| Lapras | |
|---|---|
National Pokédex Gyarados - Lapras (#131) - Ditto |
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| Series | Pokémon series |
| First game | Pokémon Red and Blue |
| Designed by | Ken Sugimori |
Lapras (ラプラス Rapurasu , Laplace) is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, Lapras first appeared in the video games Pokémon Red and Blue and subsequent sequels, later appearing in various merchandise, spinoff titles and animated and printed adaptations of the franchise.
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Lapras was one of several different designs conceived by Game Freak's character development team and finalized by Ken Sugimori for the first generation of Pocket Monsters games Red and Green, which were localized outside of Japan as Pokémon Red and Blue.[1][2] It was originally to be called Ness in the English versions after the mythical sea creature Loch Ness Monster but was eventually changed to Lapras.[3]
Lapras, known as the Transport Pokémon, is a large sea creature which resembles a plesiosaur. Early on in the production of the American version of Pokémon Red and Blue, Lapras was originally named Ness, as an homage to the Loch Ness Monster. 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 unusual curled ears 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 most known for its fondness of moving people and Pokémon across bodies of water.[4] Some Lapras are able to develop Psychic abilities such as telepathy,[5] which makes them able to understand human speech.[6] They keep track of their fellow pod members through use of high-pitched songs they constantly sing,[7] much like whales. Unfortunately they are very docile and do not like to fight, and this has made them an easy target for hunters,[8] which has made them very rare in the wild, due to being over hunted.[9]
Lapras first appears in Pokémon Red and Blue, Yellow and appears in the subsequent remakes Pokémon Yellow, FireRed, and LeafGreen. In it, players are given a Lapras in Saffron City. Lapras appears in every main Pokémon title following, most notably in Pokémon Gold and Silver as well as its remakes Crystal, Pokémon HeartGold, and SoulSilver, where it can be found in a certain area every Friday until captured. Lapras appears in other Pokémon titles, including Pokémon Snap, Pokémon Channel, Pokémon Pinball, Pokémon Trozei!, the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon titles, the Pokémon Ranger titles, Pokémon Rumble, and PokéPark Wii: Pikachu's Adventure.
In the anime, Ash travels to the Orange Islands and finds a small Lapras which has been accidentally left behind by its pod. It joins him after he rescues it from some unscrupulous trainers and Team Rocket. It is mainly used for transportation between the various islands, but he uses it in some battles. Lapras eventually reunites with its pod and leaves Ash. They meet up again in Johto where Lapras rescues its entire pod from Team Rocket and becomes their leader. In the Pokémon Adventures manga, Pryce lost two of his favorite Lapras in an avalanche, just as the egg born 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, in which he tries to capture a Celebi.
IGN wrote that while it is not the best dual type Pokémon, inferior to Cloyster as a Water/Ice Pokémon, equal to Goldeen in terms of speed, and lacking an evolution, they wrote that it is "definitely worth your efforts" and that it is a popular Pokémon among players due to its "unbeatable HP and good stats". They added that its ability to learn Electric type attacks make it unpredictable.[3] IGN's Pokémon Chick wrote that Lapras was "amazing" and has "won the heart of many a trainer, including yours truly" due to its "great beauty, grace and gentleness". She adds that it is "one heck of a contender".[10] Official Nintendo Magazine's Tom East included Lapras in his list of the 10 "Unsung Pokémon Heroes". He wrote that Lapras was a "powerful tank of a Pokémon" due to its high level of health and that despite its Water weaknesses it is "worth trying out for the role".[11] UGO Networks' Chris Plante named Lapras one of the "most unconventional vehicles in games".[12] GamesRadar's Raymond Padilla wrote that it is "one of our favorite Pokémon from the original game" and "still makes a formidable addition to your team these days".[13] GamesRadar's Brett Elston however wrote that its classification as the "Transport Pokémon" implies that it is only good for "getting across lakes and rivers" and added that its "average stats seem to back that up".[14] Author Loredana Lipperini wrote that Lapras was “reliable” “placid”, and “gentle”.[15]
Lapras has been compared to several creatures both real and mythological. IGN wrote that it was "loosely based on a plesiosaur, crossed with a tortoise".[3] Gamershell's David Jenkins compared Lapras to the Loch Ness Monster.[16] Author Ash Dekirk described it as a combination of a sea turtle and a dragon. He also described it as resembling a plesiosaur with a spiky tortoise shell on its back.[17] Game Revolution's Johnny Liu described it as a "subservient Loch Ness monster".[18]