Chapter 69
Is the real Paras the insect or the mushroom? That's the question! (Seeking follow-up reading)
[Come on, streamer, say it already!]
[Did I see wrong, or was the streamer genuinely shocked just now?]
[Could there be something seriously wrong with this Paras?]
"The truth is, this Paras doesn't want to evolve."
When Ye Yinchuan spoke these words solemnly, the wealthy young lady on the other side of the camera showed disbelief and disappointment:
"How could that be… does Paras not recognize me as its owner?"
"You're misunderstanding. Paras doesn't want to evolve precisely because it recognizes you and doesn't want to leave or lose you."
Ye Yinchuan comforted her.
In fact, right before he closed the "Heart Listening," he had heard a few more thoughts from Paras:
(Paras must endure... to stay clear-headed... stay with owner...)
Reflecting on these thoughts, he quickly figured it out.
If Paras evolved, its consciousness would be overtaken by the mushroom, essentially dying. It would no longer be able to accompany its owner, who had cared for it so lovingly.
Of course, Paras was also fighting for its own survival—a natural instinct that was beyond reproach.
"What… do you mean?"
The wealthy girl clearly couldn't comprehend this.
Usually, the closer the bond between a Pokémon and its trainer, the smoother the evolution. But why was it the opposite in her case?
Recognizing her, yet refusing to evolve? Not wanting to leave or lose her?
Not only the wealthy girl, but also Ms. Carrot, her roommates, and the viewers in the live stream struggled to grasp Ye Yinchuan's explanation.
[Riddler, get out of the stream!]
[If you don't explain clearly, I'm reporting you!]
Ye Yinchuan organized his thoughts, giving everyone time to digest before continuing:
"Here's the thing. Normally, Pokémon evolution is beneficial—they become stronger and often crave evolution. But Paras is unique. Once it evolves, it essentially dies!"
[That's absurd! First time hearing evolution means death!]
[This has to be a joke, right?]
[New viewers are skeptical, old viewers stay calm!]
[Came from a short video, seems too fake…]
Seeing the barrage of doubt and sparse support, Ye Yinchuan sighed inwardly. Truth often lies with the minority.
True masters are destined to be misunderstood!
"Ah, you just don't understand. Paras can be considered an insect infested by mushrooms. Initially, the insect's consciousness dominates, but as the mushrooms grow, they slowly take over. When the mushrooms reach maturity, it's time for Paras to evolve. At that moment, the mushroom completely suppresses—even erases—the insect's consciousness. Paras then becomes nothing but an empty shell, like a walking corpse."
Ye Yinchuan checked some research materials as he spoke, discovering related studies existed but were largely unknown due to their obscurity.
[Wait, this is horrifying! You made a cute Pokémon sound so scary.]
[I can't look at Parasect the same way again!]
[Actually, similar fungi exist in nature, not just cordyceps…]
"Exactly! Nature has similar fungi, not just cordyceps. Ever heard of zombie-ant fungi? It's the same idea. These fungi invade the insect, gradually controlling and eventually killing it, fully occupying its body. The mushroom on Paras is exactly this type of parasite."
To Ye Yinchuan's surprise, some viewers found related images.
These netizens could find all sorts of obscure images but couldn't find themselves a partner!
Glancing at the pictures, Ye Yinchuan felt a chill down his spine.
The visuals were unsettling—Parasect's dissected body filled with dense, white fungal threads.
"Ah…" The wealthy girl looked horrified after seeing the chat.
The terrifying imagery of a fungus-infested Parasect disturbed everyone deeply.
[Should I tell my child who's raising a Paras the truth? Host, any solutions?]
[Just consider yourself raising mushrooms from the start. Aren't mushrooms cute too?]
[Wait, does this apply to Bulbasaur too?]
Ye Yinchuan smiled awkwardly at the mention of Bulbasaur.
"Actually, Bulbasaur seems more of a plant-animal symbiosis, not a fungus. It's fundamentally different."
He pondered further—this raised a philosophical question:
If both mushroom and insect were lifeforms fighting for survival, should he favor one over the other?
Should he kill the mushroom just because he preferred the insect?
And ultimately, which one was truly Paras?
After some thought, Ye Yinchuan asked:
"Tell me—do you think the real Paras is the insect, the mushroom, or both?"
The question stumped the wealthy girl and everyone else present.
[My brain CPU is overheating!]
[Is this really something we should be questioning?]
After a pause, the girl looked into Paras's watery eyes and made her choice:
"I think… the real Paras is the insect."
She felt strongly that the creature she'd cared for was the insect itself—not the mushroom.
Ye Yinchuan nodded approvingly:
"In that case, I can help you, but you must understand one thing clearly—this Paras might never evolve. Are you okay with that?"
He waited earnestly for her response, his mind racing:
If Paras was truly an insect-type Pokémon, was it possible to exist without the mushroom's control?
Could there be another way for it to evolve safely?
This was a question worth exploring.
"Are you prepared? This might mean your Paras can never evolve."
"I… I'm prepared," the girl responded firmly, eyes full of determination.
Ye Yinchuan nodded solemnly:
"Then let's begin…"
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