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.
PARAS has parasitic mushrooms growing on its back called tochukaso. They grow large by drawing nutrients from the BUG POKéMON host. They are highly valued as a medicine for extending 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.
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. Dry Skin grants an additional Water immunity, reshaping the matchup chart.
- Dark and Steel types added — Fairy does not exist yet
- Moves are Physical or Special based on type, not per move
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 37 breeding partners from the Bug and Plant egg groups. Pass egg moves like Counter, False Swipe, Flail and 5 more to offspring.
Best Build
No build content available for this Pokemon in Gen 3.
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Breeding's the move. Counter and False Swipe give Paras options it can't learn any other way, and coverage across 7 types 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
Paras can't be caught in Ruby & Sapphire. Bring it over from Red, Yellow, or White instead. The encounter info below covers the source games.
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.
Dry Skin is what you want on Paras. Every competitive set worth running is built with that ability in mind. The alternatives (Effect Spore, Damp) work on paper but Dry Skin is what makes Paras worth using.
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