What is the concept of HP?

[mistersoft]

What does HP depend on?
I mean for every stat there is a determining factor.
Attack is physical strength. Machamp is stronger than Jigglypuff because he has larger, more developed and stronger muscles than the pink ball.
Defense is physical durability, or in other words, how sturdy the body is(strong bones, armor, thick skin). Hippowdon has higher defense than Blissey because he has very thick, armor-like hide and a very sturdy built(strong bones and robust structure).
Special attack is the ability to concentrate so as to use magical powers. Alakazam can concentrate better than Starmie to summon a magical or elemental power.
Special Defense is resistance to magic and elements(it may have to do with the cells and skin). Milotic has better Sp.Def than Skarmory because her cells and tissue are resistant to energy...

However, what's HP? Health Points? Hit Points? So what? What does this mean? I would think it is based on body mass but then Vaporeon has the same HP as Lapras. Blissey has the highest HP and she is not that big. Gastrodon has more HP than Hippowdon. Even Wailord has less than Wobbuffet or Blissey.

Machamp has stronger muscles so he has better attack power than Jiggly. Jiggly though has better HP. Why? (example).

 

[Sopheria]

I've always thought of it as physical endurance. Like how much damage you can take and still be able to fight. Hippowdon has high defense, meaning when he gets hit, it doesn't do much damage to him. Blissey on the other hand has lower defense and higher HP, meaning she takes a lot of damage from hits, but despite that damage she can still fight longer.

 

[Vulk]

As zomgitscathy says, HP depends on Def and Sp. Def. Because you can get a Pokémon with High hp base like Chansey/Blissey/wailord, without the respective Def or Sp. Def, it will die if it is attacked with Physical or Special attacks, from its weakness or a stronger Pokémon.

 

[\/]

I think its like meat+fat, the highest HP mons are big animals, the lowest is Shedinja, an empty bug shell.

 

[Thergox]

Well, things that involve eating always seem to involve helping out HP. It might have something to do with how healthy or gluttonous (Yeah, those contradict) the Pokemon is. Pokemon like Snorlax and Wailord have huge HP stats, and are known as needing a lot of nutrients. Not only that, but Characteristics and Natures that involve HP boosts are things like "Likes to eat" or "Dozes often".

But away from the digital and to the theoretic physical aspects, maybe it has to do with how much energy a Pokemon is able to retain during battle. That would explain how eating a lot or lazing about helps it keep up in battle. Also, in games that involves moving figures for Pokemon, the figures slow down when they are at low HP -- kinda makes you think about their lack of energy, having all their wind knocked out of them.

 

[moon]

I think its like meat+fat, the highest HP mons are big animals, the lowest is Shedinja, an empty bug shell.

Well, things that involve eating always seem to involve helping out HP. It might have something to do with how healthy or gluttonous (Yeah, those contradict) the Pokemon is. Pokemon like Snorlax and Wailord have huge HP stats, and are known as needing a lot of nutrients. Not only that, but Characteristics and Natures that involve HP boosts are things like "Likes to eat" or "Dozes often".

That is an awesome theory. +1

But away from the digital and to the theoretic physical aspects, maybe it has to do with how much energy a Pokemon is able to retain during battle. That would explain how eating a lot or lazing about helps it keep up in battle. Also, in games that involves moving figures for Pokemon, the figures slow down when they are at low HP -- kinda makes you think about their lack of energy, having all their wind knocked out of them.

I can believe this too. If HP has to do with energy in a different way than physical (or mental) damage from attacks does, it's strengthened by the fact that moves like Rest and Slack Off restore HP.

Moves like Moonlight and Recover also do it though. I think HP is not only connected to damage, such as with Defense and Sp Defense, but also not purely with energy, such as with move points. I think it's got something to do with will. If you are well rested, your will to fight is likely to be higher. If you call for the powers of moonlight, or perform magic to recover yourself, your will to fight returns. And don't forget that if a pokémon has whited out and you try to send it out (at least in the early games), it says "the pokémon has lost its will to fight!" rather than just that it has fainted. Eating also lifts your spirits, which could explain why bulky (fat) pokémon often have high HP!

 

[Thergox]

Who needs Game Theory when we have the Pokecommunity? :P Awesome points, Adventure.

 

[mistersoft]

What do Health /Hit Points represent?

There are many theories l came up with and that l read about, but all of them are debunked in a way. I know HP is howmuch damage/ injuries one can tolerate before he falls and can't stand up.

1. HP health(as in cardiovascular health, stamina, vitality and constitution). This is what most people think. But, stamina doesnt really help with injuries. I mean , it helps you withstand fatigue but not injuries. Your energy levels are irrelevant to how much physical trauma your body can take before you collapse. A lazy, fat, unathletic guy may be able to withstand more hits than a marathon runner with huge stamina.

2. Blood. The more blood you have the more hits you can take because you can bleed for longer. Problem is that not all attacks make you bleed.

3. Mass and size. As a general rule it seems very logical. The bigger you are the more you can take since you have more mass and larger muscles to absorb the hits and more place for the damage to spread on. Wailord, Slaking, Hippowdon, Walrein , Tyranitar, Hariyama. All have high HP and all of them are very large, meaty and hefty creatures. But then again, Blissey, Gastrodon, Wigglytuff, Vaporeon, Drifblim, Alomomola, Amoonguss are all far smaller but with huge HP stats as well.

So, its very confusing. Dont tell me that l am overthinking. I like this subject and l would like to find out what it is.

 

[EB]

While an interesting topic, there doesn't seem to be any fixed, consistent answer to such a question.

When the game devs included the idea of Hit Points in Gen 1 and assigned some Pokemon better base HP than others, I don't think they were using a quantitative basis for their claims. They just happened upon a believable nature of strategy for how such a species would fight, then assigned certain base stats that aligned (at least closely) to that fighting style.

They probably kept the competitive battling scene in mind as well, at least with later generations. But who am I kidding.

 

[Spys]

This is an interesting topic, although there is probably some sort of obvious answer out there.
My guess is that HP represents your energy or fatigue. So the more damage inflicted on you from moves, the
more fatigue you gain, until a point where your Pokemon cannot withstand anymore and faints.
As I said, just a theory.

~Spys

 

[moon]

There are many theories l came up with and that l read about, but all of them are debunked in a way. I know HP is howmuch damage/ injuries one can tolerate before he falls and can't stand up.

1. HP health(as in cardiovascular health, stamina, vitality and constitution). This is what most people think. But, stamina doesnt really help with injuries. I mean , it helps you withstand fatigue but not injuries. Your energy levels are irrelevant to how much physical trauma your body can take before you collapse. A lazy, fat, unathletic guy may be able to withstand more hits than a marathon runner with huge stamina.

2. Blood. The more blood you have the more hits you can take because you can bleed for longer. Problem is that not all attacks make you bleed.

3. Mass and size. As a general rule it seems very logical. The bigger you are the more you can take since you have more mass and larger muscles to absorb the hits and more place for the damage to spread on. Wailord, Slaking, Hippowdon, Walrein , Tyranitar, Hariyama. All have high HP and all of them are very large, meaty and hefty creatures. But then again, Blissey, Gastrodon, Wigglytuff, Vaporeon, Drifblim, Alomomola, Amoonguss are all far smaller but with huge HP stats as well.

So, its very confusing. Dont tell me that l am overthinking. I like this subject and l would like to find out what it is.

Since you already made a very similar thread, posing the same question, I merged them. It's nice to see your new theories though! The blood theory is interesting, but since pokémon are not usually shown to bleed (do bug or ghost types even have blood?) I'm not sure I'd stand by it.