Sometimes strange things happen with ATC. For example, it can happen that ATC offers you the option to ask for a pushback when you are in a GA aircraft. Really? Maybe such an option appears because you are parked in a non-GA slot; or sometimes you have to be parked in a tie-down location; or sometimes the airport is just coded badly.
Some ATC requests are requirements, some are optional while a lot are just a bit confusing.
Some items like “request altimeter” or “Request Weather” or asking for a radio check are optional, but once you start using ATC, you are required to obey what it instructs you to do. If you don’t, it will usually first nag you a few times, and then curtly inform you that ATC services are being cancelled.
Above all, if you want to use ATC (it’s optional) make sure you are familiar with the ATC manual. You will find the X-Plane_ATC_System_Manual.pdf in your X-Plane installation: … X-Plane 12\Instructions.