Rachael Lillis, known to many as the voice of Misty and Jessie in the Pokémon TV series, films, and video games — passed away at the age of 46 following a battle with breast cancer.
Lillis’s death was confirmed by her sister Laurie Orr and shared by fellow voice actress Veronica Taylor, the voice of Ash Ketchum in the Pokémon franchise, reported BBC.
Orr confirmed Lillis’s death on an online fundraiser page dedicated to her cancer treatment.
Expressing her grief, she said, “This was unexpected and we are completely grief-stricken. My heart breaks losing my dear little sister, though I am comforted knowing she is free.”
The impact of Lillis’s work extended across numerous Pokémon episodes, with her voice appearing in 423 episodes of the series from 1997 to 2015.
She also lent her voice to the iconic Pokémon character Jigglypuff, including roles in the 2019 film Detective Pikachu and the Super Smash Bros video game series.
Born in Niagara Falls, New York, in 1978, Lillis initially trained in opera before transitioning to voice acting.
Her other English language voice acting credits for adaptations include the Your Lie in April TV series, Hunter x Hunter, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn and the voice role of Satsuki in the 1992 TV series Guardian of Darkness.
A memorial service for Rachael Lillis is being planned and will be announced at a later date.
