I found a Lapras in the Safari Zone!!!
With no items, or anything! Just can't remember which area it was in.
Lol, on my SoulSilver, on my first run-through I had a Politoed, then a Poliwrath which never got trained up.
On my current runthrough, I had a Slowking, which I gave up on after 8 badges, despite it lolling at Claire's Kingdra (she never got me to half hp, and I 7HKO'd).
Now I have a Lapras.