Like its previous stage Paras, Parasect is an insectoid creature. However, in this stage the mushroom has completely overtaken the host's body. The insect has been drained of nutrients and is now under the control of the fully grown tochukaso.
Due to the influence of the tochukaso in its growth, the insect's metamorphosis has been stunted and it instead resembles a grotesque, exaggerated version of its Template:P2. Its pincers and legs have grown much larger and the mushrooms on its back have grown together into one giant mushroom. Its eyes have become whited out, likely due to its being possessed by the tochukaso.
Gender differences
None.
Special abilities
The mushroom completely takes over its host's body. Parasect now has more control over it. It still releases irritating spores that can paralyze, poison, or put to sleep.
Parasect can often be found in caves, since sunlight and dry air hurt their skin. They can also thrive in dank forests with lots of humidity where conditions are ideal for fungi.
In Pokémon Special, Crystal uses a Parasect extensively in her Pokémon capturing, using its Spore attack to put targets to sleep. In Template:PSV, her Parasect is seen to be capable of increasing the radius of its Spore attack to at least three kilometres. In Template:PSV, the origin of Crystal's Parasect is revealed: it, along with Crystal's Natu, Hitmonchan and Cubone, were wild Pokémon living in Mt. Mortar and had fought with a local Arcanine that had gone berserk from a severe eye injury. Parasect was able to create medicinal spores to help Arcanine heal and Crystal recover from her fractured arms. In Template:PSV, Crystal reveals yet another ability of Parasect: it is able to use the powder attacks it possesses to combine into a wider range of spores, including one for corroding metals.
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.
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.
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.
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Parasect's Pokédex entry for Pokémon Stadium connects the Pokémon world with our own. It says "The bug host is controlled by the mushrooms that scatter poisonous spores. The spores are sometimes used as medicine in China."
Parasect and Paras are the only Pokémon in the game to take more than 4 times as much damage from any one type of attack (if they have the ability Dry Skin, they both take 5× damage, from Template:Type2 attacks).
In Generation I, Template:Type2 attacks are super effective against Bug-types, making Parasect and Paras the only Pokémon to have ever had three 4× weaknesses.
There are many forms of fungus that grow on insects, any one of which could have inspired Parasect's design, like the entomophthora muscae, which grows on the back of the common housefly. Its base insect is a distorted version of what is probably a cicada nymph, the parasetic fungi having caused a form of neoteny.
Name origin
Parasect's name is a combination of parasite and insect, referring to the parasitic mushroom on this insect's back.
This Pokémon article is part of Project Pokédex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon species, as well as Pokémon groups and forms.
For other sprites and images, please see Parasect images on Bulbagarden Archives.
