Japanese Title: The Blue Wolf! Garurumon
While pondering on the mechanics of evolution, Taichi and his friends are attacked by two Monochromon, who are hostile to the group despite Tentomon claiming that they should be “friendly Digimon”. The kids duck out of the way and find that the two Monochromon are actually fighting each other, and quickly make a run for it.
The end of the day approaches and the kids and Digimon look for a place to rest, and Tentomon finds a lake for them to stop by. They decide to camp there for the night and soon come upon a trolley in the middle of nowhere. They take a look inside it, only to find nothing inside, and decide they should sleep in it for the night. The Digimon help gather food for everyone to eat, along with Koushirou and Takeru, who catch some fish.
At night, Taichi observes Takeru and Yamato and asks Sora why Takeru calls Yamato “big brother” when they have different surnames. Jou and Sora also find that none of the familiar constellations to Earth can be found in the night sky, implying that they may not be on Earth at all.
The boys decide they should take turns keeping watch - though Yamato declares Takeru should not take part in that - and Yamato instigates a fight with Taichi after Taichi jokingly tries to strip Gabumon for his pelt to use as a blanket. As everyone goes to sleep in the trolley, Yamato tells Gabumon to go take care of Takeru under the excuse that Gabumon’s presence is making him too warm, but Gabumon quickly picks up that he just wants to keep Takeru warm but is too shy to say it. The situation isn’t helped when Takeru himself catches them in the act, but goes back to sleep.
While washing his face outside to stay awake, Taichi sees Yamato, who’s waiting outside because he can’t sleep. They apologize to each other about earlier and Yamato expresses that maybe that’s why Takeru seems more attached to Taichi than himself. Again, this will be important later. Taichi finally asks what the relationship is between Yamato and Takeru, and Yamato reveals that they are, in fact, brothers, but their parents are divorced — hence the different surnames. With that, wanting to be away from them, Yamato runs off and starts playing his harmonica, where he’s joined by Gabumon.
Taichi returns to tending the fire, but one of the embers pops and falls on a giant leaf under the lake…which turns out to not be a giant leaf, but part of a Digimon called Seadramon, who is not very happy at being disturbed. The island with the trolley begins to move away, separating Yamato and Gabumon from the others. Knowing that Takeru is on the island, Yamato begins to swim after them, with Gabumon following.
All of the Digimon’s attacks do nothing, and Agumon is somehow unable to evolve. Yamato ensures Takeru is safe, then tries to lure Seadramon away, but only ends up being bound and slowly suffocated by Seadramon’s tail. Takeru, blaming himself for Yamato having being caught, begs Patamon and Gabumon to help him, but they respond that their powers won’t work against Seadramon; as Gabumon laments that he won’t be able to listen to Yamato’s harmonica anymore, Yamato’s blue device begins glowing, triggering Gabumon’s evolution into Garurumon.
Garurumon saves Yamato, defeats Seadramon, and reverts to Gabumon. Takeru thanks him and Yamato for looking out for him, causing Yamato to turn red.
- Gabumon: You’re just too shy.
Gomamon summons more fishes to carry them back to land, and Sora wonders if the reason only Gabumon could evolve is that Yamato was in danger. Taichi remembers that Agumon evolved to Greymon because Shellmon had captured him.
Exhausted, the kids fall asleep by the lake, and Taichi notices Yamato is playing his harmonica again – this time, with Gabumon, Takeru, and Patamon sleeping on him.
- Takeru (muttering): Thanks, big brother...
Tropes
- Berserk Button: Yamato doesn't care for Taichi teasing Gabumon about what's under his pelt. Taichi thinks that the former is overreacting, but still, Gabumon clearly wasn't comfortable with it.
- Big Brother Instinct: This episode establishes Yamato's relationship with Takeru.
- Dub-Induced Plot Hole: The English version makes Yamato (Matt) and Takeru (T.K.) half-siblings here despite later episodes establishing that they both have the same parents that are divorced.
- Early-Installment Weirdness: For the third and final time we get a digimon antagonist (Seadramon) who is just a wild predator defending his territory from the intruding children. The next episode onwards would introduce dark powers infecting otherwise peaceful digimon and making them cause trouble or already evil digimon who want nothing more than the Chosen Children dead.
- Eye Scream: Garurumon stabs Seadramon in the left eye with his tail. Shockingly, the English version retains it.
- An Ice Person: Seadramon uses Ice Arrow against Garurumon in their fight, but it doesn't do much good against his Fox Fire.
- Know-Nothing Know-It-All: Tentomon reveals that Garurumon's fur is made from a legendary metal mythril to explain how he can injure Seadramon by just brushing against him, but doesn't know its origins. Taichi begins to doubt Tentomon's credibility before the fight calls their attention back.
- Monster of the Week: Seadramon, defeated by Garurumon. We also see two Monochromon fighting at the start of the episode, however, the Digidestined manage to escape from them.
- Tsundere: Yamato is shown to be a somewhat balanced variation, denying his overt care for Takeru whenever Gabumon points it out.
