Why do people call it the "physical-special *spectrum*" when it is clearly a binary?

Mogaku

Mogaku

Like, there are only two of them with no inbetween.

(Also don't come at me with psyshock or secret sword, those are still binaries, just conditional ones)

((Also also, with how low hanging fruit it is, any autism jokes better be good))
 
The dichotomy feels stronger than it is because the environment is hostile to mixed attackers especially and physical attackers to an extent. Users of Photon Geyser or Tera Blast may prefer to interact physically, but more mixed mons, which often get referred to as "high-functioning" because they more easily fit into the roles others expect, will end up using exclusively special versions of these moves when affected by Intimidate, something which is extremely common in battles with larger crowds. As a result, even if these mons' life would be improved with access to the choice bands afforded to more pronounced physical attackers, they often don't get these accommodations under a binary distinction because their STAB is measured as special.

Though it is also worth remembering that attacking diversity extends beyond the degree to which a mon is physically or specially oriented. I know a good number of Seismic Toss and Super Fang users as well.
 
it's a spectrum because you can use Growl to turn your opponent's Photon Geyser/Tera Blast/Tera Starstorm from physical to special
 
Ironmage said:
The dichotomy feels stronger than it is because the environment is hostile to mixed attackers especially and physical attackers to an extent. Users of Photon Geyser or Tera Blast may prefer to interact physically, but more mixed mons, which often get referred to as "high-functioning" because they more easily fit into the roles others expect, will end up using exclusively special versions of these moves when affected by Intimidate, something which is extremely common in battles with larger crowds. As a result, even if these mons' life would be improved with access to the choice bands afforded to more pronounced physical attackers, they often don't get these accommodations under a binary distinction because their STAB is measured as special.

Though it is also worth remembering that attacking diversity extends beyond the degree to which a mon is physically or specially oriented. I know a good number of Seismic Toss and Super Fang users as well.
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(I know this is a joke ,and a well done one at that, but I still feel the urge to correct you. I am talking about moves, not pokemon.)

And what symbol shows up next to seismic toss' and superfang's name?
Checkmate liberals.
 
If you want an actual answer, using spectrum is incorrect; people just use it as a colloquialism. For the official analyses / articles, GP specifically changes spectrum when it is used because your rationale is correct.

GP said:
The word "spectrum" should never be used to describe the difference between physical and special offensive and defensive stats, since it cannot denote two discrete things; "Infernape hits hard from both sides of the spectrum" should be rephrased to say "Infernape hits hard both physically and specially," or something similar.
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Mogaku said:
Like, there are only two of them with no inbetween.

(Also don't come at me with psyshock or secret sword, those are still binaries, just conditional ones)

((Also also, with how low hanging fruit it is, any autism jokes better be good))
Click to expand...
Ok so, since I posted this someone convinced me that I was wrong by citing gen 3 hp fire's counterability (and the damage it deals) and psyshock's interaction with mirror coat.

However, this only works for these moves, making it so that people who say spectrum in every case besides this one still are silly.
 
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I understand the confusion, so I whipped up a diagram to illustrate. Hope this helps!

atkspectrumchart.png
 
a spectrum also implies that between pokemon red and blue are pokemon <discrete shade of purple> where the redder ones have more of the red exclusives but not all of them
 
Proof using stall and status moves are woke! People of smogon! Do NOT use status moves or stall! play like you were when you were 7 playing your first pokemon game!
 
Status vs attack is itself a spectrum forced into a strict dichotomy by being run by a computer. A move like Salt Cure is only relevant because of the status it applies, but it's fully an attack for things that check for that because it uses the attack damage formula for like 5% of its output.

Part of why I want a modern Battle Frontier is to shove all of these exceptions in the Arena's status-hating face.
 
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