Even though Pokémon Legends: Arceus launched less than four months ago, Game Freak is set to release the first 9th generation games later this year. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet will hopefully capitalize on how Arceus finally shook up the mainline formula, and with it could bring new changes to existing species.

The roster count is already at 900+ creatures, but new generations usually come with some statistical alterations to older ones as well. There are several Pokémon that have felt somewhat neglected in this department, and they would undoubtedly benefit from stat boosts in key areas.

Arbok

The cobra Pokémon Arbok in the anime

Thanks to the classic Pokémon anime seasons, Arbok has become something of a minor icon for the franchise from having been Jessie's signature creature. Design-wise, it's a Kanto Pokémon with a simple yet effective look and inspiration, but its current stat spread does it no favors. Arbok's stat total falls fairly well below 500, with it being very subpar all around.

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Its strongest base stat is an 85 in Physical Attack, which bodes poorly everywhere else. Arbok could arguably do well with a new evolution or a regional form in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, but, if nothing else, bolstering its Physical Attack, Speed, and/or defenses would be a good start.

Pidgeot

Pidgeot flying in the Pokémon anime.

Pidgeot is a beloved classic of the regional bird Pokémon, but it's certainly seen better days in terms of battling prowess. In its base form, Pidgeot was never particularly strong, with in-game playthroughs arguably favoring Fearow more. However, it received a noticeable stat buff thanks to its Mega Evolution in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire.

But since Game Freak has effectively scrapped that fan-favorite mechanic, Pidgeot is back to having its 91 Speed stat being its most noteworthy boon. Even a simple tweak that boosts its Special Attack and Speed like its Mega did -- but understandably lower in this case -- would be welcome.

Vikavolt

Vikavolt hovering in the air in the Pokémon anime.

It's a shame that Vikavolt statistically landed where it did in Sun and Moon, as its creative design and Type combination left a lot of potential on the table. Fans thought upon seeing it that it would be a quick Special Attacker, though, shockingly, its Speed turned out to be an abysmal 43.

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It has a good Physical Defense, an excellent Special Attack, and a decent Special Defense, but that Speed is holding Vikavolt back tremendously. Given that, the solution for a possible boost in Scarlet and Violet becomes quite obvious.

Flareon

A happy Flareon in the Pokémon anime.

Despite being an elegant and creatively designed favorite of the "Eeveelution" Pokémon, Flareon is still hampered statistically in battle. Flareon's particularly stat woes stem from being a Fire-Type species, which specializes in Special Attacking moves, but its strongest offensive stat is Physical. Its Special Attack is still at a solid 95, but it's wasting potential by not having a stat spread that complements its Type.

Something simple that could bolster its combat viability, and should Game Freak not want to overpower Flareon, would be to boost its Special Attack from 95 to somewhere from 105-110. This would make better use of its movepool and make it a strong mixed attacker alongside its hefty 135 Physical Attack.

Mawile

A Mawile smiling in the Pokémon anime.

In a similar case to Pidgeot, Mawile is another Pokémon that started weakly and got a much-needed boost via Mega Evolution but is now more or less back where it started. Mawile has disappointing stats in almost every department, with the only two decent ones being an 85 in both Physical Attack and Physical Defense, leaving everything else in the 50s range.

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Even aside from the scrapped Mega, this spread is a shame since it gained the Fairy typing in gen six. That secondary -- and powerful -- Type is going to waste, as having it combined with Steel should make Mawile a stalwart defensive Pokémon.

Dunsparce

Dunsparce crawling on the ground in the Pokémon anime

Dunsparce is one of the most curious cases in the Pokémon roster. The Land Snake Pokémon was introduced as is in the second generation Johto games, and it never received any kind of boon afterward.

It's quite average overall, with Dunsparce's only noteworthy base stat being its 100 HP. Its Attack and Defense are both okay, but it also feels like a Pokémon that's aching for evolution, especially with Scarlet and Violet on the horizon. Since those two stats are the joint second-highest stats after its HP, bolstering them could at least make Dunsparce a sturdy Physical Pokémon.

Delcatty

A Delcatty leaping into attack in the Pokémon anime.

While Delcatty did receive a solid stat buff after its Hoenn debut (Speed going from 70 to 90), every one of its other stats remained average. Its movepool is quite diverse when it comes to offensive and stat-boosting moves, but Delcatty is held back by its Physical and Special stats.

This Pokémon is arguably one that could also be an impressive mixed attacker with its access to moves like Calm Mind, Disarming Voice, Play Rough, Facade, and more. Likewise, taking advantage of those tools would go nicely with a base 90 Speed stat.

Beedrill

Keanan's Beedrill amongst its hive in the Pokémon anime.

Bug-Type Pokémon, unfortunately, get the short end of the stick in terms of battling viability. By having an RPG monster-collecting series with various kinds of creatures to capture, it seems obvious to have Bug species. However, their very nature often makes them fragile combatants (except for Scizor, Heracross, etc.). Beedrill is a classic Bug-Type from the Kanto games, and it, too, received a buff from Mega Evolution.

With that mechanic seemingly a relic of the past, boosting its Physical Attack stat in Scarlet and Violet seems like a straightforward tweak. However, the 9th generation should go a step forward by buffing its Physical Defense a bit as well.

Mightyena

Mightyena looks fierce, but isn't a very strong Dark-type Pokémon.

Poochyena, and Mightyena by extension, are a nostalgic line of "early-route" Pokémon from the Hoenn region. Their designs are slick dog/hyena inspirations, but many players likely remember having to cut them from the final team as the game's story progressed.

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Mightyena's 420 stat totals aren't as bad as others here, but most of those individual stats are far too average to keep up. It has a solid Physical movepool (e.g. Crunch, the "Elemental Fangs," Dig, Iron Tail, etc.), so sacrificing its Special Attack and boosting its Physical Attack, Speed, and Special Defense would make it hit harder and endure hits better from rival Types that threaten it.

Glaceon

A Glaceon in the Pokémon anime.

Closing out with another Eeveelution, Glaceon arguably beats Flareon in being the weakest in battle. Similar to the aforementioned Bug-Type problem, Ice-Types aren't defensively sturdy due to their physical nature. It seems strange on paper, as its stat total sits at an impressive 525.

The problem, rather, lies in where those stats (and things like movepool) are allocated. Glaceon's defenses and Special Attack are quite impressive, but those stats are let down by poor HP and Speed totals. Its defenses and Special offenses won't last/get much time to shine if everything is hitting Glaceon first.

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