News Desk

The Advocate Post: Rachael Lillis, a voice actress known for her iconic roles in the Pokémon TV series, films, and video games since the late 1990s, has passed away at the age of 46 from breast cancer. Lillis was best known for voicing characters like Misty and Jessie, among others, in the beloved Japanese animated series.

Her death was announced by Veronica Taylor, who voices Ash Ketchum, the main character of Pokémon. Taylor praised Lillis as an “extraordinary talent” whose voice brought joy to many, highlighting her comic timing and acting skills that brightened Saturday mornings and after-school hours.

Lillis’s sister, Laurie Orr, also confirmed her passing on a GoFundMe page that had been set up earlier this year to support Lillis’s cancer treatment and care. Orr expressed her deep sorrow, sharing that Lillis’s health had rapidly declined the previous week and that she finds some comfort in knowing her sister is now free.

Lillis, born in Niagara Falls, New York, in 1978, trained in opera before pursuing a career in voice acting. Her work spanned 423 episodes of Pokémon between 1997 and 2015, and she also voiced the character Jigglypuff in the 2019 film Detective Pikachu and the Super Smash Bros video game series.