Parasect (; Japanese: パラセクト) is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon media franchise, and the evolved form of Paras. First introduced in the video games Pokémon Red and Blue, it has since appeared in multiple games including Pokémon Go and the Pokémon Trading Card Game, as well as various merchandise. It is classified as both a Bug and Grass-type Pokémon.
Conception and development
Parasect is a species of fictional creatures called Pokémon created for the Pokémon media franchise. Developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo, the Japanese franchise began in 1996 with the video games Pokémon Red and Green for the Game Boy, which were later released in North America as Pokémon Red and Blue in 1998. In these games and their sequels, the player assumes the role of a Trainer whose goal is to capture and use the creatures' special abilities to combat other Pokémon. Some Pokémon can transform into stronger species through a process called evolution via various means, such as exposure to specific items. Each Pokémon have one or two elemental types, which define its advantages and disadvantages when battling other Pokémon. A major goal in each game is to complete the Pokédex, a comprehensive Pokémon encyclopedia, by capturing, evolving, and trading with other Trainers to obtain individuals from all Pokémon species. When making the games, the design first started as pixel art sprites by the development team, created with a single color identity chosen to work within the Super Game Boy hardware limitations. Once development was complete, Ken Sugimori re-drew the species along with the others in his own artstyle in order to give the game a unified look and finalize any design elements, while also trying to maintain the original artist's unique style. Parasect evolves from Paras, also a Bug and Grass-type Pokémon. Paras is orange with an ovoid body with a pair of red-and-yellow tōchūkasō, a parasitic mushroom that over time replaces the tissue of the host body and can affect the host's behavior. These mushrooms grow from spores spread on it by its parent. Paras itself is based on a cicada nymph. Parasect has a similarly orange body, with a large tōchūkasō mushroom having formed on its back. Parasect, drained of its nutrients, has become fully controlled by the tōchūkasō. It often can be found in dank areas hospitable to fungi growth. Other species of fungi have also noted as potential inspiration for Paras and Parasect's mushroom, such as the genus Cordyceps. The mushroom has also been compared to the fungi Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, also known as the "Zombie ant fungus", which can also be found in cicadas. Its eyes are blank and white, described as "zombie-like". If the mushroom is removed, the insect part stops moving. Its name is a combination of "parasite" and "insect". It is capable of releasing spores that create more mushrooms. While most locations in the series are fictional, the video game Pokémon Stadium claims that its spores are used as medicine in China.
Appearances First found in Pokémon Red and Blue, where it can either be obtained by evolving from Paras via level up or in the wild, such as in the Safari Zone. Parasect has appeared in most Pokémon titles since, until being absent from the 2019 titles Pokémon Sword and Shield. It was later featured in Pokémon Legends: Arceus in 2021, where a large, more powerful version called an "Alpha Pokémon" can be seen surrounded by Paras and will attack the player on sight. It was once again excluded from the mainline series with the release of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Outside of these games, it has appeared in the mobile game Pokémon Go and, in physical media, the Pokémon Trading Card Game.
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