What it does
Charm drops the target's Attack two stages in one hit. Two stages means the target's physical moves deal roughly 50% of their prior damage — exactly half. They need twice as many hits to accomplish the same damage. This is the single largest one-move Attack reduction available, beyond what Intimidate does in one switch-in.
The effect persists until they switch out. Against a physical setup sweeper that doesn't want to leave the field — particularly in Trick Room builds where switching is costly — one Charm effectively removes the threat for several turns.
Who runs it
Pikachu (32%) runs it on support-leaning sets. Pikachu has real damage output through Light Ball, but when the opponent has a physical attacker that needs to be neutralized, switching to Charm creates a safer environment for the partner. In doubles, Pikachu often pairs with a Pokemon that needs protection, and Charm is the highest-value support action it can take on turns when attacking doesn't accomplish enough.
Alcremie (18%) runs a more traditional support configuration. Very high Special Defense but low physical Defense — Charm on a physical attacker directly patches Alcremie's biggest weakness. After one Charm, an opponent that would have one-shot Alcremie physically now needs two hits. Alcremie's toolkit usually includes recovery and status support; Charm is the offensive-control piece.
How to use it
Use it on physical attackers only: Charm does nothing to Special Attack. Wasting it on a special attacker or a support Pokemon is a dead move. In team preview, identify which opponent is the primary physical threat and prioritize Charm on that target.
Stack with Intimidate: If your partner is Incineroar or another Intimidate user, let Intimidate land on switch-in (−1 Attack), then follow with Charm the same or next turn (−2 Attack more). That's −3 Attack total, reducing the target's physical damage to roughly 40% of full. This combination is crippling against physical-heavy teams.
Timing in doubles: Use it on the Pokemon that will hit you or your partner this turn, not on one that's already been neutralized or won't attack. Charm's value is the prevention of damage, so the earlier you land it on the right target, the more turns you prevent.
Tips & strategy
Avoid Defiant and Competitive users: These abilities raise the user's Attack or Special Attack by two stages when their stats are lowered. Using Charm on a Defiant physical attacker boosts their Attack instead of reducing it — check the target's ability before clicking. Getting this wrong hands the opponent a +1 net advantage.
Switching removes the effect: Once the debuffed Pokemon switches out and back in, the Attack reduction resets. Against teams that switch freely, a single Charm may only cover one turn of damage prevention before they cycle out. Read whether the opponent intends to stay in before committing the move.
Single-target in doubles: Charm hits one target. In doubles where both opponents are physical attackers, you have to choose. Pick the one doing more immediate damage, or the one your partner is most at risk from.