Japanese Title: Evolution to Perfect! Metal Greymon
The kids ponder over how to save Sora, and Yamato theorizes that Nanomon may release her if they defeat Etemon, while Mimi is nervous because they keep losing to Etemon. Takeru tells the Digimon to eat well, since they may have to fight at any time. Taichi is feeling guilt over hesitating when he could have saved Sora.Koushirou reveals through his analysis that Nanomon, Sora, and Piyomon are actually in another part of the pyramid, and haven't gone far at all. The kids resolve to do whatever it takes to rescue her.
Sora wakes up Strapped to an Operating Table by Nanomon, with Piyomon tied to a nearby wall. Nanomon reveals that he wishes to use Piyomon to defeat Etemon, and that he has a way to evolve Piyomon without Sora's support. Sora watches in fear as Nanomon makes a clone of Sora on another operating table, saying that since none of the kids have been able to use their Crests yet, he'll make a copy of Sora to control it for him, revealing that he has Sora's Crest.
The kids make a plan: Yamato, Jou, and their Digimon will act as decoys, while Taichi, Koushirou, Agumon, and Tentomon go in to save Sora. Koushirou tells Taichi that one of the walls is electrified, like the one from earlier, which brings up Taichi's fear but also hardens his resolve to save Sora. With this, Ikkakumon starts the attack on Etemon and Yamato, Garurumon, Jou, and Ikkakumon quickly retreat, but the attack incenses Etemon, who decides to finish them off.
Nanomon notices the pyramid shaking and realizes the Chosen Children have entered, and the Gazimon also catch onto them.
Mimi, worried about Jou and the others, chases after them with Togemon, leaving Takeru and Tokomon behind. As she does so, Etemon approaches Jou and Ikkakumon, but are given support by Yamato and Garurumon followed by Mimi and Togemon. Unfortunately, they are all quickly dispatched by Etemon who then he uses his devolving ability again. They are saved when the Gazimon inform Etemon that the children have infiltrated the pyramid, and Takeru and Tokomon helps the others make an escape with the distraction. Etemon leaves the children for now, reasoning that they're too weak to fight anyway.
Taichi, Koushirou, Agumon, and Tentomon are cornered by Etemon, who demands to know where Nanomon is. Tentomon evolves to Kabuterimon and Koushirou tells Taichi that they'll hold Etemon back, so Taichi should go find Sora. Taichi does so and finds the electric passageway, and is forced to face his fear.
- Taichi: There's something very precious to me on the other side of this wall.
Agumon: Sora?
Taichi: Yeah. But that's not all. I feel like there's something else very precious over there that I'd lost yesterday.
Agumon: Taichi... you can do it, Taichi! Bring out your courage!
Taichi passes his hand through the wall — and the Crest on his neck glows. Behind them, the injured body of Kabuterimon falls, and Taichi realizes he doesn’t have much time left, so he has Agumon evolve to Greymon, who holds Etemon off.
Taichi passes completely through the wall and runs into Nanomon, standing next to Sora... except it's not Sora, it's the clone; the real Sora is still strapped to the table. Taichi steals back Sora's Digivice and Tag (now loaded with her Crest), but Nanomon drops Sora through a hole before he can give it to her. Fortunately, Taichi catches her before she falls completely, and Taichi sees a tangle of black cables Nanomon explains to be the source of Etemon's Dark Network within the pit — anything that falls into it is lost forever. Nanomon tries to force Sora down, and demands the Digivice and Crest back in exchange for Sora’s life. Taichi doesn't buy it, and gives Sora her Digivice and Crest, allowing Piyomon to evolve to Birdramon.
They escape Nanomon's room, with the helpful side effect of electrocuting Etemon in the electric wall. Taichi and Sora meet up with Koushirou, while outside Jou, Mimi, Yamato, and Takeru approach the pyramid and reach them.
Nanomon destroys the Sora clone and attempts to drag himself and Etemon into the dark pit, but upon failing that releases a virus into the pit that will cause it to drag the powers of darkness into itself and amass into a ball that will destroy everything. The dark ball absorbs the pyramid, Nanomon, and all of Etemon's forces, but rather inconveniently leaves Etemon alive and fused into the top of the ball. Etemon proceeds to attack them and destroy every retreat area the kids have left.
Taichi charges forward with Greymon, declaring that he won't run away anymore. His Crest glows, and Greymon says he can feel the power of Taichi’s courage — super-evolvingnote Greymon into MetalGreymon. Fueled by the power of Taichi's courage, MetalGreymon finishes off Etemon in one attack.
The resulting explosion drags MetalGreymon and Taichi into a mysterious void, leaving the stunned others wondering where they went...
...while Taichi and Koromon find themselves standing in the middle of a street back in Japan...
Tropes:
- Badass in Distress: Sora and Piyomon are being held hostage by Nanomon after what happened in the last episode. He plans to clone Sora to control Piyomon and she fights back when Taichi comes to her rescue.
- Bad Boss: Etemon continues to show disregard for his forces when he launches a Dark Spirit attack at them to get them out of the way so he could take on the Chosen Children personally.
- Exactly What I Aimed At: When Nanomon fires his Plug Bomb attack into the pit, Etemon mocks him for his aim. Nanomon then retorts that the Plug Bomb attack contained a computer virus that would transform the dark pit into a ball that would absorb all the evil energy around.
- Laser-Guided Amnesia: In their first battle, Etemon permanently robbed Nanomon of all his memories prior to said fight. With no way to resume his life prior to his imprisonment, Nanomon dedicates himself solely to getting revenge on Etemon no matter what.
- One-Hit Kill: All it takes is one Giga Destroyer from MetalGreymon to take down Etemon.
- One-Winged Angel: A unique variation. Etemon gets control of his Dark Network's core after merging with it and becomes more powerful than ever in the process, his Dark Spirits attack warping the very reality of where it hits. Fortunately, it's still not enough to stand up to MetalGreymon.
- Taking You with Me: Nanomon causes the floor in his room to drop away and leave both him and Etemon to fall into the core beneath it, sacrificing himself to take his enemy down. It doesn't work, in the end — rather than being absorbed into the Dark Network, Etemon absorbs it instead and becomes more powerful than ever as Etemon Chaos.
- Third Party Stops Attack: After de-evolving Garurumon, Ikkakumon, and Togemon, Etemon was about to finish them, Yamato, Jou, and Mimi off with one last Dark Spirit when one of his Gazimon minions informs him that Taichi and Koushirou had infiltrated the pyramid, giving Takeru an opening to help them escape.
- Trapped Behind Enemy Lines: One of Etemon's Dark Spirit attacks destroys the Sphinx connected to the Portal Network back to safety, thus preventing the Chosen Children from escaping.
- We Need a Distraction: Ikkakumon and Garurumon launch an attack on Etemon's forces to draw them away from the pyramid so that Taichi and Koushirou can enter the pyramid. Unfortunately, it works too well and draws out Etemon himself. They end up getting one of their own when a Gazimon calls out to Etemon before he can finish them off, allowing them to escape.
