She's Collected Numerous of Pokemon Hole Cards, and Nothing Can Halt Her.

The makers of Pokémon unveiled the world to the trading card game Diamond and Pearl edition back in 2007, including a Bonsly trading card. On this artwork, the fourth generation rock-type is shown by artist Harada-san in an unusual pose. In the image, the predecessor to Sudowoodo appears knocked over and crying. But don't misunderstand, yet. Like its ability Fake Tears, the little creature aims to manipulate their opponent's emotions to decreasing their offensive power. Memorable card, isn't it? Electroacoustic harpist Emily certainly thinks so. And she's got an album containing over 300 Bonsly illustrations to show for it.

Her Complete Set and Its Highlights

However, that's not everything she has as well. She obtained a score of reverse foil editions featuring Bonsly, showing the small Pokémon with shiny foil all over except the primary illustration. The prized possession, however, is the PSA 6-rated reverse holo Bonsly card. Sure, it's not a top-graded original Charizard card. Yet, do you possess an amusing, close to mint card of Bonsly preserved forever immortalized? I didn't think so.

How It All Began

Emily dedicated much of 2025 gathering every 2007 Bonsly card that she could locate. She discovered of this rare card earlier this year, during a discussion the most cursed cards among collectors with a worker at a local shop. Crying Omanyte was a contender, as was the forever alone Cubone in an amusement park. However, the one that Bonsly crying, also known as the seventeenth card, which captured Emily's focus.

Behind Bonsly's Look

Bonsly is obviously influenced from miniature trees, which are typically planted in containers featuring holes for drainage. These holes are intended to support healthy development, to the extent that fans advise one another to drill holes on the bottom if holes are missing. Bonsai can also be placed in shallow containers hole-free, referred to as suiban, where the water stays may assist caretakers decorate their plants to mimic outdoor scenes. Bonsly represents the first type, which explains the hole.

Why Bonsly Stands Out

Even with this reasonable background, though, The Pokémon Company looks a bit overly focused regarding the hole in Bonsly. Even merchandise like Bonsly plushes ensure they feature a hollow cavern below of this plant Pokémon. It doesn't matter if the illustration of this particular Bonsly is weeping or calm: It will display the hole. This hole represents a fundamental aspect of how Bonsly looks. Bonsly #71 became a meme within the community thanks to that drainage hole, and also because of its status. Up until last year, Bonsly #71 remained the sole iteration of Bonsly card printed in a game in which most Pokémon usually appear in dozens of different ways. For sixteen years, should you desire a card of Bonsly, you were stuck with this specific design.

The Collector's Passion

"Upon noticing this card on the list of oddball cards, I realized I had found my favorite one," she explains over email, mentioning how it was unexpected to have missed it until then. She'll be the first to tell you her passion for this particular card serves no practical purpose, but it didn't matter. The appreciation became a major fixation, as Hopkins bought all copies of this card available to her. She adopted a practice of visiting her favorite shop regularly, and was dubbed among the staff as "Bonsly Girl". The shop started reserving all incoming this specific card they obtained aside just for Hopkins. Typically, these cards go for a few dollars, she notes, calculating that she's spent somewhere around $400 for the collection book.

The Financial Side

These days, excellent the card may reach prices of nearly $15. While that is a premium price, run-of-the-mill copies tend to cost $4 and above. This rise in cost roughly aligns with the time Emily began collecting seriously, but it's possible that multiple reasons. While it's true that Bonsly #71 is well-known in the community, her online content regarding the card have attracted a huge audience. As news of its existence continues to spread among more people, it's possible that the price of Bonsly #71 cards might increase even more. Regardless, enthusiasts say that TCG prices are climbing currently in general.

No Signs of Stopping

Nothing can halt her, however.

"What's incredible is that some supporters and viewers from her channel have mailed their Bonsly cards her way to expand the set, and I am keeping these cards protected always," Emily states. Instead of being put off, viewers are amazed and encouraged by this project.

"I've actually always wanted to attempt something similar," a viewer notes. "Acquire all of a common card|every copy of a common card

Stephen Avila
Stephen Avila

James Whitfield is a cloud technology analyst with over a decade of experience in cloud infrastructure and digital transformation.