>>37509110That isn't entirely the case. Head lice and in general obligate parasites have a multi-stage lifespan, in which some of their life span is spent growing and reproducing, or trying to spread. Head lice for instance tend to have one or a few stages of their life when they are not harmful to their hosts in any way. Harvest mites work similarly too, where the larvae stage is parasitic, but the adult stage is not, but the entire creature from beginning till end is an obligate parasite because it just so happens to function that way and have similar stage characterisitics of its lifespan.
Rafflesia are like this too, you can see it in Bulbasaur's design too, with the bulb eventually blossoming its flower. Rafflesia in real life do this, the actual plant are vines, that expand outward from the host with flowers and bulbs. It at least implies that the Rafflesia is bound to Bulbasaur through its vines, and the Pokedex does say it stores energy and grows along with Bulbasaur, if you want to argue harmful activities, its taking half of Bulbasaur's natural energy, or else it might be way bigger.
I mean it's a co-existing parasitic relationship, pretty common in life honestly.
