About his 'fake stats'
I think people are taking Flowery's 'fake stats' the wrong way. His stats aren't fake as in 'they literally don't exist and everyone is just pretending they do', his stats are fake in the way a buffing spell might 'fake' stats. They're modified
For one, look at the animation the Knight does when they get hit with his attacks
That isn't the animation they use when being hit with a nothing attack, or even just a powerful attack. That's the animation they use when extremely hurt
Flowery DID do all that damage to the Knight, the Knight WAS on the brink of death. It's just that the Knight un-modified his stats to nullify the damage. Like, imagine if Kris had their sword un-equipped mid attack.
Second, let's look at how Flowery is faking his stats.
Dark Worlds are places based on perception and will brought into existence with a Dark Fountain. Nothing in them is 'real' exactly, but while inside one, everything acts like it's real.
Flowery's Check text states it's his Hope that makes his fake stats real, and the flowers as a group constantly talk about their Dreams being what drive them. Those aren't just random buzzwords, we've literally seen Hopes and Dreams modify the world in these games before. For example:
Frisk's Hopes can literally reduce the damage they take in their fight with Asriel, effectively 'faking' their defence stat to be higher. And their Dreams can manifest into reality as healing items.
Dark Worlds are places built on dreams and willpower, literally made by a Lightner focusing their will into a blade to shape the Dark World they will create. It's Flowery's willpower and Dreams that make him so strong, and that strength is real, at least until a being with stronger willpower came along to challenge his version of reality.
The Knight has been creating fountains for god knows how long, and is clearly very strong in Dark Worlds. This must mean that their ability to shape the Dark Worlds, impose their will over the Dark Worlds, is immense. The Knight was simply forcing the Dark World to recognize the flower underneath Flowery, rather than recognize his hopes and dreams of being stronger.
For everyone who doesn't have stronger will than Flowery, his stats are effectively 100% real, and you can't just treat them like a joke because he literally can pound the snot out of the fun gang in their fight with him. It's specifically only against foes like the Knight where his 'fake' stats are reduced back to their base, the modifiers stripped away.
