Prince Sprocket has tried to create a device to allow the Machine Empire to grow monsters without the use of Orbus. However, his attempt backfires and instead he creates a device that shrinks things instead; he realizes that it could be used to turn the Prince of Edenoi into a much smaller problem for his father.
Synopsis[]
Kimberly and Tommy are working on their ecosystem project, a terrarium. They decide to go collect some specimens in the desert as Alpha drops by to accompany them. As they go, Tanya tells Kim to be careful, but she's unworried, saying "what could go wrong in the desert?"
Meanwhile, Orbus and Klank are arguing with Prince Sprocket over his claim that he can grow monsters even bigger than they can. When he tries to demonstrate on a rock, it shrinks instead, to Orbus and Klank's amusement. Mondo drops in to see how things are going, and is very pleased by the results, saying they can shrink Prince Alpha with Sprocket's device.
Back at the Juice Bar, Bulk and Skull show up in mining gear; they've been hired by the granddaughter of a gold hunter to look through his old notes, and they believe they've discovered the motherload. In spite of Ernie's skepticism, they gather their tools and head out.
Sprocket has Alpha 5 trapped in the terrarium.
Tommy, Kim and Alpha arrive in the desert, and Alpha gives out assignments; Kim will look for plants, Tommy lizards and maybe spiders, and he'll investigate an old mine in the area. Kim and Tommy soon discover a lizard, which they chase. Mondo and Sprocket are watching, and decide to try out the new weapon on Alpha. Along with a posse of Cogs, they confront the prince, who ducks the shrink ray so it hits a jeep. He morphs and fights back, but is overpowered and shrunk. Calling him cute, Sprocket asks his dad if he can keep him, and Mondo agrees. Sprocket puts him in the terrarium despite his protests, and leaves to collect more "pets."
As Tanya is painting the backdrop for the terrarium, Kim and Tommy come in, stating that Alpha is missing in the desert. Tanya's surprised, and calls Alpha on her communicator watch. When he doesn't answer, she calls Zordon, telling him to send the other Rangers to meet her at the mine. The three of them discover the shrunk jeep, which they decide to take to Zordon.
Ignoring the prince's continued demands to be let out, Sprocket leaves. Alpha tries with no success to call Zordon, and deduces that his powers have been shrunk as well, but surprisingly he can hear Delta's voice. Back at the Power Chamber, Delta points out a hole in the wire mesh on top of the terrarium, and he gets to work on escaping.
In the Power Chamber, Billy confirms that the miniature vehicle is Tommy's car. The Rangers head out to look for their missing friend.
Before Prince Alpha can escape, Sprocket returns with a new "playmate"--a tarantula he names Harry. Alpha deduces that he can distract the arachnid, and starts a rock slide that creates a wall between him and Harry. Sprocket's disappointment is interrupted by the arrival of Bulk and Skull. The two enter the mine and encounter a glittering wall apparently full of gold. Excited, they start hacking out chunks. Sprocket interrupts, scaring the pair away, but not before they grab the gold they had just mined.
Harry starts to climb the barricade. Out of ideas, Alpha says his only chance is escape. Bulk makes it out of the mine, yelling for Skull, only to encounter the Gold Ranger and flee again. He finds the terrarium and takes Alpha out. Sprocket returns and throws a fit, summoning more Cogs. Putting Alpha down, the Gold Ranger fights, attracting the attention of the other Rangers. Naturally they join in, and seeing they have everything under control, the Gold Ranger slips out. Sprocket and his goons flee, and the Rangers take their young friend back to base.
Sprocket whines about his defeat to King Mondo, who cheers him up with Orbus and Klank's newest creation--the Tarantabot.
Back in the Power Chamber, Alpha explains what happened, and Billy describes the ray's effect as a reduction of the space between molecules. He tests out his newest device, a Molecular Respacer, on the car, which works. At that point, the alarms go off; the Tarantabot has been sent down. Zordon says that this monster will require the entire team to deal with it, and instructs Billy to proceed with caution. The ray works perfectly, to everyone's relief.
The fight with Tarantabot is less easy, drawing the attention of the Gold Ranger once again. The team calls upon the Zeo Power Cannon, blasting the monster so that Orbus and Klank have to revive it at giant size. Both the Zeo Megazord and Red Battlezord are tangled in the monster's webbing, but Pyramidas is able to vaporize it. The Gold Ranger transmits instructions to the other Rangers to combine all of their Zords into the Zeo Ultrazord, and of course they comply. Tarantabot is destroyed quickly.
Later, a dehydrated Bulk wanders through the desert. He sees the Gold Ranger, but when he rubs his eyes, the superhero is gone--and Skull is wandering down the ridge towards him. When Bulk asks where he's been, he just says he needed some fresh air.
The Rangers finish the terrarium and are confronted. Alpha says he got lost in the desert and apologizes. Raymond accepts it, and pulls out one last addition to the terrarium: a tarantula.