Japanese Title: Dust Zone, Grand Locomon's Great Scrap City!
While heading to the Dust Zone to save Nene, Taiki is grabbed by a tendril of darkness in digital space. It deposits him in a darkened room surrounded by windows. DarkKnightmon reveals that he brought Taiki there and tells him that Nene is trapped in a dark orb at the center of the room. Taiki reaches for the orb, but it goes dull when he touches it. DarkKnightmon expresses his disappointment that Taiki has no darkness in his heart before throwing him out one of the windows. Taiki begins to fall from the top of a tower.
Elsewhere, a Pinocchimonnote trapped in a pile of garbage tells himself that he doesn't need the help of some nearby Digimon. His nose lengthens at this, revealing that he's lying to himself. Meanwhile, the rest of Xros Heart dig themselves out of more garbage and find themselves in a massive landfill in the Dust Zone with Zenjirou retrieving the Xros Loader. Their wondering about where they are is interrupted as Taiki falls toward them. Akari throws Dorulumon under Taiki to break his fall. Taiki tells them that he fell from the top of a nearby tower. Several MetalMamemon suddenly arrive and try to mug them for any technology they have on them and open fire when they refuse. Zenjirou throws the Xros Loader to Taiki, but a Gerbemonnote pops up under Taiki and steals it. Several black ToyAgumon then run off with the Gerbemon followed by the MetalMamemon. Taiki gives chase with Shoutmon and Dorulumon, but a Trailmon Kettle picks the thieves up. Dorulumon nearly catches up, but Gerbemon stops them with an exploding shot. Dorulumon tries to pursue them again, but is cut off by several other Trailmon transporting scrap metal. Pinocchimon sees Taiki and the others and tells them that if they didn't want to be robbed, they should have been more careful since everyone in the Dust Zone only looks out for themselves. Taiki frees Pinocchimon, much to the latter's surprise. That night, Pinocchimon explains that the Dust Zone is the Digital World's junkyard, lorded over by GrandLocomon who hoards all of the Zone's resources, which he demands that the rest of the Zone's residents gather for him. Taiki resolves to stop GrandLocomon, but Zenjirou suggests that they retrieve the Xros Loader first. Pinocchimon perks up at hearing this and promises to help Taiki, though Akari becomes suspicious when his nose lengthens.
At a rickety shack in another part of the Dust Zone, Gerbemon and his crew plan to give the Xros Loader to GrandLocomon in exchange for a large amount of DigiOil, which they need to consume to survive. Xros Heart surrounds the shack and Shoutmon bursts in and tells them to give back the Xros Loader so that Taiki can beat GrandLocomon. Puppetmon bursts in and steals it. Gerbemon is surprised to see Pinocchimon alive and tells Pinocchimon that he and his crew looked for him after he was buried in the garbage pile. Pinocchimon runs off intending to give GrandLocomon the Xros Loader in order to leave the Dust Zone. As he leaves, he breaks the tracks to the shack causing it to fall over a cliff.
Back in the tower, DarkKnightmon states that the dark orb only needs a little more dark energy when Kiriha enters the room. Kiriha proposes an alliance, which DarkKnightmon says he will release Nene from the orb in exchange for. Kiriha touches the orb which siphons dark energy from him, causing him to faint. DarkKnightmon says that the Darkness Loader is almost complete and he no longer needs to hide in the Dust Zone.
At the shack, Taiki hels to dig Gerbemon aout of the rubble. At the train station at the center of the Dust Zone, Pinocchimon presents the Xros Loader to GrandLocomon and a Hagurumon confirms its authenticity. Pinocchimon asks to leave the Dust Zone in exchange, but GrandLocomon attacks him instead now that his usefulness has ended and leaves him to rot. Enraged at the betrayal, Pinocchimon chases after GrandLocomon and hops onto his side. GrandLocomon bursts out of the station, knocking aside several Trailmon. Taiki and the others hear GrandLocomon's horn and the Trailmon Kettle says that he'll be able to destroy the Dust Zone now that he has the Xros Loader. Xros Heart sets off with Gerbemon's crew to stop GrandLocomon. As GrandLocomon runs down the tracks, Hagurumon finishes setting up the Xros Loader and a portal out of the Dust Zone begins to open ahead of them, widening as GrandLocomon picks up speed. GrandLocomon destroys everything in his path including several buildings on his way through a town. With the portal nearly open, Taiki and the others catch up to GrandLocomon just as Pinocchimon climbs on top of him. Pinocchimon tries to attack, but GrandLocomon strikes him with his spiked front wheel. Pinocchimon is thrown free, but manages to grab GrandLocomon's coupler. As Pinocchimon is dragged along the tracks, Akari and Zenjirou work to increase Trailmon Kettle's speed. Pinocchimon's strings snap, but the ToyAgumon and MetalMamemon jump onto GrandLocomon and save him with Taiki's help. The portal opens fully, but Shoutmon, Ballistamon, and Dorulumon reduce his speed by slowing his front wheel. Taiki admonishes Pinocchimon to trust his friends more as he climbs on top of GrandLocomon. Hagurumon fires several gears at Taiki, but Pinocchimon jumps in and takes the hits, destroys Hagurumon with one blow from his hammer, then destroys the panel that Hagurumon had placed the Xros Loader in, closing the portal. Pinocchimon throws the Xros Loader back to Taiki as an enraged GrandLocomon expands his front wheel into a spiked ball and throws Shoutmon, Ballistamon, and Dorulumon back. Taiki DigiXroses Shoutmon X4. GrandLocomon fires the spiked ball at Shoutmon X4, who counters the attack by jamming his sword into it and throws it back, destroying GrandLocomon.
The next morning, Pinocchimon rejoins Gerbemon's crew, but they and Xros Heart find themselves under attack by DarkKnightmon. Flanked by several undead Digimon, he reveals that Kiriha, whom he has brainwashed, has joined him.
Tropes:
- Cool Train: GrandLocomon, obviously. Additionally, many of the Dust Zone's residents are Trailmon of various types. Gerbemon's crew has a Trailmon Kettle that helps them make getaways. A Trailmon Worm and a Trailmon Buffalo also pass by. Several more generic-looking Trailmon of various colors and models can be seen in and around the station.
- Down in the Dumps: The Dust Zone is a massive junk yard surrounded by cliffs, though towns and other buildings exist there too.
- Mechanical Monster: Hagurumon is a bunch of gears with a face.
- Mind-Control Eyes: Kiriha shows up at the end of the episode displaying these.
- Pinocchio Nose: Pinocchimon, who else? This actually gives him confidence when he says that he can't trust anyone and it lengthens in response.
- Scavenger World: The Dust Zone is this thanks to GrandLocomon's constant demands for metal and threats to obtain the same.
- There Was a Door: The station where GrandLocomon lives has huge double doors. GrandLocomon breaks out of them when he speeds out of the station.
- Traintop Battle: An unusual case where the enemy is the train itself; Pinocchimon and Shoutmon X4 fight GrandLocomon while standing on top of him.
- You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: Once he gets the Xros Loader, GrandLocomon attacks Pinocchimon and leaves him to rot.
