After Ash and the gang arrive in Virbank City and Cilan gives them a rundown of the area’s history, they run into their filmmaking friend Luke and his Zorua! Thanks to winning a film festival with the movie our heroes helped him make (The Legend of the Pokémon Knight), Luke is there to attend a preview event for Pokéstar Studios, a theme park opening soon within the film studio lots.

Luke then announces that he is going to enter a filmmaking competition, and he asks for his friends’ help once again. Our heroes excitedly agree, especially Cilan—who is, after all, a Film Connoisseur! The script for Luke’s film An Epic Defense Force is quickly complete and production begins, using all sorts of film tricks and technology.

During the shooting, Luke sends Ash to find an extra prop in the warehouse, where he has an unusual encounter with a mysterious and elusive Pokémon that Team Rocket has been tracking. He rescues it from a collapsing shelf, but before he can figure out who that Pokémon is, it’s disappeared again...

At the showing, a film made by Luke’s rival Jules receives warm (but not rousing) applause. Then they show Luke’s film—at first, the audience gives no response at all, and Luke thinks they didn’t like his work. But the silence only lasts for a moment, and as the cheering grows and grows, Luke wins the competition!

As a reward, Luke gets to shoot another film that will be backed by Pokéstar Studios! He stays behind, while our heroes resume their journey to the Virbank City Gym and Ash’s next Gym battle!