With most of the original characters now in junior high school, the Digital World was supposedly secure and peaceful. However, a new evil has appeared in the form of the Digimon Emperor, a human just like the DigiDestined, who has been enslaving all Digimon. Three new children are chosen to save the Digital World and, along with T.K. and Kari, make up the new generation of DigiDestined.
Kimeramon soundly defeats the DigiDestined. Wormmon leads Davis and Veemon to the power source of the base. It turns out to be a golden Digi-egg, which Davis uses to golden armor digivolve Veemon to Magnamon.
Kimeramon and Magnamon fight. Ken's base explodes, and Wormmon gives all the power he has to help Magnamon defeat Kimeramon.
The DigiDestined are attacked by Tyrannomon. T.K. and Kari find the Digi-eggs of Hope and Light, allowing Patamon and Gatomon to Armor Digivolve into Pegasusmon and Nefertimon to save their friends and free Tyrannomon.
Ken reminisces about his brother Sam, his digivice, an e-mail he got, and when he first went into the Digital World (despite his temporary amnesia in the real world).
Davis, Kari, and T.K. find that their Digimon can't Digivolve. Cody is attacked by Thundermon, leading to Armadillomon's unexpected digivolution into Ankylomon.
Mimi and the new DigiDestined have a picnic in the Digital World. But Mimi falls into a hole and, along with Yolei, is separated from the rest of the DigiDestined.
The DigiDestined see that Ken's base is about to explode. Okuwamon, a digimon made from control spires, attacks the DigiDestined. Ken comes, and Davis talks about friendship.
Paildramon and Okuwamon continue fighting. Ken puts his crest of kindness into a slot in the base, but it does not do anything.
The DigiDestined arrive at the giant Giga House, where the strange woman lies in wait. As they draw closer to her, the group is attacked by different kinds of insect digimon.
Yolei creates a counter to the strange woman's music (because she worked with Matt's band). She transforms into a Digimon called Arukenimon and a fight breaks.
While Cody's doubts towards Ken causes Ken to leave the group, Mummymon and Arukenimon combine a hundred control spires to create BlackWarGreymon.
While searching for Gatomon's tail ring, Yolei, Kari, Ken, and their Digimon stumble into the Dark Ocean.
While searching for Gatomon's tail ring, Yolei, Kari, Ken, and their Digimon stumble into the Dark Ocean.
Yolei, while on a school trip, encounters BlackWarGreymon and several other digimon in the real world after the mega just destroyed a second Destiny Stone.
When BlackWarGreymon destroy the third stone, a digimon briefly appears and BlackWarGreymon becomes convinced that this is his worthy opponent.
Cody, worried about T.K., goes to see Matt, who tells him about how T.K. still carries the scars from the battle against Devimon. BlackWarGreymon destroys one of the final two destiny stones.
Both the old and new DigiDestined gather to celebrate the anniversary of the day they first went to the Digital World.
While the DNA digivolved digimon hold off BlackWarGreymon, Davis gets the idea of moving the last Destiny Stone with the D3s. Instead of moving it, this summons Azulongmon.
All of the new DigiDestined (except Davis, who can't fly to the location) sneak into Ken's base.
Kimeramon soundly defeats the DigiDestined. Wormmon leads Davis and Veemon to the power source of the base. It turns out to be a golden Digi-egg, which Davis uses to golden armor digivolve Veemon to Magnamon.
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.
After summer vacation ends, the DigiDestined return to the Digital World to help the Digimon with reconstruction. While there, Davis, in an effort to impress Kari, wants Veemon to Digivolve naturally like Patamon. Instead, he angers a Tortomon, who chases them. Veemon Digivolves to ExVeemon to fight him.
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.
Ken finds a woman in his room who knows his past. While helping in the restoration, Davis, Kari and T.K. find that their Digimon can't Digivolve naturally despite the Control Spires being deactivated. Cody is attacked by Thundermon, leading to Armadillomon to Digivolve into Ankylomon. Thundermon is killed by Ken and Stingmon, leading the DigiDestined to become wary of him.
Mimi and SnowBotamon are under attack when a Golemon tries to destroy a dam. With the DigiDestined unable to stop him, they are forced to seek Ken's help. Though Yolei is doubtful at first, the DigiDestined learn that Golemon was created from Control Spires by the woman. With newfound faith in Ken, Yolei causes Hawkmon to Digivolve into Aquilamon and defeat Golemon.
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.
Paildramon fights Okuwamon while the DigiDestined enter Ken's base, and Ken putting the Crest of Kindness into the energy core is ineffective. However, once Paildramon defeats Okuwamon, he destroys the remains of the base as well. The next day, the DigiDestined meet with Izzy, who explains DNA Digivolution and the original DigiDestined's sacrifice to protect the Digital World years ago.
The DigiDestined head to Giga House to find the woman, only to find out that her flute music has put all the insect Digimon under her control, including Stingmon and Digmon.
Yolei neutralizes the woman's flute music, and the woman reveals herself as Arukenimon. Arukenimon is defeated, but she is rescued by Mummymon and they escape.
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.
While searching for Gatomon's tail ring, Yolei, Kari, Ken, and their Digimon enter the Dark Ocean. When they are attacked by Arukenimon's Blossomon, Yolei snaps Kari out of a hysteric state and promises to stand by her. Gatomon and Aquilamon DNA Digivolve into Silphymon and destroys Blossomon, freeing them, despite the tail ring remaining lost.
Having developed a consciousness, BlackWarGreymon comes across Agumon and seeks his advice on his purpose in life. With BlackWarGreymon refusing to obey, Arukenimon creates Knightmon to destroy one of the Digital World's Destiny Stones. Though the DigiDestined attempt to stop Arukenimon, Mummymon, and Knightmon, the damage to the Destiny Stone attracts BlackGreymon and he shatters it.
During a school trip to Kyoto, Yolei encounters BlackWarGreymon and several other Digimon in the Real World after he destroys the second Destiny Stone. Ken briefly returns from the Digital World to bring her Poromon, and their battle attracts the attention of Sora's father, Haruhiko, and Joe's brother Jim.[b] When Musyamon appears, Yolei and Hawkmon defeat and return him to the Digital World.
When BlackWarGreymon destroys the third Destiny Stone, he is convinced that he is destined to fight the Digimon that appears when a Destiny Stone is destroyed. The DigiDestined realize that destroying all the Destiny Stones would upset the balance between all worlds. T.K. becomes frustrated, and despite Angemon digivolving to MagnaAngemon, BlackWarGreymon still destroys the next Destiny Stone.
Cody, worried about T.K., visits Matt, who tells him that T.K. still carries the scars from the battle against Devimon. Determined to stop BlackWarGreymon, Cody personally fronts him. However, BlackWarGreymon is won over by his instincts and destroys the fifth Destiny Stone.
The DigiDestined find Arukenimon and Mummymon at Digitamamon's Chinese restaurant and discover that the final Destiny Stone is hidden in the restaurant's springs. When BlackWarGreymon appears, Angemon and Ankylomon DNA Digivolve into Shakkoumon, preparing to fight with the other Digimon.
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.
On Christmas Eve, the younger DigiDestined hold a party at Ken's apartment while the older DigiDestined attend Matt's concert. Digimon suddenly arrive in the Real World interrupt the concert, forcing the DigiDestined to send them back into the Digital World. The DigiDestined wake up the next day to find that Control Spires and Digimon are appearing worldwide.
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.
As Davis joins up with Mimi and the American DigiDestined, Kari and Izzy receive help from the Poi Brothers in Hong Kong.
In Australia, Cody and Joe meet with Derek to fight marine Digimon. In Paris, T.K. and Tai receive help from T.K.'s grandfather to save a French DigiDestined held hostage in Versailles by the Mamemon brothers.
Ken and Matt help out a Mexican DigiDestined, while Sora and Yolei helped those in Russia and Siberia. Yolei and Sora are successful in Russia, but they are rescued from an attack by Imperialdramon. The DigiDestined return home in time for Christmas, but while they were traveling, Arukenimon and Mummymon have been gathering children.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Assisted by DigiDestined all over the world and the kidnapped children, the DigiDestined weaken MaloMyotismon with their dreams and Imperialdramon destroys him, ending Myotismon’s reign of terror for good. Oikawa sacrifices himself by using the power of the Dream World dimension to become data and restoring the Digital World. Twenty-five years later, everyone in the Real World has a Digimon partner, and the DigiDestined's children hold the responsibility of protecting the worlds.