#0131 · Kanto · Generation 1

Lapras

Transport Pokémon · Water/Ice-type

Lapras is a Water/Ice-type Pokémon, the Transport Pokémon, number 131 (#0131) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 1 and comes from the Kanto region. It is 2.5 m tall and weighs 220 kg.

Lapras is the Transport Pokémon, a gentle, singing sea creature that loves carrying people across the water. The Pokédex says it was once hunted close to extinction, then protected so well that it is now overabundant and is thinning out fish Pokémon.

How to pronounce Lapras

Lapras is pronounced LAP-rus. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.

Listen to Lapras said out loud:

In Japanese it is ラプラス (Laplace).

Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.

Lore

Biology

Lapras resembles a plesiosaur, 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) tall and 220 kg (485.0 lb), with blue skin, darker spots, a cream underside and a short horn on its forehead. It has curled ears, a long neck, four flippers and a heavy grey shell of blunt knobs on its back. The Pokédex says it is very intelligent and understands human speech.

Behaviour

Lapras is gentle and rarely fights, which the Pokédex says made it easy to catch and cut its numbers. It likes to carry people and Pokémon across the water on its back, and in a good mood it sings an enchanting song. The Pokédex says that in the evenings it sings sadly as it looks for the few others of its kind that remain. In the anime it can even speak by telepathy.

Habitat

The Pokédex habitat is the sea, and Bulbapedia notes pods in both polar and tropical waters. In Scarlet and Violet it arrives by trade or transfer, or wild in the Indigo Disk's Polar Biome. It is not available in Legends: Z-A.

Powers

Its Abilities are Water Absorb, which heals it from Water moves, and Shell Armor, which blocks critical hits; the Hidden Ability is Hydration. It learns Sing, Perish Song, Ice Beam and Hydro Pump, and its base HP of 130 makes it very bulky. If it carries the Gigantamax Factor it becomes Gigantamax Lapras, more than 24 m (78 ft 9 in) tall, with a shell like a cruise ship that Bulbapedia says could carry 5,000 passengers, and the exclusive G-Max Resonance.

Name origin

Lapras may be a slip from the Japanese Laplace, or may nod to lapis lazuli. The Japanese name is Laplace (ラプラス), possibly for the mathematician Pierre-Simon Laplace, who wrote on the sea and tides.

Design inspiration

Ken Sugimori designed Lapras; an early Capsule Monsters version had no curled ears. It appears to be based on a plesiosaur, which links it to the Loch Ness Monster, and Bulbapedia also sees Viking ships and sea turtles. A Pocket Monsters illustrated book suggests it could be Urashima Taro's turtle. These are fan readings.

In the games

A person in Silph Co. in Saffron City gives you a Lapras in Red and Green (Red and Blue outside Japan), its debut games, and in Gold, Silver and Crystal it appears in Union Cave on Fridays. In Sun and Moon it is the Lapras Paddle ride, and in Pokémon Pokopia it is befriended at Bleak Beach.

In the anime

Ash saved a young Lapras in 'The Lost Lapras', caught it, and used it to travel between the Orange Islands until he returned it to its family in 'Viva Las Lapras'.

Fun facts

• In the Red and Green beta, its English name was Ness, a reference to the Loch Ness Monster.
• Bulbapedia says Lapras can learn more one-hit knockout moves than any Pokémon except Smeargle: Sheer Cold, Fissure and Horn Drill.
• In Generation II, the player appears to ride a Lapras sprite whenever a Pokémon other than Pikachu uses Surf, red for Ethan and blue for Kris.

Sources: Bulbapedia: Lapras (Pokémon) · Serebii: Lapras (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex) · Bulbapedia: Pokémon Red and Green beta

Base stats

• HP: 130
• Attack: 85
• Defense: 80
• Sp. Atk: 85
• Sp. Def: 95
• Speed: 60

Lapras’s base stat total is 535. Its highest stat is HP.

Type matchups

What is Lapras weak to?

Lapras takes extra damage from Electric (2×), Grass (2×), Fighting (2×), Rock (2×) moves.

It resists Ice (¼×), Water (½×).

Evolution

Lapras does not evolve, and it does not evolve from any other Pokémon.

Forms

• Gigantamax Lapras (Gigantamax): Water/Ice-type, base stat total 535 (HP 130, Attack 85, Defense 80, Sp. Atk 85, Sp. Def 95, Speed 60). Abilities: Water Absorb, Shell Armor, Hydration (hidden).

Abilities

• Water Absorb: Absorbs Water moves, healing for 1/4 max HP.
• Shell Armor: Protects against critical hits.
• Hydration (hidden ability): Cures any major status ailment after each turn during rain.

Moves

Moves Lapras learns by level up in Scarlet / Violet

TM moves (52)

Lapras can learn 52 moves from TMs in Scarlet / Violet: Take Down, Charm, Protect, Water Pulse, Confuse Ray, Disarming Voice, Chilling Water, Facade, Bulldoze, Icy Wind, Avalanche, Endure, Rain Dance, Snowscape, Smart Strike, Zen Headbutt, Body Slam, Sleep Talk, Reflect, Waterfall, Rest, Body Press, Iron Head, Dragon Dance, Substitute, Drill Run, Liquidation, Dragon Pulse, Hyper Voice, Psychic, Surf, Thunderbolt, Helping Hand, Ice Beam, Hydro Pump, Blizzard, Earthquake, Giga Impact, Outrage, Hyper Beam, Thunder, Tera Blast, Haze, Icicle Spear, Weather Ball, Double-Edge, Whirlpool, Muddy Water, Curse, Dragon Cheer, Alluring Voice, Psychic Noise.

Egg moves (7):Ancient Power, Curse, Fissure, Freeze-Dry, Horn Drill, Sparkling Aria, Tickle.

Breeding & training

• Gender: 50% male, 50% female.
• Egg groups: Monster, Water 1.
• Egg cycles: 40 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 5,120).
• Catch rate: 45 out of 255.
• Base friendship (Gen 8 onward): 50.
• Growth rate: Slow (1,250,000 experience points to reach level 100).
• Defeating it gives 2 HP effort values.
• Base experience yield: 187.

Pokédex entries

Crossing icy seas is no issue for this cold-resistant Pokémon. Its smooth skin is a little cool to the touch. (Shield)

A smart and kindhearted Pokémon, it glides across the surface of the sea while its beautiful song echoes around it. (Sword)

A gentle soul that can understand human speech. It can ferry people across the sea on its back. (Let’s Go, Pikachu!, Let’s Go, Eevee!)

They've been so cherished that there's now an overabundance. The fish Pokémon population has declined in waters with too many Lapras. (Ultra Moon)

It likes swimming around with people on its back. In the Alola region, it's an important means of transportation over water. (Ultra Sun)

These Pokémon were once near extinction due to poaching. Following protective regulations, there is now an overabundance of them. (Moon)

Names around the world

Trivia

• Highest HP among Water types in Gen 1: 130, shared with 1 other.
• Heaviest Ice type in Gen 1: 220 kg.
• Tallest Ice type in Gen 1: 2.5 m.
• Slowest Ice type in Gen 1: 60 Speed.
• Highest HP among Ice types in Gen 1: 130.
• Taller than 93% of all Pokémon (2.5 m).
• Heavier than 93% of all Pokémon (220 kg).
• Base stat total 535, ranked #146 of 1,025.
• Its best stat is HP, ranked #23 of 1,025.
• One of 8 Pokémon that are both Water and Ice.
• One of 170 blue Pokémon.
• Number 131 of 151 Pokémon introduced in Generation 1 (Kanto).
• Can learn 67 different moves in Scarlet / Violet.
• Catch rate 45: about 5.9% per Poké Ball at full health.
• Has 1 alternate form.
• Appears in 18 distinct Pokédex entries.

Sources and fact-checking

• Stats, types, abilities, moves, evolutions, forms and Pokédex entries: PokéAPI open game data.
• Lore: written by pokee.si in our own words, researched from Bulbapedia: Lapras (Pokémon), Serebii: Lapras (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex), Bulbapedia: Pokémon Red and Green beta.
• Pronunciation (LAP-rus): it follows how the English anime, games or official videos say it.

Last checked: 19 October 2026. Every sentence of the lore was checked against Bulbapedia, Serebii and the game data.

Explore

Water-type Pokémon · Ice-type Pokémon · Water/Ice weaknesses and matchups · Lapras vs Gyarados · Kanto region guide · Water Absorb ability · Shell Armor ability · Hydration ability · Compare Lapras · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves

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Gen 1 Water-type Pokémon · Gen 1 Ice-type Pokémon · Gen 1 Pokémon list · Blue Pokémon list · Monster egg group · Water 1 egg group · Pokémon that start with L · Dinosaur Pokémon

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