, which, in the eyes of his peers, made him a total catch.
The girls' parents were, of course, very supportive of their daughters' intentions.
If they could snag Ace, it would mean securing two extremely profitable ventures.
With this in mind, these stunning girls all came up to Ace, hoping to use this opportunity to establish a connection with him.
If they hit it off, their future would be set!
Once he figured this out, Ace's initial good impression of these girls vanished instantly.
In his eyes, apart from their pretty faces, they didn't seem to have anything else to offer.
By comparison, even Erika was the Gym Leader of Celadon City. She was leagues ahead of these "flower vases."
If he had to choose a partner from this group of girls, Ace felt he would rather be lonely forever.
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