She Has Amassed Hundreds of Pokemon Hole Cards, and She's Unstoppable.
The Pokémon Company introduced the world to the trading card game Diamond and Pearl set back in 2007, showcasing the Bonsly card. On this artwork, Gen IV Rock Pokémon is shown by artist Midori Harada in an unusual pose. In the image, this pre-evolution appears fallen and shedding tears. Don't be fooled, though. Similar to its attack Fake Tears suggests, Bonsly aims to sway the foe's feelings with the goal of decreasing their attack. Memorable card, isn't it? Musician and harpist Emily Hopkins absolutely agrees. She owns an album with 305 cards of Bonsly as evidence.
The Full Collection and Its Highlights
That's not everything she has also. She obtained 20 holo reverse versions of the Bonsly card, showing the small Pokémon with metallic accents covering everything except the main image. The most valuable item, yet, turns out to be the professionally graded PSA 6 reverse holo Bonsly card. Certainly, it isn't a mint-condition Charizard illustration. But do you have a goofy, almost perfect Bonsly illustration kept forever immortalized? I thought as much.
The Start of the Obsession
Hopkins has spent much of 2025 stockpiling each Bonsly card from 2007 she can possibly find. She discovered about the out-of-print card in recent months, while debating the most infamous cards in the Pokémon TCG with a staff member at a local shop. The weeping Omanyte was in the running, as was the lonely Cubone on a park ride. But it was The sobbing Bonsly, also known as Bonsly #17, that grabbed Hopkins's attention.
The Concept of Bonsly
Bonsly is obviously influenced from miniature trees, which are often grown in containers featuring holes for drainage. These are meant to aid growth, to the extent that growers encourage each other to add holes in their containers when none are present. They can also be positioned on shallow pots hole-free, known as suiban, and the collected moisture may assist growers arrange their bonsai to resemble outdoor scenes. Bonsly represents the first type, thus the hole exists.
Why Bonsly Stands Out
Even with this reasonable background, though, The Pokémon Company seems almost overly focused with Bonsly's hole. Even merch like Bonsly plushes make sure to include an empty space below of this plant Pokémon. It doesn't matter whether the portrayal of Bonsly in question is crying or calm: It features the hole. This hole represents a key element of how Bonsly looks. Card number 71 gained meme status in collector circles both due to its distinctive hole, in addition to its rarity. For years before, the card remained the sole iteration featuring Bonsly released in the TCG where numerous creatures usually appear in multiple editions. For sixteen years, should you desire this Pokémon card, you needed to accept with the hole version.
A Growing Obsession
"Upon noticing this card on the list of infamous cards, I knew I had found my new favorite," Hopkins shares over email, mentioning how it was unexpected to have never seen it before. She is quick to tell you her passion for Bonsly #71 serves no practical purpose, but she didn't care. The appreciation became an all-consuming hobby, as Hopkins bought each available Bonsly card she could possibly find. She soon developed a routine of visiting the nearby card store on a weekly basis, and became known to the employees as the Bonsly collector. The store began putting any new Bonsly #71 cards that came in exclusively for Emily. Most of these cards cost between $1 and $3, she mentions, estimating that she has invested approximately four hundred dollars for the collection book.
Market Trends and Value
Nowadays, excellent this Bonsly card can cost up to around fifteen dollars. While that is a premium price, ordinary copies are often priced at starting at $4. That price increase corresponds to her starting point collecting seriously, though there are likely multiple reasons. Although Bonsly #71 is well-known with enthusiasts, Hopkins's posts on it have received a huge audience. As news of its existence keeps growing to a wider audience, it is likely that their market price could keep rising. If nothing else, enthusiasts mention how trading card game values are soaring in 2025 overall.
No Signs of Stopping
Nothing can halt her, yet.
"The wonderful part is that certain fans and viewers of the YouTube channel have sent their Bonsly cards her way for her album, and I am keeping these cards protected always," Hopkins says. Rather than recoil in horror, fans feel admiration and motivation by her collection.
"I've long desired to attempt something similar," a viewer notes. "Purchase all of a common card|every copy of a common card
