Young Love

A Secret Admirer

Victor's POV
It was a bright, sunny day in Galar. I was greeted with the bustle of tourists as soon as I set foot in the dusty town of Stow-On-Side. It was a colorful town, filled with bright umbrellas and awnings that shaded the small stands that belonged to the vendors that bought strange collectibles and sold evolution items.
I walked into the Pokémon Center to heal up my Pokémon. I also had to buy some Potions and Revives. As I walked up to the counter, I accidentally bumped into a young girl who looked slightly familiar. "Oh, I-I'm so sorry," I said, looking into the eyes of the girl. She almost smiled at me. "That's okay, it was an accident," she said. She did a quick size up of me, and I blushed. "Hey, you must be one of those Gym Challengers, right? I saw you at the opening ceremony," she said. "I'm Bea, the Gym Leader of Stow-On-Side."
"Oh, it's nice to meet you," I said, feeling slightly awkward. She giggled a little and said, "Well, I gotta get back to my Gym. You should probably heal up your Pokémon. You're gonna need it." I couldn't help blushing as I heard her say this. When she left, I felt slightly dazed, like I had forgotten what I was doing. I looked up and saw the Pokémon nurse waiting for me.
"Oh! Sorry for making you wait," I said. I took out my Pokémon and handed them to her. The nurse smiled as she said, "I think I sensed a crush there." I blushed and stuttered. "N-no! Of course not!" I felt my cheeks burning in embarrassment. Although, deep down, I knew she was right.
The nurse nodded. "Uh-huh. Honey, don't be afraid to tell her how you feel about her. Bea is actually a very sweet person." I gulped and nodded, taking back my Pokémon. "Well... I'll try." I left the Pokémon Center, trying to sort out my feelings.
I walked towards the gym but was stopped by Hop. "Um, Victor?" he said, not looking at me. "Yeah?" I asked him, putting my arm around him. "I-I'm still not sure what I should do about all that stuff I told you before. About me being weak," he said, tears kinda starting to fill his eyes. I gave him a gentle squeeze and smiled at him understandingly. Hop had recently been bullied by a young man named Bede, who had defeated him in a Pokémon battle. Bede had said some pretty nasty things to Hop about it, and it honestly ticked me off.
"S-so I'm going to try some new strategies against you and see what works," he said, smiling at me. I smiled back and nodded. "Okay, let's battle," I said to him. "But I'm not gonna hold back." He nodded and sent out his first Pokémon...
I defeated him with ease, healed my Pokémon, and headed into the gym. I felt my heart flutter as I completed the Gym Mission and walked up the stairs to the locker room.
I was surprised when I found Bea in the locker room. When she looked up and saw me, she smiled. "Oh, hello!" she said cheerfully. I blushed and smiled back at her. "H-hi," I said, feeling awkward again. I was surprised when she pulled me into a strong but gentle hug. She giggled and released me. "Sorry, I couldn't resist," she said, smiling. "You remind me of my friend, Allister." I smiled. This was my chance to make my move. "Bea?"