Considering the poor pictures, no offense, I think that could very well be a very nice pastel. He looks orangeish in a few, but with the whole picture dark and blurry, it's impossible to tell for sure.

He's got some sweet blush spots on his back. Even with the pictures, I'm gonna call him a solid B+ pastel. I've seen better yes, but I've also seen much, much worse.

Tail size can't tell you a thing when sexing a ball python. If you are unsure about popping, get an experienced vet or breeder to probe for you. If he turns out to be a she, nothing wrong with that. She'll take a little longer to breed, but she should make some nice babies.

Gale