The Rotom Phone was a pretty smart piece of tech. The moment Lorelei showed up, it cross-referenced her with its online database, and once it confirmed she was one of Kanto's popular Elite Four members, it locked the camera on her like it was glued in place.
The shot captured Lorelei's stunning figure and gorgeous face perfectly.
Rotom might not be human, but as an intelligent being, it knew exactly what the audience wanted to see.
["Oh damn, it's Lorelei! Elite Four member in the wild!"]
["Miss Lorelei, I love you!"]
["Lorelei's so beautiful I can barely breathe."]
["I'am dead! How can anyone be this perfect?"]
["Good work, Rotom! Keep that camera locked on Lorelei."]
The second Lorelei appeared, viewers in both Caster's and Iono's streams absolutely lost their minds.
Sure, Iono was a massively popular streamer with a huge global following, but she was still just a Gym Leader. There was a clear gap between her and Elite Four members, especially someone like Lorelei who had the complete package: looks, grace, and serious power.
The thing was, Lorelei kept a pretty low profile and rarely appeared online, so regular people never got the chance to interact with her.
So when she showed up, viewership in both streams started climbing like crazy.
Lorelei fans from all over the world caught wind of it and came flooding in.
Caster's stream in particular saw another massive surge in viewers.
["Oh wow, it's Miss Lorelei!"]
Even Iono's eyes lit up when she spotted her.
Lorelei's beauty was the kind that even other women couldn't help but admire.
And when Lorelei asked Caster that question, the chat absolutely exploded.
"Wait, what? From what Lorelei's saying, does the streamer know Johto's Champion Lance?"
"Hold on, isn't the streamer supposed to be some nobody? How would he know Champion Lance? But Lorelei seems so sure about it. She's not faking, is she?"
"Oh come on, is this whole thing just an act? A scripted persona? Bullshit, I want a refund!"
"Everyone chill out. Did you forget about the whole thing with him and Clair? Pretty sure Clair and Lance are cousins, right? There might be something to this!"
Lorelei might look like a strict teacher on the outside, but her personality was actually warm and easygoing, like the cool older sister who lives next door.
Especially when she smiled. That smile could melt anyone's heart.
Caster couldn't hold out any longer and gave in: "Miss Lorelei, I actually haven't met Mr. Lance, but I do know his cousin, Miss Clair."
"Ah, I see!"
Lorelei's smile brightened as things clicked into place.
Both Clair and Lance were from the Dragon Tamer clan, so naturally they could teach Caster Dragon Dance. No wonder she'd sensed that familiar dragon energy.
"I saw your battle just now. You're both young, but you're both really impressive!"
Lorelei tucked a strand of red hair behind her ear and said warmly, "Would you two be interested in participating in my Pokémon Battle Exhibition Match tomorrow? You'd get to battle me."
——
"Huh?"
Hearing Lorelei's compliment and invitation, Gary's earlier dejection vanished instantly.
Lorelei thought he was impressive?
Was there anything more encouraging than that?
So that crushing defeat wasn't because he sucked—it was because his opponent was just that strong!
With his confidence rebuilt, Gary didn't hesitate for even a second: "Lorelei, I'd be honored to participate in your Battle Exhibition Match."
Lorelei smiled warmly, then turned to Caster.
Seeing Caster stroking his chin like he was thinking it over, Gary was stunned.
Getting a chance to battle an Elite Four member was incredibly rare!
What was there to think about?
But Caster saw things differently.
Lorelei was a powerhouse known for her analytical, composed battle style.
She also had two sides—the Ice Queen and the Water Queen.
Normally, she was like flowing water: warm, gentle, and approachable.
But once a battle started, she fought ruthlessly like ice: cold, unforgiving, and brutal.
So yeah, Lorelei might seem harmless right now, but in an actual battle? She didn't pull her punches.
Even with his advantages, Caster was self-aware enough to know the truth.
Against an Elite Four member? He had zero chance of winning.
And since Caster didn't have plot armor, he naturally didn't want to watch his Pokémon get demolished.
So after taking a deep breath, Caster shook his head while everyone stared in shock: "I'm sorry, Miss Lorelei. I have to go fishing tomorrow, so I won't be able to participate in your Battle Exhibition Match."
Hearing that, everyone present and watching online collectively gasped.
"Battling an Elite Four member is something people dream about and never get the chance to do, and Fisher just turned it down... for fishing? The world's gone insane!"
"Somebody translate—what does it actually mean to be a sigma male?! Woman, even if you're Elite Four, you'll only slow down my casting speed."
"No distractions, just fishing! Fisher, you're my hero!"
"Once you pick up that rod, you transcend mortal concerns—"
In the stream, nearly all the fans looked at Caster with something like reverence.
Of course, a few wished they could take his place.
Hearing this, Lorelei quickly clasped her hands together and bowed apologetically: "It seems I overstepped. I'm sorry."
Even though she was Elite Four, she didn't act high and mighty at all.
And the way she apologized was just too sweet. It was heartbreaking.
After apologizing, Lorelei smiled warmly, her eyes crinkling into crescents.
"You made Lorelei apologize to you? Fisher, you deserve to die!!!"
The hearts of countless male fans melted on the spot. They immediately turned on Caster and started defending Lorelei.
Seeing this, even Caster felt guilty. He wanted to slap himself.
How could he make such a sweet woman apologize?
"Oh right, I remember Lorelei's hometown is on Four Island in the Sevii Islands."
Suddenly, something clicked for Caster.
He still had that Sea Lion Pokémon-exclusive bait.
And if you wanted to talk about where Ice-type Pokémon were most plentiful and highest quality in Kanto, Icefall Cave on Four Island was definitely near the top of the list.
Tons of Water and Ice-type Pokémon lived there, including Seel and Dewgong.
With that in mind, Caster rubbed his hands together: "Lorelei, I heard you're from Four Island in the Sevii Islands. You must know Icefall Cave pretty well, right? I've actually always wanted to fish there."
"Icefall Cave?"
Lorelei smiled. "Of course I know it. I used to play there all the time when I was little and met lots of Pokémon."
According to the Pokémon Adventures manga, Lorelei's partner Lapras was caught in Icefall Cave when she was young, and it stayed with her all the way to the Elite Four.
Lorelei was somewhat curious about Caster—not because he'd learned the Dragon Tamer clan's Dragon Dance technique, but because of the energy Gyarados released after the rain started.
That definitely wasn't just a boost from the weather.
But what exactly it was, Lorelei couldn't quite tell.
"If you come to Icefall Cave, feel free to contact me."
Lorelei's eyes curved into a smile as she said warmly, "And if it works out, you're welcome to stop by my place."