Japanese Title: Scorching Heat! Birdramon
The kids plot their next move, but Taichi points out that they have nowhere to go in mind. Piyomon says that she'll be fine as long as Sora is there, but Sora says it'll be troublesome if she has to take responsibility; when Piyomon asks what she means by that, Sora quickly shrugs it off. Tentomon explains to Koushirou that Piyomon is a sociable Digimon type, and Sora internally wonders if she can get along with someone like that. The kids soon find a path out of the forest.
Meanwhile, Koushirou spots a black gear flies into the sky into a nearby mountain. The gear that landed in the mountain begins to spin...
As the kids continue walking, hot and thirsty, Piyomon continues to try and get Sora's attention. Sora snaps, complains about her condition, and tells Piyomon that she's bothering her. She quickly apologizes and Piyomon immediately becomes clingy again. Taichi uses his pocket telescope and finds that there's a village in the distance they can head for.
The gear spins faster and faster, and a flaming figure stands up. The gear rises in the air and lodges into his back.
The kids arrive at the village and find that it's full of Pyocomon, which Piyomon recognizes as her (former) kindred. The Pyocomon express fascination at the new strange creatures called "humans", while the kids lament that everything in the village is Pyocomon-size and too small for them to rest in.
The Pyocomon ask Piyomon how she could evolve and Piyomon says that she could do it because she was with Sora, and the Pyocomon notices that she's even started picking up Sora's Verbal Tic. Piyomon tells the Pyocomon that everything must be because she was there to protect Sora, but Sora wonders if Piyomon can really protect her when she has that kind of personality, and has a hard time imagining Piyomon evolving like Agumon and Gabumon if she were in danger.
The Pyocomon offer to throw the group a feast, and Takeru finds a fountain, which a Pyocomon explains is connected to a water source at Outlook Mountain. They point out the mountain — the same one where the black gear landed earlier.
The agitated flaming Digimon begins to flare up, and suddenly the fountain at the Pyocomon village dries up and spits flames. In addition, the nearby pond is dried up, as is the village's well. The kids wonder if it has to do with the black gear, and the Pyocomon tell them that a Digimon called Meramon should be protecting it. Taichi looks at the mountain with his telescope and finds the flaming Digimon — Meramon — running right towards them, which the Pyocomon say is unusual behavior.
The kids, Digimon, and Pyocomon try to evacuate, and Sora notices that Piyomon is staying behind to help evacuate them, despite their insistence that she should evacuate too. Sora runs after Piyomon and notices Meramon right behind her; Piyomon manages to escape, but he injures her leg, causing her to fall. Sora successfully catches her and says that Piyomon is a friend, which is why she came to save her, but seeing Meramon trying to attack Sora, Piyomon declares she will save Sora and flies up to him.
Piyomon is dispatched quickly and the other Digimon find themselves defenseless against Meramon, who simply absorbs their attacks. Seeing Sora in danger, Piyomon declares she can't lose to this... and evolves to Birdramon. Birdramon quickly takes out Meramon, and the gear in his back flies into the sky and dissolves.
Birdramon reverts to Piyomon, and Meramon explains that a gear from the sky lodged itself into his back and caused him to go crazy. With that, he goes back to protecting the mountain, and the Pyocomon throw the feast they promised to the kids...
...which turns out to be birdseed. The kids are so hungry that they eat it anyway, but it's still birdseed. Oops!
Tropes
- Ax-Crazy: Meramon goes batshit insane when the Black Gear infects him, though this is better demonstrated in the original Japanese.
- A Day in the Limelight: This episode focuses on Sora's relationship with Piyomon.
- Brainwashed and Crazy: This episode marks the first appearance of a black gear-infected Digimon. Up until this point the only Digimon encountered were primitive types which the Chosen managed to disturb. The Black Gear in Meramon's back reprogrammed his personality and makes him lash out at the Pyocomon village.
- Creepy High-Pitched Voice: Meramon sounds very crazed and screechy when under the influence of the Black Gear. His voice is noticeably deeper once he regains himself.
- Feed It with Fire: The Rookie Digimons' attacks are all absorbed by Meramon and make him grow larger. Averted with Birdramon's Meteor Wing, which manages to dislodge the Black Gear from Meramon's back.
- Foreign Queasine: The Pyocomon offer to feed the Digidestined. Though the digidestined weren't expecting to be eating birdseed. Doubles as an odd vegetal Carnivore Confusion for Palmon, who is seen happily eating birdseed despite being a Plant Person. Palmon literally Eats Babies.
- Love Freak: Sora is worried about Piyomon clinging to her too often and chides her digimon a couple of times.
- Madness Mantra: Meramon when infected:"Burning! Burning! BURNING!! I'M BURNING!!!"
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Everyone can see something is wrong when Meramon is screaming about himself burning.
- Pet the Dog: Mimi gives up her hat to shield Palmon from the brutal heat.
- Pyromaniac: Meramon while under the Black Gear's control. He doesn't actually burn anything down, thankfully.
- The Quiet One: Gabumon only has one line in the entire episode (not counting his Petit Fire against Meramon). Still comparatively better than the English dub where he doesn't even get that, only yelling when using his attack there.
- Say My Name: Piyomon is sure fond of addressing her human partner by name, much to Sora's somewhat chagrin. She seems to get over it after this episode.
- There Are No Adults: In Digimon terms, the Pyocomon village only consists of In-Training Digimon (the equivalent to human infants). It is a wonder how they managed to stay organized and survive on their own for so long. Especially considering that the Digidestined had to help them flee from a brainwashed Meramon. This might be explained by the Adult-level Meramon who lived on top of the nearby mountain, but at least in the dub, the Pyocomon make it clear that he never comes down.
