Appearance
A Legendary Pokémon with a vaguely butterfly-like shape. Its black body has blue eyes crossed by pink, tentacle-like pink hair, and a light pink shell around the lower body.
#786
Tapu Lele
Land Spirit Pokémon
PsychicFairyLegendary
- Height
- 1.2 m
- Weight
- 18.6 kg
- Generation
- 7
- Region
- Alola
Tapu Lele is a Psychic / Fairy-type Pokémon, No. 786 in the National Pokédex, introduced in Generation 7 (Alola region).
« Although called a guardian deity, Tapu Lele is devoid of guilt about its cruel disposition and can be described as nature incarnate. »
Its story
Lifestyle
The people of Akala Island worship it. Its glowing scales heal, but too many at once are dangerous. Its strength comes from the shell's energy. It defends its home from Ultra Beasts.
In the anime
In Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon, Ash and Pikachu meet it floating over the ocean. It heals Ash's wounds, then flies into the sky.
Name origin
Tapu Lele joins tapu, Polynesian for sacred or forbidden, with pulelehua, Hawaiian for butterfly. The design suggests a butterfly leaving its chrysalis, a tiki statue, and the god Kāne.
Did you know?
- Its indifference earned it the name nature incarnate: it weakens others by scattering scales for fun.
- A legend says it ended an Alola war; some accounts hint at a more disturbing truth.
- The scent of flowers is said to restore its energy.
Found in the Pokédex of:
Alola
In other languages
Tokopiyon
Kapu-Fala
カプ・テテフ카푸나비나卡璞・蝶蝶