Japanese Title: Sand Zone, A Great Adventure in the Ruins!
As Xros Heart heads to the next Zone, Akari notices a large landmass nearby. Jijimon comes out of Taiki's Xros Loader and explains that it is the Lake Zone that they just left and that the Digital World split into Zones when the Code Crowns split apart. He states that it had something to do with humanity, but starts to disintegrate before he can elaborate. He retreats to the Xros Loader and says that Digimon cannot survive in the digital space between Zones. Xros Heart exits into the Sand Zone, which was once home to a prosperous civilization that collapsed sometime in the past. Jijimon mentions that the treasures of the civilization still exist, prompting Taiki and the others to start a treasure hunt. The group sets off, but the heat soon gets to them. They see an oasis in the distance and Shoutmon runs to it, but disappears before he can reach it. The others follow Shoutmon and fall into a pit hidden by the sand. A Scorpiomonnote reveals himself as the one who set the trap pit's and attempts to capture them. Taiki has Dorulumon dig a deeper pit to get them out.
Underground, three Evilmonnote present a meal of gemstones to the Bagra Army general in the area, Blastmon, whose overly dramatic entrance cracks the cave ceiling. After eating the gems, Blastmon orders his underlings to find the Sand Zone's treasure for him to eat. Before they can do anything, Dorulumon breaks through the cave ceiling, bringing the Scorpiomon and all of Xros Heart down on Blastmon's head along with a large amount of sand. Blastmon's minions tell him that Taiki is the red General and Dorulumon recognizes Blastmon as one of the Bagra Army's three head officers. Xros Heart runs away and Blastmon orders the Evilmon to clean the sand off of him. As the group escapes, Akari notices that the tunnel walls are lined with crystals. Zenjirou grabs one for raw material to repair Ballistamon withnote , but sees several Scorpiomon pursuing them and starts running before he can gather any more. The Scorpiomon surround Taiki and the others, who are rescued by a Revolmonnote in a minecart. Revolmon tells Taiki that he is a treasure hunter looking for the Sand Zone's treasure. The cart careens off a broken section of track into an underground river in which the cart capsizes. As the group heads to land, Revolmon asks them to help him with his treasure hunt in exchange for him helping them escape while promising them a cut of the spoils. Revolmon leads them to the treasure chamber, which is sealed behind a sentient door shaped like a sarcophagus lid that according to Revolmon, reflects attacks and may be booby-trapped. Akari is able to charm the door into opening. One of the Scorpiomon reports the room's location to Blastmon.
As Taiki and the other proceed through the corridor beyond the door, Revolmon drops several shells and tells the group to go on ahead as he picks them up. They reach a dead end and Shoutmon triggers an alarm, which opens the barrier to reveal a BigMamemon. The BigMamemon starts to roll, chasing them out of the corridor. Revolmon re-enters the corridor from a hidden area behind the BigMamemon and wonders what Taiki will do. The Scorpiomon again attempt to capture Xros Heart, but Taiki has Shoutmon break a hole in the wall for them to hide in. The BigMamemon crushes the Scorpiomon, but is destroyed by Blastmon. The corridor comes out onto a bridge between several waterfalls. As they cross the bridge, Taiki shows Shoutmon that the DigiMemories are useable again. Revolmon explains that DigiMemories can be re-used after going to a different Zone. Dorulumon notices Blastmon catching up to them with more Scorpiomon and the group breaks into a run. Blastmon instead tries to fly into the treasure chamber and collides with the cave wall, collapsing part of the bridge. Taiki activates the HolyAngemonnote DigiMemory, which transports the three Evilmon and the horde of Scorpiomon to the surface. Revolmon demands at gunpoint that Taiki and the others fight the Zone's king, Pharaohmon, who will grant the Zone's treasure upon defeat. A device activates and manifests a large chamber around them all. Pharoahmon asks Taiki whether he brings darkness or light to the Digital World. Taiki says that he brings light and Pharaohmon tells him to prove it, stepping out of his sarcophagus.
Meanwhile, Blastmon reaches the surface just in time to see his forces getting wiped out by Nene and Sparrowmon and notices that Nene has a Xros Loader. Back underground, Taiki DigiXroses Shoutmon X4, whose attacks go through Pharaohmon as though he weren't there. When Pharaohmon reflects X4's attack, Taiki realizes what Pharaohmon's test really is and calls off X4 over Revolmon's protests. Pharaohmon acknowledges that Taiki has passed his test, revealing his true form of a floating, gaseous head. Revolmon reveals that he and Pharaohmon are friends and presents Taiki with new DigiMemories and the Sand Zone's Code Crown. On the surface, the Monitamon show Nene a video of Taiki receiving the Code Crown. One of the Evilmon also sees this and reports to Blastmon, who is just disappointed that the Sand Zone's treasure wasn't a diamond. Before Blastmon can attack either faction leader, he is ambushed by Kiriha and MailBirdramon. Kiriha orders a Cyberdramon to attack Blastmon with an explosive attack as Baalmon watches from above.
Tropes:
- Alien Sky: The Sand Zone has three suns. One's orange, another's green and the third is purple.
- Attack Reflector: The door, supposedly.
- Blood Knight: Sparrowmon clearly enjoys fighting.
- Bowdlerize: The dubbers turned Revolmon's guns blue with a glow emanating from the barrels. Does this even qualify as censorship?
- Build Like an Egyptian: Pharaohmon's chamber. The surface plays with this by having what clearly used to be bipyramids
with only the bottom halves intact. Oddly, Jijimon's flashback to the Sand Zone's civilization looked more like Ancient Grome. - Catch and Return: Pharaohmon's only known ability.
- Dumb Muscle: Blastmon isn't very bright, but is very strong and durable.
- The Fighting Narcissist: Blastmon cares more about being shiny than anything else.
- Fireballs: Monitamon has an attack that fires these. Too bad it used it against Blastmon.
- Gasshole: Jijimon. He attempts to use it to open the door, but all it achieves is the obvious reaction from the other characters.
- Gem-Encrusted: Blastmon's entire body.
- Glowing Gem: All over the damn place underground. Blastmon himself also glows briefly when eating gems.
- Having a Blast: Cyberdramon attacks Blastmon point-blank with an explosion. It's this trope when it shows up just fine in later episodes.
- Hollywood Mirage: Zenjirou thinks that the oasis up ahead is a mirage, which it could very well be considering that this is the Digital World. Nobody ever gets to find out, though.
- Indy Escape: Done with a BigMamemon instead of a boulder. Taiki has Shoutmon blast a hole in the wall to evade it. Averted by Blastmon, who simply one-shots it with a punch.
- Large Ham: Blastmon, constantly.
- Mass "Oh, Crap!": Pretty much everyone except Blastmon, who just one-shots the thing, has this reaction to the BigMamemon rolling right at them.
- Minecart Madness: The heroes make a getaway on a minecart that ends at a section of broken track.
- Nepharious Pharaoh: Invoked by Pharaohmon, but averted. He's actually a nice guy and friends with Revolmon.
- Playing with Fire: Monitamon is shown to have a fire attack.
- Revolvers Are Just Better: Revolmon, natch.
- Scary Scorpions: The Scorpiomon are Bagra Army Mooks.
- Sheathe Your Sword: Pharaohmon's test.
- Shifting Sand Land: The surface of the Sand Zone is nothing but dunes.
- Silicon-Based Life: Probably not actual silicon since Digimon are made of data, but Blastmon eats and is made of gemstones.
- Skewed Priorities: Blastmon only cares about being shiny, though it is possible for him to focus. As long as he's actively being attacked anyway.
- Thinking Up Portals: The HolyAngemon DigiMemory does this. Instead of being interdimensional as it was in Digimon Adventure, though, it just goes back to the surface.
- Tron Lines: The corridor and Pharaohmon's chamber have this between the bricks in place of mortar.
- Underground Level: Most of the episode takes place underground, where there's glowing crystals everywhere and the main method of transportation is the minecart.
- You Don't Look Like You: This version of Cyberdramon looks far more futuristic that the one from Digimon Tamers and other media.
