Piedmon and WarGreymon battle, but WarGreymon cannot stop him alone. Matt falls into a dark cave, but he escapes once he confronts his feelings. After rescuing Sora from her dark cave, they return with Joe. Matt makes up with Tai, activating the Crest of Friendship. With all of the DigiDestined but Mimi reunited, both WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon prepare to battle Piedmon.

Although the Dark Masters are defeated, it is not enough to stop the complete destruction of the Digital World and the children and their Digimon are forced to face the true mastermind of all the chaos - Apocalymon.

Piedmon turns the DigiDestined and their Digimon into doll keychains. With T.K. and Kari remaining, T.K. imagines Matt giving him advice, regaining hope and activating his Crest. Angemon Digivolves into MagnaAngemon and saves the rest of the DigiDestined, and together, they defeat Piedmon when Mimi reunites with the group. The DigiDestined are unable to celebrate their victory when they receive an e-mail from Gennai, who reveals that another enemy is the true cause for the destruction of the Digital World.

Apocalymon is defeated, and the DigiDestined prepare to spend the rest of their summer in the Digital World. However, Gennai informs them that they either have to leave quickly, or remain in the Digital World forever.

The DigiDestined reunite at Fuji TV Station to fight Myotismon and Phantomon. Myotismon tries to kill Kari and Gatomon, Wizardmon sacrifices himself to protect them. Distraught, Kari causes Gatomon to Digivolve into Angewomon, destroying Myotismon with a combined attack. However, fog still remains around Odaiba.

During Kimeramon and Magnamon's fight, Wormmon sacrifices his life energy to give Magnamon the strength to defeat Kimeramon. Wormmon dies, and Ken is forced to accept that the Digital World was real while facing his past. The Digi-egg of Miracles disintegrates into the Crest of Kindmess for Ken, and with the Digimon Emperor gone, the DigiDestined return home.

While the DigiDestined monitor the children, BlackWarGreymon confronts Oikawa, who tells him the truth about his creation, and tries to attack him. He is stopped by both WarGreymon and Imperialdramon. After a fierce battle, they plead with BlackWarGreymon to befriend them.

One of the children's Dark Spores blooms into a Dark Flower and is harvested by Oikawa, despite the DigiDestined's best efforts to stop him. When Cody's grandfather fails to dissuade him, BlackWarGreymon sacrifices himself to protect him. Noticing that Oikawa is possessed, he uses his remaining power to seal Highton View Terrace's portal to the Digital World.

Oikawa attempts to bring the children to the Digital World, but because BlackWarGreymon had sealed Highton View Terrace's portal, they end up in the Dream World. Oikawa's possession manifests as Myotismon, who Digivolves into MaloMyotismon using the Dark Spores and kills Arukenimon and Mummymon. The DigiDestined become fearful, with the exception of Davis and ExVeemon.

VenomMyotismon is defeated after he exposes his weak point, which WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon exploit. The fog clears to reveal the Digital World reflected in the sky, and the DigiDestined realize that the boundaries between both worlds have begun to intersect, as years have passed in the Digital World since their departure. The DigiDestined decide to return to the Digital World, leaving their families.

T.K. is attacked in Primary Village by Leomon and Ogremon, until Tai, Matt, Izzy, Mimi, and their Digimon arrive to his rescue, where they use their Digivices to free Leomon from the Black Gears. Leomon later explains the prophecy that the children, as "DigiDestined", are to the saviors of the Digital World. The group fights Devimon, who absorbs Black Gears and Ogremon. Devimon defeats the DigiDestined, even when Joe and Sora rejoin them. Patamon Digivolves into Angemon when T.K. is in danger and sacrifices himself to defeat Devimon. Angemon's data reconstitutes into a DigiEgg, and File Island begins to reform itself. The DigiDestined are then suddenly contacted by Gennai.

While the rest of the DigiDestined distract Etemon's forces, Tai and Izzy infiltrate the pyramid to save Sora, where Datamon plans on cloning her to use her Crest and Biyomon to enact revenge on Etemon. Tai musters his courage and saves Sora while Datamon activates the Dark Network to absorb data, including Etemon. Etemon, fused with the Dark Network, fights the DigiDestined, but Tai's Crest allows Greymon to Digivolve into MetalGreymon. When Etemon is defeated, a portal swallows him while Tai and Koromon are sent to Tokyo.

Myotismon is reborn as VenomMyotismon, empowering himself by consuming his army before advancing to the convention center for the humans. Recalling Gennai's prophecy from earlier, Izzy discovers that Angemon and Angewomon must strike Tai and Matt in order to bring about a miracle that will allow them to defeat VenomMyotismon. Tai and Matt risk their lives and fulfill the prophecy, allowing Agumon and Gabumon to Warp Digivolve into WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon.

While Davis and Veemon remain behind, the rest of the DigiDestined infiltrate Ken's base at the Dark Whirlpool. The Dark Whirlpool contains Devimon's data, which Ken uses for Kimeramon, despite being warned about the powers of darkness. T.K. is angry upon discovering this and confronts Ken. Once Ken releases Kimeramon, T.K. escapes with the other DigiDestined and the base's prisoners.

In a dream, Ken reminisces entering the Digital World for the first time and becoming resentful towards his older brother, Sam. When Sam dies, Ken receives an e-mail leads him to becoming the Digimon Emperor. After waking up, Ken returns to the Digital World and ends up in Primary Village where, after promising to redeem himself, he is reunited with Wormmon in his infant form Leafmon.

Davis and Yolei make a failed attempt at improving Cody and Ken's relationship. Arukenimon creates BlackWarGreymon from 100 Control Spires to fight against the DigiDestined, and he overpowers their Digimon. However, BlackWarGreymon rebels against Arukenimon and Mummymon, leaving them.

As the Digimon fight BlackWarGreymon, the DigiDestined attempt to move the Destiny Stone with their D-3s under Davis' advice. This summons Azulongmon, who had appeared when the Destiny Stones were destroyed. BlackWarGreymon is defeated by Azulongmon and leaves to look for his life's purpose. Azulongmon explains to the DigiDestined about Control Spires and Armor Digivolution, while warning them that Arukenimon is not their true enemy.

With Oikawa's goal complete, he hands Ken over to Daemon. Davis and the other DigiDestined intervene, but Imperialdramon and the other Digimon are powerless against him. As Daemon is able to re-enter the Real World even after being sent back to the Digital World, Ken takes a risk in redirecting the portal to the Dark Ocean. Oikawa lets the kidnapped children return home as he and his followers escape.

Tai and Koromon arrive home, where they meet Tai's younger sister, Kari, and also learn that not much time has passed since they were in the Digital World. Later, Tai gets a message from Izzy telling him not to return, and he discovers that Digimon are appearing in the Real World. He concludes that they must return to the Digital World and help their friends. After Koromon Digivolves to Agumon to battle an Ogremon, a portal opens and transports both of them back to the Digital World.

Kimeramon defeats the DigiDestined, but Ken can no longer control him. Fearing for Ken, Wormmon leads Davis and Veemon to the power source of the base, the Digi-egg of Miracles. Davis uses the Digi-egg of Miracles to Golden Armor Digivolve Veemon into Magnamon.

With the Digimon Emperor's base about to explode, the DigiDestined try to contain it, only to be confronted by the woman creating Okuwamon from ten Control Spires. While Ken comes to their aid, he wants to deal with the crisis himself out of atonement, but Davis refuses to allow this. Davis' declaration of friendship causes ExVeemon and Stingmon to DNA Digivolve into Paildramon.

As Davis and Ken fight Triceramon in Tamachi, the DigiDestined receive one of Azulongmon's Digicores from a rejuvenated Gennai, which results in not only restoring the original partner Digimons' ability to reach ultimate level, but also allows Paildramon Digivolve into Imperialdramon. The DigiDestined are instructed to meet Gennai's aides and the international DigiDestined worldwide to send the wild Digimon back into the Digital World.

The Daemon Corps invade Japan, targeting Ken, and SkullSatamon overwhelms Paildramon. The older DigiDestined Digimon relinquish the power to allow Imperialdramon to transform into Fighter Mode to destroy SkullSatamon. Daemon demands the DigiDestined surrender Ken, but Ken is forced to turn himself into Arukenimon's custody when she reveals the children she and Mummymon abducted.

Ken meets Yukio Oikawa, who knows his past and wants to copy the data of the Dark Spore embedded in his neck for the kidnapped children. The rest of the DigiDestined fight LadyDevimon and MarineDevimon to catch up to him. Yolei and Cody are both forced to watch their Digimon partners kill other Digimon.

MaloMyotismon tempts the DigiDestined with illusions of their dreams, but Davis, whose dream was that ExVeemon could grow more powerful to defeat him, guides them out. The others follow his example, causing the Digimon to duplicate all Digivolutions. The attacks of all the Digimon send MaloMyotismon into the Digital World, leaving only Imperialdramon, Silphymon and Shakkoumon to face him, as he increases his powers.