Lithium ion cells do not have high self discharge rates nor do they suffer from the memory effect. I’ve left 18650s charged for years and they work fine, ditto for 14500 (AA sized lithium ion). Sure, they lose some charge, but there’s still plenty of capacity even after sitting for a long time. Can’t say I’ve ever been disappointed with the various flavors of lithium cells, but NiMH was pretty bad until Eneloops came around. Alkaline is still my go to for remotes.
You’re also not going to encounter many situations where alkaline (1.5v)/NiMH (1.3v) can be swapped with lithium ion (4.2v). Certain flashlights are the only things I’ve got where you can swap 1.5v and 4.2v and that’s because they’ve got the circuitry to handle that.