Lapras is a large sea creature that resembles a plesiosaur. It has a spotted, blue hide with a cream underside. Its neck is long, and it has large black eyes. There is a short horn in the middle of its forehead and curled ears placed farther back on its head. Instead of legs, it has four flippers with the foremost pair being 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. However, this docility has made it an easy target for hunters, who have nearly driven it to extinction. An intelligent Pokémon, it is able to understand human speech. It has been known to travel the seas in large pods. 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. Lapras is native to the seas.
Lapras first appeared in Holiday Hi-Jynx. This one helped Ash and his friends reunite a Jynx with Santa Claus. This Lapras was able to talk via telepathy.
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 Lapras Lazily in the Yellow arc, Blue is seen capturing a wild Lapras and giving it to Evan in a flashback that dates to around the same time as Red's first fight with Giovanni.
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 Poké 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.
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. Misty also uses one as a mode of transportation.
In the Pokémon Zensho manga
Satoshi has a Lapras which originally belonged to Sabrina and was given to him after trying to defeat Giovanni.
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. 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.
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.
In Generation VI, 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 the heaviest unevolved, non-Legendary Pokémon.
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.
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.
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.
