Summary
Paras has been a fairly popular Pokemon since its introduction in the original Gen 1Pokemongames, and one artist has created an unofficial third evolutionary stage for the critter. There are plenty of fan-favorite creature throughout the long list ofPokemongames without full evolutionary families, which gives creativePokemonenthusiasts plenty of room to create their own custom creature designs.
Paras is just one example of a Pokemon that has only one evolution, with this particular Bug and Grass-type critter evolving into the more battle-capable Parasect upon reaching level 24. These Pokemon have appeared in mostPokemongames across nearlyevery generation sincePokemon Red and Blueand actually have their designs based on a real - and pretty creepy - species of fungus called tochukaso. As is consistent with real-world nature, Pokedex data suggests that these parasitic mushrooms leech off of Paras for the extent of its lifespan, with Parasect representing a sort of “zombified” form of the creature whose brain is influenced directly by the fungus.
With this knowledge in hand, one creativePokemonfan has dared to imagine what the creature might look like one stage further. Created and shared online by the fan known as EliDwebster, Paraspectic represents the third and final evolutionary stage of Paras, taking on the Grass and Ghost types and even boasting an impressive and unique ability. Aside from the previously mentioned mushroom species, this Pokemon’s design is inspired partly by the hermit and mangrove crab species as well as the devil’s tooth fungus, sharing the mushroom species' distinctive white and red spotted coloration. This mushroom species also forms symbiotic relationships with trees, hence why thePokemon keeps its Grass typeover its Bug type.
Pokemon Fan’s Third Evolution for Paras
The design’s Ghost-type actually comes from the Daoist “Three Corpses” philosophy, which relates to the concept of parasitic spirits that possess people and feed off of their life force. ThisPokemon uses a signature abilitycalled Living Host, allowing the Pokemon to revive itself with most of its health after being defeated, as long as it isn’t fainted by a move type that it’s weak to. Its unique move, Zombie Thorn, is a physical Ghost-type move that would reduce the speed stat of its targets along with dealing damage.
With there now beingmore than 1,000 total distinct species of Pokemonwithin the world ofPokemonsince the Gen 9 games, artists have more than enough material to work with when it comes to the creation of new forms, new evolutions, and even full redesigns of certain Pokemon. With the reveal of Mega Evolution’s return next year withPokemon Legends: Z-A, many artists have been keen to design new mega forms for some species which they hope to see in the future.
Pokemon
Pokemon is a franchise that needs no introduction. One of the most successful media empires in history, Pokemon spans games, television, films, manga, merchandise, music, and more.
