Ronnie kept a careful watch on the swirling thoughts of death, which were as thick as ink. He recalled the information he had read about these ominous entities.
Thoughts of death are the lingering thoughts after a person dies. They usually form when someone's will is particularly strong—often because of unfinished business or an intense desire for revenge. If the person dies unwillingly or with unresolved emotions, their original thought energy can become aggressive and dark, almost as if it has "blackened."
This phenomenon bears similarities to the zombie lore in horror films. Just as zombies in those stories are created from the lingering resentment of the deceased, thoughts of death form when someone's negative emotions overpower their death, manifesting as a lingering, malevolent force.
The power of death thoughts goes beyond the simple zombie-like form. One of the most famous depictions of death thoughts in media was from the Hunter X Hunter anime and manga, during the iconic duel between Hisoka and Chrollo in the Sky Arena.
The anime hadn't reached this part yet, but the manga had already depicted it in full. During their battle, Chrollo turned the surrounding audience members into human bombs. Although Hisoka didn't die instantly, the explosions caused a lack of oxygen, and in the end, he passed away from asphyxiation.
When Chrollo believed Hisoka was dead and had even had the body removed, something extraordinary happened. Hisoka's heart, fueled by an overwhelming desire to survive, revived him. The thought of death that lingered within him was strong enough to push him into action, performing self-resuscitation to bring himself back to life.
It turned out that Hisoka had left part of his mind behind before dying. His unwavering willpower manifested as a death thought, allowing him to use his strength of mind to revive himself.
This moment left Ronnie in awe of the brilliance of the writer, Yoshihiro Togashi. Only a brilliant mind could craft such an idea—to be revived by sheer willpower!
In simpler terms, thoughts of death can be understood as negative abilities, in direct contrast to normal thought energy.
As Ronnie thought about it, a plan began to form. He immediately turned to Gardevoir, instructing her to stand by his side and use a move to counter the death thoughts.
In the world of Pokémon, certain skills can only be learned through special means, such as through a Move Tutor. However, in this case, Ronnie was fortunate enough that Pokémon born from Nen had all their abilities and moves immediately unlocked and ready for use.
This meant that any move a Pokémon could learn, Ronnie's Pokémon could use right away.
He instructed Gardevoir to use Mystical Guardian, a protective skill that was highly useful for this situation.
Suddenly, a group of translucent spheres enveloped Gardevoir, trapping her inside a giant protective bubble.
As this happened, the death thoughts, which had been swirling ominously around them, recoiled as if they had encountered a natural enemy. They began to retreat, scrambling to distance themselves from Gardevoir.
The death thoughts further away weren't impacted much, but the ones closest to Gardevoir were repelled with intense force.
Ronnie watched with clear understanding. Mystical Guardian in the Pokémon world was designed to protect the user from abnormal states. In this case, the death thoughts seemed to fit the category of an abnormal state.
Aha, Ronnie thought. I'm essentially playing the role of a mind-killer, or at least half of one.
A true Mind-Killer Master could remove harmful thoughts after they have taken effect. Meanwhile, Mystical Guardian prevented the death thoughts from taking hold in the first place. One method was for treatment, and the other was for prevention.
From what Ronnie observed, it seemed like the Mind-Killer Master could eliminate the death thoughts entirely, while Mystical Guardian only drove them away. This difference was clear when the death thoughts retreated instead of disappearing altogether.
Ronnie realized just how important Mystical Guardian was. If someone else were to use Nen with an additional abnormal state affecting them, would this ability be able to neutralize that as well?
Though he hadn't tested it yet, Ronnie's instincts told him that it would likely work.
Wait a second…
If Mystical Guardian could keep the death thoughts at bay, then…
Couldn't Healing Ringtone remove them entirely?
Healing Ringtone was another skill Gardevoir could learn. Ronnie accessed her skill panel to confirm this.
Healing Ringtone: A healing melody that can relieve abnormal statuses for the entire team. It can clear negative effects such as death thoughts, curses, and other ailments.
At this moment, Ronnie felt a surge of excitement. He now had double protection! Mystical Guardian for prevention and Healing Ringtone for removal—no one could challenge his status as a Mind-Killer Master now.
Thinking back to the Hunter X Hunter world, Ronnie recalled how rare Nen users were. Although far fewer than the general population, there were still some out there. Truly skilled Nen users were incredibly rare and valuable.
In all the series, only a handful of Nen users had been shown. The first was the black-haired man from Greed Island who exorcised Chrollo. The second was a rabbit-like chimera ant named Sheena. Finally, there was the elderly woman who worked at the Hunter Association.
Apart from such exceptional individuals, Nen users were largely a hidden group, and their abilities were often exploited by others in a world where power was everything.
To test his hypothesis, Ronnie instructed Gardevoir to use Healing Ringtone on the death thoughts.
Gardevoir's voice became a soothing melody, weaving through the air and forming a series of musical notes that floated forward, each one more delicate than the last.
The death thoughts, upon coming into contact with the ethereal music, began to disintegrate as if snow melting in the warmth of the sun. The black mist was gradually replaced by the glowing notes, until nothing remained of the death thoughts.
It was as though the death thoughts had never even existed, leaving behind a clear gap in the air. The remaining death thoughts tried to rush forward to fill the gap, but it was too late.
Ronnie felt a sense of relief wash over him. Healing Ringtone had worked. The death thoughts had vanished, leaving the path ahead clear.
Gardevoir, feeling the strain of using the move, softly spoke to Ronnie. "The Healing Ringtone takes more thought energy than Mystical Guardian, but that's to be expected."
Ronnie nodded, understanding the trade-off. Healing might require more effort, but it was an effective way to remove negative effects completely.
Confident in the protection that now surrounded them, Ronnie asked Gardevoir to place Mystical Guardian on both of them. Despite the "Danger Ahead" warning sign nearby, they pushed forward together.
As they continued walking, it became clear that wherever they went, the thoughts of death retreated, unable to affect them.
Ronnie felt almost invincible as he and Gardevoir walked confidently deeper into the Harimu Ruins.
It was as if they were trapped in a circle of protection, a force field that moved with them, ensuring their safety.
"Wherever we go, the thoughts of death disappear!" Ronnie said aloud, grinning from ear to ear. He couldn't help but feel proud of the power he now wielded.
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