[[File:Lapras ageing.png|thumb|250px|The ageing process of Lapras, from child to adult]]
Lapras is a large sea creature that resembles a {{wp|plesiosaur}}. It has four flippers, however its front ones are notably larger than its hind flippers. It has a long neck, and large black eyes. Lapras has curled ear-like appendages and a short horn in the middle of its forehead. The majority of its body is blue, while its underside is a light cream color. Its most distinguishing feature is the heavy shell on its back, which is largely dotted with blunt knobs.
Lapras is a large sea creature that resembles a {{wp|plesiosaur}}. It has four flippers, however its front ones are notably larger than its hind flippers. It has a long neck, and large black eyes. Lapras has curled ear-like appendages and a short horn in the middle of its forehead. The majority of its body is blue, while its underside is a light cream color. Its most distinguishing feature is the heavy shell on its back, which is largely dotted with blunt knobs.
Lapras is a large sea creature that resembles a plesiosaur. It has four flippers, however its front ones are notably larger than its hind flippers. It has a long neck, and large black eyes. Lapras has curled ear-like appendages and a short horn in the middle of its forehead. The majority of its body is blue, while its underside is a light cream color. Its most distinguishing feature is the heavy shell on its back, which is largely dotted with blunt knobs.
Lapras also possess the ability to sing, putting Pokémon and people to sleep. Some Lapras are able to develop Psychic abilities such as telepathy, such as the one belonging to Santa Claus or Satoshi's in Pokémon Zensho.
Lapras are social Pokémon, and they swim through the sea in large pods. They keep track of their fellow pod members through use of high-pitched songs they constantly sing, much like whales. Unfortunately they are very docile and do not like to fight, and this has made them an easy target for hunters. They are currently very rare in the wild. Their songs have become very sorrowful in recent times as it has become harder and harder for these peaceful Pokémon to find others of their kind. They are highly intelligent, and have been said to be able to learn human speech.
Lapras are native to the cold waters of glacial regions, but they migrate to tropical areas such as the Orange Archipelago to raise their young. They are extremely rare due to hunting, and are nearly extinct. They still exist in secluded spots in Kanto, Johto, the Sevii Islands, Sinnoh, and Unova.
Lapras. This intellectual advanced Pokémon is able to understand human speech. With its mild temperament, Lapras prefers to carry humans on its back, rather than engage in Pokémon battles.
In the manga
Spoiler warning: this article may contain major plot or ending details.
The most notable role of Lapras in Pokémon Adventures was being one of the Pokémon of Pryce. In his youth, Pryce lost two of his favorite Lapras in an avalanche just as the egg borne by them hatched. Unable to get over his loss, Pryce swore to save his Lapras and thus began researching into time travel, setting the events of the Johto saga in motion. Eventually, Pryce was able to capture Celebi and enter time, only to lose Celebi as the Poké Ball containing it was shattered, causing him to be unable to override time any further. However, the baby Lapras, Hewger, was able to enter the time in which Pryce's Lapras were separated, and the family enjoyed a happy reunion while Pryce was eventually lost in time.
Years prior, in the Yellow arc, Blue is seen capturing a wild Lapras and giving it to a kid in a flashback that dates to around the same time as Red's first fight with Giovanni.
In The Electric Tale of Pikachu, Ash saves a Lapras from a swarm of Krabby tormenting it. Like in the anime, Ash used this Lapras as a mode of transportation through the Orange Islands saga. It is not known in this version if he releases it.
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness: Lapras is the Pokémon that ferries Pokémon to the Hidden Land. When Wigglytuff explored the Brine Cave and found the strange marking on the wall there, Lapras asked Wigglytuff not to investigate it further to keep the Hidden Land a secret. When the player and partner had to get to the Hidden Land to save the world, Lapras responded to the presence of the Relic Fragment that matched the pattern on the wall, shooting a beam into the sea, summoning Lapras. Lapras ferries the player, the partner, and Grovyle to the Hidden Land, along the way telling the story of what happened when Wigglytuff and Chatot came to Brine Cave.
Later, after the player defeats Dialga at Temporal Tower, Lapras will be waiting at the beach and can ferry the player and the partner back to the Hidden Land again. There is no limit to how many times Lapras can do this.
People have driven Lapras almost to the point of extinction. In the evenings, this Pokémon is said to sing plaintively as it seeks what few others of its kind still remain.
Lapras will not appear in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team until a rescue mission involving it has been completed, using the following Wonder Mail code:
F ? J ? 6 9 0 ? 4 Q 6 C
C ! ? ? 8 ? 6 6 8 Q ? ♀
Objective: Rescue Lapras on floor 2 of Tiny Woods.
You met Lapras at the Cape in the Beach Zone. She'll carry you on her back to the Iceberg Zone. Her favorite Attraction, Empoleon's Snow Slide, is there!
Excluding all legendary Pokémon, Lapras has the highest base stat total of a non-evolved Pokémon (with a grand total of 535 stat points). However, Lapras used to come second, as Snorlax used to hold this trait - having 5 more stat points than Lapras - until Generation IV, when Munchlax was introduced.
Lapras was depicted with teeth in its Generation I official artwork and in Pokémon Adventures.
Lapras is tied with Vanilluxe for having the highest base stat total of all non-legendary Template:Type2 Pokémon.
It also has the highest base HP of all Ice-types.
Lapras is one of two Pokémon to use telepathy in a regular episode of the anime. The other is Ralts.
Origin
This Pokémon is based on the fabled Loch Ness Monster in Scotland, also known as Nessie. The creature and this Pokémon are said to resemble the marine reptile known as the plesiosaurus. However, while Lapras has a long neck, it is not nearly as long as the plesiosaurus's neck, whereas the body is very similar to the creature that is said to be in Loch Ness. Lapras's intelligence, singing and rarity can be comparable with some cetaceans. It is also possible that its long neck and head (as well as its whole body) take some inspiration from the mast heads and hulls of Viking ships.
Name origin
Lapras' English name is merely a casualty of translation error from its Japanese name, Rapurasu, which could have been intended to translate as Laplace. In the Japanese language, the sounds for "R" and the sounds for "L" are not separate as they are in English, both sounds sharing the same set of symbols. Therefore, translation of these symbols is up to the translator to decide if it should be an "L" or an "R" sound. Also, in Japanese, sounds involving the English use of the letter "C" would be formed using the symbols from the "S" category, again, leaving it up to the translator to decide how that symbol is to be translated into English. Therefore, both translations, Lapras and Laplace, are technically correct, though obviously, the original meaning is lost if the English spelling is skewed. Logically, it makes sense if we translate the name as Laplace, as this may be a reference to Pierre-Simon Laplace, a mathematician who wrote several books on the mathematical properties of the sea and tides, or also from the French word la place, referring to how passengers sit on its back like a seat to be ferried across bodies of water. Its Japanese name might also be a combination of references, as it could be derived from Lapis, a bright blue gem. Lapras' ability to learn Template:Type2 moves, as well as understand human speech and communicate psychically in the anime, may be due to a connection with Laplace's Demon.
This Pokémon article is part of Project Pokédex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon species, as well as Pokémon groups and forms.
For other sprites and images, please see Lapras images on Bulbagarden Archives.
