He had Stared at his Step-Mother, when she had given him a fire pokemon, Numel.

"Why isn't dad giving me a Pokémon?" Maxie demandes.

Jill looks at him sadly.

"I… wanted to. I know you don't think much of me Maxie, but I was hoping this would help you warm up to me. Get it? Haha? Warm-up?"

He doesn't react to her bad pun. He tries not to react to Jill if he can help it.

Eventually she stops trying to get him to laugh.

She sighs.

"If it's really not for you, we can go into the tall grass and catch you something you do like. "

He considers taking her up on that, but then he thinks about it. That would require spending more time with her, and he really doesn't want to do that.

One day in the far future he will look back sadly on how hard he had snubbed her as a child, but right now he is full of spite about his fathers remarriage.

"No thank you. I'm going to go train now."

"Take care of each other. " She calls out.

Maxie walks off, without looking back.