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Rachael Lillis, the Original Voice of Misty and Jessie from ‘Pokemon’, Has Died

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Rachael Lillis, the OG Voice Actress for Pokemon’s Misty and Jessie, Has Passed Away From Breast Cancer

This might be one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to write for this blog, but it needs to be done. This monday, it was publicly announced that Rachael Lillis, the legendary voice actress and original voice of Misty and Jessie, passed away on Saturday, August 10th. She was 46 years old.

A professional voice actress, people best knew Rachael for her time with the Pokémon franchise. When 4Kids started dubbing the anime in the West, Rachael was part of the original cast. For eight years, she provided the voice to both Misty, the water-type Pokémon trainer with a fiery temper, and Jessie, the lovable villainess of Team Rocket. She was also the voice behind multiple Pokemon, with Jigglypuff being the most notable. To the best of my knowledge, they still use archival recordings of her for Jigglypuff to this day.

Earlier this year, I had reported how Rachael had developed breast cancer that had since spread to other parts of her body, leaving her barely able to walk on her own. Several of her relatives and colleagues set up a GoFundMe to get the money to move her to a better facility, and many spread the word about it on social media. As hopeful as I wanted to be, I knew she wasn’t long for this world. But…I didn’t expect us to lose her this soon.

I don’t need to spend time explaining just how important Rachael, Misty, and Jessie were to me. Watching Pokemon was what got me into anime. I retroactively consider Misty to be my first anime waifu ever. Watching how she could go from being sweet and friendly with Ash and Brock to being ballistic was so much fun, and it made for a big part of the show’s appeal to me. As a 90s/2000s kid, losing her is like a massive gut punch. I’m barely able to keep myself from crying as I write this; it’s beyond devastating.

Fans and colleagues are mourning Rachael’s passing all across the Internet, and it is heartbreaking to read. She was one of those early pioneers of anime in the West, and while others went on to voice her characters, to me, she was the only Misty and Jessie that I needed.

Rest in peace, Rachael. You were a real one, and I’ll never forget you as Misty for as long as I live.

Misty from Pokémon Needs Help Fighting Cancer

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They say you always remember your first. The first time you kissed someone, the first time you got behind the wheel of a car, and the day your first kid was born. But for anime fans, one of the biggest firsts is our first anime crush. For me, I am not ashamed to admit that it was Misty from the original Pokémon anime. Maybe it was because I liked her fashion sense, or her fiery nature. Which is ironic, considering she uses water-type Pokémon . Whatever the reasons, Misty holds the distinction of being my first anime waifu.

Which is why I am very sad to report this: Misty’s voice actress has cancer.

On Monday, May 13th, 2024, a new campaign went up on GoFundMe, organized by the sister of voice actress Rachel Lillis. Those who grew up watching Pokémon will best remember her as the voices of Jessie and Misty from the show. And, as of January, 2024, she’s been living in a nursing home in Los Angeles. The cancer in question, breast cancer, has already spread to her spine, making it almost impossible for her to walk.

A mere nursing home is not enough, though. If Rachel wants to get the best help, she needs to be able to pay for an assisted living home or at-home care. Thus, her sister has organized this GoFundMe campaign to help support her. At the time of this writing, it’s raised $70k, 50K more than the original goal.

Rachel’s co-stars and friends have also shown their support. Eric Stuart, her co-star and the original voice for both James and Brock, has helped to spread the word about it on Twitter. And now I’m wanting to do the same.

I freaking hate cancer, you guys. It is one of the worst ways that anyone can die from, especially since it is something that your body is unable to fight back against. I’ve seen family, pets, and even celebrities taken before their time due to cancer. And I refuse to let it take the woman who voiced my first waifu without a fight. So, please, if you have it in your heart, please donate to help Rachel. She doesn’t deserve this. 

GoFundMe for Rachel Lillis

They say you always remember your first. The first time you kissed someone, the first time you got behind the wheel of a car, and the day your first kid was born. But for anime fans, one of the biggest firsts is our first anime crush. For me, I am not ashamed to admit that it was Misty from the original Pokémon anime. Maybe it was because I liked her fashion sense, or her fiery nature. Which is ironic, considering she uses water-type Pokemon. Whatever the reasons, Misty holds the distinction of being my first anime waifu.

Which is why I am very sad to report this: Misty’s voice actress has cancer.

On Monday, May 13th, 2024, a new campaign went up on GoFundMe, organized by the sister of voice actress Rachel Lillis. Those who grew up watching Pokémon will best remember her as the voices of Jessie and Misty from the show. And, as of January, 2024, she’s been living in a nursing home in Los Angeles. The cancer in question, breast cancer, has already spread to her spine, making it almost impossible for her to walk.

A mere nursing home is not enough, though. If Rachel wants to get the best help, she needs to be able to pay for an assisted living home or at-home care. Thus, her sister has organized this GoFundMe campaign to help support her. At the time of this writing, it’s raised $70k, 50K more than the original goal.

Rachel’s co-stars and friends have also shown their support. Eric Stuart, her co-star and the original voice for both James and Brock, has helped to spread the word about it on Twitter. And now I’m wanting to do the same.

I freaking hate cancer, you guys. It is one of the worst ways that anyone can die from, especially since it is something that your body is unable to fight back against. I’ve seen family, pets, and even celebrities taken before their time due to cancer. And I refuse to let it take the woman who voiced my first waifu without a fight. So, please, if you have it in your heart, please donate to help Rachel. She doesn’t deserve this. 

GoFundMe for Rachel Lillis