The best mushrooms in the world, no cap.
The world of Pokemon is very big and full of wonderful things. Pokemon gets ideas for its designs from a wide range of things, from tiny electric rodents to huge mythical beings that look like kaiju. Still, there are over 1,000 Pokemon in the series, so some names are bound to be repeated. With all the smart animals in the Pokemon world, it’s not surprising that there are a few Pokemon based on mushrooms.
Any fan of The Last of Us would agree that the idea of a living mushroom is scary, but fungus seems to be a lot more fun in the Pokemon world. Spore is one of the most important moves in the game, and it can be used by Pokemon with mushrooms. This move is basically a Sleep Powder that works every time. Knowing this, many players want to add some fun fungi to their team, and there are more than a few choices.
Morelull
Morelull shows that there are times when three shrooms are better than one. It might be one of the most forgettable mushroom Pokemon, but it’s one of the few fungi friends to show up in a live-action movie.
Detective Pikachu, Pokemon’s only live-action movie, has a lot of Morelull in it, and the way it looks fits perfectly with the mysterious stories about it. In the world of Pokemon, they are often used to light up dark forests. This gives them a unique role in the ecosystem of Pokemon.
Foongus
There have been many copies of Poke balls over the years, but the Foongus family has to be one of the most unique. Its red and white cap was often used to lure players into an encounter by pretending to be an item.
Its value only goes up as it evolves, since one of the best support Pokemon in the game is one of its evolutions. It is a very common Pokemon and a great choice for trainers who want help early in the game.
Shroomish
You might not think that Yoshi and mushrooms have anything in common outside of the Super Mario world, but Shroomish shows that they do. Even though both designs are based on mushrooms, it looks very different from Breloom, which was its predecessor.
This is because Shroomish is supposed to look like a mix between a young mushroom and a traditional dinosaur egg. It looks the most crazy because of its angry face, but there are definitely scarier mushrooms.
Paras
Paras is a scary secret in the Pokemon world. This capped animal may look like a cute design, perfect for any trainer with a cottage core style, but when you look closer, it’s really scary.
The fungus on Paras’s back is based on the cordyceps from The Last of Us, which slowly take over the host body to do its own work. Before it evolved, the fungus hadn’t taken over completely, which makes it seem like a cruel thing to do. You don’t want to tussle with this scary truffle.
Toedscool
Toedscool has to be one of the most fun Pokemon to meet in all of Paldea. The way this tentacled terranean moves when it runs reminds me of old “rubber hose” cartoon characters, and for a creature that is easily scared, it happens a lot.
It says in the Pokedex that it can run up to 30 mph, which is almost three times as fast as a person. Trainers in the Pokemon world should be glad that it usually runs away from them instead of toward them, because it could catch up quickly if it ran toward them.
Shiinotic
Shiinotic has to be the most trippy portobello in the Pokemon world. Even though it’s called a Shiitake, it’s clearly based on a much more magical mushroom.
Shiinotic is known as “the illuminating” Pokemon because it glows, but the fact that it is known for putting Pokemon on a vision quest makes it seem like it does more than just glow. It’s one of the more interesting ideas for a mushroom Pokemon, and you would definitely see it everywhere at Burning Man.
Toedscruel
The “convergent” species gave us a lot of silly new names, but Toedscruel might be the silliest one. This big sea monster can walk on land in Paldea and looks more like a Deku than its cousin from Kanto. It also has a place in the competitive metagame that no other card does.
Like most mushroom Pokemon, it can use Spore and Rage Powder, which are especially interesting when combined with its signature ability, Mycelium Might. This ability makes its status moves go last every turn, but the target’s ability won’t change how those moves work. This lets it put Pokemon to sleep, like Gholdengo, which can be a very important help in a battle.
Parasect
If you thought Paras was creepy before, its new form is even more so. Anyone who has played Pokemon: Legends of Arceus knows that this mushroom crab can be very scary. In The Last of Us, both Paras and Parasect are based on the same cordyceps.
This “zombie ant fungus” takes over the body of an infected ant and uses it to spread its spores and make more copies of itself. In other words, the Parasect’s white, lifeless eyes are just as scary as they look, which shows that the fungus has taken over completely. This means that when a trainer tells it what to do in battle, the cordyceps on its back have to figure out what to do and pilot Parasect’s dead body. This makes Parasect one of the scariest mushrooms in the Pokemon world.
Amoonguss
Of all the mushroom Pokemon, Amoonguss is the one you’re most likely to see in a battle. Amoonguss is not just another meta Pokemon because it is one of the best support Pokemon in Slope Game. For a number of reasons, it is often used at the highest levels of play.
Fighting, Water, Electric Fairy, and Grass are all weak to Grass/Poison, which is a surprising good defensive type. This makes Amoonguss the most defensive Pokemon that can use Spore. It can take hits before putting its opponents to sleep in the middle of the game. When you combine this with its Regenerator ability, Amoonguss becomes a big support pivot that works well on almost any team.
Breloom
Breloom is the only fighting fungus that is strong enough to beat both Joel and Ellie. Even though this Fighting/Grass Pokemon is weak to Flying types four times over, it still shows up on the ranked ladder often, especially with the Rock Tera Crown.
Breloom has a high Attack stat, and its ability, Technician, makes moves with a base power of 60 or less, like Mach Punch and Bullet Seed, even stronger. Even though its base Speed of 70 leaves a lot to be desired, Toadscruel’s Mycelium Might makes it go after everyone else, making it the fastest spore user in the game. Breloom is a super superior shroom because it can be used both offensively and defensively.
Brute Bonnet
Brute Bonnet is the captain of cordyceps, if there is one. Even though this Ancient Amoonguss isn’t used as much as its modern-day counterpart, it is by far the most loved mushroom. Even though Brute Bonnet’s type and ability aren’t as good for competition as Amoonguss’s, Pokemon fans love it for its offensive focus and fun design.
The Amoonguss’s ability to heal itself is great for keeping it alive, but a Brute bonnet in the sun is great for making sure your opponents can’t, since Protosynthesis boosts its base 127 attack stat in the harsh sunlight. It usually moves first because it has a base speed of 55, but it hits very hard with Sucker Punch and even harder in a Trick Room. Even if that wasn’t enough, it’s the only mushroom with a cute dinosaur tail, which makes it the best mushroom Pokemon.
