Introduced in generation two, with the Pokemon Gold and Silver games, Lanturn is a dual type water and electric Pokemon. It is the final evolution of Chinchou and evolves once it reaches the level threshold. Lanturn is classified by the Pokedex as the “Light Pokemon” which may be a nod to its general design. This guide will showcase Lanturn’s capabilities in battle, its appearances in the anime, as well as other general facts about Lanturn.
About Lanturn
As a generation two Pokemon, Lanturn first appeared in the Gold and Silver season of the anime in the episode The Mystery is History. In this episode, a trainer named Oliver used Laturn while diving underwater. The Pokedex mentions Lanturn’s nickname as “the deep-sea sstar” thanks to its illuminated antenna.
| First appearance in anime | Pokemon the Original Series: The Mystery is History |
| First appearance in game | Pokemon Gold and Silver |
| Region | Johto |
| Evolution | Final evolution of Chinchou, not known to evolve into any other Pokemon |
| 1st Evo level | 27 |
| 2nd Evo level | N/A |
| Pokedex Entry | Lanturn is nicknamed "the deep-sea star" for its illuminated antenna. This Pokémon produces light by causing a chemical reaction between bacteria and its bodily fluids inside the antenna. |
Lanturn Base Stats
| HP | 55 |
| ATTACK | 40 |
| DEFENCE | 50 |
| SP. ATTACK | 65 |
| SP. DEFENCE | 85 |
| SPEED | 40 |
| TOTAL | 335 |
Appearance
Lanturn is a blue, fish-like Pokemon that resembles an anglerfish and it has a bright yellow bulb attached to an antenna on its head. Most of Lanturn’s body is blue but its antenna, the space around its eyes, and part of its back fin are yellow. The stripe of yellow around its eyes make it seem as if Lanturn is wearing a mask. Lanturn has red eyes with black pupils and two fins on either side of its body. It is an average sized Pokemon at 3 feet and 11 inches, or 1.2 meters, tall.
Behavior
As a generation two Pokemon, Lanturn has appeared in a variety of roles in the anime. It is shown being a helpful guide through water, a strong Pokemon in battle, swimming aimlessly in the background. In the wild, Lanturn will use the light to draw in prey like Starmie but it can also use the light to blind foes. The Pokedex mentions that a group of Lanturn in a dark sea resemble a starlit night.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Lanturn is not particularly weak, but it does not deal much significant damage either. Its strongest stat is its health pool. This can make it seem resilient but it has low defensive stats and unfortunately, its attack stats are below par for offensive movesets. However, it has a resistant typing and a defensive ability which makes it well suited for surviving. As a dual type water and electric Pokemon, Lanturn takes 2x damage from ground and grass type moves. It has no immunities unless it has the Volt Absorb ability which makes it immune to electric type moves. Furthermore, Lanturn is resistant to flying, steel, fire, water, and ice type moves.
Best Moveset
Lanturn seemed more viable with the older generations but while it is not the most impactful Pokemon today, it can still act as a defensive Pokemon. With the Leftovers held item, Volt Absorb ability, and dedicating stat distributions to physical and special defense, Lanturn can survive for extended periods of time. Consider running Surf, Thunderbolt/Discharge, Ice Beam, and Heal Bell/Thunder Wave. Surf and Thunderbolt/Discharge all benefit from STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus). Ice Beam is for type coverage of the opposing team. Finally, Heal Bell/Thunder Wave are interchangeable depending on which defensive move you prefer.
| Surf | Thunderbolt/Discharge |
| Ice Beam | Heal Bell/Thunder Wave |
How to Catch Lanturn in Pokemon Go?
If you would like to obtain a Lanturn in Pokemon Go, the easiest way to do so would be to first obtain a Chinchou and eventually evolve it into Lanturn. This is because like most evolved Pokemon, the base evolution is a more common spawn to encounter in the wild as compared to its final evolution. Thus you can find Chinchou spawning in the wild at a boosted rate near canals, docks, harbors, oceans, rivers, lakes, and other watery areas. Chinchou can also be hatched from 5, 7, and 10 km eggs. Not only that, both Chinchou and Lanturn have been featured as tier one and tier two raid bosses respectively. To evolve Chinchou into Lanturn you will need 50 candies.
Trivia
- Lanturn has the highest base health of all the electric type Pokemon.
- The inspiration for Lanturn’s design is likely based on the anglerfish, specifically the footballfish.
- The name Lanturn is just a corruption of the word lantern.
FAQ
How good is Lanturn?
If you play in older formats, Lanturn is a powerful defensive Pokemon. However, in the newer generations its stats do not hold up as well. It is also not capable of learning a good moveset that can complement its defensive playstyle. While it can still function as a defensive Pokemon, it is just not nearly as good as it used to be.
What does a Lanturn evolve into?
Lanturn is the final evolution in its two stage evolution line and it evolves from Chinchou once it reaches level 27. There are no special conditions to fulfill for the evolution line and after you have obtained a Lanturn you have finished the evolution line.
Is Lanturn good in PVP?
In the older generations Lanturn was ranked near the upper middle of all the Pokemon available for play. With the newer generations, it is ranked near the bottom of brackets as it was not able to keep up. Its resilient defensive typing is not as relevant considering the capabilities of newer Pokemon.
Conclusion
Congratulations, you now know just about everything there is to know about this “Light Pokemon”. While Lanturn’s impact on competitive play was short lived, it can still meet expectations in battle. Its strong defensive typing, large health pool, and disabling moves can slow down many different teams. Lanturn is a remarkable Pokemon as it was the first water and electric type Pokemon released. Reserve a slot on your team for Lanturn if you want a defensive water and electric type Pokemon.
