My starter Pokemon and I didn't get along at first either. He didn't start to like me until I started bribing him with treats, and talking to him like he's a person. They can understand a lot of what we say. Like, a lot more than I thought at first.

[Pro-tip: a Pokemon understands more than a dog, and get offended when you treat them like one, leading to several days of electrical zapping before a friendship is formed.]