A small group of Pokémon can claim the great honor of being selected as a fighter in Pokkén Tournament. A lucky 23 Pokémon out of almost a thousand possible have been selected for the series, some of which you might not even expect.

But, there are still many Pokémon that would be great candidates as a Pokkén fighter, either as DLC or in a future installment. Generation III is home to many great candidates, which is demonstrated by the respectable number of Hoenn Pokémon already in the game, like Blaziken, Sceptile, and Gardevoir. Here are a few Gen III Pokémon that would be great, and a few that probably wouldn’t be.

10 Yes - Banette

There are few Generation III Pokémon that are more terrifying than the Ghost-type Banette, which evolves from Shuppet. Banette is believed to be a discarded doll that continuously haunts the child that abandoned it.

As for fighting, Banette would be a great candidate for Pokkén. Gengar’s presence in the game has shown that a Ghost-type can work, and Banette is an interesting choice to double down on that. Banette could make use of Shadow Ball, Shadow Sneak, and has access to an intimidating Mega Evolution.

9 No - Wailord

While Banette would be a sneaking, slithering ghost that would be nimble and quick, Wailord would be the opposite of all those things. This gigantic whale Pokémon has long been known as one of the biggest Pokémon to exist, as well as one of the heaviest.

Wailord is powerful in some respects. It takes a lot of damage to take one down due to their very high HP stat. Throw one into a Street Fighter-style match like Pokkémon, however… It might not even fit in the ring for the match.

8 Yes - Medicham

It’s almost surprising that Medicham isn’t already a playable character in Pokkén. This nimble Psychic/Fighting-type seems to be based on yoga, combat, and warriors. Like monks and martial artists, Medicham is trained in the skill of predicting and responding to its opponent’s moves, which would be perfect for a Pokkén player.

The Pokédex even states that Medicham utilizes dance-like steps while launching devastating blows simultaneously. This Pokémon is built for a one-on-one melee match. It also has access to a cool Mega Evolution.

7 No - Hariyama

Hariyama is often seen as a counterpart to Medicham. Also a Fighting-type, Hariyama is instead based on sumo wrestlers and other warriors who use their weight and size to their advantage. While Medicham focuses on speed and utilizing its psychic-powers, Hariyama is focused on high stamina and brute force.

While Hariyama’s wrestling design and high attack stat might translate into Pokkén, sumo just isn’t the style necessary to excel in the Pokkén format. Plus, Hariyama is incredibly slow.

6 Yes - Swampert

Poor Swampert. The final evolution of the Water-type starter Mudkip, this guy wasn’t included in Pokkén despite the fact that the other two starter evolutions — Blaziken and Sceptile — are prominently featured. Why they left this poor Ground/Water-type out is unknown, but may be due to the fact that it’s more quadripedal and not designed for a Pokkén-style game.

Still, Swampert would be a great addition. Its hulking fists in its Mega Evolution are perfect for combat, and its Ground and Water powers would be fantastic. If they can make Chandelure work in Pokkén, why not Swampert?

5 No - Slaking

Slaking, despite its insanely-high attack stat, is known for one thing: loafing around. This Normal-type Generation III Pokémon may be powerful, but its Truant ability causes it to skip every other turn out of pure laziness. Sure, abilities don’t play out in Pokkén, but Slaking’s personality and attitude are built around this lazy nature.

Slaking frequently loafs around and lazily raises one arm to swat at an opponent because of its attitude. It would absolutely not play out well in the Pokkén ring.

4 Yes - Breloom

One of the more interesting designs in Generation III comes in the form of Breloom, a Grass/Fighting-type. This mushroomy kangaroo-like Pokémon resembles a large fungal creature with fighting capabilities. Breloom is light on its feet and quick, able to quickly throw powerful punches.

According to the Pokédex, Breloom can knock foes out quickly with “virtually invisible” punches and that it “puts boxers to shame.” Other entries state that its technique is like that of professional boxers. Breloom was born to be in a fighting game like Pokkén.

3 No - Cacturne

Cacturne is an interesting Pokémon in combat. Like Breloom, it’s a dangerous plant-based Grass-type with some fighting capabilities. Its upright humanoid appearance might also lead one to believe that it might be great in a game like Pokkén.

The problem with Cacturne is that it’s not a direct, up-front martial artist. This cactus-like Pokémon remains motionless in the daylight, and silently stalks and pounces via surprise attack on its prey in the nighttime. It’s a cool concept, but it wouldn’t lend itself well to a more direct combat fight like Pokkén.

2 Yes - Deoxys

Few Pokémon can match the legendary and epic attitude and vibe of Mewtwo, imbued with raw power and intense strength. Deoxys, however, might be able to achieve the same aura. As a Mythical Pokémon introduced in Generation III, Deoxys is surrounded by mystery, including its origins as an alien or extraterrestrial being.

Able to switch between four forms, Deoxys’ visual appearance and attitude would both translate perfectly into a role as a Pokkén fighter.

1 No - Shedinja

Slaking isn’t the only gimmicky Pokémon on this list. Another Generation III Pokémon that made some unique fun out of the new ability system when it was introduced was Shedinja. This Ghost/Bug-type is known for the fact that it only has one hitpoint.

It’ll need to be hit with a super-effective attack to go down, meaning that one hitpoint can last a pretty long time. This gimmick is fun in the main series, but wouldn’t work at all in Pokkén, unfortunately.

NEXT: 10 Weird Facts You Might Not Know About Fire-type Pokémon