Upton Braun
An alternate universe's version of Pokefutures' Adonis Project, the figure who identifies as Upton Braun is a chimerical glitch formed from Zapdos cells suspended over a human cell matrix. He found his way into the main timeline along with his team and has since settled in as an intern (and later field journalist) for the Geographic Society.
Contents
Appearance
On the surface, he has no major discernible differences from a human being. He outwardly resembles a tall, athletic person of mixed Caucasian ([German]) and indigenous Orren ([Puebloan]/[Hopi]) descent. He has blond hair (with a weird texture that people describe as "feathery") and tanned skin. His stereotypical outfit resembles the clothes worn by hikers and outdoor enthusiasts.
He does, however, create a glitching effect around him. People often notice that reality seems to pixelate around his shoulders, which he often shrugs off as an optical illusion of some sort.
History
Creation
Upton began his life as one of the many biotech experiments commissioned by Pokefutures in one timeline as one of the assets made for its Adonis Project. The project's head, Dr. Phineas Braun, was motivated by curiosity and sought the approval to grow and use several tissue cultures based on the initial Zapdos DNA to create zygotes as part of their research. Much like other attempts to create a clone of a legendary, the resulting zygotes were prone to glitching, something that needed to be accounted when it came time to graft the tissue onto a FutureSeries mech.
In an attempt to contain the glitching and stabilize the resulting zygotes, they were suspended in a matrix comprising human cells. Two cellular lines drawn from the leading scientists, including Dr. Braun, were used. Fueled by curiosity and then later attachment, Dr. Braun and his partner continued to let at least one zygote grow on the pretext of observing what would happen.
It was believed at the time that the Zapdos cells were suspended on a human body to create a creature that was much easier to control. A human child was presumably weaker than a Zapdos chick. In truth, the reasons were more hubristic: the scientists and higher ups believed that only human cells were capable of surviving being suspended among Zapdos cells.
Escape and Later Life
The resulting organism, resembling a glitchy human child, was raised in a Pokefutures facility by one of Dr. Braun's colleagues. Upon her death, Braun suspected foul play and proceeded to subtly interfere with the development of the FutureSeries legendaries, especially the one the now-dubbed Adonis Project would be destined for. Although he was murdered by orders of a higher-up, Phineas Braun's interference continued as a rotom, which culminated in him freeing the young Adonis project and escaping with him, destroying the facility and its research in the process.
As Pokefutures gradually grew in power, he and Dr. Braun's ghost (now a Rotom that goes by Phineas) joined the resistance movements against the company. Using their new jobs as Geographic Society correspondents, they investigated the fates of their counterparts in the new present. Often addressed as Adonis or variants therein, he eventually took on the first name Upton, and used his creator's surname whenever he needed one. A temporal shift caused by the activities of Team Mobius caused him and his team to fall into the main timeline. With no means to go back home, they've decided to settle into the new timeline temporarily. They've had some difficulty adapting to the new reality, however. His glitching, which he had once kept in check, was now more difficult to control.
On the 1st of April 2020, Upton ended up becoming a pawn of the Dr. Braun of another timeline, whose attempts to attain godhood required breaching PEFE HQ. He was later turned into the central component of a makeshift FutureZapdos, but was eventually freed during a battle against his robotic prison in Wyndon.
Relationships
Upton considers Phineas, the ghost of Dr. Braun, as his father. Phineas does not reciprocate these feelings (out loud) and they avoid bringing it up.
He has a poor habit of eating people's lunches. He ate Tommy Petersen's lunches at least ten times, much to the latter's chagrin.
Known Pokémon
Trivia
- Rather than a clone or a genetically modified organism, Upton is a chimera, formed from the cellular lines of three separate creatures.
- Upton's creation parallels the experiments that led to the creation of the Scythermen.
- He has much of the same abilities possessed by Zapdos, though due to his nature as a chimera, they are rarely as powerful. Because he is physically human-shaped, he cannot actually perform any flying type moves outside of very specific circumstances.
- With the exception of Phineas, his mon roster are derived from deities in Canaanite mythology. Adonis as a name comes from Canaanite adonai, which means "Lord".
