Japanese Title: To the Digital World… The Day of Departure
Shinjuku attempts to recover from the destruction, and Takato, Ruki, and Jian decide to tell their families about the Digimon and their plans to travel to another world. Meanwhile, Guilmon senses something and follows it.
Jiangyu asks to see Jianliang’s Ark and says that he’s become able to see his dream of seeing children use it to interact with real Digimon on the network. He tells Jian that he’s working with his friends all over the world to prevent more dangerous battles from taking place. Jian is about to tell his father what he plans to do, but they’re interrupted by Shaochung. Jiangyu, sensing that Jian wants to tell him something, says to tell him once he’s made up his mind.
Juri goes down to her parents’ restaurant and fetches some juice. On the way, she passes by her father and mother - the latter of whom doesn’t seem to be the same mother in her baby picture. She sees her sleeping younger brother with her hand puppet and takes it, greeting Leomon outside with it and giving him the juice. Juri asks Leomon what the Digital World is like, excited at the prospect of going somewhere that nobody has gone before. Leomon is still trying to wrap his mind around the idea that Juri is his Tamer, and Juri decides to ask Leomon a favor.
Ruki calls Takato, with both of them looking for the portal to the Digital World. Renamon appears to Ruki and tells her that since Vikaralamon’s influence is vanishing, they need to find the portal quickly. Renamon tells Ruki that she doesn’t have to go and that the Digimon can go by themselves. They’re found by Ruki’s grandmother, revealing that she’d known about Renamon for a while and had thought she was a Kitsune who was protecting Ruki. Ruki is unsure that she’ll be able to convince her mother about what’s going on, but her grandmother is sure that Renamon can protect Ruki.
Takato goes to Guilmon’s home the next morning and finds that he’s been digging a deep tunnel. Guilmon reveals that he’s found a portal under the area. While they take a look at it, within the Digital World, Makuramon runs off with Culumon in a cage while Impmon floats aimlessly around, wondering if the Digital World is where he belongs since he’s just data.
Takato is unable to focus in class, and Miss Asanuma sentences him to stay after class and write an essay. Suddenly, Juri, Hirokazu, and Kenta stand up, claiming that they weren’t paying attention either and that they’ll also stay after class and write essays with him. Miss Asanuma has them all stand out in the hallway, where they reflect that this could potentially be their last class.
Yamaki rests in his apartment, watching a news report on the Digimon, gets a call and refuses to pick up. Reika, who’s living with him, asks what he will do now. Yamaki, reflecting if there’s something only he can do, pulls up information on Guilmon and Takato while Reika watches.
Miss Asanuma reads over Takato, Hirokazu, Kenta, and Juri’s essays and finds that they’re actually letters confessing that they won’t be coming to school for a while and will be embarking to an unknown world. As the kids are about to meet up with Jian, Miss Asanuma catches them and demands an explanation. Seeing Jian with Terriermon, she realizes that they’re the children who work with the Digimon, and yells at them for getting her involved in this. Takato assures her that they’re going to tell their parents, and that it didn’t feel right to just leave without telling her. Terriermon tells her to take it easy as they depart, leaving her only to frantically collapse.
The group meets up with Ruki at Guilmon’s home and Jian advises Guilmon to stay away from the area for the night. Hirokazu and Kenta wonder what they’re going to tell their parents, and when Ruki tells them that they should just stay home when they don’t even have partners, they insist that they’re going to find them in the Digital World. They agree to meet up in the morning the next day, and Takato takes Guilmon home to meet his parents.
Takato’s method of introducing Guilmon to his parents is casually leading him into the bakery, which incites fear from Takato’s mother. Takato explains the situation about Guilmon, the other Digimon, and Culumon’s kidnapping, and tells his parents that he’s planning to leave the next morning. Takato’s mother is distressed, but Takato’s father recognizes that Takato is serious about this and decides to help him. Remembering Hirokazu and Kenta’s request for “Guilmon bread”, he says that he’ll make some if they come back.
Jian tells Shaochung that he’s leaving on a trip with Terriermon, and Terriermon reveals himself to Shaochung. Jian, sure that his father would refuse if he told him face-to-face, tells Terriermon that he’s informed his parents of this via e-mail, while Shaochung still seems to treat Terriermon with her usual fervor.
Ruki, wanting to approach her mother about what they’re doing, decides to put on the dress they’d put on her in the modeling studio. Ruki’s mother tells her that it suits her, and Ruki apologizes before running off.
The kids meet up as planned in the morning. Hirokazu explains that he told his parents that it was a school trip, and Kenta was only able to send an email, unable to tell them face to face. They ask Juri what she did, but she’s evasive. Takato arrives with bread from his family’s bakery and his Digimon Tamers flag, this time with Hirokazu, Kenta, Juri, and Leomon added.
As they’re about to go off, Yamaki approaches them – but instead of stopping them, he gives them a communication device to help them and admits that he envies them. Takato thanks Yamaki, and the kids and their Digimon partners set off for the Digital World through the tunnel.
Tropes
- Foreshadowing: When asked what Juri did to tell her parents she would be off for a while, she gives a Non-Answer. When they come back, it turns out either she didn't really tell them or escaped with Leomon when her Fantasy-Forbidding Father (who already lost his first wife) said no.
- Replaced the Theme Tune: The second ending theme, “Days ~Affection and the Norm~” debuts in this episode.
- Spoiler Opening: The opening mostly doesn’t change except for fully revealing the final forms of the three main Digimon and Impmon, which had been previously silhouetted.
- Sinister Shades: The fact Yamaki takes them off at the end of this episode cues the audience in that he’s becoming a little less of a Jerkass.
