Prepare to return to the Sinnoh Region. After years of waiting, the popularly demanded Pokémon Gen 4 remake is finally on the horizon with Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl. This highly anticipated sequel will feature the Region's many Pokémon, both the popular and the not so popular.
While there were a lot of great additions to the Pokémon roster in Gen 4, there were also a couple of duds here and there. Since the games themselves have gone through a certain evolution of their own, it might be high time for some of Sinnoh's Pokémon to get a much-needed upgrade for the upcoming remake.
10 Lickilicky — It Isn't A Bad Pokémon, But It Isn't That Impressive Either
Gen 4 had quite a few new evolutions for existing Pokémon that didn't previously have one, and one of these additions was the evolved form of Lickitung, Lickilicky. Lickilicky isn't a bad Pokémon given its defensive stats and supportive capabilities, however, it's not a very impressive one.
Lickilicky is held back by its low attack stats and even lower speed stats and its Normal typing also make it a sitting duck for Fighting-types. Still, Lickilicky has so much potential given its diverse movepool, so maybe the remakes can give this Pokémon the upgrade it needs.
9 Carnivine — It Deserves A More Balanced Moveset & Movepool
Carnivine's a menacing-looking Pokémon that does actually have some bite to back up its bark, thanks to its good offensive stats. Sadly, that's about it for positives for this venus flytrap, since its other stats aren't nearly as good as its offense. On top of that its ability "Levitate" only really protects it from Ground-type moves, which aren't all that effective on Grass-types anyway.
These aspects make Carnivine a bit of a glass cannon, which is sad given how good its attack power is. Perhaps the remakes could help balance out Carnivine's shortcomings or give it access to abilities that better suit it.
8 Kricketune — Its Abilities And Moveset Are Mediocre At Best
The evolved form of Kricketot, Kricketune is one in a long Pokémon tradition of easy-to-evolve Bug-types that aren't all that great in battle. Depressingly, Kricketune isn't really good at anything across the board and its abilities of "Swarm" and "Technician" are kind of mediocre too.
The only thing Kricketune's really known for is how weak and common it is because nothing else about it really stands out, so it's a prime target for an overhaul in the remakes. Perhaps some better stats and abilities can give this bug some much-needed bite.
7 Bastiodon — It Has Great Defense, But Is No Match For Fighting-Type Pokémon
The evolved form of Shieldon, one of the two extinct Pokémon trainers can revive on their Sinnoh journey, Bastiodon is a walking tank with incredibly high defense. Unfortunately for the "Shield Pokémon", that's about all it has going for it as Bastiodon suffers in pretty much every other aspect.
Despite its hefty defense, it's no match for a good hit or two from a Fighting-type Pokémon. This Pokémon has a lot of flaws that could use some balancing out, or a way to turn that heavy defense into some kind of offense.
6 Lumineon — A Beautiful Pokémon To Behold, But A Weak One To Fight
A fish that resembles a butterfly, Lumineon is a Pokémon that's pretty to look at, but not much else. Having all-around mediocre stats and a limited movepool only make using this Pokémon in battle a bigger pain in the neck, as it's easily outdone by plenty of other better Water-types.
With the remakes on the horizon, now might be the chance that Lumineon has been waiting for. If it can't get better stats, maybe better moves that do a lot more damage or better recovery could be just what it needs to be a true contender.
5 Yanmega — A Low Special Defense Stat Makes It A Weak Option In A Fight
The evolved form of the Johto Region's Yanma, Yanmega is another Gen 4 evolution that unfortunately came with a couple of drawbacks. In terms of speed and special attack, Yanmega's actually not bad, but its faults in other aspects of its stats make for its undoing, with a low special defense stat that makes it more susceptible to its weaknesses.
Despite this, some players can make use out of Yanmega in the right settings, so maybe the Gen 4 remakes can take note of that and give Yanmega an upgrade that can make this Pokémon live up to its potential.
4 Cherrim — Although Adorable, There's Not Much Else To Say About It
Grass-types are pretty guilty of having a rough time, with their many weaknesses and all, and no Pokémon may know that better than Cherrim. Despite its cuddliness and adorable demeanor, Cherrim is hindered by all its stats being mediocre and a movepool that doesn't do it any favors either.
Even its "Flower Gift" ability, which ramps up its attack and special defense in the sunlight, doesn't do much for it since it's not a physical fighter. Perhaps the remake can do some retooling to this ability to make up for its weaknesses and possibly play to its strengths.
3 Phione — An Average Mythical Pokémon With Disappointing Stats
Being a Mythical Pokémon and the offspring of Manaphy, one would think Phione would be a pretty strong and viable Pokémon, however, this is not the case. Phione's stats are all average (with them all being at "80") and it only excels at healing itself. Overall, Phione is pretty unimpressive despite being a Mythical Pokémon of unique circumstances.
With the Sinnoh Region coming back into the limelight, maybe an upgrade could make Phione reach new heights like never before. Whether it'd be a boost to its stats, better moves, or a new ability that makes it more of a challenge to beat in battle, Phione would benefit from some much-needed appreciation.
2 Bibarel — A Pokémon That Is Unfortunately Not That Impressive In Battle
There's no easy way to put this, but Bibarel is just terrible in battle, which is to be expected from the evolved form of the infamously weak Bidoof. In all honesty, its only use back in the original Diamond and Pearl was being an "HM Slave" thanks to its vast movepool. Unfortunately, HMs have more or less gone the way of the dodo in Pokémon games.
Without HMs to force on it, Bibarel is in danger of being 100% useless, so it's in dire need of some retooling. Perhaps the remakes could do something to take advantage of Bibarel's versatile movepool and finally make this Pokémon more than just a punchline to a joke.
1 Wormadam & Mothim — Bug-Types Deserve Betters Stats Overall
For the most part, Bug-types really didn't get a fair shake in Gen 4 with Burmy and its two evolutions, Wormadam and Mothim, being shining examples of that. Wormadam only excels at defense, and its "Sandy Cloak" can help it hang in there, but its bad non-defensive stats and bad movepool make it pathetically weak. Mothim is no better, though it has the better offense and more variety in moves, its typing making it especially vulnerable to its weaknesses (like Rock-types).
Needless to say, these Bug Pokémon get squished by the competition pretty easily. They're the kind of Pokémon that trainers catch to fill their Pokédex, but they can be more. With the right balancing to iron out those many flaws and playing up their strengths, Wormadam and Mothim could be unexpectedly good in the remakes.