YMMV / Pokemon S 25 E 38 Partners In Time

• Anti-Climax Boss: The most criticized part of the episode is the battle between Pikachu and Cinderace, which is generally considered the worst part of the battle in general; as Pikachu fails to properly counter Cinderace's Libero, wins with a single hit, and inexplicably times out after only one Max Move, it's largely agreed this was a very unsatisfying way for Cinderace to go down. Though the episode as a whole is near-universally loved, it's rare to see anyone defending this part in particular.
• Awesome Art: The lengthy final clash between Pikachu and Charizard is widely considered to be the single best looking battle scene in the anime's entire run, even surpassing visual juggernauts such as Ash's Kalos League battles and Ash vs. Professor Kukui from Sun and Moon. Even the biggest detractors of Journeys and its art style will usually admit that Pikachu vs. Charizard looks absolutely gorgeous.
• Catharsis Factor: It probably goes without saying that Ash being crowned the World's Best Warrior after 25 years of adventures is extraordinarily satisfying, regardless of how many controversial moments that led up to it. As many fans will put it, the first theme song's promise has finally been fulfilled now that Ash is "the very best, like no one ever was".
• I Knew It!:
  • Many fans predicted that all Ash's companions would appear one last time to watch Ash's battle with Leon, and sure enough, each of them made a cameo in this episode. Another common prediction was that the final match would include a scene dedicated to all of Ash's past journeys, and that this scene would most likely invoke a Heroic Second Wind for Pikachu. Needless to say, that's exactly what happened.
  • After the episode aired in Japan, fans began making videos on YouTube replacing the Aim to be a Pokémon Master theme song with the Indigo League theme song. That's precisely what happened in the dub.
• Pandering to the Base:
  • It's hard to deny an entire scene dedicated to all of Ash's Pokémon over the years, on top of every single one of Ash's past companions briefly appearing, is about the biggest, most unapologetic nostalgia bomb the series could ever deliver. Not that almost any fan minds in the slightest, though.
  • Pikachu's final Thunderbolt attack is clearly designed to serve as a homage to Volt Tackle, the Pikachu line's Signature Move that he forgot in the Unova season and an extremely popular request for him to use again. This entire moment pretty much exists purely to cater to that request without actually having him relearn the move.

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