Pokémon voice actress Rachael Lillis, who played iconic roles in the Pokémon TV series, films, and video games since the late 1990s, has passed away from breast cancer at the age of 46.
Lillis was best known for voicing the main characters Misty and Jessie, among many others, on the beloved Japanese animated series. Her passing was announced by Veronica Taylor, the actress who co-starred with her as Ash Ketchum, the lead character in Pokémon.
“Rachael was an extraordinary talent, a bright light that shone through her voice whether speaking or singing,” Taylor wrote.
“We all know Rachael Lillis from the many wonderful roles she played,” Taylor shared on social media on Monday. “She filled our Saturday mornings and before/after school hours with her beautiful voice, her terrific comic timing, and her remarkable acting skills.”
Taylor also mentioned that Lillis was deeply appreciative of the support she received during her battle with cancer, saying, “It truly made a positive difference.”
Lillis’s death was also confirmed by her sister, Laurie Orr, on a GoFundMe page that had been set up earlier this year to raise funds for her cancer treatment and to help move her into a nursing home.
“This was unexpected, and we are completely grief-stricken,” wrote Orr, noting that her sister’s health began to decline last week. “My heart breaks losing my dear little sister, though I am comforted knowing she is free.”
The fundraising page has garnered over $100,000 (£78,000), with fans contributing since her passing, expressing that she had “gone too soon and much too young,” and that her “light shined bright” through her work.
Orr mentioned that the funds would now be used to cover remaining medical expenses, a memorial service, and “efforts to combat cancer.”
Born in Niagara Falls, New York, in 1978, Lillis trained in opera at university before transitioning to voice acting.
According to IMDb, her voice was featured in 423 episodes of Pokémon from 1997 to 2015. She also voiced the character Jigglypuff, including in the 2019 film Detective Pikachu and in the Super Smash Bros video game series.
