Joe McConnell
Pokémon voice actress Rachael Lillis, who starred in Pokémon TV shows, movies, and video games since the late 1990s, has died of breast cancer at the age of 46.
Lillis voiced the main Pokémon characters Misty and Jessie, and many others, in the beloved Japanese animated series.
His death was announced by Veronica Taylor, who plays Pokémon’s main character, Ash Ketchum.
Mrs. Taylor wrote: “Rachael had an extraordinary talent, a brilliant light that shone through her voice, both when she spoke and when she sang.”
“We all know Rachael Lillis for the many wonderful roles she has played,” Taylor wrote on social media on Monday.
“He filled our Saturday mornings and the hours before and after school with his beautiful voice, his extraordinary comic timing and his extraordinary acting skills.”
Lillis said she is grateful for the support she has received in her fight against cancer.
“It really made a positive difference,” Ms Taylor said.
Lillis’s sister also confirmed her death on an online fundraising site for her cancer treatment.
“This was unexpected and we are deeply saddened,” Laurie Orr wrote, adding that her sister’s health began to decline last week.
“It breaks my heart to lose my dear little sister, although it comforts me to know that she is free,” he said.
Lillis was born in Niagara Falls, New York, in 1978 and studied opera in college before becoming a voice actress.
According to IMDB, his voice appeared in 423 episodes of Pokémon between 1997 and 2015.
He also voiced the Pokémon character Jigglypuff, including in the 2019 film Detective Pikachu and the Super Smash Bros. video game series.
A memorial service is being planned at a later date.
