Paras is an orange,insectoidPokémon that resembles the nymph stage of acicada. Its ovoid body is segmented, and it has three pairs of legs. The foremost pair of legs is the largest and has sharp claws at the tips. There are five specks on its forehead and three teeth on either side of its mouth. It has circular eyes with large pseudopupils.
Red-and-yellow mushrooms known astochukaso grow on this Pokémon's back. The mushrooms can be removed at any time and grow from spores that are doused on this Pokémon's back at birth by the mushroom on its mother's back. Tochukaso are parasitic in nature, drawing their nutrients from the host Paras's body in order to grow and exerting some command over the Pokémon's actions. For example, Paras drains nutrients from tree roots due to commands from the mushrooms. The mushrooms are also popular among collectors and have medicinal uses, usually involving extended life. Prior toGeneration III,Spore was itssignature move.
Paras can often be found incaves; however, it can also thrive in dampforests. In theAlolaregion, the mushrooms on its back do not grow well. This is thought to be from a lack of moisture or nutrients.
It is doused with mushroom spores when it is born. As its body grows, mushrooms sprout from its back.(Pokémon Red, Silver, or Crystal inserted) As its body grows large, oriental mushrooms called tochukaso start sprouting out of its back.(Pokémon Blue, Gold, or Yellow inserted)
Paras has parasitic mushrooms growing on its back called tochukaso. They grow large by drawing nutrients from theR/thisSBugPokémon host. They are highly valued as a medicine for extending life.(Version 1.0) Paras has parasitic mushrooms growing on its back called tochukaso. They grow large by drawing nutrients from thisBug/GrassPokémon host. They are highly valued as a medicine for extending life.(Versions 1.1 and 1.2)
AParas has parasitic tochukaso mushrooms growing on its back. They grow by drawing nutrients from the host. They are valued as a medicine for long life.
Paras has parasitic mushrooms growing on its back called tochukaso. They grow large by drawing nutrients from this Bug Pokémon host. They are highly valued as a medicine for extending life.(matches Pokémon Sapphire version 1.0)
Sometimes seen at the foot of trees in humid forests. The mushrooms on its back—called tochukaso—are not present on infant specimens and instead emerge as Paras matures.
InThe Problem with Paras,Cassandra owns a Paras that is extremely weak, but she needed it toevolve into a Parasect so she could use its giant mushroom to aid her in her medical research. It did so towards the end of the episode.
Minor appearances
Multiple Paras debuted inClefairy and the Moon Stone, where they were removing the mushrooms on their backs.Seymour explained that this behavior was due to someone stringing lights in the caves of Mt. Moon, and implied that this was not good for them.
Five Paras appeared inThe Power of Us, with four under the ownership of different Trainers and the fourth beingwild.
Three Paras appeared inSecuring the Future!, with two under the ownership of different Trainers and the third being wild. They joined the rest ofAlola in showeringNecrozma with light so it could return to itstrue form.
Early English promotional material forPokémon Red and Blue listed Paras's name asParasyte.
InGeneration I,Poison-type attacks were super effective againstBug-type Pokémon, making Paras andParasect the only Pokémon to have ever had three 4× weaknesses.
Paras and Parasect with Dry Skin are the only Pokémon that can naturally take more than double damage from a move based on its type without the use ofForest's Curse.
No other Pokémon has the sameEgg Group combination as Paras and its Evolution.
InPokémon GO, they all give moreStardust than most other Pokémon upon capture.
Paras can be seen as a counterpart toMorelull. Both share theGrass type, the same base stat total of 285, evolve at Level 24, both are mushroom-based Pokémon and thus can learnSpore, and both can be found in the wild inPokémon Sun and Moon, taking the place of the other depending on thetime, with Paras being found during the day and Morelull at night.
Paras andParasect are the first in the trend of odd-numbered generations introducing Pokémon that appear to be based on fungi, followed by theShroomish,Foongus,Morelull, andToedscool lines, as well asBrute Bonnet.
Paras' Ultra Moon Pokédex contains a pun in Japanese and English. In Japanese, the pun is based around two homophones: 虫mushi, meaning "insect", and 無視mushi, meaning "ignore", referring to how the mushroom ignore's the insect's will. The English entry changes the entry's meaning slightly to incorporate a pun on "bug", where the bug (insect) bugs (annoys) the mushrooms, which tell it to bug off (stop). Other languages translate the entry literally, without incorporating any wordplay.
The fungus on Paras is identified astochukaso, anendoparasitoid that replaces the host tissue and can affect the behavior of itsinsect host. The base insect appears to be acicadanymph. In concept, it could be inspired by ants that are infected with mushroom spores that take control of the host ant's brain and sprout from its head or back. It may also draw inspiration fromMassospora, a genus of fungi which include species that specifically infect cicadas.
Name origin
Paras may be derived fromparasite, referring to the parasiticmushroom growing on its back.
This Pokémon article is part ofProject Pokédex, aBulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon species, as well as Pokémon groups and forms.
Berry (100%)
TinyMushroom (23%)
Big Mushroom (2%)
For other sprites and images, please seeParas images on the Bulbagarden Archives.
