Bonsly is a round, brown Pokémon with the top of its head resembling a club (♣). A rim goes around the middle of its body. There are three yellow spots on its face, two of which surround its eyes, which are small black dots. It has short legs and toeless feet. Bonsly also has a hole on its rear similar to the draining hole of a flowerpot.
Bonsly is a good mimic, making it often mistaken for a real bonsai tree, though it can easily stand out in a dry environment that lacks greenery. It can remain in the same spot for a long time. It also has a habit of crying, not because it is sad or needing attention, but rather it is due to excess moisture in its body. It dies if it gets too damp with this moisture. This habit also gets enemies to let their guards down. It prefers dry areas, but it isn't uncommon to see one in a garden. As suggested by Brock's Bonsly, a very young Bonsly needs to be bottle-fed but can eat solid food when it matures.
Major appearances
In From Cradle to Save, Brock caught a baby Bonsly and took care of him. He was needy and prone to stress. Bonsly eventually evolved into Sudowoodo in Leave it To Brocko!.
Other
Bonsly debuted in Lucario and the Mystery of Mew, where it followed Ash and his friends during their mission to rescue Pikachu, befriending May in the process. By the end of the movie, it befriended a Mew and became a permanent resident of the Tree of Beginning, where Mew resided.
A Bonsly appeared in King and Queen for a Day. It and a Mime Jr. that were stars of a television show went missing and were eventually discovered to be sick when they were found. As a result, Brock's Bonsly and James's Mime Jr. had to fill in for them.
A wild Bonsly appeared in PK15, where it joined Pikachu and the other Pokémon on the trip to the haunted house.
Minor appearances
A Bonsly appeared in The Fleeing Tower of Sunyshore!, where it was one of the Pokémon seen at the Sunyshore City Pokémon Center.
A Bonsly appeared in Forging Forest Friendships!, where Team Rocket had captured it and a Sudowoodo in a net. However, they were freed by Ash when a Trevenant asked for his help.
A Trainer's Bonsly appeared in Adventures in Running Errands!.
A Bonsly appeared in Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel.
A Trainer's Bonsly appeared in The First Day of the Rest of Your Life!.
Four Bonsly appeared in Alola to New Adventure!, with one being under the ownership of a Trainer and the rest being wild.
Two Trainers' Bonsly appeared in A Shocking Grocery Run!.
A Bonsly appeared in Lillie's Egg-xhilarating Challenge!, where it was among the Pokémon playing in Lillie's garden. It appeared again in The Ol' Raise and Switch!.
A Trainer's Bonsly appeared in Partner Promises!.
A Trainer's Bonsly appeared in Mounting an Electrifying Charge!.
Two Bonsly appeared in Deceiving Appearances!, where they were among the Pokémon seen at Aether Paradise.
A Trainer's Bonsly appeared in I Choose Paradise!, where it was among the Pokémon seen at the Pokémon Paradise Resort.
Three Trainers' Bonsly appeared in Securing the Future!, where they joined the rest of Alola in showering Necrozma with light so it could return to its true form.
A Bonsly appeared during a fantasy in Don't Ignore the Small Stufful!.
A Bonsly appeared in A Fiery Training Camp Trick!. It was first seen in a flashback being scared off by a Crawdaunt before reappearing in the present day after Sophocles's Vikavolt battled the same Crawdaunt.
Three Bonsly appeared in SM125.
Pokédex entries
Episode
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Pokémon
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Source
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Entry
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AG156
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Bonsly
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Ash's Pokédex
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Bonsly, the Bonsai Pokémon. Bonsly is the pre-evolved form of Sudowoodo. Although it looks like a Grass Pokémon, it is actually a Rock type. When it collects too much moisture, it produces fake tears to get rid of it.
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Episode
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Pokémon
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Source
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Entry
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DP004
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Bonsly
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Dawn's Pokédex
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Bonsly, the Bonsai Pokémon. Being a Rock type, it can get weak if its body contains too much water, so it secretes that water from both sides of its body to regulate it.
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Bonsly appears in Super Smash Bros. Brawl as a Poké Ball Pokémon. Once released, characters can pick it up and throw it at other players. Due to its weight, characters holding it can only move very slowly and it can't be thrown very far, but a direct hit does massive damage and can result in a knockout within two hits (at 0% damage).
Trophy information
"A Bonsai Pokémon. It looks like a plant, but history reveals it is actually a Rock-type. Its best move among all its specialty moves is Fake Tears. As it grows, it will be skilled at using Mimic, which allows it to copy an opponent's previous move. If leveled up under certain conditions, it evolves into Sudowoodo."
Origin
It may be based on petrified wood, plants which have become fossilized over time, placed into a flowerpot, also Bonsly resembles the genus of the fossil plant Cooksonia. Similarly, it may simply be modeled on the bonsai tree itself.
Name origin
Bonsly is a combination of bonsai (miniature tree) and sly or lie.
Usohachi is a combination of 嘘 uso (false) and 鉢 hachi (flowerpot). It may be a play on 嘘っぱち usoppachi (downright lie).