Araquanid is an interesting one. If you looked at its stats it would be rather unremarkable. A great special defense stat but nothing else that makes you think it's anything above average. And just like similarly perceived bug type pokemon such as Galvantula or Leavanny, it gets access to one of the best moves in the game in Sticky Web.

Sticky Web is an entry hazard like spikes or stealth rock, but unlike its brethren it does not cause damage when your opponent switches a pokemon in. Instead, it will automatically lower the speed stat of the incoming pokemon by 1. In a turn based battle system, the speed stat is widely considered to be the most important one. With Sticky Web on the field, you can then use other destructive offensive pokemon normally held back by a mediocre speed stat to actually outspeed and K.O. everything in your path.

This niche in itself would give Araquanid a good score, but then you look at its ability. Water Bubble is a signature ability to Araquanid, and it is incredibly broken. It gives you not one, not two, but THREE abilities in one. First of all, it makes you immune to burn (such as the ability Water Veil). It also halves the damage you take from Fire moves (like Heatproof), essentially giving Araquanid a fire resistance. And if that wasn't enough, it also DOUBLES your water type damage. Just a straight up x2 multiplier to damage. Add this on top of your x1.5 multiplier from being a water type pokemon and your average attack stat does not matter anymore. Absolutely insane. Of course Araquanid is still held back by its other stats, which prevents it from being broken, but it is a very clear threat in its own right.

I'd give it an 8.5/10

Since he just got a mega evolution, Dragonite is up next

Dragonite is a Pokemon that I feel like compared to the other pseudos gets underrated I think it has an amazing design that can pull off being intimidating but also one of the cutest Pokemon at the same time.

Stat wise it's a bit disappointing I mean with it's hidden ability you can almost always get a free dragon dance to make up for the lackluster speed but the rest of it's stats are pretty well balanced where I could see Mega Dragonite being seriously impressive depending on where they put the stats give it some speed and attack and its set.

Dragon and Flying isn't an amazing type combo but I don't think it's particularly bad either it does suck being 4x weak to ice but once again the hidden ability making it so the first hit on it does less is really helpful. As for it's regular ability Inner Focus making it so you can't flinch I've never really used one in a competitive sense but I feel it's likely the better ability for VGC.

I love it's mega design which I know is controversial but I think it's really well done and it only grows on me more every time I see it I'm very excited to use one for myself in Legends Z-A!

I'll give it a 10/10

Next Pokemon is another mon with a new mega! Chesnaught I choose you!

See if you had said his name this time last year, I would have gone off about how ugly and bad this pokemon is. And I will still do that, but now there is light at the end of the tunnel for Chesnaught.

Chesnaught is the final form of one of the three starter Pokemon from the Kalos region, Chespin. My initial impression upon seeing it was one of confusion. I still struggle to see how Chespin turns into this guy. Anyway, long story short I am not a fan of its design.

Like all the other starter Pokemon, Chesnaught's stat total is around the 530 mark, which is fairly high. Unfortunately for Chesnaught his stats aren't distributed very well. He's clearly meant to be this big tank, but when you look at his actual defensive stats, you are met with an 88/122/75 spread. Is he bulky? Yes. Is he a tank? No not really. It's doable on the physical side but he gets obliterated by even neutral special hits. But okay, other Pokemon have done well with similar if not worse defensive stats. Where this Pokemon really went wrong was its typing. Grass/Fighting has been tried a few times before, a notable example being Breloom. It's a great offensive pairing. Offensive. Defensively it has, and count with me, 6 weaknesses, 1 of which being a quad weakness. The types it is weak to are some of the more common and better offensive types as well, such as Fire, Flying, Ice, and Fairy. So now you have a Pokemon meant to be bulky with slightly above average stats and a typing weak to a lot of the most common damaging types in the game. In other words, it does nothing.

Thankfully Legends: ZA granted him a Mega Evolution. Not only did they do the impossible and fix his ugly design so he actually looks really cool now (how did they pull that off???). They actually fixed his stats. 88 HP is still not great but it's enough, because he now has 172 defense, and even a big boost to 115 Special defense. Now we're talking! You can run him fully defensively and still do massive damage now with Body Press, which he does get a stab multiplier on as well. What an actual godlike mechanic, they should keep Mega Evolution around.

Before Legends: ZA he would get a 4, now he gets an easy 7.5 from me in his Mega form