Confession

A strange infection is spreading among the DigiDestined's partners.

Synopsis
Massive air traffic problems have grounded planes all over the region, likely having been caused by the Infected Digimon. All of this is overseen by the Incorporated Administrative Agency, while Daigo Nishijima argues with Maki Himekawa over being left out of the loop concerning 's connection with the Infected Digimon and Himekawa coolly responding. At school, Mimi Tachikawa enjoys how everyone liked the festival and how the other girls will reconsider her "Cosplay Cafe" idea next year, however, the mood shifts when the girls bring up Meiko Mochizuki's disappearance. Remembering Meicoomon going berserk, Mimi looks for Meiko Mochizuki to console her, but Meiko flees and breaks down into tears. Meanwhile, Takeru "T.K." Takaishi and Kari Kamiya try to find Ken Ichijouji, who appears to have become the Digimon Emperor once again but cannot find him.

At Koushiro "Izzy" Izumi's office, Izzy quarantines the Digimon partners in a special space to keep them safe while desperately trying to come up with answers. Because all his tests fail, he begins to pressure Meiko for information on Meicoomon's infection, causing her to break down and Mimi to berate Izzy for his insensitivity to her plight. Izzy however, still stressed about his failed research, reminds her of the potential spread of the infection takes more of a priority. Mimi and Izzy argue until Sora Takenouchi intervenes and Meiko pleads forgiveness. The group eventually splits to let Izzy work. Yamato "Matt" Ishida reconfirms Mimi and Joe Kido's Digimon achieving Mega through the prophecy sent to them, which should prevent their reliance on and draw some burden away from Taichi "Tai" Kamiya. This revelation stuns Tai.

At her home, Meiko learns from her mother that her father, a leading professor on the Infected Digimon crisis, is having an emergency meeting with the Incorporated Administrative Agency about Meicoomon's infection and the subsequent damage to electronics it causes. After the meeting, Matt confronts Himekawa and Nishijima about keeping information from them, and after Himekawa agrees to give him info and keep him informed in the future. Matt leaves while suspecting she is still keeping things from him, which is confirmed when Nishijima confronts her about not informing him about the missing Digidestined, only for Himekawa to rebuke him. Meiko brings her father a change of clothes, and though he attempts to comfort her, he has to attend another meeting.

Later, Meiko's depression causes her to miss school, and so Sora brings her her homework for the summer. Seeing her depression, Sora confesses that Tai once had Agumon do a Dark Digivolution and since he is fine, Meicoomon could be fine as well. With this, Meiko finally breaks down crying. Elsewhere in Izzy's office, Joe finds that Izzy has not slept for days, and the research is taking its toll on him. He begins to make headway when he finds that a possible infection was on his computer, something that he can analyze. When T.K. arrives, however, Joe has managed to finally get Izzy to rest. Seeing their opportunity, the Digimon come out to play, but Patamon shows signs of an infection and bites T.K.'s arm. T.K. then takes Patamon home with him, intending to quarantine Patamon from infection but unable to tell the others.

The next day, Meiko returns to school and is reunited with the others who have called an emergency meeting. Because of Patamon's absence, the other Digimon want to roam freely too, but their partners fear an infection and realize bunching them up runs the risk of a mass infection. After an agreement is made, T.K. confesses to Meiko that Patamon is fighting an infection, causing her to lose her renewed vigor. At home, Patamon recognizes his infection and makes T.K. promise to "finish him" should he go completely infected like Meicoomon. Both partners break down crying and hug even as it turns dark. Matt and Gabumon arrive to try and probe T.K., who deflects. Sora checks in on everyone, causing Biyomon to question how Sora is taking care of herself if she's so busy taking care of everyone else.

At night, a massive power outage carries a message of a coming Digimon invasion, causing a panic. Izzy works fearlessly to find a cure or preventive measure to the Infection, and the Digimon take their leave in his stress induced panic. Himekawa has the Digimon followed as they leave. At Odaiba Middle School, T.K. contemplates his and Patamon's situation as Kari gets a call. When she answers it, she hears a sound that puts her into an hypnotic daze. In her daze, she confronts the Digimon partners as Patamon confesses his infection and tells them of a last resort plan to rid the world of the infection by a "reboot". Before she can elaborate beyond that it would require a great sacrifice, she passes out. Himekawa aids her and reveals that the voice was Homeostasis, a power that works to keep the balance and akin to a god. The Digimon come to realize that a reboot might wipe their memories in the process, so they wish to spend as much time with their partners as possible should the worst case happen. Though they keep brave faces, it becomes obvious to most DigiDestined that something bad is going to happen as Matt and Izzy start to crack under the pressures of their newly achieved adulthood and leadership roles in their respective fields. As Izzy laments his lack of knowledge and his inability to do anything, Tentomon reminds him that a lack of knowledge means that there is room for growth and tell him that he is at his best while pursuing answers. Tentomon then tells him about the upcoming reboot, the knowledge of which allows Izzy to come up with a plan. Agumon also confesses to Tai about the upcoming reboot.

Elsewhere, Meicoomon emerges from a distortion and is met by the DigiDestined, who attempts to mitigate the damage by forcing her through the distortion. Things take a turn for the worse when she achieves her Ultimate form,. Despite T.K.'s attempts to stop him, Patamon digivolves to Angemon and enters the fray. He is overpowered by his infection, however, which then starts spreading to the other Digimon. At his office, Izzy realizes Meicoomon is the source of the infection and makes a counter measure to the reboot by creating a backup shield that will preserve their original data. However, when he arrives and sets up the shield, the infection has spread to everyone else save for. He and MetalGreymon are unable to throw the others into the shield, and MetalGreymon is infected as well while a timer appears and counts down the seconds until the reboot. Izzy pleads with Tentomon to enter the shield, but Tentomon refuses to do so while his friends are suffering. He digivolves to his Mega form,. Though knocked into the Real World, HerculesKabuterimon pleads with the partners to remember themselves at the final moments. The others fight off the infection just long enough to force them all back into the distortion as the reboot occurs. All of the DigiDestined break down into tears at the loss.

Time moves on, however, though the DigiDestined cannot help but remember their partners even as they return to their daily lives. Izzy fights and fights, and eventually everyone decides that they're sick of waiting. With the resolve to move forward, they resolve to make their way into the. As the others tell Nishijima and Himekawa their plan, T.K. meets with Meiko, who reveals that Meicoomon was the source of the infection. Though T.K. is angry, he remembers his own hesitation to tell the others and uses that empathy to forgive her. Unfortunately, Meiko rejects the offer to join them, too sick with guilt. T.K. tells them where they're meet and meets up with the others. Using the power of their Crests as well as Ken's D-3 and D-Terminal, they are able to force a portal to the Digital World, through which they enter. After cutting her finger from a shard of a broken glass, the memories of her cutting her finger from a glass that Meicoomon accidentally broke causes Meiko to have a change of hearts and run there, but she is too late; the others have already left.

In the Digital World, the DigiDestined admit something feels off. They're interrupted by and, clearing Mega-level Digimon, fighting. They escape and then hear a familiar whistle. They follow the sound to see their partners playing around in their In-Training forms. It is a clear that the Digimon do not remember the humans, but the DigiDestined decide to befriend them from scratch.

Overlooking them, the Digimon Emperor, revealing himself to actually be Gennai, as Himekawa confronts him. In the distance, Meicoomon hides in the bushes and somehow still remembers Meiko.

Digivolutions
(Number indicates order of occurrence.)

Quotes
Izzy: "Meiko, I need you to answer some questions." Meiko: "Okay..." Izzy: "Are we sure Meicoomon's infected? Were there any symptoms, or anything out of the ordinary beforehand? If so, when did it all start? Anything you can tell us, no matter how insignificant could help. Don't overlook anything. Come on, Meiko, think!" Mimi: "That's enough, Izzy. There is no need for the third degree. Think before you speak, would you?" Izzy: "I'm sorry but we need this information and we need it now!" Mimi: "The bad cop routine won't help!" Izzy: "There's no time to waste! The infection could be spreading or mutating! Feelings are trivial!" Mimi: "Trivial!? Come on!" Sora: "Knock it off, both of you!"
 * —Izzy and Mimi's argument isn't helpful to solving the mystery of the infection.

Release
"Confession" was released on September 24, 2016. It will be released on region-free DVD and Blu-ray in Japan on November 2, 2016. "Confession" was released in the US on December 5, 2017 in DVD, Blu-ray.