Cherreads

Chapter 35 - Chapter 35: The Exquisite Flavor of a Mature Woman, Lace Edging~

Leaving the Pewter Gym, it was still early.

Pikachu and Pidgeotto had expended a good amount of energy in the previous battle and needed routine recovery.

"Let's go to the Pokémon Center first. We've been busy today, and I need a hot bath to relax."

"Mhm!" Delia nodded gently, but immediately, a subtle blush appeared on her face, and her voice became softer.

"Um... Roy, you and Misty go ahead. I... I want to wander around town and prepare some supplies."

"Shopping?" Misty perked up her ears and immediately leaned closer: "Sister Delia, what are you buying? I'm coming too!"

Her little mental abacus was clattering: If she followed Sister Delia to purchase supplies, couldn't she take the opportunity to pick out more snacks and treats she liked?

She absolutely couldn't let Sister Delia go alone. What if she only bought flavors that Roy liked!

Delia's face grew even hotter when Misty chimed in. She stammered, "J-just some daily necessities, and supplies and food... Misty, you..."

"Food? Great, great!" Misty completely missed Delia's embarrassment and linked arms with her.

"Alright, you two go shop. I'll go to the Pokémon Center to heal the Pokémon and book the rooms." Roy understood the nature of girls who love to shop.

"Okay~" Delia looked relieved, as if she had received a great pardon, and gave Roy a slightly embarrassed glance.

Misty, meanwhile, excitedly dragged Delia toward Pewter City's Commercial Street... Pokémon Center.

The familiar "ding-dong" sound and pink background.

The Joy from Pewter City had a standard smile. Although there was a general baseline of goodwill, the initial state was still that of strangers; it was just that the speed of familiarity was accelerated.

"Please hand over the Pokémon that need recovery to me." Joy's voice was gentle.

Roy handed over Pikachu, Pidgeotto, and the poké balls belonging to Delia and Misty.

Watching Joy take the poké balls toward the treatment room in the back, Roy sat down in front of the public computer in the lobby.

He inserted his Trainer ID Card, browsed the latest forum messages, and analyzed his team's data... Meanwhile, on the Commercial Street.

Delia initially wanted to find an excuse to shake off Misty and complete that "embarrassing" purchase alone.

However, Misty stuck close, chattering all the way, moving from snacks to skincare, and then from travel gear to sunscreen.

Delia couldn't find a chance to slip away.

Before they knew it, the two had replenished many regular travel supplies: compressed biscuits, Pokémon food, Potion, antidote... Misty, as expected, took the opportunity to stuff several bags of her favorite spicy potato chips and sweet dried berries into the shopping basket.

"Done! That's about it!" Misty looked satisfied at her bulging backpack.

"N-not yet..." Delia whispered, her gaze drifting toward an exquisitely decorated multi-story building not far away: the Pewter City Clothing Mall.

"Huh? Sister Delia, what else do you need to buy?" Misty followed her gaze: "Clothes? Are you buying new clothes? Yay! I love browsing clothing stores too! Let's go, let's go!"

Once again, she pulled Delia into the mall without question.

The first floor had regular clothing, and Misty enthusiastically looked at a few lightweight jackets and durable trousers suitable for travel.

Delia, however, was somewhat distracted, her eyes constantly glancing upstairs.

"Sister Delia, what's upstairs?" Misty was curious.

"U-upstairs... is the lingerie section and some... special styles of clothing." Delia's face flushed again.

"Lingerie?" Misty blinked, not thinking much of it: "Let's go look then. I do need to buy a few changes of clothes myself."

She figured, for underwear, just buy some comfortable cotton ones—it would be quick.

The two took the elevator upstairs.

As soon as they stepped out of the elevator, the scene abruptly changed.

Under the bright, soft lighting, the materials of the clothes on the display racks became lighter, airier, and the colors were richer and bolder.

The air seemed to be filled with a faint, sweet fragrance.

There were significantly fewer customers here, and they were mostly mature women.

Misty's steps unconsciously slowed down.

Her beautiful large eyes scanned, somewhat blankly, the styles she usually wouldn't pay attention to.

Lace... so much lace.

Gauzy material that was almost transparent.

Hollowed-out floral designs.

Straps, ties, openings... and those incredibly small, yet exquisitely delicate... scraps of fabric hanging on the mannequins.

"W-where is this..." A blush quietly crept onto Misty's cheeks.

She usually wore simple cotton styles printed with Staryu, little bears, or simple bows, mostly in pink-blue, light yellow, or white.

Where had she ever seen such a display... one belonging to mature women, full of suggestion and temptation?

Delia was clearly much more familiar with this place.

Some of the shyness faded from her face, replaced by a composure mixed with secret anticipation.

Her eyes shifted, and she began to select items seriously, her fingers brushing over silky fabrics. She picked up a black, semi-transparent piece with Lace Edging, looked at it, put it back, and then held up a wine-red one with a hollowed-out pattern to compare.

"S-Sister Delia..." Misty followed closely, her voice much softer than before and slightly stuttering: "W-what are we doing here?"

Since they were already here, Delia knew she couldn't hide it anymore.

She took a gentle breath, turned her head, and said in the most natural tone possible: "To buy some underwear. Traveling in the forest makes changing difficult, so it's good to have a few spares."

"U-underwear?" Misty's gaze involuntarily fell upon the wine-red item in Delia's hand, a style connected only by thin ribbons on the sides, and her face grew even redder.

"Buying them here? These... these styles?"

"Mhm." Delia nodded: "Usually... I wear these."

"Y-you wear these normally?!" Misty's eyes widened, and her gaze swept over the sexy fabrics again. Imagining them worn on Delia's mature, voluptuous body, her heart inexplicably sped up.

In a moment of impulse, she blurted out: "Sister Delia, do you really wear these all the time?"

"Mhm." Delia nodded, casually adding: "Roy likes them~"

The moment the words left her mouth, Delia froze.

Oh no!

She let it slip!

Sure enough, Misty stiffened as if struck by electricity, her neck turning mechanically, her large eyes filled with disbelief: "Huh? Roy likes them? Your underwear... Roy...?"

A flurry of disorganized images instantly popped into her mind, and her cheeks burned fiercely.

Because she was afraid Misty wouldn't adjust well to joining the team, or might feel shy or have other thoughts, Delia and Roy had not yet openly admitted the depth of their relationship.

Delia immediately reacted, quickly trying to cover up. Her face was flushed, and her eyes darted around: "Oh! I mean... I, I meant... last time Roy was looking at a travel magazine, he casually said the lace-edged stockings the cover model was wearing looked quite nice..."

"I just thought, maybe men all like this kind of thing? If I wear these... wouldn't I be a bit more charming?"

Her voice got softer the more she spoke, making her seem very shy, and the excuse sounded reasonable enough.

"Oh~ I see" The innocent Misty believed Delia's explanation.

But she couldn't help but mutter internally: That blockhead Roy actually looks at sexy models in magazines? And likes lace stockings?

Hmph! He really is a hidden pervert!

However... Misty's gaze secretly drifted back to the exquisite, sexy lingerie.

Roy... really likes this kind of thing?

If I... tried wearing one too... and he saw it, would he... praise me?

Would he look at me with that... different kind of gaze?

Wait, what am I thinking?

Why would I show my underwear to Roy!

It's all Roy's fault! Bad guy! Pervert! Big hooligan! To actually like something so... so suggestive!

...At this moment, Roy, who was at the Pokémon Center checking his Pokémon's data, suddenly sneezed a few times: "Hmm? Who's thinking of me?"

...But despite the internal scolding, Misty's gaze continued to observe.

Delia watched Misty's changing expression and her eyes sparkled.

She picked up a white, lace, semi-transparent pair of underwear nearby, leaned toward Misty, and whispered in a tempting tone: "Misty, why don't you... try buying a pair in this style too? Changing things up occasionally is nice."

"Ah?" Misty recoiled like a startled rabbit, waving her hands repeatedly: "I, I don't need to! I usually wear... those kinds!"

She pointed toward another area in the distance, where clearly cute and innocent styles of girls' underwear were displayed, printed with cartoon patterns and conservative designs.

"Those are very cute," Delia chuckled. "But girls should always try different styles. Look at this white one; it's actually very pure, just with a little lace decoration. It's not too exaggerated."

She dangled the white lace underwear in front of Misty.

The light fabric, the delicate lace pattern, shimmered softly under the lights.

Misty's gaze was drawn to it.

Driven by an inexplicable impulse, she reached out and touched the soft fabric.

The texture... was so unique.

Completely different from cotton.

Imagining how it would feel to wear... and what if... what if Roy accidentally saw it... "So? Want to try it?" Delia's voice was like a devil's whisper.

Misty bit her lip, engaged in an internal battle.

Ultimately, a secret expectation—one she didn't dare to examine too closely—overcame her shyness.

"...W-well, maybe." She turned her face away, her voice barely a whisper: "I'll... I'll just buy one to try... anyway, it's worn underneath, so no one else will see it..."

"Exactly!" Delia's smile deepened, and she immediately began enthusiastically helping Misty choose.

In the end, Misty purchased a pile of the cute-style underwear she was accustomed to, but at the very bottom of the shopping bag, quietly lay a carefully packaged, white lace-edged pair that Delia had strongly recommended.

When paying, Misty's face was burning hot, and she didn't dare look at the cashier.

It was as if that tiny piece of lace underwear carried all her unspeakable thoughts... After finishing their shopping, Delia and Misty returned to the Pokémon Center carrying large bags.

After meeting up with Roy, they ate dinner together at the Center's restaurant.

Misty was somewhat distracted throughout the meal, occasionally sneaking glances at Roy before quickly lowering her head, her cheeks faintly red.

Roy noticed, but simply assumed she was tired from shopping or still excited about the Gym battle earlier that day.

That night, they each returned to their rooms.

Misty lay on the bed in her single room, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.

She finally couldn't resist, quietly got up, and retrieved the small, individually packaged bag from the bottom of her backpack.

She tore it open.

The white lace underwear lay quietly in her palm.

Under the dim room light, the lace pattern was exceptionally clear, and the fabric was so light it felt weightless.

Should I really wear it... wearing this... feels so strange.

So... embarrassing.

If Roy really saw it by accident... Roy's face reappeared in her mind, and her heart beat faster.

"No, no! Absolutely can't wear it now!"

As if burned, she quickly stuffed the underwear back into the deepest part of the bag and pressed it under the rest of her luggage.

"Later... I'll think about it later!"

She flopped back onto the bed, pulled the covers over her head, and forced herself to sleep... The next morning.

The three packed their bags, enjoyed breakfast at the Pokémon Center, and officially left Pewter City, setting off on their journey.

As the last rock structure of Pewter City disappeared behind them, and the road ahead stretched toward lush forests and dimly visible mountains in the distance.

The familiar system notification sound rang out promptly in Roy's mind.

[Ding! Gym Challenge Quest updated!]

[Gym Quest Challenge — Cerulean City: Defeat the Cerulean Gym and obtain the Blue Badge.]

[Quest Reward: Cerulean Four Sisters Personal Photo Album (Collector's Unreleased Edition).]

Huh?????

What kind of reward??

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50 power stones for extra chapter

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