Is Paras Good in HeartGold & SoulSilver Playthrough?
Ilex Forest and National Park encounters. Bug/Grass with AbilityEffect Spore spreading random status on contact. Double weaknesses to Fire and Flying make Paras nearly impossible to use past the early routes.
Falkner's team hits Paras's weaknesses hard.
Bugsy's team hits Paras's weaknesses hard.
Paras has the type edge here and should clean up Whitney's team.
Morty's typing presses Parasect's defenses.
Parasect trades roughly evenly with Chuck's team.
Parasect has the type edge here and should clean up Jasmine's team.
Parasect has the type edge here and should clean up Pryce's team.
Parasect trades roughly evenly with Clair's team.
Parasect resists most of Brock's coverage and hits back hard.
Parasect has the type edge here and should clean up Misty's team.
Parasect has the type edge here and should clean up Lt. Surge's team.
Parasect has the type edge here and should clean up Erika's team.
Janine's team hits Parasect's weaknesses hard.
Parasect has the type edge here and should clean up Sabrina's team.
Parasect trades roughly evenly with Blaine's team.
Parasect trades roughly evenly with Blue's team.
Parasect has the type edge here and should clean up Will's team.
Koga's team hits Parasect's weaknesses hard.
Parasect has the type edge here and should clean up Bruno's team.
Parasect trades roughly evenly with Karen's team.
Lance's team hits Parasect's weaknesses hard.
Catchable
Catch Paras in Ilex Forest (walking, Lv 5-6, uncommon).
Recommended Moves
- After Bugsy
- TM22GrassSolar BeamPower 180Accuracy 100%PP 10Goldenrod Department Store
- TM28GroundDigPower 80Accuracy 100%PP 10National Park
- LV 22NormalSlashPower 70Accuracy 100%PP 20
- LV 33GrassGiga DrainPower 90Accuracy 100%PP 10
- After Jasmine
- TM36PoisonSludge BombPower 90Accuracy 100%PP 10Route 43
- TM43NormalSecret PowerPower 70Accuracy 100%PP 20Lake of Rage
- After Clair
- TM40FlyingAerial AcePower 60Accuracy 100%PP 20Mt. Mortar
- LV 43BugX-ScissorPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 15
Evolve Paras to Parasect
Paras evolves into Parasect at Level 24. Your Paras should hit Level 24 before you reach Morty, at typical leveling pace.
Recommended Moves
- STARTING (Lv 24)
- LV 24GrassSporePower —Accuracy 100%PP 15
- LV 24GrassStun SporePower —Accuracy 75%PP 30
- After Bugsy
- TM22GrassSolar BeamPower 180Accuracy 100%PP 10Goldenrod Department Store
- TM15NormalHyper BeamPower 150Accuracy 90%PP 5Goldenrod Department Store
- TM28GroundDigPower 80Accuracy 100%PP 10National Park
- After Jasmine
- TM36PoisonSludge BombPower 90Accuracy 100%PP 10Route 43
- LV 39GrassGiga DrainPower 90Accuracy 100%PP 10
- LV 55BugX-ScissorPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 15
How to Get Paras in HeartGold & SoulSilver
Paras crawls through caves and grass across four locations, ranging widely from level 5 up to the mid 30s. Where you meet it sets the level you catch, so an early cave gives a low one and a late route a much higher one.
Wild Paras may be holding when caught:
Tiny Mushroom (50% chance) A small and rare mushroom. It is quite popular among certain maniacal fan segments.
Big Mushroom (5% chance) A large and rare mushroom. It is very popular among certain maniacal fan segments.4 locations to catch Paras
Encountered via tall grass encounters
Badge 2
Badge 3
Badge 4
Badge 5
Badge 6
Badge 7
Badge 8Where To Catch Paras in HGSS
The line opens with Paras at Lv. 5-34 via walking encounters. 2 catchable stages total, with locations listed for each one below.
- Step 2Catch or Evolve into ParasectCerulean Cave - B1FLv.45-47CaveRate 25%Cerulean Cave - 1FLv.38CaveRate 20%Morning/dayCerulean Cave - 2FLv.40CaveRate 20%Cerulean Cave - 1FLv.38CaveRate 10%Nightor evolve from Paras (Step 1)
To plan your throws, open the HeartGold & SoulSilver catch rate calculator with Paras preloaded.
How to Get Shiny Paras in HeartGold & SoulSilver
Paras skitters through Ilex Forest and the National Park, though breeding it Masuda-style is the quicker path to a shiny. Compare Shiny Paras odds across every game
HeartGold & SoulSilver Shiny Paras Calculator
2 MethodsThe best route is Masuda Method, about 1 in 1,639 on each try.
Masuda Method: Breed with a parent from a different-language game. Works on any breedable line.
Full Odds: Walk through grass, surf, or fish. Every encounter is its own independent shiny roll.
How many you have done, or plan to do.
| Chance | Encounters | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 10%lucky few | 173-- | -- |
| 25%one in four | 472-- | -- |
| 50%coin flip | 1,136-- | -- |
| 90%very likely | 3,773-- | -- |
Time assumes -- at your pace and does not change your shiny odds.
How is this calculated?
Every encounter has the same shiny chance, the Shiny Odds Per Try shown above. Each one is a separate roll that does not care how many you have already done, so the more you hunt, the higher your overall chance of at least one shiny. The formula below turns your odds and your number of tries into that combined chance.
chance after N tries = 1 − (1 − p)^N, where p = 1 / odds per try
Example at 1 in 8,192 (classic full odds): about 864 encounters for a 10 percent chance, 5,678 for 50 percent, and 18,862 for 90 percent.
The table above flips that around: it shows how many encounters it takes to reach a 10, 25, 50, and 90 percent chance at your current odds. Turning on boosts like the Shiny Charm, sandwiches, or chains improves your odds, so the encounter numbers drop.
These are estimates, not promises. Most games have no pity counter, meaning no guaranteed shiny no matter how many you hunt, so even Very Likely is not guaranteed: some hunters find one early, others go well past that point.
For time estimates and charm math, open the HeartGold & SoulSilver shiny odds calculator with Paras already selected.
Paras Weakness
Type-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.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 4x (Critical) | Fire, Flying |
| 2x (Weak) | Ice, Poison, Bug, Rock |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Water, Electric, Fighting |
| 0.25x (Resist) | Grass, Ground |
- Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
- Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)
What is Paras Weak Against
FragileBest Pokemon Against Paras
 Ninetales Fire | C | |
 Arcanine Fire | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Paras View Arcanine builds →Fire Blast 4x389-458%KO Aerial Ace 4x142-167%KO | ||
 Golbat Poison | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Paras View Golbat builds →Fly 4x247-292%KO U-turn 2x65-78% | ||
 Scyther Bug | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Paras View Scyther builds →Wing Attack 4x213-250%KO U-turn 2x124-146%KO | ||
 Magmar Fire | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Paras View Magmar builds →Fire Blast 4x389-458%KO Smog 2x24-28% | ||
 Flareon Fire | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Eevee (Goldenrod City Gift) | ||
 Dodrio Normal | C | |
 Farfetch'd Normal | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Paras View Farfetch'd builds →Fly 4x268-317%KO Poison Jab 2x79-94% U-turn 2x71-83% | ||
 Weezing Poison | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Paras View Weezing builds →Fire Blast 4x226-267%KO Sludge 2x94-113%KO | ||
 Fearow Normal | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Paras View Fearow builds →Fly 4x268-317%KO U-turn 2x71-83% | ||
 Quilava Fire | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Cyndaquil (New Bark Town Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Paras View Quilava builds →Fire Blast 4x325-383%KO Aerial Ace 4x94-111%KO | ||
 Noctowl Normal | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Paras View Noctowl builds →Sky Attack 4x268-317%KO Silver Wind 2x58-69% | ||
 Vespiquen Bug | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Paras View Vespiquen builds →Aerial Ace 4x169-200%KO U-turn 2x99-117%KO Power Gem 2x65-78% Poison Sting 2x15-19% | ||
 Ninjask Bug | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Paras View Ninjask builds →Aerial Ace 4x183-217%KO U-turn 2x106-125%KO | ||
Paras Evolutions
One evolution ahead. Paras grows into Parasect through a straightforward two-stage chain. A decent partner pool for breeding via two egg groups. Eggs take an average time to hatch. Evolving adds up to 120 stat points total. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed Paras easily with 48 breeding partners from the Bug and Grass egg groups. Pass egg moves like Agility, Bug Bite, Counter and 9 more to offspring.
HGSS Paras Best Moveset
Bug/Grass typing invites Fire (4x), Flying, Ice, Poison, and Rock weaknesses that 35 HP can't survive. AbilityDry Skin adds Water immunity but doubles the Fire problem. The moveset has MoveSpore for 100% sleep, which is the only reason to consider it.
Best Build
Paras best EVs are Sp. Def and Defense
Bulky Support Moveset
- Aromatherapy
- Knock Off
- Counter
- X Scissor
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
Breeding's the move. Agility and Bug Bite give Paras options it can't learn any other way, and coverage across 8 types already covers a decent range on top of Solar Beam and Leech Life. The egg moves push it further.
How to Read the Moves Table
Tabs
- Level-Up
- Learned by leveling up.
- TM
- Taught by a Technical Machine.
- Egg
- Inherited via breeding.
- Tutor
- NPC tutor (cost: items, BP, money).
- Reminder
- An NPC reteaches any move this Pokemon could have learned by leveling up.
- Transfer
- Carried over from an older game using Pokemon HOME.
- Event
- Given out through Mystery Gift events.
Visual Signals
CAT (Category)
How the move deals damage and which stats it uses.
A small dot on the icon's corner marks the move as contact. That triggers abilities like Static, Flame Body, Rough Skin, or Iron Barbs, plus items like Rocky Helmet and Sticky Barb.
Tier (S to D)
Each move's competitive rank in RankedBoost's system. TM, Egg, and Tutor sort by tier by default (best first). On Level-Up, click the Tier header to do the same.
PWR (Power)
Base damage. Numbers shown in a type color include STAB (base × 1.5). Hover any colored number to see the math.
— means no power (status moves) or variable power.
Sorting & Filter
Click any column header to sort. Level-Up opens with Lv 1 at the top. TM, Egg, and Tutor open with the highest-tier moves at the top.
Search filters by move name or type. The Filter button limits the list to STAB, Physical, Special, or Status moves.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
All 23 TMs are obtainable before the Elite Four
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Base Stats
It is doused with mushroom spores when it is born. As its body grows, mushrooms sprout from its back.
As its body grows, large mushrooms named tochukaso start sprouting out of its back.
Paras HeartGold & SoulSilver Guide
- How do I catch Paras in the HeartGold & SoulSilver Safari Zone?
See the Locations section above for where to find Paras in HeartGold & SoulSilver.
Safari rules: You can only use Safari Balls. No battling. Two tactical items shift the catch/flee trade-off:
- Throw bait to keep Paras from fleeing (flee rate cut to 1/4) but it becomes harder to catch (catch factor halved).
- Throw a rock to make Paras easier to catch (catch factor doubled) but it flees twice as often.
- Each effect lasts 2-6 random turns; throwing one cancels the other.
Yes. Wild Paras in HeartGold & SoulSilver can hold Tiny Mushroom (50%) or Big Mushroom (5%). Use Thief (TM46) or Covet to swipe the held item without affecting your catch chance. Quickest way to farm rare items like Tiny Mushroom.
For HeartGold & SoulSilver, you can run Paras through the first few routes without issues. 285 BST won't carry you far though. Get it to Parasect as fast as you can.
Game Availability
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.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1RBDebut
Red & Blue - Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7Let's Go
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves
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