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, Poison, 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.
Burrows to suck tree roots. The mushrooms on its back grow by drawing nutrients from the bug host.
Paras Weakness
FragileType-wise, Paras takes extra damage from Fire, Poison, Flying, Ice, Bug, and Rock. Watch out for Fire, Poison, and Flying attacks, those deal 4x damage. 5 resistances help offset the weaknesses.
- Only 15 types exist — Dark, Steel, and Fairy are absent
- Ghost has no effect on Psychic (a known bug, fixed in Gen II)
- Special stat governs both offense and defense — no Sp.Atk / Sp.Def split
Paras starts a line toward Parasect. Can't breed this Bug/Grass type (285 stats), so keep the evolution path going. Evolving adds up to 120 stat points total.
How to Evolve
Best Build
Gen 1 build content has limited support (no abilities, held items, or natures).
Try selecting a different game/generation filter, or check back later.
TMs carry this one. Paras learns Solar Beam and Leech Life naturally for STAB, but the offensive range comes almost entirely from technical machines. Normal and Ground and beyond give it real matchup play.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Paras starts showing up in early-game routes at decent spawn rates across 10 encounter spots. The list below is sorted so you can pick what fits your current progress without scrolling through everything.
Best Locations
You can catch Paras through 10 walking encounters from Lv. 8-23, but availability differs between Blue and Red. Some spots are exclusive to one version.
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), Gengar (Poison), and Dodrio (Flying), all carrying super-effective STAB moves. Charizard is the most dangerous since Fire moves deal 4x damage. Ice, 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