SM044

A Dream Encounter! (Japanese: サトシとほしぐも！不思議な出会い！！ and ! Mysterious Encounter!!) is the 44th episode of Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon, and the 983rd episode of the Pokémon animated series. It first aired in Japan on October 5, 2017, in New Zealand on March 1, 2018, in Canada on March 10, 2018, and in the United States on March 24, 2018 as the first episode of the twenty-first season, Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon—Ultra Adventures.
==Blurb==
After dreaming that he made a promise to the Legendary Pokémon Solgaleo and Lunala, Ash has a hard time waking up. On his way to school, he’s sidetracked by Tapu Koko, who guides him to a strange little Pokémon that looks like a cloud of stars. Lillie nicknames it Nebby, and Ash remembers his dream: he promised to take care of it!
This attracts the attention of Lillie’s mother, Lusamine, the head of the Aether Foundation. She and her colleagues come to meet Nebby and offer to take care of (and research) this unknown Pokémon. But Ash is resolute in his promise, so Nebby’s identity is a mystery for now!
==Plot==
 and find themselves amongst mountains surrounded by fog. They watch as two lights appear in the sky, and and emerge from them. The two Pokémon look down at Ash, who understands and makes a promise. They disappear before emitting a beam of light where is formed. The and Gladion's Silvally sense Nebby's arrival. At 's house, is trying to wake Ash and Pikachu up, but they're still sleeping. With help from , Ash and Pikachu eventually get up, and Ash realizes his encounter with, and promise to Solgaleo and Lunala was all just a dream.
During breakfast, they watch as the "Alola Woman of the Year" award is given to . Professor Kukui explains that her research is best known on Ultra Wormholes. At the Altar of the Sunne, Professor Burnet, , Wicke, and are examining the ruins where Professor Burnet had discovered a spike in energy readings from an Ultra Beast. Faba suspects this might have been an equipment malfunction which is put down to jealousy. They head off to do more research. Ash, Pikachu, and Rotom are on their way to the Pokémon School when they come across who leads them to Nebby, sleeping in the forest. Ash recognizes Nebby from his dream and remembers his promise. Rotom has no data on Nebby.
At school, Professor Kukui greets the class and notices that Ash has yet to arrive. Ash arrives at that moment and shows Professor Kukui and Nebby. They watch Nebby and agree to do what they can to research it as gives it the nickname Nebby. Nebby starts crying leading everyone to attempt to calm it down and soon calms it down. They try and find out what Nebby likes to eat and discover that Nebby likes star candy. At Aether Paradise, Lusamine is alerted to a detection of an Ultra Beast's aura and they head to Melemele Island. Ash and Lillie arrive back at Professor Kukui's house and learn they have guests who want to see them and Nebby.
Inside, Lusamine greets Lillie and embarrasses her by treating her like a baby. Lillie isn't pleased to see her and is annoyed at her evolving her into , because she thinks it was cuter as a Clefairy. Lusamine argues that Clefairy was her Pokémon, so she had every right to evolve it. Professor Kukui introduces Ash to Professor Burnet while Faba and Lusamine ask to be introduced to Nebby. Professor Burnet brings up images of the Guardian deities and Ultra Beasts and explains the legend surrounding them. They believe Nebby to be an Ultra Beast. They detected a spike in the aura's power and brings up an image of the Altar of the Sunne which Ash recognizes from his dream and explains what happened. Faba doesn't believe this as Lusamine asks Ash to let them look after Nebby, but remembering his promise, Ash wants to look after Nebby himself. Faba tries to prevent Ash from looking after Nebby but Lillie and Professor Kukui explain Ash's past with Tapu Koko and Lusamine agrees to let him look after Nebby.
==Major events==
* finds and befriends a , which nicknames .
* Lillie reunites with her mother .
* Ash meets Lusamine, , , and Wicke for the first time.
* Ash learns about the Aether Foundation and Ultra Beasts.
===Debuts===
====Humans====
* 
* Aether Foundation
** (in person)
** Wicke
** 
** 
====Pokémon debuts====
* ()
* 
* 
* 
* 
* 
* (painting)
* (painting)
* (painting)
* (painting)
* (painting)
* (painting)
* (painting)
==Characters==
===Humans===
* 
* 
* 
* 
* 
* 
* 
* Samson Oak
* 
* 
* 
* Wicke
* 
* 
* 
===Pokémon===
Who's That Pokémon?: () (US and international), (Japan)
* ()
* ()
* ()
* (; )
* ()
* ('s; ; unofficial; debut)
* ()
* (; Alolan form)
* ('s; Alolan form; Snowy)
* ()
* ()
* (Samson Oak's)
* ('s)
* ('s; )
* (; Silvally)
* (; evolves; fantasy)
* (; newly evolved; fantasy)
* ('s; video)
* (×2; ; one as a painting)
* (×2; ; one as a painting)
* (×2; ; debut; one as a painting)
* (×2; ; debut; one as a painting)
* (; video; debut)
* (×2)
* (video)
* (×2; video)
* (video)
* (video)
* (video)
* (video)
* (video)
* (dream; debut)
* (dream; debut)
* (painting)
* (painting)
* (painting)
* (painting)
* (painting)
* (painting)
* (painting)
==Trivia==
* Poké Problem: What is the name of my mother who will appear in today's episode?
** Host: 
** Choices: , Wicke, , Olivia
** Answer: Lusamine
* This is the season premiere of Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon—Ultra Adventures.
* Alola!! returns as the opening theme, replacing the 20th anniversary edition of Aim to Be a Pokémon Master.
* The shot of running up the hill on his way to the Pokémon School is similar to the first shot of Alola!!.
* This is the first episode where a main character obtains a Legendary Pokémon, although it is not an official .
** This is also the first time Ash has obtained a Pokémon since obtained a Mr. Mime and shared it with him in It's Mr. Mime Time, 919 episodes earlier.
* The title card is modified to display the Z-Power Ring from Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon.
* This is the first episode in which the "To Be Continued" screen is not extended in the dub since Pasta La Vista!, 564 episodes earlier.
* When trying to feed some Moomoo Milk, makes a face resembling that of the art style of .
* , Jessie, and James narrate the preview for the next episode.
* The Who's That Pokémon? segment in the dub refers to the Pokémon by its nickname, for only the second time in the after From A to Z!.
* This episode marks the first appearance of a in the animated series since its cameo in Beating the Bustle and Hustle!, 382 episodes earlier.
* This episode features the most Legendary Pokémon in any episode of the animated series, with a total of eight.
===Errors===
* When slaps Ash awake, its tail becomes disconnected from its body for a split-second.
===Dub edits===
* In the dub, when Lillie explains the name "Nebby" to the group, she also mentions that the Polish word "mgławica" means "nebula" in .
==In other languages==
044
Category:Episodes written by Aya Matsui
Category:Episodes storyboarded and directed by Yūji Asada
Category:Episodes storyboarded by Yūji Asada
Category:Episodes directed by Yūji Asada
Category:Episodes animated by Masaaki Iwane
Category:Episodes animated by Izumi Shimura
Category:Episodes by multiple animation directors
Category:Episodes in which a main character obtains a new Pokémon
Category:Episodes in which a Legendary Pokémon appears
Category:Episodes focusing on Ash
Category:Episodes focusing on Lillie
Category:Episodes which aired in New Zealand before the United States
Category:Episodes which aired in Canada before the United States
de:Eine Begegnung im Traum!
es:EP987
fr:SL044
it:SL044
ja:SM編第44話
zh:宝可梦 太阳＆月亮 第44集