Comparison between Lapras's younger and older appearances
Lapras is a large sea Pokémon that resembles a plesiosaur. It has a blue hide with darker blue spots and a cream-colored underside. It has large brown eyes, a short horn on its forehead, and tightly curled ears. It has a long neck and four flippers. The foremost flippers are larger than the hind. On its back is a heavy, gray shell covered in blunt knobs.
Lapras is a gentle, helpful Pokémon that enjoys ferrying people across bodies of water. In the past, its docility made it an easy target for hunters, and it was driven to near-extinction. Recent protection efforts have seen Lapras become overabundant instead, which is now affecting the fish Pokémon numbers in some areas. An intelligent Pokémon, it is able to understand human speech. Lapras have been known to travel in large pods across the seas, spanning both polar and tropical areas. To keep in touch with other of its kind, it sings enchanting melodies. In the anime it was shown that Lapras is able to develop psychic abilities such as telepathy.
As Gigantamax Lapras, it becomes larger in size and more armored. Its shell resembles a cruise ship with four gray and red stripes surrounding it, and it has four spikes on top of its shell with one steel spike resembling a funnel, which has three red clouds surrounding it. The sclera in Lapras' eyes change colors to white, yellow, and blue. A light blue ring of fine thin lines resembling a musical sheet created from ice particles circles around its shell.
5,000 people can ride on the shell of Gigantamax Lapras for a very comfortable ride without any issues. Lapras can use it giant ring to break any icebergs that may prevent it from swimming.
The aforementioned Lapras herd debuted in Viva Las Lapras, where Ash's Lapras was finally reunited with them. The group later reappeared in Lapras of Luxury as they continued their migration off the east coast of the Johtoregion.
Three Lapras appeared in Bonnie for the Defense!, including the young Lapras who was taken care of by Heidi, Kye, and Jay. With help from Ash and his friends they returned Lapras back to the sea. It appeared in Till We Compete Again!, during a flashback.
A Lapras appeared in I Choose You!, under the ownership of Verity. It was used to help ferry Verity, Ash, and Sorrel across a lake after they escaped a group of angry Primeape.
Minor appearances
A Lapras appeared in a fantasy in Who Gets to Keep Togepi?, where Misty hoped that the Egg they had would hatch into one.
Lapras. This intellectually 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 Orange Islands, Ash saved 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 if it was released in this canon or not.
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, La Pris and La Prus, 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 GS Ball containing it was shattered, causing him to be unable to override time any further. However, the baby Lapras, La Glace, 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. The child Lapras first appeared in Irked Igglybuff and Curmudgeonly Cleffa and the parents appeared in The Last Battle XIV.
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness and Explorers of Sky: 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. During the player's exploration of Brine Cave, the partner's Relic Fragment resonates with a painting in the deepest part of the cave, and this summons 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.
People have driven Lapras almost to the point of extinction. In the evenings, it is said to sing plaintively as it seeks what few others of its kind still remain.
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 a Wonder Mail code such as the following:
F ? J ? 6 9 0 ? 4 Q 6 C
C ! ? ? 8 ? 6 6 8 Q ? ♀
Objective: Rescue Lapras on floor 2 of Tiny Woods.
In Pokémon X and Y, Lapras has a unique 3D model when surfing, whereas all other surfing Pokémon are depicted as dark blobs. This may be an homage to the Generation II surfing sprites ( ), which greatly resemble Lapras, or Lapras's role as a means of transport.
A Shiny Lapras uses the same 3D model as a regular one while surfing.
In photos taken at Azure Bay, the player is seen riding a Lapras even if no Lapras is in the party.
Lapras is based on the fabled Loch Ness Monster in Scotland. The creature and this Pokémon resemble an extinct order of marine reptiles known as Plesiosauria. Lapras's shell and horn may be inspired by placodonts. Its intelligence, singing, and rarity can be comparable to some cetaceans, especially blue whales and humpback whales. Its long neck and robust body may also be inspired by the mast heads and hulls of Viking ships. Its Gigantamax form may be based on a cruise ship.
Name origin
Lapras is a corruption of Laplace.
Laplace may be a reference to Pierre-Simon Laplace, a mathematician who wrote several books on the mathematical properties of the sea and tides. Alternatively, Laplace may be derived from la place (French for seat), referring to how passengers sit on its back like a seat to be ferried across bodies of water. It may also be derived from lapis lazuli, a bright blue gem.
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.
Mystic Water (100%)
For other sprites and images, please see Lapras images on the Bulbagarden Archives.
), which greatly resemble Lapras, or Lapras's role as a means of transport.
