All 10 mushroom Pokemon are Grass types, even though a mushroom is a fungus and not a plant. What a mushroom does well is release spores, and almost every design here is built around that. Most of them poison you or put you to sleep.
Parasect, the Mushroom Pokemon, resembles a cicada nymph, and it may also be based on an umbrella crab with a mushroom for a carapace. The concept could come from ants infected with mushroom spores, which take control of the host ant's brain and sprout from its head or back. The fungus on Parasect is identified as tochukaso, the Japanese name of Ophiocordyceps sinensis, which replaces the host tissue and can affect its behavior.
Mushroom-lacking specimens lie unmoving in the forest, which supports the hypothesis that the large mushroom controls Parasect's actions. Its Effect Spore ability has a 30% chance of paralyzing, poisoning or putting to sleep any attacker that touches it.
#285
Shroomish
#285
Type
Grass
Category
Mushroom Pokémon
National Dex
#0285
Debut
Gen III
Base stat total
295
Shroomish, the Mushroom Pokemon, is a mushroom, particularly a puffball or an earth star. It may also be a dinosaur egg, because of its round shape and a color scheme that matches a Pokemon Egg, and its evolved form Breloom resembles certain dinosaurs.
It shakes its body and scatters spores from the top of its head when it senses danger, and the spores are so toxic they make trees and weeds wilt. Its Poison Heal ability heals it for 1/8 of its HP after each turn while it is poisoned, in place of damage (HP is how much damage it can take before it faints). It stands 0.4 m tall and weighs 4.5 kg.
#286
Breloom
#286
Type
GrassFighting
Category
Mushroom Pokémon
National Dex
#0286
Debut
Gen III
Base stat total
460
Breloom, the Mushroom Pokemon, is based on agaric mushrooms. The red nodules on its head resemble the berry-like arils of a yew tree, and the shape of its head recalls a kasa, a traditional Japanese hat with a wide brim. Some of those hats were worn by monks, samurai and soldiers, which may explain its Fighting type. Its body resembles a kangaroo, so its boxing could also come from the boxing kangaroo.
The seeds ringing its tail are hardened toxic spores, which are horrible to eat, and a single bite will cause your stomach to rumble. Its hidden ability, Technician, strengthens moves of 60 base power or less to 1.5× their power. A hidden ability is a rarer ability that only some of a species have, and base power is a move's strength before any bonuses. It stands 1.2 m tall.
#590
Foongus
#590
Type
GrassPoison
Category
Mushroom Pokémon
National Dex
#0590
Debut
Gen V
Base stat total
294
Foongus, the Mushroom Pokemon, is based on Amanita muscaria or mushrooms of the Agaricus genus. Like Voltorb, it looks like a standard Item Ball, which is similar to a mimic, a monster archetype common in role-playing games. Its Poison type could also reference poisonous mushrooms that look like edible ones.
The spores released from its hands are highly poisonous, but thoroughly dried spores can be used as stomach medicine. It stands 0.2 m tall and weighs 1 kg.
#591
Amoonguss
#591
Type
GrassPoison
Category
Mushroom Pokémon
National Dex
#0591
Debut
Gen V
Base stat total
464
Amoonguss, the Mushroom Pokemon, draws on Amanita muscaria or mushrooms of the Agaricus genus. Like Foongus, it passes for a Poke Ball, and the idea of a Pokemon mistaken for an item is similar to a mimic.
It does not move much and tends to stand still near Poke Balls that have been dropped on the ground. Its hidden ability, Regenerator, heals it for 1/3 of its HP when it switches out. It stands 0.6 m tall and weighs 10.5 kg. A mushroom that stays put beside a dropped ball is the plan working as intended.
#755
Morelull
#755
Type
GrassFairy
Category
Illuminating Pokémon
National Dex
#0755
Debut
Gen VII
Base stat total
285
Morelull, the Illuminating Pokemon, may be based on bioluminescent mushrooms such as those of the genus Mycena, though its name suggests the genus Morchella. Its Fairy type may come from fairy rings or from fairy fire. Some foreign names of its evolution include the word "lamp", and since it shines and puts people to sleep, it could also be a nightlight. Its Japanese category is a pun on two words pronounced hakkō, which mean fermentation and luminescence.
It lives in forests that stay dark even during the day and scatters flickering spores that put enemies to sleep. Its Illuminate ability doubles the wild encounter rate. It stands 0.2 m tall and weighs 1.5 kg.
#756
Shiinotic
#756
Type
GrassFairy
Category
Illuminating Pokémon
National Dex
#0756
Debut
Gen VII
Base stat total
405
Shiinotic, the Illuminating Pokemon, may be based on bioluminescent mushrooms such as those of the genus Mycena. It has a volval sac and a wide-brimmed warty cap, which are trademarks of the Amanita family, and its name suggests the shiitake. Because it emphasizes shining light, it may also resemble a bedside lamp with a lampshade, and it could be a will-o'-the-wisp that confuses people in the woods. It also bears a strong resemblance to a grey alien.
If you see a light deep in a forest at night, you should not go near, because Shiinotic will make you fall fast asleep. It stands 1 m tall and weighs 11.5 kg.
#948
Toedscool
#948
Type
GroundGrass
Category
Woodear Pokémon
National Dex
#0948
Debut
Gen IX
Base stat total
335
Toedscool, the Woodear Pokemon, is based on a wood ear mushroom, known as kikurage ("tree jellyfish") in Japan, which explains why it looks like the jellyfish-based Tentacool. The resemblance may also reference convergent evolution, where separate organisms develop the same body plan. Using tentacles as legs could be a visual pun on Spanish, where a mushroom's stalk is called pie, meaning foot.
Though it looks like Tentacool, it is a completely different species, and its legs may be thin but it can run at a speed of 30 mph. Its Mycelium Might ability makes its status moves go last, but they are not affected by the opponent's ability. It stands 0.9 m tall.
#949
Toedscruel
#949
Type
GroundGrass
Category
Woodear Pokémon
National Dex
#0949
Debut
Gen IX
Base stat total
515
Toedscruel, the Woodear Pokemon, is also a wood ear mushroom and resembles Tentacruel in the same way. Its tubular mouth resembles the hyponome of cephalopods, and its appearance resembles the stereotypical octopoid alien. Its pink protrusions may come from the guttation droplets of certain fungi, such as Hydnellum peckii, which produces red droplets.
It coils its 10 tentacles around prey and sucks out their nutrients, causing the prey pain, and the folds along the rim of its head are a popular delicacy. It stands 1.9 m tall and weighs 58 kg.
#986
Brute Bonnet
#986
Type
GrassDark
Category
Paradox Pokémon
National Dex
#0986
Debut
Gen IX
Base stat total
570
Brute Bonnet, the Paradox Pokemon, is based on Amoonguss and a dinosaur. It may also be inspired by Syzygites megalocarpus, a parasitic mold that infects mushrooms. It bears a slight resemblance to a Pokemon that a dubious magazine described as a cross between a dinosaur and a mushroom, which may reference the FIMS hypothesis (Fungal Infection Mammalian Selection) that fungi contributed to the extinction of dinosaurs.
Its Protosynthesis ability raises its highest stat in harsh sunlight, or when it holds Booster Energy. It stands 1.2 m tall and weighs 21 kg.
7 of the 10 Have Effect Spore, and Few Others Do
Effect Spore gives a Pokemon a 30% chance of paralyzing, poisoning or putting to sleep any attacker that touches it. Only 11 Pokemon have it in any ability slot, and 7 of them are on this list. The other four are Paras, Vileplume, Gossifleur and Eldegoss. Toedscool, Toedscruel and Brute Bonnet, the three newest, have Mycelium Might or Protosynthesis instead, and their designs are about tentacles and dinosaurs rather than spores.
Mushroom Pokemon FAQ
How many mushroom Pokemon are there?
There are 10 mushroom Pokemon, from Parasect in Generation I to Brute Bonnet in Generation IX.
What is the strongest mushroom Pokemon?
Brute Bonnet, with a base stat total of 570. Toedscruel follows at 515.
Is Parasect a mushroom?
Yes. Parasect is a bug with a large mushroom on its back, and the mushroom may control its actions.
Are Toedscool and Toedscruel mushrooms?
Yes. Both are based on the wood ear mushroom, which is called "tree jellyfish" in Japan.
