No. 0047 · Generation I · Mushroom Pokémon
パラセクトParasekuto · From 'parasite' and 'insect' – the same name as in English
The Mushroom Pokémon · Bug/Grass type · first seen in Pokémon Red & Green (1996)
01Overview
Meet Parasect
Everything you need to know about the Mushroom Pokémon — the creature behind the number.
Meet Parasect, the Mushroom Pokémon – and one of the strangest double acts in the original 151. What looks like a single Bug/Grass creature is really a partnership that has tipped badly to one side: a red-orange, six-legged bug with big front pincers underneath, and a huge red mushroom cap freckled with yellow spots on top. Paras becomes Parasect from level 24, and the change is less a glow-up than a takeover.
The mushrooms that sprouted on Paras's back keep growing until a single great cap is larger than the bug carrying it, and the Pokédex has told the same story since 1996: the parasite is in charge. Yellow says the mushroom appears to do all the thinking, Ultra Sun calls it the real main body, and if it ever comes off, the bug simply stops moving. Peering out from under the cap, the bug's small head and blank white eyes give the whole thing a sleepwalking air.
“It scatters toxic spores from the mushroom cap. In China, the spores are used as herbal medicine.”
Pokédex · Pokémon Red (Japan), Green (Japan) & FireRed · 1996
The mushroom has firm opinions about where to live, too. Parasect gather in dark, humid forests where fungi thrive – Gold points out that the gloomy, damp habitat is the mushroom's preference, not the bug's. Swarms settle on large trees and draw nutrients from the roots and lower trunk, moving on together when a tree gives out, and in Alola they even squabble with Shiinotic over territory.
Its real weapon is the cloud of spores it shakes from its cap. They can be poisonous, and the bigger the mushroom, the stronger they get – yet several Pokédex entries say people gather them for herbal medicine, with FireRed and Pokémon Stadium name-checking China. Ultra Moon adds a wry footnote: spores grown in Alola are not very good quality. Until Breloom arrived in Generation III, Parasect and Paras were also the only Pokémon that learnt Spore by levelling up – the move that sends a target straight to sleep.
Slow but sturdy and hard-hitting, Parasect was first found lurking in Kanto's Safari Zone and Cerulean Cave, and it has never been a speed demon. What it has is a story: few Pokémon say quite so much in a couple of Pokédex lines, and fewer still manage to be this unsettling while looking so cheerfully spotty. It remains one of the eeriest ideas in the original 151 – and one of the most memorable.
How big is Parasect?
At 1.0 m (3′03″) – mushroom included – Parasect stands a little taller than a kitchen worktop, and at 29.5 kg (65.0 lb) it weighs about as much as a Labrador.
Evolution
02In the Pokédex's words
Parasect's Pokédex entries
21 different entries across 41 games, from 1996 to 2022. Here is how the Pokédex has described Parasect over the years, in the order the games came out.
Generation I
It scatters toxic spores from the mushroom cap. In China, the spores are used as herbal medicine.
Kanto Pokédex
A host-parasite pair in which the parasite mushroom has taken over the host bug. Prefers damp places.
Kanto Pokédex
The bug host is drained of energy by the mushrooms on its back. They appear to do all the thinking.
Kanto Pokédex
The bug host is controlled by the mushrooms that scatter poisonous spores. The spores are sometimes used as medicine in China.
Kanto Pokédex
Generation II
It stays mostly in dark, damp places, the preference not of the bug, but of the big mushrooms on its back.
Johto Pokédex
The larger the mushroom on its back grows, the stronger the mushroom spores it scatters.
Johto Pokédex
When nothing's left to extract from the bug, the mushrooms on its back leave spores on the bug's egg.
Johto Pokédex
Generation III
Parasect is known to infest large trees en masse and drain nutrients from the lower trunk and roots. When an infested tree dies, they move onto another tree all at once.
Hoenn Pokédex
Parasect are known to infest the roots of large trees en masse and drain nutrients. When an infested tree dies, they move onto another tree all at once.
Hoenn Pokédex
Parasect attacks while shaking off plumes of spores from its body.
Capture Styler (Pokémon Ranger series)
Generation IV
A mushroom grown larger than the host's body controls Parasect. It scatters poisonous spores.
Sinnoh Pokédex
It is controlled by a mushroom grown larger than the bug body. It is said to prefer damp places.
Sinnoh Pokédex
It stays mostly in dark, damp places, the preference not of the bug, but of the big mushroom on its back.
HeartGold & SoulSilver Pokédex
Generation VII
The large mushroom on its back controls it. It often fights over territory with Shiinotic.
Rotom Pokédex
It scatters toxic spores from its mushroom cap. Once harvested, these spores can be steeped and boiled down to prepare herbal medicines.
Rotom Pokédex
The bug is mostly dead, with the mushroom on its back having become the main body. If the mushroom comes off, the bug stops moving.
Rotom Pokédex
Its poisonous spores are also used in traditional medicine. Apparently, spores produced in Alola are not of very good quality.
Rotom Pokédex
The bug host is drained of energy by the mushroom on its back. The mushroom appears to do all the thinking.
Let's Go Pokédex
Generation VIII
Parasect is controlled by a mushroom that has grown larger than its host's body. The Pokémon scatters poisonous spores.
Sinnoh Pokédex
It is controlled by the mushroom, which has grown larger than the bug body. It is said to prefer damp places.
Sinnoh Pokédex
Mushroom-lacking specimens of this Pokémon lie unmoving in the forest, lending credence to the hypothesis that the large mushroom is in control of Parasect's actions.
Hisui Pokédex
03Stats, moves & where to find it
Parasect in the video games
Base stat total 405 · 24 core-series games · 22 spin-offs · every move it learns, generation by generation.
Base stats
Base stats total 405: 60/95/80/60/80/30. In Generation I Parasect had a single Special stat of 80; when Gold and Silver split Special in two, Sp. Def kept the 80 but Sp. Atk dropped to 60, so its special attacks lost some punch. Base friendship was 70 in Generations II–VII and has been 50 since Generation VIII. Base experience yield is 142 (128 before Generation V), and as a Medium Fast Pokémon it reaches level 100 at 1,000,000 Exp.
Abilities
- Effect Sporesince Gen III
A Pokémon that makes contact with Parasect may be left poisoned, paralysed or asleep. - Dry Skinsince Gen IV
Rain and Water-type moves restore Parasect's HP, but harsh sunlight drains it and Fire-type moves hit it harder. - DampHidden abilitysince Gen V
Stops every Pokémon in the battle from using self-destructing moves such as Self-Destruct and Explosion.
Type matchups
How hard each attacking type hits a Bug/Grass Pokémon.
Generation I: Poison-type moves were super effective against Bug types, so Poison hit Parasect 4× as well – three 4× weaknesses, a record no other Pokémon has ever matched. From Generation IV, the Dry Skin Ability makes Parasect immune to Water-type moves (they heal it instead) but adds a quarter more damage from Fire-type moves, for a punishing 5× in total.
Training & breeding
- Catch rate
- 75
- Base friendship
- 50
- Base experience
- 142
- Growth rate
- Medium Fast
- EV yield
- 2 Attack, 1 Defense
- Egg groups
- Bug, Grass
- Egg cycles
- 20
- Colour
- Red
- Gender ratio
- 50% male
- Body shape
- insectoid
Where to find Parasect
| Game | Year | How to get it |
|---|---|---|
| Red & Green | 1996 | Wild in the Safari Zone and Cerulean Cave, or evolve Paras at level 24 |
| Blue (Japan) | 1996 | Wild in the Safari Zone and Cerulean Cave, or evolve Paras |
| Red & Blue | 1998 | Wild in the Safari Zone and Cerulean Cave, or evolve Paras |
| Yellow | 1998 | Wild in the Safari Zone and Cerulean Cave, or evolve ParasAn in-game trade on Route 18 swaps your Tangela for a Parasect nicknamed SPIKE – who turns up holding a Gold Leaf if you send it on to Gold, Silver or Crystal. |
| Gold & Silver | 1999 | Evolve Paras |
| Crystal | 2000 | Wild in Mt. Silver CaveWild ones may hold a Tiny Mushroom or, more rarely, a Big Mushroom. |
| Ruby & Sapphire | 2002 | Not found in Hoenn – trade from FireRed or LeafGreen |
| FireRed & LeafGreen | 2004 | Wild in the Safari Zone and Cerulean Cave, or evolve ParasHalf of wild Parasect carry a Tiny Mushroom, and one in twenty a Big Mushroom. |
| Emerald | 2004 | Not found in Hoenn – trade only |
| Diamond & Pearl | 2006 | Evolve ParasParasect migrated from a Game Boy Advance game turn up in Pal Park's Forest area. |
| Platinum | 2008 | Evolve Paras |
| HeartGold & SoulSilver | 2009 | Wild in Cerulean Cave and in the Johto Safari Zone's Swamp areaIn the Safari Zone it lives in the Swamp's tall grass once that area has three Plains points from placed objects. |
| Black & White | 2010 | White only: evolve ParasBlack players have to trade. |
| Black 2 & White 2 | 2012 | Not found in Unova – trade only |
| X & Y | 2013 | Evolve Paras |
| Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire | 2014 | Evolve Paras |
| Sun & Moon | 2016 | Evolve ParasIn Sun, Parasect is one of the trial Pokémon in the Lush Jungle; Moon gives the role to Shiinotic. |
| Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon | 2017 | Wild on Route 11 (Ula'ula Island) |
| Let's Go, Pikachu! & Let's Go, Eevee! | 2018 | Evolve Paras |
| Sword & Shield | 2019 | Unobtainable |
| Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl | 2021 | Evolve Paras |
| Legends: Arceus | 2022 | Wild in the Obsidian Fieldlands, Crimson Mirelands, Cobalt Coastlands (Windbreak Stand) and Coronet Highlands (Heavenward Lookout, Wayward Wood)An Alpha Parasect roams near Nature's Pantry in the Obsidian Fieldlands, and it also joins mass outbreaks and massive mass outbreaks. Wild ones can yield Springy Mushrooms and Balls of Mud. |
| Scarlet & Violet | 2022 | Unobtainable |
| Legends: Z-A | 2025 | Unobtainable |
Sprites through the ages
Spin-offs & cameos
Pokémon GO
Parasect has been part of Pokémon GO since the game launched in July 2016. Paras evolves into it for 50 Candy, and a buddy from the family earns Candy every 3 km. Shiny hunters had to wait until 20 February 2021, when Pokémon GO Tour: Kanto brought Shiny Paras into the game – evolve one and you get a Shiny Parasect. In battle Parasect pairs Fury Cutter or Struggle Bug (which replaced Bug Bite in February 2017) with Cross Poison, X-Scissor or Solar Beam, backed by 165 Attack, 146 Defense and 155 Stamina.
Parasect's Jungle card – Spore, Slash and all – can be collected and played in the Game Boy version of the card game.
There's no catching it outright – evolve a Paras to add Parasect to your Pokédex.
Battles in 3D on the Nintendo 64, and its Stadium Pokédex entry notes that its spores are sometimes used as medicine in China.
Its Pokédex text changes with the cartridge plugged in: Gold's entry for Red, Silver or Crystal, Silver's for Blue, Gold or Yellow.
Parasect's card returns in the Japan-only sequel to the Game Boy card game.
A rare piece that turns up on Endless Levels 53 and 63, Forever Level 3 and in Mr. Who's Den.
Evolve a Paras to get one on your team; it lives in the Mushroom Forest friend area and boasts that the poison it leaks can also be used as medicine.
Fiore Browser #051 lurks in Krokka Tunnel, shaking off plumes of spores as you try to loop it, and lends a Grass-type assist once befriended.
Recruit one on the first seven floors of Mt. Horn.
Still waiting on floors 1–7 of Mt. Horn in the expanded Explorers adventure.
Toy Parasect turn up in the Treetops and on the Soothing Shore.
Can be found in the Adventure Area and in the Grab and Go! stage.
Appears in Stage 2 of the Safari Jungle – but only on Sundays.
Waits in Desert Umbra's Stage 306, and its Sleep Charm skill can leave the opponent asleep.
Lives at the Lookout Tree in the Leafy Expanse, where it can even turn up as a boss.
Talk to it in Baram Town to recruit it – and listen out for its battle cry: 'I, the mushroom, have full control now!'
Evolve a Paras with 50 Candy, then fight with Fury Cutter or Struggle Bug and charged attacks like Cross Poison and X-Scissor.
Can be found on the Charizard, Snorlax, Bulbasaur and Rayquaza Seas.
Hatch a Paras from an Egg and evolve it to put a Parasect on your team.
Recruit one deep in Purity Forest (floors 80–99) or in the Mystery House at Waterfall Pond – and fainted Parasect can also need rescuing at Grand Sea, Waterfall Pond and Far-Off Sea.
Listed as #018 in Pokopia's Pokédex, where the mushroom still appears to do all the thinking.
Moves
Back in Red and Green, Parasect's toolkit was small but sneaky: Scratch, Stun Spore and Leech Life to start, then Spore at level 30, Slash at 39 and Growth at 48, with Swords Dance, Mega Drain and SolarBeam waiting in the TM case. Gold and Silver added PoisonPowder and a level-55 Giga Drain, and Generation III let the mushroom calm the whole team with Aromatherapy.
Diamond and Pearl were its big growth spurt: Cross Poison from the start, Spore at a speedy 17 and X-Scissor as the new finale, plus Energy Ball and Grass Knot by TM. Black and White added Fury Cutter and the attention-grabbing Rage Powder, Sun and Moon swapped Leech Life for Absorb as the old bite became an 80-power TM, and Let's Go rewrote the list with Leech Seed and Screech from the start. Legends: Arceus trimmed it to eight moves capped by Energy Ball, while Sword and Shield, Scarlet and Violet and Legends: Z-A left Parasect out altogether.
Signature moves
The mushroom's knockout puff is a 100%-accurate sleep move, and it has been on Parasect's level-up list in every game: level 30 in Red and Blue, a speedy 17 in Diamond and Pearl, 22 from Black and White on and 29 in Legends: Arceus.
Its Bug-type drain from day one, stuck at a feeble 20 power until Sun and Moon pumped it up to 80. The rework moved it to TM28, with Absorb taking its level-up slot; Let's Go handed it back at level 23, and Legends: Arceus teaches it by tutor.
Gold and Silver's level-55 finale, and part of the level-up list in every core game from then to Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl except Let's Go, settling at level 44 from Black and White on.
The crossing claw slash closed the list at level 55 in Diamond and Pearl and at 66 from Black and White to Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, and it is a TM in every game with TMs from Generation IV onwards.
From Diamond and Pearl to Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, Parasect knows this poisonous slash from the start (Let's Go and Legends: Arceus leave it out), and it can be passed down to Paras as an Egg Move too.
A Black and White newcomer at level 59: an irritating cloud of powder that makes the opponents aim their attacks at Parasect, a neat bodyguard trick in Double Battles.
A soothing scent that clears status conditions from the whole team. It arrived as the level-59 finale in Generation III and stayed on the list right through to Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, at level 51 from Black and White on.
Complete learnsets
Generation I · Red, Green, Blue & Yellow8 level-up · 18 TM/HM
Paras evolves into Parasect at level 24, and in Red, Blue and Yellow wild Parasect also lurk in the Safari Zone and Cerulean Cave; Yellow adds an in-game trade on Route 18 that swaps a Tangela for one. It starts out with Scratch, Stun Spore and Leech Life, then picks up Spore at 30, Slash at 39 and Growth at 48. The TM case holds 17 TMs plus HM01 Cut, from Swords Dance and Mega Drain to Dig, Skull Bash, SolarBeam and Hyper Beam. In this era a move's category follows its type, so Leech Life and Slash count as physical while Mega Drain is special. Six moves from Gold and Silver can come back through the Time Capsule: PoisonPowder (learnt by level-up there), Flash (HM05) and the Egg Moves Counter, Light Screen, Psybeam and Screech.
By level-up
| RGBY | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scratch | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 35 |
| 1 | Stun Spore | Grass | Status | — | 75 | 30 |
| 1 | Leech Life | Bug | Physical | 20 | 100 | 15 |
| 13 | Stun Spore | Grass | Status | — | 75 | 30 |
| 20 | Leech Life | Bug | Physical | 20 | 100 | 15 |
| 30 | Spore | Grass | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| 39 | Slash | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| 48 | Growth | Normal | Status | — | — | 40 |
By TM / HM / TR
| No. | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM03 | Swords Dance | Normal | Status | — | — | 30 |
| TM06 | Toxic | Poison | Status | — | 85 | 10 |
| TM08 | Body Slam | Normal | Physical | 85 | 100 | 15 |
| TM09 | Take Down | Normal | Physical | 90 | 85 | 20 |
| TM10 | Double-Edge | Normal | Physical | 100 | 100 | 15 |
| TM15 | Hyper Beam | Normal | Physical | 150 | 90 | 5 |
| TM20 | Rage | Normal | Physical | 20 | 100 | 20 |
| TM21 | Mega Drain | Grass | Special | 40 | 100 | 10 |
| TM22 | SolarBeam | Grass | Special | 120 | 100 | 10 |
| TM28 | Dig | Ground | Physical | 100 | 100 | 10 |
| TM31 | Mimic | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 10 |
| TM32 | Double Team | Normal | Status | — | — | 15 |
| TM33 | Reflect | Psychic | Status | — | — | 20 |
| TM34 | Bide | Normal | Physical | — | — | 10 |
| TM40 | Skull Bash | Normal | Physical | 100 | 100 | 15 |
| TM44 | Rest | Psychic | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM50 | Substitute | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| HM01 | Cut | Normal | Physical | 50 | 95 | 30 |
By transfer
| Move | From |
|---|---|
| Counter | Gen II (Egg Move) |
| Flash | Gen II (HM) |
| Light Screen | Gen II (Egg Move) |
| PoisonPowder | Gen II (level-up) |
| Psybeam | Gen II (Egg Move) |
| Screech | Gen II (Egg Move) |
Generation II · Gold, Silver & Crystal10 level-up · 25 TM/HM · 8 egg
Gold and Silver have no wild Parasect, so it means evolving a Paras, while Crystal hides it in the cave at Mt. Silver. PoisonPowder joins the starting moves, Spore drops to 28 and Giga Drain caps the list at level 55. New TMs include Giga Drain, Sludge Bomb, Fury Cutter, Sweet Scent and Curse, a ???-type move here, and breeding arrives with eight Egg Moves: Counter, False Swipe, Flail (chain breeding needed), Light Screen, Psybeam, Pursuit, Screech and, in Gold and Silver only, Sweet Scent. A Paras from the New York City Pokémon Center event came knowing Synthesis and keeps it after evolving. Eleven Red and Blue TM moves, from Bide to Take Down, can come forward through the Time Capsule. Categories still follow type, and Hidden Power's depends on the type it rolls.
By level-up
| GSC | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scratch | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 35 |
| 1 | Stun Spore | Grass | Status | — | 75 | 30 |
| 1 | PoisonPowder | Poison | Status | — | 75 | 35 |
| 7 | Stun Spore | Grass | Status | — | 75 | 30 |
| 13 | PoisonPowder | Poison | Status | — | 75 | 35 |
| 19 | Leech Life | Bug | Physical | 20 | 100 | 15 |
| 28 | Spore | Grass | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| 37 | Slash | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| 46 | Growth | Normal | Status | — | — | 40 |
| 55 | Giga Drain | Grass | Special | 60 | 100 | 5 |
By TM / HM / TR
| No. | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM03 | Curse | ??? | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM06 | Toxic | Poison | Status | — | 85 | 10 |
| TM08 | Rock Smash | Fighting | Physical | 20 | 100 | 15 |
| TM10 | Hidden Power | Normal | Varies | — | 100 | 15 |
| TM11 | Sunny Day | Fire | Status | — | — | 5 |
| TM12 | Sweet Scent | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM13 | Snore | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 15 |
| TM15 | Hyper Beam | Normal | Physical | 150 | 90 | 5 |
| TM17 | Protect | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM19 | Giga Drain | Grass | Special | 60 | 100 | 5 |
| TM20 | Endure | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM21 | Frustration | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM22 | SolarBeam | Grass | Special | 120 | 100 | 10 |
| TM27 | Return | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM28 | Dig | Ground | Physical | 60 | 100 | 10 |
| TM32 | Double Team | Normal | Status | — | — | 15 |
| TM34 | Swagger | Normal | Status | — | 90 | 15 |
| TM35 | Sleep Talk | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM36 | Sludge Bomb | Poison | Physical | 90 | 100 | 10 |
| TM44 | Rest | Psychic | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM45 | Attract | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| TM46 | Thief | Dark | Special | 40 | 100 | 10 |
| TM49 | Fury Cutter | Bug | Physical | 10 | 95 | 20 |
| HM01 | Cut | Normal | Physical | 50 | 95 | 30 |
| HM05 | Flash | Normal | Status | — | 70 | 20 |
By breeding (egg moves)
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Counter | Fighting | Physical | — | 100 | 20 | Heracross |
| False Swipe | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 40 | Scyther, Scizor |
| Flail | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 15 | Chikorita, Bayleef, Meganium (chain breeding needed) |
| Light Screen | Psychic | Status | — | — | 30 | Chikorita, Bayleef, Meganium, Ledyba, Ledian |
| Psybeam | Psychic | Special | 65 | 100 | 20 | Butterfree, Venonat, Venomoth |
| Pursuit | Dark | Special | 40 | 100 | 20 | Beedrill, Scyther, Scizor |
| Screech | Normal | Status | — | 85 | 40 | Spinarak, Ariados, Yanma, Gligar |
| Sweet Scent | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 20 | Bulbasaur, Ivysaur, Venusaur, Oddish, Gloom, Vileplume, Bellossom, Bellsprout and 2 more |
From its pre-evolution
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Learnt as |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Synthesis | Grass | Status | — | — | 5 | Paras · event Paras from the New York City Pokémon Center |
By transfer
| Move | From |
|---|---|
| Bide | Gen I (TM) |
| Body Slam | Gen I (TM) |
| Double-Edge | Gen I (TM) |
| Mega Drain | Gen I (TM) |
| Mimic | Gen I (TM) |
| Rage | Gen I (TM) |
| Reflect | Gen I (TM) |
| Skull Bash | Gen I (TM) |
| Substitute | Gen I (TM) |
| Swords Dance | Gen I (TM) |
| Take Down | Gen I (TM) |
Generation III · Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, FireRed & LeafGreen (tutor data also covers XD)11 level-up · 22 TM/HM · 8 egg · 11 tutor
In Generation III Parasect lives in the Safari Zone and Cerulean Cave of FireRed and LeafGreen, and Pokémon XD has a Shadow Paras to snag and evolve; Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald and Colosseum have none. Aromatherapy becomes the new level-59 finale, with Spore at 27, Slash at 35, Growth at 43 and Giga Drain at 51. Bullet Seed, Aerial Ace, Facade and Secret Power join the TMs, and HM06 Rock Smash makes 22 TMs and HMs in all. Move tutors teach six moves in FireRed and LeafGreen (Swords Dance and Counter among them), all eleven in Emerald and five in XD. The Shadow Paras in XD also knows Refresh, which it keeps after evolving. Categories still follow type, so Sludge Bomb is physical and Bullet Seed special.
By level-up
| RSE/FRLG | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scratch | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 35 |
| 1 | Stun Spore | Grass | Status | — | 75 | 30 |
| 1 | PoisonPowder | Poison | Status | — | 75 | 35 |
| 7 | Stun Spore | Grass | Status | — | 75 | 30 |
| 13 | PoisonPowder | Poison | Status | — | 75 | 35 |
| 19 | Leech Life | Bug | Physical | 20 | 100 | 15 |
| 27 | Spore | Grass | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| 35 | Slash | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| 43 | Growth | Normal | Status | — | — | 40 |
| 51 | Giga Drain | Grass | Special | 60 | 100 | 5 |
| 59 | Aromatherapy | Grass | Status | — | — | 5 |
By TM / HM / TR
| No. | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM06 | Toxic | Poison | Status | — | 85 | 10 |
| TM09 | Bullet Seed | Grass | Special | 10 | 100 | 30 |
| TM10 | Hidden Power | Normal | Varies | — | 100 | 15 |
| TM11 | Sunny Day | Fire | Status | — | — | 5 |
| TM15 | Hyper Beam | Normal | Physical | 150 | 90 | 5 |
| TM17 | Protect | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM19 | Giga Drain | Grass | Special | 60 | 100 | 5 |
| TM21 | Frustration | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM22 | SolarBeam | Grass | Special | 120 | 100 | 10 |
| TM27 | Return | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM28 | Dig | Ground | Physical | 60 | 100 | 10 |
| TM32 | Double Team | Normal | Status | — | — | 15 |
| TM36 | Sludge Bomb | Poison | Physical | 90 | 100 | 10 |
| TM40 | Aerial Ace | Physical | 60 | — | 20 | |
| TM42 | Facade | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| TM43 | Secret Power | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| TM44 | Rest | Psychic | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM45 | Attract | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| TM46 | Thief | Dark | Special | 40 | 100 | 10 |
| HM01 | Cut | Normal | Physical | 50 | 95 | 30 |
| HM05 | Flash | Normal | Status | — | 70 | 20 |
| HM06 | Rock Smash | Fighting | Physical | 20 | 100 | 15 |
By breeding (egg moves)
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Counter | Fighting | Physical | — | 100 | 20 | Heracross, Breloom |
| False Swipe | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 40 | Scyther, Scizor, Nincada, Ninjask |
| Flail | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 15 | Lotad, Lombre, Ludicolo (chain breeding needed) |
| Light Screen | Psychic | Status | — | — | 30 | Chikorita, Bayleef, Meganium, Ledyba, Ledian, Dustox |
| Psybeam | Psychic | Special | 65 | 100 | 20 | Butterfree, Venonat, Venomoth, Dustox |
| Pursuit | Dark | Special | 40 | 100 | 20 | Beedrill, Scyther, Scizor |
| Screech | Normal | Status | — | 85 | 40 | Yanma, Gligar, Ninjask, Vibrava, Flygon |
| Sweet Scent | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 20 | Bulbasaur, Ivysaur, Venusaur, Oddish, Gloom, Bellossom, Bellsprout, Weepinbell and 5 more |
By move tutor
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Body Slam | Normal | Physical | 85 | 100 | 15 | FRLG, Emerald, XD |
| Counter | Fighting | Physical | — | 100 | 20 | FRLG, Emerald |
| Double-Edge | Normal | Physical | 120 | 100 | 15 | FRLG, Emerald, XD |
| Endure | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | Emerald |
| Fury Cutter | Bug | Physical | 10 | 95 | 20 | Emerald |
| Mimic | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | FRLG, Emerald, XD |
| Sleep Talk | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | Emerald |
| Snore | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 15 | Emerald |
| Substitute | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | FRLG, Emerald, XD |
| Swagger | Normal | Status | — | 90 | 15 | Emerald, XD |
| Swords Dance | Normal | Status | — | — | 30 | FRLG, Emerald |
From its pre-evolution
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Learnt as |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Refresh | Normal | Status | — | — | 20 | Paras · known by the Shadow Paras · Pokémon XD |
Generation IV · Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold & SoulSilver14 level-up · 35 TM/HM · 12 egg · 8 tutor
Diamond, Pearl and Platinum rely on evolving Paras, while HeartGold and SoulSilver have wild Parasect in Cerulean Cave and in the Johto Safari Zone's Swamp; a Parasect from the Game Boy Advance games can also come over through Pal Park's Forest area. Every move now has its own physical or special category, so Sludge Bomb turns special and Bullet Seed physical. The level-up list gets a big shake-up: Cross Poison is known from the start, Spore arrives at just 17, Slash at 22 and Giga Drain at 39, and X-Scissor becomes the level-55 finale. The TM case swells to 33 TMs plus Cut and Rock Smash, with Energy Ball, X-Scissor, Grass Knot, Brick Break and Giga Impact among the newcomers. Bug Bite, Cross Poison and Metal Claw become Egg Moves, and Agility can be bred in HeartGold and SoulSilver only. Platinum's tutors teach Fury Cutter, Knock Off, Seed Bomb, Snore and Synthesis, and HeartGold and SoulSilver add Bug Bite, String Shot and Worry Seed.
By level-up
| DPPt/HGSS | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cross Poison | Poison | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| 1 | Scratch | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 35 |
| 1 | Stun Spore | Grass | Status | — | 75 | 30 |
| 1 | PoisonPowder | Poison | Status | — | 75 | 35 |
| 1 | Leech Life | Bug | Physical | 20 | 100 | 15 |
| 6 | Stun Spore | Grass | Status | — | 75 | 30 |
| 6 | PoisonPowder | Poison | Status | — | 75 | 35 |
| 11 | Leech Life | Bug | Physical | 20 | 100 | 15 |
| 17 | Spore | Grass | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| 22 | Slash | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| 30 | Growth | Normal | Status | — | — | 40 |
| 39 | Giga Drain | Grass | Special | 60 | 100 | 10 |
| 47 | Aromatherapy | Grass | Status | — | — | 5 |
| 55 | X-Scissor | Bug | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 |
By TM / HM / TR
| No. | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM06 | Toxic | Poison | Status | — | 85 | 10 |
| TM09 | Bullet Seed | Grass | Physical | 10 | 100 | 30 |
| TM10 | Hidden Power | Normal | Special | — | 100 | 15 |
| TM11 | Sunny Day | Fire | Status | — | — | 5 |
| TM15 | Hyper Beam | Normal | Special | 150 | 90 | 5 |
| TM17 | Protect | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM19 | Giga Drain | Grass | Special | 60 | 100 | 10 |
| TM21 | Frustration | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM22 | SolarBeam | Grass | Special | 120 | 100 | 10 |
| TM27 | Return | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM28 | Dig | Ground | Physical | 80 | 100 | 10 |
| TM31 | Brick Break | Fighting | Physical | 75 | 100 | 15 |
| TM32 | Double Team | Normal | Status | — | — | 15 |
| TM36 | Sludge Bomb | Poison | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 |
| TM40 | Aerial Ace | Physical | 60 | — | 20 | |
| TM42 | Facade | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| TM43 | Secret Power | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| TM44 | Rest | Psychic | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM45 | Attract | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| TM46 | Thief | Dark | Physical | 40 | 100 | 10 |
| TM53 | Energy Ball | Grass | Special | 80 | 100 | 10 |
| TM54 | False Swipe | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 40 |
| TM58 | Endure | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM68 | Giga Impact | Normal | Physical | 150 | 90 | 5 |
| TM70 | Flash | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM75 | Swords Dance | Normal | Status | — | — | 30 |
| TM78 | Captivate | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM81 | X-Scissor | Bug | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| TM82 | Sleep Talk | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM83 | Natural Gift | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 15 |
| TM86 | Grass Knot | Grass | Special | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM87 | Swagger | Normal | Status | — | 90 | 15 |
| TM90 | Substitute | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| HM01 | Cut | Normal | Physical | 50 | 95 | 30 |
| HM06 | Rock Smash | Fighting | Physical | 40 | 100 | 15 |
By breeding (egg moves)
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agility | Psychic | Status | — | — | 30 | Beedrill, Scyther, Scizor, Ledyba, Ledian, Spinarak, Ariados, Surskit and 2 more |
| Bug Bite | Bug | Physical | 60 | 100 | 20 | Ariados, Pineco, Ninjask, Yanmega |
| Counter | Fighting | Physical | — | 100 | 20 | Heracross, Breloom |
| Cross Poison | Poison | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 | Parasect, Skorupi, Drapion |
| False Swipe | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 40 | Scyther, Scizor, Nincada |
| Flail | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 15 | Oddish, Gloom, Vileplume, Bellossom, Tangela, Tangrowth, Pinsir, Chikorita and 8 more (chain breeding needed) |
| Light Screen | Psychic | Status | — | — | 30 | Chikorita, Bayleef, Meganium, Ledyba, Ledian, Dustox |
| Metal Claw | Steel | Physical | 50 | 95 | 35 | Scizor, Nincada |
| Psybeam | Psychic | Special | 65 | 100 | 20 | Butterfree, Venonat, Venomoth, Dustox |
| Pursuit | Dark | Physical | 40 | 100 | 20 | Beedrill, Scyther, Scizor, Yanma, Yanmega |
| Screech | Normal | Status | — | 85 | 40 | Yanma, Yanmega, Gligar, Gliscor, Ninjask, Vibrava, Flygon |
| Sweet Scent | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 20 | Bulbasaur, Ivysaur, Venusaur, Oddish, Gloom, Vileplume, Bellossom, Bellsprout and 6 more |
By move tutor
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bug Bite | Bug | Physical | 60 | 100 | 20 | HGSS |
| Fury Cutter | Bug | Physical | 10 | 95 | 20 | Pt, HGSS |
| Knock Off | Dark | Physical | 20 | 100 | 20 | Pt, HGSS |
| Seed Bomb | Grass | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 | Pt, HGSS |
| Snore | Normal | Special | 40 | 100 | 15 | Pt, HGSS |
| String Shot | Bug | Status | — | 95 | 40 | HGSS |
| Synthesis | Grass | Status | — | — | 5 | Pt, HGSS |
| Worry Seed | Grass | Status | — | 100 | 10 | HGSS |
By transfer
| Move | From |
|---|---|
| Body Slam | Gen III (tutor) |
| Double-Edge | Gen III (tutor) |
| Mimic | Gen III (tutor) |
| Refresh | Gen III (Shadow Paras in Pokémon XD) |
Generation V · Black, White, Black 2 & White 216 level-up · 33 TM/HM · 13 egg · 9 tutor
Of the four Unova games, only White lets you evolve a Paras into Parasect; in Black, Black 2 and White 2 it has to be traded in. Fury Cutter joins the level-up list at 17 and Rage Powder at 59, which pushes X-Scissor back to 66, and Giga Drain now hits for 75 at level 44. Hone Claws, Venoshock, Light Screen, Struggle Bug and Round arrive in the TM case (32 TMs plus Cut), while Giga Drain, Bullet Seed, Secret Power, Endure, Sleep Talk, Captivate and Natural Gift leave it. Leech Seed, Endure and Natural Gift become Egg Moves and Agility is no longer limited to HeartGold and SoulSilver, while False Swipe and Light Screen drop off the list. Black 2 and White 2 bring nine tutor moves, among them After You, Giga Drain and Seed Bomb.
By level-up
| BW/B2W2 | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cross Poison | Poison | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| 1 | Scratch | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 35 |
| 1 | Stun Spore | Grass | Status | — | 75 | 30 |
| 1 | PoisonPowder | Poison | Status | — | 75 | 35 |
| 1 | Leech Life | Bug | Physical | 20 | 100 | 15 |
| 6 | Stun Spore | Grass | Status | — | 75 | 30 |
| 6 | PoisonPowder | Poison | Status | — | 75 | 35 |
| 11 | Leech Life | Bug | Physical | 20 | 100 | 15 |
| 17 | Fury Cutter | Bug | Physical | 20 | 95 | 20 |
| 22 | Spore | Grass | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| 29 | Slash | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| 37 | Growth | Normal | Status | — | — | 40 |
| 44 | Giga Drain | Grass | Special | 75 | 100 | 10 |
| 51 | Aromatherapy | Grass | Status | — | — | 5 |
| 59 | Rage Powder | Bug | Status | — | — | 20 |
| 66 | X-Scissor | Bug | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 |
By TM / HM / TR
| No. | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM01 | Hone Claws | Dark | Status | — | — | 15 |
| TM06 | Toxic | Poison | Status | — | 90 | 10 |
| TM09 | Venoshock | Poison | Special | 65 | 100 | 10 |
| TM10 | Hidden Power | Normal | Special | — | 100 | 15 |
| TM11 | Sunny Day | Fire | Status | — | — | 5 |
| TM15 | Hyper Beam | Normal | Special | 150 | 90 | 5 |
| TM16 | Light Screen | Psychic | Status | — | — | 30 |
| TM17 | Protect | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM21 | Frustration | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM22 | SolarBeam | Grass | Special | 120 | 100 | 10 |
| TM27 | Return | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM28 | Dig | Ground | Physical | 80 | 100 | 10 |
| TM31 | Brick Break | Fighting | Physical | 75 | 100 | 15 |
| TM32 | Double Team | Normal | Status | — | — | 15 |
| TM36 | Sludge Bomb | Poison | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 |
| TM40 | Aerial Ace | Physical | 60 | — | 20 | |
| TM42 | Facade | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| TM44 | Rest | Psychic | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM45 | Attract | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| TM46 | Thief | Dark | Physical | 40 | 100 | 10 |
| TM48 | Round | Normal | Special | 60 | 100 | 15 |
| TM53 | Energy Ball | Grass | Special | 80 | 100 | 10 |
| TM54 | False Swipe | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 40 |
| TM68 | Giga Impact | Normal | Physical | 150 | 90 | 5 |
| TM70 | Flash | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM75 | Swords Dance | Normal | Status | — | — | 30 |
| TM76 | Struggle Bug | Bug | Special | 30 | 100 | 20 |
| TM81 | X-Scissor | Bug | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| TM86 | Grass Knot | Grass | Special | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM87 | Swagger | Normal | Status | — | 90 | 15 |
| TM90 | Substitute | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM94 | Rock Smash | Fighting | Physical | 40 | 100 | 15 |
| HM01 | Cut | Normal | Physical | 50 | 95 | 30 |
By breeding (egg moves)
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agility | Psychic | Status | — | — | 30 | Beedrill, Scyther, Scizor, Ledyba, Ledian, Spinarak, Ariados, Surskit and 8 more |
| Bug Bite | Bug | Physical | 60 | 100 | 20 | Caterpie, Weedle, Ariados, Pineco, Forretress, Shuckle, Wurmple, Ninjask and 19 more |
| Counter | Fighting | Physical | — | 100 | 20 | Heracross, Breloom |
| Cross Poison | Poison | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 | Parasect, Spinarak, Ariados, Skorupi, Drapion |
| Endure | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | Heracross, Sewaddle, Karrablast |
| Flail | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 15 | Sewaddle, Dwebble, Crustle, Karrablast |
| Leech Seed | Grass | Status | — | 90 | 10 | Bulbasaur, Ivysaur, Venusaur, Exeggcute, Hoppip, Skiploom, Jumpluff, Sunkern and 16 more |
| Metal Claw | Steel | Physical | 50 | 95 | 35 | Scizor, Nincada, Ferroseed, Ferrothorn, Durant |
| Natural Gift | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 15 | Oddish, Gloom, Exeggcute, Tangela, Tangrowth, Chikorita, Bayleef, Meganium and 4 more |
| Psybeam | Psychic | Special | 65 | 100 | 20 | Butterfree, Venonat, Venomoth, Dustox, Mothim |
| Pursuit | Dark | Physical | 40 | 100 | 20 | Beedrill, Scyther, Scizor, Yanma, Yanmega, Venipede, Whirlipede, Scolipede |
| Screech | Normal | Status | — | 85 | 40 | Yanma, Yanmega, Gligar, Gliscor, Ninjask, Vibrava, Flygon, Kricketune and 5 more |
| Sweet Scent | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 20 | Bulbasaur, Ivysaur, Venusaur, Oddish, Gloom, Bellossom, Bellsprout, Weepinbell and 14 more |
By move tutor
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| After You | Normal | Status | — | — | 15 | B2W2 |
| Bug Bite | Bug | Physical | 60 | 100 | 20 | B2W2 |
| Giga Drain | Grass | Special | 75 | 100 | 10 | B2W2 |
| Knock Off | Dark | Physical | 20 | 100 | 20 | B2W2 |
| Seed Bomb | Grass | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 | B2W2 |
| Sleep Talk | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | B2W2 |
| Snore | Normal | Special | 40 | 100 | 15 | B2W2 |
| Synthesis | Grass | Status | — | — | 5 | B2W2 |
| Worry Seed | Grass | Status | — | 100 | 10 | B2W2 |
By transfer
| Move | From |
|---|---|
| Body Slam | Gen III (tutor) |
| Bullet Seed | Gen III–IV (TM) |
| Captivate | Gen IV (TM) |
| Double-Edge | Gen III (tutor) |
| Mimic | Gen III (tutor) |
| Refresh | Gen III (Shadow Paras in Pokémon XD) |
| Secret Power | Gen III–IV (TM) |
| String Shot | Gen IV (tutor) |
Generation VI · X, Y, Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire16 level-up · 38 TM/HM · 16 egg · 8 tutor
In Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire Parasect comes from evolving Paras. The level-up list for all four games carries over from Black and White, now with the modern spelling Poison Powder, and Fury Cutter is up to 40 power. Sleep Talk, Nature Power and Confide join the TMs; TM94 is Rock Smash in X and Y but Secret Power in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, where Rock Smash becomes HM06. Fell Stinger becomes an Egg Move, and Rototiller and Wide Guard can be chain-bred. Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire bring back the Black 2 and White 2 tutor moves except Sleep Talk, eight in all.
By level-up
| XY/ORAS | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cross Poison | Poison | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| 1 | Scratch | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 35 |
| 1 | Stun Spore | Grass | Status | — | 75 | 30 |
| 1 | Poison Powder | Poison | Status | — | 75 | 35 |
| 1 | Leech Life | Bug | Physical | 20 | 100 | 15 |
| 6 | Stun Spore | Grass | Status | — | 75 | 30 |
| 6 | Poison Powder | Poison | Status | — | 75 | 35 |
| 11 | Leech Life | Bug | Physical | 20 | 100 | 15 |
| 17 | Fury Cutter | Bug | Physical | 40 | 95 | 20 |
| 22 | Spore | Grass | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| 29 | Slash | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| 37 | Growth | Normal | Status | — | — | 20 |
| 44 | Giga Drain | Grass | Special | 75 | 100 | 10 |
| 51 | Aromatherapy | Grass | Status | — | — | 5 |
| 59 | Rage Powder | Bug | Status | — | — | 20 |
| 66 | X-Scissor | Bug | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 |
By TM / HM / TR
| No. | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM01 | Hone Claws | Dark | Status | — | — | 15 | |
| TM06 | Toxic | Poison | Status | — | 90 | 10 | |
| TM09 | Venoshock | Poison | Special | 65 | 100 | 10 | |
| TM10 | Hidden Power | Normal | Special | 60 | 100 | 15 | |
| TM11 | Sunny Day | Fire | Status | — | — | 5 | |
| TM15 | Hyper Beam | Normal | Special | 150 | 90 | 5 | |
| TM16 | Light Screen | Psychic | Status | — | — | 30 | |
| TM17 | Protect | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | |
| TM21 | Frustration | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 | |
| TM22 | Solar Beam | Grass | Special | 120 | 100 | 10 | |
| TM27 | Return | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 | |
| TM28 | Dig | Ground | Physical | 80 | 100 | 10 | |
| TM31 | Brick Break | Fighting | Physical | 75 | 100 | 15 | |
| TM32 | Double Team | Normal | Status | — | — | 15 | |
| TM36 | Sludge Bomb | Poison | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 | |
| TM40 | Aerial Ace | Physical | 60 | — | 20 | ||
| TM42 | Facade | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 | |
| TM44 | Rest | Psychic | Status | — | — | 10 | |
| TM45 | Attract | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 15 | |
| TM46 | Thief | Dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 | |
| TM48 | Round | Normal | Special | 60 | 100 | 15 | |
| TM53 | Energy Ball | Grass | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 | |
| TM54 | False Swipe | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 40 | |
| TM68 | Giga Impact | Normal | Physical | 150 | 90 | 5 | |
| TM70 | Flash | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 20 | |
| TM75 | Swords Dance | Normal | Status | — | — | 20 | |
| TM76 | Struggle Bug | Bug | Special | 50 | 100 | 20 | |
| TM81 | X-Scissor | Bug | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 | |
| TM86 | Grass Knot | Grass | Special | — | 100 | 20 | |
| TM87 | Swagger | Normal | Status | — | 90 | 15 | |
| TM88 | Sleep Talk | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | |
| TM90 | Substitute | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | |
| TM94 | Rock Smash | Fighting | Physical | 40 | 100 | 15 | XY |
| TM94 | Secret Power | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 | ORAS |
| TM96 | Nature Power | Normal | Status | — | — | 20 | |
| TM100 | Confide | Normal | Status | — | — | 20 | |
| HM01 | Cut | Normal | Physical | 50 | 95 | 30 | |
| HM06 | Rock Smash | Fighting | Physical | 40 | 100 | 15 | ORAS |
By breeding (egg moves)
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agility | Psychic | Status | — | — | 30 | Beedrill, Scyther, Scizor, Ledyba, Ledian, Spinarak, Ariados, Surskit and 8 more |
| Bug Bite | Bug | Physical | 60 | 100 | 20 | Caterpie, Weedle, Ariados, Pineco, Forretress, Shuckle, Wurmple, Ninjask and 20 more |
| Counter | Fighting | Physical | — | 100 | 20 | Heracross, Breloom |
| Cross Poison | Poison | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 | Parasect, Spinarak, Ariados, Skorupi, Drapion |
| Endure | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | Heracross, Sewaddle, Karrablast |
| Fell Stinger | Bug | Physical | 30 | 100 | 25 | Beedrill, Ariados, Skorupi, Drapion, Leavanny, Escavalier |
| Flail | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 15 | Sewaddle, Dwebble, Crustle, Karrablast |
| Leech Seed | Grass | Status | — | 90 | 10 | Bulbasaur, Ivysaur, Venusaur, Exeggcute, Hoppip, Skiploom, Jumpluff, Sunkern and 18 more |
| Metal Claw | Steel | Physical | 50 | 95 | 35 | Scizor, Nincada, Ferroseed, Ferrothorn, Durant |
| Natural Gift | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 15 | Oddish, Gloom, Exeggcute, Tangela, Tangrowth, Chikorita, Bayleef, Meganium and 4 more |
| Psybeam | Psychic | Special | 65 | 100 | 20 | Butterfree, Venonat, Venomoth, Dustox, Mothim, Vivillon |
| Pursuit | Dark | Physical | 40 | 100 | 20 | Beedrill, Scyther, Scizor, Yanma, Yanmega, Venipede, Whirlipede, Scolipede |
| Rototiller | Ground | Status | — | — | 10 | Cacnea (chain breeding needed) |
| Screech | Normal | Status | — | 85 | 40 | Yanma, Yanmega, Gligar, Gliscor, Ninjask, Vibrava, Flygon, Kricketune and 5 more |
| Sweet Scent | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 20 | Bulbasaur, Ivysaur, Venusaur, Oddish, Gloom, Bellossom, Bellsprout, Weepinbell and 14 more |
| Wide Guard | Rock | Status | — | — | 10 | Turtwig (chain breeding needed) |
By move tutor
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| After You | Normal | Status | — | — | 15 | ORAS |
| Bug Bite | Bug | Physical | 60 | 100 | 20 | ORAS |
| Giga Drain | Grass | Special | 75 | 100 | 10 | ORAS |
| Knock Off | Dark | Physical | 65 | 100 | 20 | ORAS |
| Seed Bomb | Grass | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 | ORAS |
| Snore | Normal | Special | 50 | 100 | 15 | ORAS |
| Synthesis | Grass | Status | — | — | 5 | ORAS |
| Worry Seed | Grass | Status | — | 100 | 10 | ORAS |
By transfer
| Move | From |
|---|---|
| Body Slam | Gen III (tutor) |
| Bullet Seed | Gen III–IV (TM) |
| Captivate | Gen IV (TM) |
| Double-Edge | Gen III (tutor) |
| Mimic | Gen III (tutor) |
| Refresh | Gen III (Shadow Paras in Pokémon XD) |
| String Shot | Gen IV (tutor) |
Generation VII · Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon16 level-up · 31 TM/HM · 17 egg · 9 tutor
Sun and Moon rely on evolving Paras, while Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon add wild Parasect on Alola's Route 11. Leech Life is reworked into an 80-power move and leaves the level-up list for TM28, so Absorb takes its place at levels 1 and 11; everything else stays put, with Rage Powder at 59 and X-Scissor at 66. With HMs gone, 31 TMs remain. Grassy Terrain becomes an Egg Move in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, Wide Guard can now come straight from Araquanid, and the Ultra games' tutors teach nine moves, Throat Chop included. Twenty-one moves can only be brought along from older games, from Red and Blue's Skull Bash and Rage to Struggle Bug and Hone Claws.
By level-up
| SM/USUM | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cross Poison | Poison | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| 1 | Scratch | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 35 |
| 1 | Stun Spore | Grass | Status | — | 75 | 30 |
| 1 | Poison Powder | Poison | Status | — | 75 | 35 |
| 1 | Absorb | Grass | Special | 20 | 100 | 25 |
| 6 | Stun Spore | Grass | Status | — | 75 | 30 |
| 6 | Poison Powder | Poison | Status | — | 75 | 35 |
| 11 | Absorb | Grass | Special | 20 | 100 | 25 |
| 17 | Fury Cutter | Bug | Physical | 40 | 95 | 20 |
| 22 | Spore | Grass | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| 29 | Slash | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| 37 | Growth | Normal | Status | — | — | 20 |
| 44 | Giga Drain | Grass | Special | 75 | 100 | 10 |
| 51 | Aromatherapy | Grass | Status | — | — | 5 |
| 59 | Rage Powder | Bug | Status | — | — | 20 |
| 66 | X-Scissor | Bug | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 |
By TM / HM / TR
| No. | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM06 | Toxic | Poison | Status | — | 90 | 10 |
| TM09 | Venoshock | Poison | Special | 65 | 100 | 10 |
| TM10 | Hidden Power | Normal | Special | 60 | 100 | 15 |
| TM11 | Sunny Day | Fire | Status | — | — | 5 |
| TM15 | Hyper Beam | Normal | Special | 150 | 90 | 5 |
| TM16 | Light Screen | Psychic | Status | — | — | 30 |
| TM17 | Protect | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM21 | Frustration | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM22 | Solar Beam | Grass | Special | 120 | 100 | 10 |
| TM27 | Return | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM28 | Leech Life | Bug | Physical | 80 | 100 | 10 |
| TM31 | Brick Break | Fighting | Physical | 75 | 100 | 15 |
| TM32 | Double Team | Normal | Status | — | — | 15 |
| TM36 | Sludge Bomb | Poison | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 |
| TM40 | Aerial Ace | Physical | 60 | — | 20 | |
| TM42 | Facade | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| TM44 | Rest | Psychic | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM45 | Attract | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| TM46 | Thief | Dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 |
| TM48 | Round | Normal | Special | 60 | 100 | 15 |
| TM53 | Energy Ball | Grass | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 |
| TM54 | False Swipe | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 40 |
| TM68 | Giga Impact | Normal | Physical | 150 | 90 | 5 |
| TM75 | Swords Dance | Normal | Status | — | — | 20 |
| TM81 | X-Scissor | Bug | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| TM86 | Grass Knot | Grass | Special | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM87 | Swagger | Normal | Status | — | 85 | 15 |
| TM88 | Sleep Talk | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM90 | Substitute | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM96 | Nature Power | Normal | Status | — | — | 20 |
| TM100 | Confide | Normal | Status | — | — | 20 |
By breeding (egg moves)
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agility | Psychic | Status | — | — | 30 | Beedrill, Scyther, Scizor, Ledyba, Ledian, Spinarak, Ariados, Surskit and 9 more |
| Bug Bite | Bug | Physical | 60 | 100 | 20 | Caterpie, Weedle, Ariados, Pineco, Forretress, Shuckle, Wurmple, Ninjask and 26 more |
| Counter | Fighting | Physical | — | 100 | 20 | Heracross, Breloom |
| Cross Poison | Poison | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 | Parasect, Spinarak, Ariados, Skorupi, Drapion |
| Endure | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | Heracross, Sewaddle, Karrablast |
| Fell Stinger | Bug | Physical | 50 | 100 | 25 | Beedrill, Ariados, Kricketune, Skorupi, Drapion, Leavanny, Escavalier |
| Flail | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 15 | Sewaddle, Dwebble, Crustle, Karrablast |
| Grassy Terrain | Grass | Status | — | — | 10 | Oddish, Gloom, Tangela, Roserade, Tangrowth, Comfey |
| Leech Seed | Grass | Status | — | 90 | 10 | Bulbasaur, Ivysaur, Venusaur, Exeggcute, Hoppip, Skiploom, Jumpluff, Sunkern and 19 more |
| Metal Claw | Steel | Physical | 50 | 95 | 35 | Scizor, Nincada, Ferroseed, Ferrothorn, Durant |
| Natural Gift | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 15 | Oddish, Gloom, Exeggcute, Tangela, Tangrowth, Chikorita, Bayleef, Meganium and 7 more |
| Psybeam | Psychic | Special | 65 | 100 | 20 | Butterfree, Venonat, Venomoth, Dustox, Mothim, Vivillon |
| Pursuit | Dark | Physical | 40 | 100 | 20 | Beedrill, Scyther, Scizor, Yanma, Yanmega, Skorupi, Drapion, Venipede and 2 more |
| Rototiller | Ground | Status | — | — | 10 | Paras, Cacnea, Dwebble (chain breeding needed) |
| Screech | Normal | Status | — | 85 | 40 | Yanma, Yanmega, Gligar, Gliscor, Ninjask, Vibrava, Flygon, Kricketune and 5 more |
| Sweet Scent | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 20 | Bulbasaur, Ivysaur, Venusaur, Oddish, Gloom, Bellossom, Bellsprout, Weepinbell and 19 more |
| Wide Guard | Rock | Status | — | — | 10 | Araquanid |
By move tutor
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| After You | Normal | Status | — | — | 15 | USUM |
| Bug Bite | Bug | Physical | 60 | 100 | 20 | USUM |
| Giga Drain | Grass | Special | 75 | 100 | 10 | USUM |
| Knock Off | Dark | Physical | 65 | 100 | 20 | USUM |
| Seed Bomb | Grass | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 | USUM |
| Snore | Normal | Special | 50 | 100 | 15 | USUM |
| Synthesis | Grass | Status | — | — | 5 | USUM |
| Throat Chop | Dark | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 | USUM |
| Worry Seed | Grass | Status | — | 100 | 10 | USUM |
By transfer
| Move | From |
|---|---|
| Bide | Gen I (TM) |
| Body Slam | Gen I (TM), Gen III (tutor) |
| Bullet Seed | Gen III–IV (TM) |
| Captivate | Gen IV (TM) |
| Curse | Gen II (TM) |
| Cut | Gen I–II, V–VI (HM) |
| Dig | Gen I–VI (TM) |
| Double-Edge | Gen I (TM), Gen III (tutor) |
| Flash | Gen II (HM), Gen IV–VI (TM) |
| Hone Claws | Gen V–VI (TM) |
| Mega Drain | Gen I (TM) |
| Mimic | Gen I (TM), Gen III (tutor) |
| Rage | Gen I (TM) |
| Reflect | Gen I (TM) |
| Refresh | Gen III (Shadow Paras in Pokémon XD) |
| Rock Smash | Gen II (TM), Gen V (TM), Gen VI (TM/HM) |
| Secret Power | Gen III–IV, VI (TM) |
| Skull Bash | Gen I (TM) |
| String Shot | Gen IV (tutor) |
| Struggle Bug | Gen V–VI (TM) |
| Take Down | Gen I (TM) |
Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!16 level-up · 15 TM/HM
Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! rely on evolving Paras. Its moves are rebuilt for these games: Parasect starts with Leech Seed, Screech, Scratch, Sleep Powder, Stun Spore and Poison Powder, then learns Absorb, Growth, Fury Swipes, Slash and Leech Life before Spore at 33 and X-Scissor at 43. There is no breeding and no move tutor; the 15 TMs include Headbutt, Light Screen, Reflect, X-Scissor and Sludge Bomb, and Solar Beam and Mega Drain hit harder here, at 200 and 75 power.
By level-up
| LGPE | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leech Seed | Grass | Status | — | 90 | 10 |
| 1 | Screech | Normal | Status | — | 85 | 40 |
| 1 | Scratch | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 35 |
| 1 | Sleep Powder | Grass | Status | — | 75 | 15 |
| 1 | Stun Spore | Grass | Status | — | 75 | 30 |
| 1 | Poison Powder | Poison | Status | — | 75 | 35 |
| 2 | Sleep Powder | Grass | Status | — | 75 | 15 |
| 4 | Stun Spore | Grass | Status | — | 75 | 30 |
| 6 | Poison Powder | Poison | Status | — | 75 | 35 |
| 9 | Absorb | Grass | Special | 40 | 100 | 15 |
| 12 | Growth | Normal | Status | — | — | 20 |
| 15 | Fury Swipes | Normal | Physical | 18 | 80 | 15 |
| 19 | Slash | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| 23 | Leech Life | Bug | Physical | 80 | 100 | 10 |
| 33 | Spore | Grass | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| 43 | X-Scissor | Bug | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 |
By TM / HM / TR
| No. | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM01 | Headbutt | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 15 |
| TM05 | Rest | Psychic | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM06 | Light Screen | Psychic | Status | — | — | 30 |
| TM07 | Protect | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM08 | Substitute | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM09 | Reflect | Psychic | Status | — | — | 20 |
| TM10 | Dig | Ground | Physical | 80 | 100 | 10 |
| TM12 | Facade | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| TM13 | Brick Break | Fighting | Physical | 75 | 100 | 15 |
| TM24 | X-Scissor | Bug | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| TM27 | Toxic | Poison | Status | — | 90 | 10 |
| TM45 | Solar Beam | Grass | Special | 200 | 100 | 10 |
| TM48 | Hyper Beam | Normal | Special | 150 | 90 | 5 |
| TM52 | Sludge Bomb | Poison | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 |
| TM53 | Mega Drain | Grass | Special | 75 | 100 | 10 |
Generation VIII · Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl (not in Sword & Shield)16 level-up · 29 TM/HM · 13 egg
Parasect does not appear in Sword and Shield at all, so its Generation VIII moves come from Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, where Paras evolves into it at level 24. The level-up list is the same as in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. Giga Drain, Bullet Seed, Endure and Flash are TMs again, and Cut and Rock Smash are now TM93 and TM98, making 29 TMs. Thirteen Egg Moves include Grassy Terrain and Fell Stinger, and Wide Guard can only come from a Paras or Parasect found in the Grand Underground already knowing it. There are no move tutors for Parasect here.
By level-up
| BDSP | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cross Poison | Poison | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| 1 | Scratch | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 35 |
| 1 | Stun Spore | Grass | Status | — | 75 | 30 |
| 1 | Poison Powder | Poison | Status | — | 75 | 35 |
| 1 | Absorb | Grass | Special | 20 | 100 | 25 |
| 6 | Stun Spore | Grass | Status | — | 75 | 30 |
| 6 | Poison Powder | Poison | Status | — | 75 | 35 |
| 11 | Absorb | Grass | Special | 20 | 100 | 25 |
| 17 | Fury Cutter | Bug | Physical | 40 | 95 | 20 |
| 22 | Spore | Grass | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| 29 | Slash | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| 37 | Growth | Normal | Status | — | — | 20 |
| 44 | Giga Drain | Grass | Special | 75 | 100 | 10 |
| 51 | Aromatherapy | Grass | Status | — | — | 5 |
| 59 | Rage Powder | Bug | Status | — | — | 20 |
| 66 | X-Scissor | Bug | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 |
By TM / HM / TR
| No. | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM09 | Bullet Seed | Grass | Physical | 25 | 100 | 30 |
| TM11 | Sunny Day | Fire | Status | — | — | 5 |
| TM15 | Hyper Beam | Normal | Special | 150 | 90 | 5 |
| TM16 | Light Screen | Psychic | Status | — | — | 30 |
| TM17 | Protect | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM19 | Giga Drain | Grass | Special | 75 | 100 | 10 |
| TM22 | Solar Beam | Grass | Special | 120 | 100 | 10 |
| TM28 | Dig | Ground | Physical | 80 | 100 | 10 |
| TM31 | Brick Break | Fighting | Physical | 75 | 100 | 15 |
| TM32 | Double Team | Normal | Status | — | — | 15 |
| TM36 | Sludge Bomb | Poison | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 |
| TM40 | Aerial Ace | Physical | 60 | — | 20 | |
| TM42 | Facade | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| TM44 | Rest | Psychic | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM45 | Attract | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| TM46 | Thief | Dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 |
| TM53 | Energy Ball | Grass | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 |
| TM54 | False Swipe | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 40 |
| TM58 | Endure | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM68 | Giga Impact | Normal | Physical | 150 | 90 | 5 |
| TM70 | Flash | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM75 | Swords Dance | Normal | Status | — | — | 20 |
| TM81 | X-Scissor | Bug | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| TM82 | Sleep Talk | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM86 | Grass Knot | Grass | Special | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM87 | Swagger | Normal | Status | — | 85 | 15 |
| TM90 | Substitute | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM93 | Cut | Normal | Physical | 50 | 95 | 30 |
| TM98 | Rock Smash | Fighting | Physical | 40 | 100 | 15 |
By breeding (egg moves)
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agility | Psychic | Status | — | — | 30 | Beedrill, Scyther, Scizor, Ledyba, Ledian, Spinarak, Ariados, Surskit and 2 more |
| Bug Bite | Bug | Physical | 60 | 100 | 20 | Caterpie, Butterfree, Weedle, Beedrill, Pinsir, Ariados, Pineco, Forretress and 13 more |
| Counter | Fighting | Physical | — | 100 | 20 | Heracross, Breloom |
| Cross Poison | Poison | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 | Parasect, Spinarak, Ariados, Skorupi, Drapion |
| Fell Stinger | Bug | Physical | 50 | 100 | 25 | Beedrill, Ariados, Kricketune, Skorupi, Drapion |
| Flail | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 15 | Lotad, Lombre, Ludicolo |
| Grassy Terrain | Grass | Status | — | — | 10 | Oddish, Gloom, Vileplume, Bellossom, Tangela, Tangrowth, Roserade |
| Leech Seed | Grass | Status | — | 90 | 10 | Bulbasaur, Ivysaur, Venusaur, Exeggcute, Exeggutor, Hoppip, Skiploom, Jumpluff and 13 more |
| Metal Claw | Steel | Physical | 50 | 95 | 35 | Scizor, Nincada, Ninjask |
| Psybeam | Psychic | Special | 65 | 100 | 20 | Butterfree, Venonat, Venomoth, Dustox, Mothim |
| Screech | Normal | Status | — | 85 | 40 | Yanma, Yanmega, Gligar, Gliscor, Ninjask, Vibrava, Flygon, Kricketune |
| Sweet Scent | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 20 | Bulbasaur, Ivysaur, Venusaur, Oddish, Gloom, Vileplume, Bellossom, Bellsprout and 12 more |
| Wide Guard | Rock | Status | — | — | 10 | Paras, Parasect (a parent found in the Grand Underground already knowing it) |
Pokémon Legends: Arceus8 level-up · 10 tutor
In Legends: Arceus, Parasect lives near Nature's Pantry in the Obsidian Fieldlands, where an Alpha also appears, and all over the Crimson Mirelands, from the Golden Lowlands and Diamond Heath to Droning Meadow. It also turns up at Windbreak Stand in the Cobalt Coastlands, at Heavenward Lookout and Wayward Wood in the Coronet Highlands, and in mass outbreaks. Moves work differently here: each has a level at which it is learned and a higher level at which it is mastered, after which it can be used in strong or agile style, and PP totals are lower. Power is listed for normal, strong and agile style, and accuracy for normal and strong style. The level-up list is just eight moves, from Absorb to Spore at 29, X-Scissor at 37 and Energy Ball at 47, and the move tutor teaches ten more, Leech Life and Sludge Bomb among them. There are no TMs or breeding.
By level-up
| Learn | Master | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. normal / strong / agile |
Acc. normal / strong |
PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | Absorb | Grass | Special | 30 / 40 / 20 | 100 | 20 |
| 5 | 14 | Stun Spore | Grass | Status | — | 80 / 100 | 20 |
| 9 | 18 | Poison Powder | Poison | Status | — | 80 / 100 | 20 |
| 15 | 25 | Venoshock | Poison | Special | 65 / 80 / 50 | 100 | 15 |
| 21 | 31 | Slash | Normal | Physical | 70 / 85 / 55 | 100 | 15 |
| 29 | 40 | Spore | Grass | Status | — | 100 | 10 |
| 37 | 48 | X-Scissor | Bug | Physical | 80 / 100 / 60 | 100 | 10 |
| 47 | 59 | Energy Ball | Grass | Special | 80 / 100 / 60 | 100 | 10 |
By move tutor
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. normal / strong / agile |
Acc. normal / strong |
PP | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aerial Ace | Physical | 60 / 75 / 45 | — | 20 | ||
| Energy Ball | Grass | Special | 80 / 100 / 60 | 100 | 10 | |
| False Swipe | Normal | Physical | 40 / 50 / 30 | 100 | 30 | |
| Giga Impact | Normal | Physical | 120 / 150 / 100 | 90 / 95 | 5 | |
| Hyper Beam | Normal | Special | 120 / 150 / 100 | 90 / 95 | 5 | |
| Leech Life | Bug | Physical | 75 / 90 / 60 | 100 | 10 | |
| Rest | Psychic | Status | — | — | 10 | |
| Rock Smash | Fighting | Physical | 40 / 50 / 30 | 100 | 20 | |
| Sludge Bomb | Poison | Special | 80 / 100 / 60 | 100 | 10 | |
| X-Scissor | Bug | Physical | 80 / 100 / 60 | 100 | 10 |
Generation IX · Scarlet & Violet
Parasect cannot be obtained in Scarlet and Violet or in Legends: Z-A, so it has no Generation IX learnset. Its most recent games are Brilliant Diamond, Shining Pearl and Legends: Arceus.
04On screen
Parasect in the anime
Debut EP044The Problem with Paras · Its appearances on screen, and 3 other trainers who raised one.
Parasect burst on to the screen in The Problem with Paras (EP044), an episode that carries its name in Japan. Cassandra wanted the mushroom on Parasect's back for a miracle Pokémon medicine, but her Paras was far too timid to evolve – until, cornered by Ash's unruly new Charmeleon, it struck back, won and evolved on the spot, then sent Charmeleon to sleep with a puff of Spore. That set the tone for the Mushroom Pokémon's anime career: quiet, a little eerie, and always armed with a cloud of spores for anyone who gets too close.
Since then Parasect has mostly been a creature of the wild. An army of them drove Ash's group indoors with Sleep Powder in Ecruteak City (EP227), one supplied the final ingredient for a spell that turned Ash into a Pikachu (EP241), and another caught Ash and Mallow with Stun Spore in Alola (SM035). Officer Jenny drafted one against a Gulpin stampede (AG065), the pirate Phantom kept one aboard his submarine (M09), and Goh bagged one together with a Paras during his day-long sweep of every Bug-type Pokémon in Kanto (JN006). Ash himself has never caught one.
Other trainers’ Parasect
First seen: EP044The Problem with Paras
Evolved: EP044The Problem with Paras
Cassandra's grandmother runs the village herbal shop, and Cassandra dreams of brewing a miracle medicine for Pokémon from the mushroom on Parasect's back. The snag was her Paras: it was so timid that she asked Ash to lose to it on purpose, yet even Pikachu's and Squirtle's gentlest attacks knocked it out, and Ash's newly evolved, disobedient Charmeleon sent it fleeing in tears with a full-power Flamethrower. Meowth, smitten with Cassandra after she nursed him through a fever, quietly rigged a string of wins over Arbok and Weezing to rebuild its confidence. In the rematch, cornered by Charmeleon, Paras jabbed it in the stomach with a pincer, knocked it out and evolved into Parasect – and when Charmeleon came round and went for it, a cloud of Spore put the Flame Pokémon to sleep (EP044).
- EP044The Problem with Paras · vs Pikachu, Squirtle and Charmeleon Lost
- EP044The Problem with Paras · vs Arbok and Weezing Won
- EP044The Problem with Paras · vs Charmeleon Won
First seen: JN006Working My Way Back to Mew!
Goh's day in Vermilion Forest is the stuff of legend: by the time he was done, he had caught every one of the twelve Bug-type Pokémon native to Kanto. Parasect came as half of a pair – Goh found it and a Paras trying to climb a pair of trees and caught both at the same time, a double catch the Japanese version rates as 'Great' (JN006). Parasect then joined the crowd of Pokémon at the Cerise Laboratory and turns up among Goh's Pokémon throughout Journeys. It is no pushover, either: when a mischievous Misdreavus tried to scare it as a prank in Cerise Park, Parasect hit straight back (JN023).
First seen: AG065Gulpin it Down
When a ravenous horde of Gulpin started swallowing everything in sight in a town near Petalburg City, the local Officer Jenny organised the defence with an all-Grass squad of Tangela, Meganium and Parasect. As the Gulpin surged back towards Brock and the others, Tangela's Vine Whip, Meganium's Razor Leaf and Parasect's Stun Spore drove the mob back – though Max worried that the Poison-type Gulpin would shrug off Grass attacks – and Ash's Treecko joined the push (AG065).
Ash & Parasect
Ash has never caught a Parasect, but he has been on the wrong end of one more than once. The very first Parasect evolved in the middle of a battle with his Pokémon and then sent his rampaging Charmeleon to sleep with Spore (EP044). He later challenged a wild Parasect to collect its Stun Spore for Lily's magic spell – a spell that ended up turning him into a Pikachu (EP241) – and in Alola a wild one caught him and Mallow with Stun Spore on a berry hunt (SM035). The closest Parasect has come to his team is his best friend's: Goh caught one in Vermilion Forest (JN006).
Featured episodes
- EP227For Ho-Oh the Bells Toll!Tin Tower's Crystal Bells also soothe the Bug Pokémon living around Ecruteak City, so when Team Rocket steal them – and break one – the Bugs lash out at their human neighbours and smother the town in webs. An army of wild Parasect advances on Ash and his friends, who have to retreat inside the Gym to escape their potent Sleep Powder.
- EP241Hocus PokémonPokémon magician Lily's spell for understanding Pokémon is always missing one ingredient: Stun Spore from a Parasect. Her Murkrow leads the group to a wild one, which tries Sleep Powder on Ash first (Murkrow blows it away) before releasing the Stun Spore that Lily hoovers up with a vacuum – and the finished spell turns Ash into a Pikachu.
- SM035Currying Favor and Flavor!As Ash and Mallow tiptoe towards the summit in search of a Mago Berry, a wild Parasect catches them with Stun Spore.
More appearances
- EP047A Chansey Operation An injured Parasect is brought in for treatment at the clinic.
- EP052Princess vs. Princess A Parasect is among the competitors in the Queen of the Princess Festival.
- EP065Showdown at the Po-ké Corral Several Parasect live at Professor Oak's Laboratory.
- EP080Friends to the End A Trainer's Parasect is at the closing ceremony of the Indigo Plateau Conference.
- EP223Throwing in the Noctowl A Parasect is among the Pokémon living in veteran pilot Wings Alexander's barn.
- HS04Showdown at the Oak Corral A Parasect lives at Professor Oak's Laboratory.
- SM001Alola to New Adventure! A Trainer's Parasect turns up in Alola.
- SM008Lillie's Egg-xhilarating Challenge! A Parasect is playing in Lillie's garden.
- SM090Securing the Future! Three Parasect – two with Trainers and one wild – join the rest of Alola in shining light on Necrozma so that it can return to its true form.
- SM129Battle Royal 151! A Trainer's Parasect competes in the Battle Royal preliminary round of the Manalo Conference, but doesn't make it through.
- SM131The Battlefield of Truth and Love! A Parasect watches Bewear and Stufful perform at the hot springs.
Anime gallery
Anime trivia
- Parasect's debut episode is named after it: the Japanese title of The Problem with Paras (EP044) is simply 'Paras and Parasect'.
- In the Japanese version of EP044, the Pokédex names Parasect's mushrooms as tochukaso – the caterpillar fungus prized in traditional medicine, which is exactly why Cassandra wanted one. The English dub leaves the mushrooms unnamed.
- Ash helped Cassandra's Paras evolve by trying to throw a battle – the very trick he later told Max off for in A Bite to Remember (AG011).
- The wild Parasect in Hocus Pokémon (EP241) used Sleep Powder – a move Parasect couldn't learn in the games until Generation VII.
- Parasect has been the answer to Who's That Pokémon? just once – in the English dub of The Battlefield of Truth and Love! (SM131). Japanese viewers got Decidueye instead.
- Goh's Parasect is voiced by Shin-ichiro Miki, the Japanese voice of Team Rocket's James, in both the Japanese and English versions.
- Goh's Paras and Parasect both appear in the fourth and final version of the animation for 1・2・3 ('One, Two, Three'), the Japanese opening theme of Pokémon Journeys (JN100–JN136).
“Parasect, the Mushroom Pokémon. It battles using poison spheres that spread from the mushroom canopy on its back.”
Ash's Pokédex (Dexter) · EP044
05On the big screen
Parasect in the movies
1 film featuring Parasect.
Parasect has never headlined a Pokémon film, and most of its big-screen outings are blink-and-you'll-miss-it background parts. Its one real role came in Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea (2006), and it's on the villain's side: near the start of the film the pirate Phantom corners Pokémon Ranger Jack Walker on the bow of his submarine and sends out Pinsir and Parasect to get the Manaphy Egg back. Jackie dodges, calls a Mantine up from the waves, and its Confuse Ray leaves both of the Phantom's Pokémon dazed as he makes his escape.
Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea
M09 · 2006
The Phantom's Parasect (with his Pinsir)
This is Parasect's one real film role, and it's on the villain's side. Near the start of the film, the pirate captain Phantom corners Pokémon Ranger Jack Walker on the bow of his submarine and sends out Pinsir and Parasect, demanding his name and the return of the Manaphy Egg. Jackie gives his name, scrambles onto the roof to dodge Pinsir and enlists a Mantine from the waves, whose Confuse Ray leaves both of Phantom's Pokémon dazed as he makes his escape. It's the only time Parasect is seen in the film.
06Trading Card Game · every card
Parasect in the Pokémon TCG
20 cards since 1999, oldest first. Tap any card to see it full size.
Parasect has been part of the card game since Japan's Pokémon Jungle expansion in March 1997, and English players met it in Jungle in June 1999. It has always been a Stage 1 Grass Pokémon: there has never been a Parasect ex or V, nor a Trainer's Parasect, and its HP has only crept from 60 to 120 in nearly three decades. What it lacks in glamour it makes up for in spores. Most of its cards put something to sleep, poison it, confuse it or paralyse it, and its attack and Ability names read like a mushroom-picker's warning list: Spore, Toxic Spore, Hibernation Spore, Wild Spores, Colorful Spores, Panic Spores, Lethargy Spores. The quirky ones are the most fun: a Neo Revelation Parasect that walls off both discard piles, an Aquapolis one that drags a sleeper off the Bench, and a 151 Parasect that spreads its fungal threads to bring new Grass Pokémon into play.
The art has changed hands as often as the attacks. Ken Sugimori drew both 1990s cards, the Jungle original and a Japan-only vending-machine card, and since then no illustrator has drawn Parasect twice. Atsuko Nishida, Masako Yamashita, Yuka Morii, Masakazu Fukuda, Kagemaru Himeno and Midori Harada took their turns in the 2000s, followed by Sumiyoshi Kizuki, Eri Yamaki, Satoshi Shirai, Miki Tanaka, Pani Kobayashi, Yoriyuki Ikegami and Tetsu Kayama. Its big moment came in Lost Origin, where Oswaldo KATO's Trainer Gallery card gave Parasect its first full-art scene, beside a Ginkgo Guild merchant from Hisui. In Pokémon TCG Pocket, Eri Yamaki's Sun & Moon artwork lives on in Genetic Apex.
Cards to know
- Jungle 41/64 — Where it all began: Ken Sugimori's Parasect lulls the Defending Pokémon to sleep with Spore, then slashes away while it snoozes.
- Neo Revelation 35/64 — Allergic Pollen turns Parasect into a spore-belching bouncer for every discard pile, so nothing in there can be touched by attacks or Pokémon Powers.
- Aquapolis 27/147 — Sleep Inducer yanks a Pokémon off your opponent's Bench and sends it straight to sleep.
- BREAKthrough 2/162 — Colorful Spores sprinkles three different types of Energy across your team in one go, a rainbow of a trick for decks that run several types.
- Lost Origin TG01/TG30 — Parasect's first and only full-art card: an Oswaldo KATO Trainer Gallery scene with a Ginkgo Guild merchant from Hisui.
- 151 047/165 — Spread Filaments has the mushroom sending out its threads to grow new Grass Pokémon straight onto your Bench.
Every English-language card
Promo cards
Japan-exclusive cards
Pokémon TCG Pocket
Digital card games
- Pokémon Trading Card Game (Game Boy Color): Jungle Parasect (Ken Sugimori), card C08, from the Mystery booster pack. Three copies are in the Insect Collection Deck, which the Auto Deck Machine offers once you have the Grass Medal, and one each in the Grass & Psychic and Jungle decks.
- Pokémon Card GB2 (Japan only): Jungle Parasect again, card D11, in the Psychic Battle pack. Two copies each are in the Esper Green, Give In! Anti-GR2 and National Park decks, and one in the Cave Exploration Deck. Two more are in Aaron's Step 2 Deck, the practice deck Dr. Mason's researcher Aaron uses to teach you about Special Conditions.
- Pokémon Card GB2 (Japan only): the vending-machine Parasect (Ken Sugimori), card B09, Uncommon, in the Legendary Power pack. Three copies are in the Steady Increase Deck, and one each in the Great Rocket 2 and Cave Exploration decks.
- Pokémon TCG Online / Pokémon TCG Live: no digital-exclusive Parasect cards.
The artists behind the cards
- Ken Sugimori — 2 artworks (Jungle 41, Vending Expansion Sheet 1)
- Eri Yamaki — 1 (Sun & Moon 5), reused in TCG Pocket's Genetic Apex
- One artwork each: Atsuko Nishida, Masako Yamashita, Yuka Morii, Masakazu Fukuda, Kagemaru Himeno, Midori Harada, Sumiyoshi Kizuki, Satoshi Shirai, Miki Tanaka, Pani Kobayashi, Oswaldo KATO, Yoriyuki Ikegami and Tetsu Kayama
07On the page & beyond
Parasect in manga, books & other media
From the earliest manga to story books and songs.
On the page, Parasect's star turn belongs to Crystal's Parasee in Pokémon Adventures: a wild Parasect from Mt. Mortar that numbed Crystal's injured arms with Spore, kept her supplied with medicine and became one of her most useful partners, a walking medicine cabinet whose spores can even help blast through a door. Elsewhere it is one of the Pokémon in Green's Poké Balls in Kosaku Anakubo's Pocket Monsters (1996), the Parasect that Shu and the twins Rin and Ran both chase in Yeah! I Got Pokémon!, Tiffany's partner in hiding the Manaphy Egg in the Pokémon Ranger web manga and one of Goh's catches in the Journeys manga. Japan's Film Comic retold its debut episode under the title 'Paras and Parasect', Tracey West's book of Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea keeps its submarine scene, and Parasect is named in both the English Pokérap and Japan's Pokémon Ieru Kana?.
Manga
Books
Other media
More from the page
08Did you know?
Parasect trivia
Name origins, design secrets and the facts that make Parasect such a fan favourite.
What’s in a name?
Parasect's name is as blunt as its biology: 'parasite' and 'insect', squeezed into one word. Japan uses exactly the same name, written パラセクト (Parasekuto), and so do the French, Spanish, Italian and Brazilian Portuguese games. German players know it as Parasek, from Parasit and Insekt, while older Cantonese media went wonderfully literal with 巨菇虫 – a 'giant mushroom bug'.
Design origins
Parasect borrows from a real and rather spooky corner of nature. Its fungus is identified as tochukaso, the Japanese name for Ophiocordyceps sinensis – the 'caterpillar fungus' that grows inside insect larvae, can change how its host behaves and is prized in traditional Chinese medicine, which explains all those Pokédex entries about medicinal spores. The Japanese word itself, tōchūkasō, means something like 'winter insect, summer grass'. The bug underneath resembles a cicada nymph, and Massospora, a group of fungi that infect cicadas, may also have been an influence. It may also owe something to the umbrella crab, with the mushroom standing in for a shell, while the idea of a fungus steering its host recalls the real fungi that take control of ants before sprouting from them.
Names around the world
| Language | Name | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | パラセクト Parasekuto | From parasite and insect |
| French | Parasect | Same as the English and Japanese name |
| Spanish | Parasect | Same as the English and Japanese name |
| German | Parasek | From Parasit (parasite) and Insekt (insect) |
| Italian | Parasect | Same as the English and Japanese name |
| Korean | 파라섹트 Parasect | Transcription of the Japanese name |
| Chinese (Mandarin) | 派拉斯特 Pàilāsītè | Transcription of the Japanese name |
| Chinese (Cantonese) | 派拉斯特 Paailāaisīdahk | Mandarin-based transcription of the Japanese name (games) |
| Chinese (Cantonese, older media) | 巨菇虫 Geuihgūchùhng | From 巨 geuih (giant), 蘑菇 mòhgū (mushroom) and 虫 chùhng (bug); used before Generation VII |
| Portuguese (Brazil) | Parasect | Same as the English and Japanese name |
| Hindi | पैरासेक्ट Parasect | Transcription of the English name |
| Russian | Парасект Parasekt | Transcription of the English name |
| Thai | พาราเซ็คท์ Pharasek | Transcription of the Japanese name |
| Icelandic | Sníkjupadda | From sníkjudýr (parasite) and padda (bug); used in Pikachu's Rescue Adventure |
| Lithuanian | Parasektas | From the English name |
Did you know?
- In Generation I, Poison-type moves were super effective against Bug types, giving Parasect and Paras three 4× weaknesses – Fire, Flying and Poison. No other Pokémon has ever had three.
- Paras and Parasect with the Dry Skin Ability are the only Pokémon that can naturally take more than 4× damage from a move's type: a Fire-type attack hits them for 5×, no Forest's Curse required.
- Until Breloom arrived in Generation III, Paras and Parasect were the only Pokémon that learnt Spore by levelling up.
- Parasect shares the Mushroom Pokémon category with Paras, Shroomish, Breloom, Foongus and Amoonguss – and all six can learn Spore and have the Effect Spore Ability.
- No other Pokémon has the same Egg Group pairing as Paras and Parasect (Bug and Grass), and they are the only Bug types in the Grass Egg Group.
- Paras and Parasect started a pattern of fungus Pokémon arriving in odd-numbered generations: the Shroomish, Foongus, Morelull and Toedscool lines followed, plus the Paradox Pokémon Brute Bonnet.
- Parasect is a counterpart to Alola's Shiinotic: both are 1.0 m tall Grass-type fungi with Effect Spore, both grow at the Medium Fast rate and evolve from level 24, and both have a base stat total of 405 with the same HP and Speed.
- The rivalry is official: Sun's Pokédex says Parasect often fights Shiinotic over territory.
- Its Pokémon Stadium and FireRed entries both mention China, a rare nod to a real-world country in the Pokémon world.
- Pokémon Pearl's Japanese Pokédex accidentally reused Parasect's old Blue and LeafGreen entry – the only recycled entry in the Generation IV Sinnoh games.
- Ultra Moon's Pokédex is not impressed by local produce: it says spores produced in Alola are not of very good quality.
- When the Special stat split in Generation II, Parasect kept its 80 for Sp. Def but dropped to 60 Sp. Atk.
- In Pokémon Adventures, Crystal's Parasect, Parasee, can spread Spore over an area of about 3 km, and its medicinal spores once helped heal Crystal's fractured arms.
- In Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon, Parasect leaves no doubt about who is in charge: 'I, the mushroom, have full control now!'
- Older Cantonese media called it 巨菇虫 – literally 'giant mushroom bug'.
- Its first trading card, Jungle's Parasect, fittingly attacks with Spore – a move it can also learn in the video games – and Slash.
09Quizzes, archive & further reading
More Parasect
Test yourself
Professor Oak's Kanto Quiz: BeginnerProfessor Oak has a few questions before you set foot in the tall grass. How well do you know the region where it all began?Take the quiz →
Who's That Pokémon? Kanto: BeginnerIt's the classic challenge! Can you name these original 151 Pokémon from their silhouettes alone?Take the quiz →
Indigo League Anime: IntermediateGrab your cap and set off on Ash's very first adventure. How much do you remember from the Indigo League days?Take the quiz →
Pokémon Movies: IntermediateFrom a mysterious island showdown to a city where people and Pokémon live side by side, how well do you know Pokémon on the big screen?Take the quiz →
Pokémon TCG: IntermediateShuffle up and draw! From the very first booster packs to the digital age, how well do you know the Pokémon Trading Card Game?Take the quiz →Pokémon General Knowledge: IntermediateReady to dig deeper? Test what you know about where Pokémon came from, the people behind it and its many spin-offs.Take the quiz →From the archive: Gengar’s Online Pokédex
Before this page, Pokémon Dungeon was home to Gengar’s Online Pokédex, the classic fan Pokédex for Red, Blue, Yellow, Gold, Silver & Crystal by Curtis Alumbaugh (Gengar) with Ian Alumbaugh (Haunter). Its Parasect entry is preserved in full, with its original art, moves and locations.
Further reading
Pokémon and all related names, artwork, sprites, screenshots and card images are © Nintendo, Creatures Inc., GAME FREAK inc. and The Pokémon Company, used here for fan commentary. Images via the Bulbagarden Archives. Page updated 28 October 2026.