What does Parabolic Charge have to do with parabolas?

Question

Parabola

A curved plane formed by the mathematical equation y=x^n. When graphed it will appear in a U-shape; an umbrella.

Parabolic

Pertaining to a parabola.

Parabolic Charge

Parabolic Charge deals damage and the user will recover 50% of the HP drained. It targets all adjacent Pokémon.

What is it about Parabolic Charge that makes it, well, parabolic? And why is it Electric-type?

The only Pokémon to get Parabolic Charge aren't very parabolic either…

Comments

smergle want to have a talk with you.

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Smeargle still doesn't look like a parabola.

Answer 1

There is no way for us to tell what Game Freak meant when they named the move but since Parabolic usually refers to something in a shape of a parabola I think that is what they meant with it. Also there are Parabolic antennas which uses a parabolic reflector to direct the radio waves, and it kinda makes sense that electric type Pokémon learn it.

//Jofly

Comments

Would the fact that Parabolic Charge hits in a U-shape around the user be a clue?  I just thought of that.

Answer 2

In my opinion, it may be to reflect the healing nature of the user's HP, after the attack. Think about it,

Turn 1: Here HP is max (the beginning of the curve)

Your Helioptile is attacked

End of turn 1: HP goes down, as is symbolised by the down ward curve in a parabola

Turn 2: Helioptile uses Parabolic Charge, and Regains its health, thus pushing the HP upwards. This is again shown by the way the parabola moves upwards again.

Again, just mere speculation from my side, and the may be totally different.

Comments

After all, GameFreak is GameFreak, not LogicFreak, and they aren't generally known to be very logical... >.>

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I picked Jofly's because it explained the electricity as well, but I like your thought process :)

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ok, cool! cheers!