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Ash's Lapras
サトシのラプラス Satoshi's Laplace
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Ash's Lapras
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Ash's Lapras (Japanese: サトシのラプラス Satoshi's Laplace) was the first Pokémon obtained by Ash Ketchum in the Orange Islands. It had been separated from its family, so Ash promised to reunite them. It served as the main transportation through the islands until its family was found on the way back to Pallet Town. Its voice actress in both Japanese and English is 愛河里花子 Rikako Aikawa.
History
Ash first met Lapras on Tangelo Island when he and his friends saw it being abused by three boys who were trying to get it ready to fight the Orange Crew. Pikachu's ThunderShock was able to send the trio running. Tracey examined Lapras and realized it needed help. He gave Ash medicine to give it while he went to tell Nurse Joy. However, Lapras refused to take the medicine from Ash. They then took it to the Pokémon Center, where Nurse Joy explained that Lapras was afraid of humans. Soon Ash gained Lapras' trust after he saved it from Team Rocket. Later during that episode, Lapras decided to be a part of Ash's team.
Lapras was used extensively as a means of transportation. Ash, Misty and Tracey rode on its back as it carried them through the seas from one Orange island to another.
Ash won a race against Cissy riding on Lapras in Fit to be Tide against Cissy and her Blastoise, gaining his first Orange League badge in the process. He later used it against Danny when competing for his second badge when he had to use Ice Beam to freeze a geyser, but he lost to Danny's Nidoqueen.
Lapras was also used against a Gengar in the final battle against Drake in the Orange League. The cliffhanger of Hello, Pummelo! was the collision of attacks between the two. Enter the Dragonite began with the revelation that the collision had knocked out both Pokémon.
In Viva Las Lapras, Ash and friends found the school that Lapras got separated from. However, its school wanted nothing to do with Lapras because it was accompanied by humans. They gained a hatred towards humans because of Captain Crook who hunted the Lapras. After Ash and his Lapras defeated the large school of Tentacruel belonging to the captain, the Lapras began to trust humans and Ash's Lapras was able to rejoin the school, as well as its mother. Ash and Lapras went separate ways from that point.
Ash was briefly reunited with Lapras in the episode Lapras of Luxury, during which it was revealed to have become the leader of its herd.
Moves used
Trivia
- Squirtle was the first of Ash's Pokémon to be caught by Ash off-screen, making Lapras's capture the second in the English series and third in the Japanese. Ash only caught his 30 Tauros on-screen in the Japanese series; as this episode was banned in the English series, the Tauros simply appeared.
- Ash obtaining Lapras may be a reference to the first opening, where he was seen riding one.
- Lapras was the first Pokémon that Ash had that got separated from its mother and then returned to her later on. The second is Larvitar.
- Coincidentally, Lapras reunited with Ash in the same episode that he received Larvitar's egg.
- Lapras is the only character that has been shown to indisputably age during the show's time frame: When Ash met up with it in Johto, he initially did not recognize it, and an image of it maturing from when it was with Ash in the Orange Islands was shown.
- Lapras is also the only Pokémon owned by a main character which has been seen after its release.
- Out of all of Ash's Pokémon, Lapras has used the least moves (two) if one does not count the unofficial Haunter.
Related articles
For more information on this Pokémon's species, see Lapras.
