What it does
Grav Apple is a Grass-type physical move. In Champions, it runs at 90 base power — not the 80 you might remember from standard SV. It deals damage and lowers the target's Defense by one stage after the hit.
That Defense drop is what elevates it beyond a simple STAB move. A -1 Defense on the target is immediately useful if your partner is also throwing a physical attack in the same turn. You don't need Grav Apple to be the KO hit for the Defense drop to matter — it sets up the next physical move in the sequence.
Grass resists Water and Rock targets are double-hit, both of which show up regularly. That coverage, combined with the Defense drop, makes Grav Apple the correct click more often than raw power numbers would suggest.
Who runs it
Flapple at 100% is the only Pokémon that can learn this move — it's a signature. Grass/Dragon dual typing means Grav Apple gets full STAB, and the physical Attack stat is what gives the 90 base power real damage output. Dragon-type physical coverage fills the other half of its offensive profile.
Ability options include Hustle (boosts Attack but lowers accuracy — interacts directly with Grav Apple's chance to miss), Gluttony (earlier berry triggers, useful with HP-threshold berries), and Ripen (doubles berry effects).
How to use it
The Defense drop is most valuable when your partner also has a physical move going out this turn against the same target. One Grav Apple hit means the partner's physical attack carries extra damage because the Defense stage was just cut. Stack physical attackers in your selection alongside Flapple to exploit this.
Flapple's Speed is low, which can work for or against it depending on context. Under Trick Room, low Speed becomes priority movement — Flapple fires Grav Apple first, drops the Defense, and the partner's follow-up hits harder in the same sequence.
Grass types are resisted by Fire, Flying, Bug, Poison, Steel, Dragon, and Grass. In a field where those types are active, Flapple should consider the Dragon side of its STAB or switch targets.
Tips & strategy
The Defense drop triggers on hit, not unconditionally. If you run Hustle, the accuracy penalty is real — a miss loses both the damage and the Defense drop. Manage that risk by choosing Hustle only when the damage output increase is worth the miss rate.
Water and Rock targets take double damage from Grass. When those types show up, Grav Apple isn't just a Defense-drop tool — it's a super-effective hit first. Prioritize it against those matchups over the Dragon option.
Low-HP berries like Liechi Berry (boosts Attack) or Salac Berry (boosts Speed) pair naturally with Flapple's high-damage output: you take hits, eventually drop into berry range, and the activation gives you an extra stat stage to press the offense further.