Shortened Summary: Set after the events of the Pokémon Ranger games, Kate undergoes a battle with depression as Keith tries to understand and help her. Fearing her nightmares are coming true, Kate begins to withdraw from those closest to her, not realizing that in those relationships she will find the strength to fight for her mind she never knew she had.

Review: Although this tale is more intrinsic, there is plenty of battle scenes and action for readers with a more typical taste. While Kate is now the hero of her region, she finds it increasingly difficult to talk to people about how she feels, leading to her complete withdrawal from everyone, including her significant other, Keith. Meanwhile Keith attempts to alleviate her night terrors and nightmares by searching for the mysterious Lunar Wing. As a person who battles depression myself, I am more critical of books that portray characters like Kate who struggle with it themselves, but this story deals with it in a way that makes it more understandable for those who do not deal with it. In fact, it was dealt with in such a relatable way that I contacted the author after reading it, which rarely happens if I'm that connected to a work (more due to my innate shyness than anything).

This story is more graphic than some previous works of hers I have read, but it is worth a read, even if you skip those parts. Even though the overall tone is more dark, it ends in a more hopeful one. Such topics are not the norm in the world of Pokémon fanfiction, however, they are much needed ones, although the anime tries to maintain a lighter tone for children, the games are darker at their core. Lost in Reality reminded me of that undercurrent and is expertly executed. Despite this being the darkest of the stories that were entered this past year, it stands out for its use of imagery, tone and the way it handles every relationship, not just the romantic one. I recommend this one for anyone who struggles with understanding depression and self harm or anyone needing a reminder that you're not alone, especially for those of us who battle depression daily. I also want to highly encourage anyone who is on the fence about publishing a fanfic with darker themes to do so, readers may need it more than you know. Be kind everyone, you never know who's life you may increase by your small, seemingly unimportant gestures. They don't go unnoticed.