Paras doesn't have much going for it on its own — the stats just aren't there. The payoff is Parasect, and getting there is worth the grind. An original Gen 1 pick. Watch the Fire and Flying matchup though — quadruple damage means one hit can end it.
Attack and Defense carry most of Paras's stat budget. Speed's the obvious dump stat. Common in the wild and yields 1 Attack EV. Follows a medium-fast 1M XP curve.
It is doused with mushroom spores when it is born. As its body grows, mushrooms sprout from its back.
As its body grows large, oriental mushrooms named tochukaso start sprouting out of its back.
Paras Weakness
FragileType-wise, Paras takes extra damage from Fire, Flying, Ice, Poison, Bug, and Rock. Watch out for Fire and Flying attacks, those deal 4x damage. 5 resistances help offset the weaknesses.
- Dark and Steel types added — Fairy does not exist yet
- Moves are Physical or Special based on type, not per move
- Special stat split into Sp.Atk and Sp.Def
One evolution ahead. Paras grows into Parasect through a straightforward two-stage chain. A decent partner pool for breeding via two egg groups. Eggs are average hatch time. Evolving adds up to 120 stat points total.
How to Evolve
Breed Paras easily with 23 breeding partners from the Bug and Plant egg groups. Pass egg moves like Counter, False Swipe, Flail and 5 more to offspring.
Best Build
Gen 2 build content has limited support (no abilities).
Try selecting a different game/generation filter, or check back later.
Breeding's the move. Counter and False Swipe give Paras options it can't learn any other way, and Normal and Ground coverage and more already covers a decent range on top of Solar Beam and Leech Life. The egg moves push it further.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
decent spawn rates across 8 locations for Paras in early-game routes. Scroll the sorted list below and pick whichever spot sits closest to your current route. The rate differences between locations are worth comparing.
Best Locations
Paras appears in 8 walking locations at Lv. 5-17 across Silver and Gold. Not all encounters show up in every version, so check which ones match your game.
Paras is meant to evolve into Parasect. At 285 BST, the stats aren't there for competitive play yet. Pre-evolution Pokemon rarely hold up against fully evolved threats.
Paras's biggest threats include Charizard (Fire), Dodrio (Flying), and Lapras (Ice), all carrying super-effective STAB moves. Charizard is the most dangerous since Fire moves deal 4x damage. Poison, Bug, and Rock-type attackers are also a problem. With 6 weakness types, most competitive teams carry at least one counter. At base 25 Speed, Paras won't outrun any of these threats so switching to a resist is usually the safer play.
Paras evolves into Parasect at level 24. Paras is the base form of this evolutionary line.
Base 25 Speed is low. Priority moves or Trick Room are the way to go. On offense, Paras is a physical attacker with base 70 Attack. Defensively? Fragile — can't afford to take many hits.
Paras appears in 19 games, including Yellow, Red & Blue, and Gold & Silver.
One of the original 151, Paras has appeared in 19 games — most mainline games. From Red & Blue through the latest titles, it's rarely been left out of a regional Pokedex.
- Gen IY
Yellow - Gen IRBDebut
Red & Blue - Gen IIGS
Gold & Silver - Gen IIC
Crystal - Gen IIIRS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen IIIFRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen IIIE
Emerald - Gen IVPt
Platinum - Gen IVHGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen IVDP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen VBW
Black & White - Gen VB2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen VIXY
X & Y - Gen VIORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen VIIUSUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen VIISM
Sun & Moon - Gen VIILGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen VIIISwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen VIIIPLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen VIIIBDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen IXSV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen IXLZA
Legends: Z-A