#0046 · Kanto · Generation 1

Paras

Mushroom Pokémon · Bug/Grass-type

Paras is a Bug/Grass-type Pokémon, the Mushroom Pokémon, number 46 (#0046) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 1 and comes from the Kanto region. It is 0.3 m tall and weighs 5.4 kg.

Paras carries tochukaso mushrooms on its back, and the Pokédex hints they are the ones in charge. The tiny bug is at the mercy of its own passengers, who steal most of the nutrients it eats.

How to pronounce Paras

Paras is pronounced PAIR-us. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.

Listen to Paras said out loud:

In Japanese it is パラス.

Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.

Lore

Biology

Paras is a red-orange, segmented bug that resembles a cicada nymph, with big front claws, three teeth either side of its mouth and round eyes. It is 0.3 m tall and weighs 5.4 kg. The Pokédex says it is doused with mushroom spores at birth, and Legends: Arceus adds that the mushrooms are absent on babies and emerge as it matures. Bulbapedia says they can be removed at will, are prized by collectors, and have medicinal uses.

Behaviour

Paras burrows underground, but the mushrooms on its back make the decisions: Crystal's Pokédex says they give it orders, and Ultra Moon's entry puns on the word 'bug' to joke about how they ignore the insect's wishes.

Habitat

The Pokédex habitat is forest, and Bulbapedia adds caves; in Alola the mushrooms do not grow well, perhaps from too little moisture or nutrients. Bulbapedia lists it as unobtainable in Scarlet and Violet and in Legends: Z-A.

Diet

The Pokédex says it feeds on tree roots and trunk juice.

Powers

Its Abilities are Effect Spore, which can paralyse, poison or sleep attackers, and Dry Skin, with Damp hidden. It scatters Spore, Stun Spore and Poison Powder, and slashes with X-Scissor and Slash. Its base Attack of 70 is its best stat, and its Speed is a slow 25.

Name origin

Paras may come from 'parasite', for the mushroom living on its back. The Japanese name is Paras (パラス), the same as in English.

Design inspiration

Paras appears to be based on a cicada nymph. Bulbapedia describes tochukaso as a fungus that replaces insect tissue and can change its host's behaviour, and the idea may come from ants infected by mushroom-spore fungi, or from Massospora, a fungus that infects cicadas. These are fan readings, not official statements.

Evolution notes

Paras evolves into Parasect at level 24.

In the games

Paras first appeared in Red and Green (Red and Blue outside Japan), where it lives in Mt. Moon and the Safari Zone. In Legends: Arceus it turns up in the Obsidian Fieldlands, Crimson Mirelands, Cobalt Coastlands and Coronet Highlands.

In the anime

Many Paras debuted in 'Clefairy and the Moon Stone', pulling off their own mushrooms because someone had strung lights through Mt. Moon's caves. In the Journeys series, Goh catches one in 'Working My Way Back to Mew!'.

Fun facts

• Before Generation III, no known Pokémon other than Paras and Parasect could learn Spore.
• In the Red and Green beta, its English name was Parasyte.
• The Spaceworld '97 demo seems to show an earlier stage for it, Para (パラ), a larva-like bug coming out of a mushroom.

Sources: Bulbapedia: Paras (Pokémon) · Serebii: Paras (no Scarlet/Violet Pokédex page exists)

Base stats

• HP: 35
• Attack: 70
• Defense: 55
• Sp. Atk: 45
• Sp. Def: 55
• Speed: 25

Paras’s base stat total is 285. Its highest stat is Attack.

Type matchups

What is Paras weak to?

Paras takes extra damage from Fire (4×), Flying (4×), Ice (2×), Poison (2×), Bug (2×), Rock (2×) moves.

It resists Grass (¼×), Ground (¼×), Water (½×), Electric (½×), Fighting (½×).

Evolution

How does Paras evolve?

Paras evolves into Parasect at level 24.

The whole family: Paras, Parasect.

Abilities

• Effect Spore: Has a 30% chance of inflcting either paralysis, poison, or sleep on attacking Pokémon on contact.
• Dry Skin: Causes 1/8 max HP in damage each turn during strong sunlight, but heals for 1/8 max HP during rain. Increases damage from Fire moves to 1.25×, but absorbs Water moves, healing for 1/4 max HP.
• Damp (hidden ability): Prevents Self-Destruct, Explosion, and Aftermath from working while the Pokémon is in battle.

Moves

Moves Paras learns by level up in Ultra Sun / Ultra Moon

TM moves (29)

Paras can learn 29 moves from TMs in Ultra Sun / Ultra Moon: Toxic, Venoshock, Hidden Power, Sunny Day, Light Screen, Protect, Frustration, Solar Beam, Return, Leech Life, Brick Break, Double Team, Sludge Bomb, Aerial Ace, Facade, Rest, Attract, Thief, Round, Energy Ball, False Swipe, Swords Dance, X-Scissor, Grass Knot, Swagger, Sleep Talk, Substitute, Nature Power, Confide.

Egg moves (17):Agility, Bug Bite, Counter, Cross Poison, Endure, Fell Stinger, Flail, Grassy Terrain, Leech Seed, Metal Claw, Natural Gift, Psybeam, Pursuit, Rototiller, Screech, Sweet Scent, Wide Guard.

Move tutor moves (8): After You, Bug Bite, Giga Drain, Knock Off, Seed Bomb, Snore, Synthesis, Worry Seed.

Breeding & training

• Gender: 50% male, 50% female.
• Egg groups: Bug, Grass.
• Egg cycles: 20 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 2,560).
• Catch rate: 190 out of 255.
• Base friendship (Gen 8 onward): 50.
• Growth rate: Medium (1,000,000 experience points to reach level 100).
• Defeating it gives 1 Attack effort value.
• Base experience yield: 57.

Pokédex entries

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. (Legends: Arceus)

Burrows under the ground to gnaw on tree roots. The mushrooms on its back absorb most of the nutrition. (Yellow, Y, Let’s Go, Pikachu!, Let’s Go, Eevee!)

The mushrooms, known as tochukaso, are controlling the bug. Even if the bug bugs the mushrooms, they tell it to bug off. (Ultra Moon)

Whether it's due to a lack of moisture or a lack of nutrients, in Alola the mushrooms on Paras don't grow up quite right. (Ultra Sun)

Mushrooms called tochukaso sprout from its back. They can be dried and powdered to make a medicine used to extend life. (Moon)

No matter how much it eats, the mushrooms growing on its back steal away most of the nutrients it consumes. (Sun)

Names around the world

Trivia

• Shortest Grass type in Gen 1: 0.3 m.
• Slowest Grass type in Gen 1: 25 Speed.
• Lowest base stat total among Grass types in Gen 1: 285.
• Shortest Bug type in Gen 1: 0.3 m, shared with 2 others.
• Slowest Bug type in Gen 1: 25 Speed.
• Taller than 4% of all Pokémon (0.3 m).
• Heavier than 16% of all Pokémon (5.4 kg).
• Base stat total 285, ranked #907 of 1,025.
• One of 6 Pokémon that are both Bug and Grass.
• One of 97 red Pokémon.
• Number 46 of 151 Pokémon introduced in Generation 1 (Kanto).
• Part of an evolution family of 2 Pokémon.
• Can learn 63 different moves in Ultra Sun / Ultra Moon.
• Catch rate 190: about 24.8% per Poké Ball at full health.
• Appears in 16 distinct Pokédex entries.

Sources and fact-checking

• Stats, types, abilities, moves, evolutions, forms and Pokédex entries: PokéAPI open game data.
• Lore: written by pokee.si in our own words, researched from Bulbapedia: Paras (Pokémon), Serebii: Paras (no Scarlet/Violet Pokédex page exists).
• Pronunciation (PAIR-us): it follows how the English anime, games or official videos say it.

Last checked: 19 October 2026. Every sentence of the lore was checked against Bulbapedia, Serebii and the game data.

Explore

Bug-type Pokémon · Grass-type Pokémon · Bug/Grass weaknesses and matchups · Kanto region guide · Effect Spore ability · Dry Skin ability · Damp ability · Compare Paras · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves

Browse similar Pokémon

Gen 1 Bug-type Pokémon · Gen 1 Grass-type Pokémon · Gen 1 Pokémon list · Red Pokémon list · Bug egg group · Grass egg group · Pokémon that start with P · Bug Pokémon

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