#rest in peace Rachael Lillis

[daily-pokemon-trivia]

Rachael Lillis, the original English voice actress of Misty and Jessie, has sadly passed away from cancer.

The message below is what Veronica Taylor posted on social media.

[jigglypuff-fan-blog]

Rachael Lillis passed away from breast cancer on August 10th 2024, at the age of 46.

Lillis was the voice of Jigglypuff in the Pokemon anime and in video games like Super Smash Bros., as well as other iconic Pokemon characters like Misty and Jessie.

[pikatrainer99]

It's a sad time for the Pokémon community...Rachael Lillis has passed away...

Every AniPoké fan knows that Rachael Lillis voiced Misty and Jessie in the original 4Kids dub of the Pokémon anime, as well as Jigglypuff throughout all appearances of the iconic singing Pokémon. She was an integral part of the Pokémon franchise here in the US, and she did amazing work playing all her characters. Unfortunately, she has lost her battle with breast cancer and passed away at only 46 years old. I am in tears and shock as I write this post, I was not expecting to see this news plastered all over my Google feed today. But that just shows how beloved she was to the Pokémon community, which is touching to see so many people whether they're fans like me, or who actually worked with her like Veronica Taylor and Eric Stuart, paying their respects to her all in their own ways. That's how I know that even though she's gone now, she will NEVER be forgotten. And now she's reunited with Maddie Blaustein (most iconic and best voice of Meowth). I hope she's laughing and joking with her again just like they did back when they worked together.

Rest in peace, Rachael Lillis. You were taken from us way too soon, but we will never forget you. Now I will rewatch the 4Kids dub of Pokémon again to celebrate the amazing work she provided for the series.

[miles-tails-prowers-crotch]

"Jessie's actually a lot like Misty. But taller!"

NOOOOOOOO!!!!!! IT'S MAKING ME THINK OF MS. LILLIS!!!!!!!!!!

Here's an arc I thought about doing but won't do because, it'd be a bit too sad and also it's too similar to the Turing Point Arc I already did and also it would be long. But I'll write it here for you angst enjoyers. This ended up being longer than I thought.

Despite getting the "okay" from Ash to date Jessie, Delia still worries that she's not doing the right thing or being a bad mom. Up until now she'd convinced herself that she had the right to be selfish for once after knowing only sacrifice and putting herself last.

Jessie and Ash, while not as antagonistic towards each other, still go at it. A Pikachu zap here, an angry "twerp" being uttered there. The guilt settles in for Delia and figures that it's best to just cut things off before things potentially get worse or before she gets too attached to Jessie. Her son comes first after all. That's what she signed up for when becoming a parent.

She sits Jessie down, eyes watery (it's the first time Jessie's ever seen Delia come close to crying). Delia says she thinks they should end things. Jessie is stunned but accepts it quickly. She sucks it up in the moment, puts a resigned smile on her face and tells Delia she'll leave immediately and not to worry about her. Delia's also broken up about it but promised herself she'd never cry over a goodbye and she wasn't gonna start now.

Jessie goes to James and Meowth's place greeted similarly to this, lightly teasing her about blowing it with Delia, and she breaks down sobbing. Oops it's real this time. James and Meowth do everything in their power to make her feel better. They let her know that things like this happen and they're ready to go wherever she wants to go (knowing that it'd likely be to painful for her to stay in Pallet). As much as she wants to leave, she doesn't want James and Meowth to lose the good thing they have going. She's not in the right headspace to make any decisions so she'll get to it later.

Ash returns home after doing a little training at Oak's lab. He notices Jessie's not around and asks his mom where she is. Delia is about to tell him but can't quite bring herself to say the truth out loud yet. She simply says "I don't know". Ash looks disappointed. "Aw man, I wanted to see if she wanted to battle. She makes a good battle buddy for all of my newer, baby Pokémon." Delia perks up that this. As quickly as he came, he leaves again to go train his Pokémon.

Later, Delia approaches Ash, asking him if he really meant that what he said about Jessie being a good battle partner. He gives her an enthusiastic "yeah!" and tells her that it's been nice having another battle ready trainer around since there's not many in Pallet. Delia starts to pry a little more. "I thought you and Jessie didn't get along?" Ash is confused, and tells Delia they get along great! "Jessie doesn't steal anymore! And she's getting better at battling which is cool." Delia brings up that she's head them argue before. "Oh... well I guess that's just how we are. I'd be weirded out if she was suddenly too nice to me all the time. Jessie's actually a lot like Misty. But taller!" This gives Delia a lot to think about but what's done is done and it's no use pressing on. It's easier this way.

The next morning Delia's getting ready for work. She must not have noticed that she was acting weird but Ash picks up on it. "What's wrong mom?" Delia's shocked he noticed (he's not usually this perceptive). She tells him it's nothing and that she just slept bad. "Hm. But Jessie says that when you're upset you get really quiet and intense." Delia notices that she was pretty intensely mixing the pancake batter. "Jessie told you that?" Ash nods. "Hey speaking of, where is Jessie? Haven't seen her since yesterday." Delia stops mixing and tells Ash that she and Jessie aren't together anymore. Ash is confused and upset at the idea of Jessie doing something that would hurt his mom enough for them to break up. Delia lets him know that Jessie didn't do anything like that and that them breaking up was just for the best. But Ash questions this, pointing out that he's never seen Delia as happy as she was when Jessie was there and also how Delia looks really sad now. Delia can't argue with that but then tells him that it's complicated. Ash, to Delia's surprise, looks a bit disappointed. He's bummed he wasn't able to say goodbye first and asks if she thinks Jessie would still be willing to come by and train with him sometimes. Delia asks him once more if he was really okay with her and Jessie dating. "Yeah I thought I said that already? Jessie's pretty cool when she's not being evil. And she really likes Pokémon which is a plus!" Such simple criteria. Delia's now worried that she might've made a mistake. She finishes making breakfast and heads to work.

At the restaurant she's met by James. She can feel an awkwardness hanging in the air. She knows that James knows. Before she can say anything James tells Delia thank you for employing him and helping him, Meowth and Jessie get back on their feet but that he's going to quit working at the restaurant and that they'll likely be leaving Pallet soon. Delia's heart sinks. There's now a ticking clock and she has to decide what she wants to do SOON. She asks James where Jessie is. James hesitantly tells her that she's at his and Meowth's place. Delia pleads with James to work the restaurant for one more day at least and to cover this shift. She has to go talk to Jessie. He agrees, hoping that this is a good thing.

Delia runs to James and Meowth's place. She knocks on the door upon arrival and waits. It takes a moment but she hears the door unlock. Jessie opens the door, disheveled, tears and snot all over her face, draped in a blanket. Jessie notices it's Delia and, frightened, slams the door. Delia's stunned for a moment and goes to knock on the door again but before she can the door opens. This time Jessie's tears are gone, her hair's fixed and she ditched the blanket. "Oh hey, Delia! What brings you here?" Delia can't help but be charmed. But this is serious. She shakes it off and asks if they could talk. Jessie invites her in. They get to the couch and Jessie starts frantically cleaning up all the crumpled tissues and dirty dishes off the ground. "Heh I caught a cold yesterday. A one day cold. I'm fine now." Delia doesn't call out the obvious lie and gets straight to the point.

She tells Jessie that she's worried she made a mistake. She made a panicked decision that she was hoping would protect Ash and her future self. But now realizes that she was afraid of the idea that she'd made a selfish decision by dating her. It was a selfish decision but that didn't mean it was a bad one. She was the happiest she'd been, Jessie and Ash were learning to get along and were getting along much better than she'd though. She acknowledges that Jessie has been there for Ash in a way that she can't quite be and is also grateful to her for managing to keep Ash home a little longer. She asks if Jessie would be willing to take her back (despite the distress she caused). Jessie starts sobbing with happy tears. She tearfully says she'll try even harder to get along with Ash and be a better person. Delia reassures her that she's doing just fine.

They kiss passionately but then realize it's weird that they're making out in James in Meowth's place and say they'll continue later. Delia tells Jessie to head back home and that Ash is looking forward to battling with her (and she also needs to let James and Meowth not to quit their jobs).

The end~

[bulbagarden]

The two of us running this blog, as well as all of Bulbagarden's staff members and users, would like to offer our heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, and fans of Rachael Lillis, who passed away on August 10, 2024, at the age of 55.

It's truly difficult to properly convey the impact Rachael had on our lives, as she was the original voice actress of Misty and Jessie for eight seasons of the Pokémon anime, from 1998 to 2006. Her impact was not just felt in Pokémon, but also in titles such as Revolutionary Girl Utena and Hunter x Hunter, and it's safe to say that she was a beloved member of our fandom that will be sorely missed.

Our thoughts are with Rachael's family and loved ones as we take a moment to remember and commemorate her life and work, which will certainly never be forgotten.

Thank you, Rachael, and rest in peace.

[princess-kivee]

Rest in peace, Rachael Ellis

I grew up with the Pokemon anime, actually starting from Indigo League. So it breaks my heart that cancer once again took someone away from us far too soon. May her family find peace in this time.

[scienceninjaturtle]

[pancreaseater]

Jessie - Team Rocket

I drew this as a tribute to the english voice actor of Jessie from Pokemon. On the 10th of August 2024, Rachael Lillis passed away from breast cancer at the age of 55. May she rest peacefully, and my thank you to her for the irreplaceable voice of both Jessie and Misty from the first pokemon anime. She was taken far too soon and will be greatly missed 🤍🕊️

[zponds]

Tribute to Rachael Lillis (the OG Misty and Jessie)

Very recently, the Pokemon community has suffered a major loss… the original English voice actor for Misty Waterflower and Team Rocket Jessie: Rachael Lillis, has passed away.

In May 2024, a GoFundMe campaign created by Lillis's sister, Laurie Orr, announced that Lillis had developed breast cancer. Several of her fellow actors, including Veronica Taylor and Eric Stuart, shared the campaign to help raise money for her care. Sadly, despite all the dedicated help and donations from them and the community, Lillis lost her battle against the disease and died in Los Angeles on August 10, 2024. Her passing was announced by Veronica Taylor.

“Rachael was an extraordinary talent, a bright light that shone through her voice whether speaking or singing." - Veronica Taylor

"She filled our Saturday mornings and before/after school hours with her beautiful voice, her terrific comic timing, and her remarkable acting skills." - Veronica Taylor

Rachael’s loss has left a major impact on not only her sister and fellow actors, but also the Pokemon community and fans… especially those who grew up with the original series (the first five seasons).

Rachael Lillis, thank you so much for your kind nature and your role in voicing Misty, Jessie and even Jigglypuff back in the day. You will never be forgotten and shall always be remembered. 🙏🥺

Rest in Peace, Rachael Lillis, the OG Misty and Jessie.

[krasman]

[the-classic-dreamer]

As many of you know, Rachael Lillis, The Original English VA for Misty, Jessie, and Jigglypuff, has sadly passed away from Breast Cancer at the Age of 55, It's still really hard to believe that she's gone too soon, And it truly breaks my heart since Like many Pokémon Fans alike, I grew up hearing her voice a lot in the Pokémon Anime. and Jigglypuff has always been one of my all time Favorite Pokémons, And Rachael's Voice Talent was one of the many reasons i fell in love with Jigglypuff in the Anime.

And also in the Smash Series as well, As Jigglypuff was one of my Mains in Melee and Brawl, and of course, Rachael lend her wonderful voice lines for Jigglypuff, and as of Ultimate, The Series still continues to Reuse Rachael's Voice Lines for Jigglypuff in the Series, (Same with Goldeen as well)

Rachael also voiced many other Anime Characters outside of Pokémon, Including Martina in Slayers Next, Charlotte in Berserk (1997), Yuriko Star in Irresponsible Captain Taylor, Utena Tenjou in Revolutionary Girl Utena, and Mito Freecs and Cocco in Hunter X Hunter (2011),

Thank you, Rachael Lillis, For the Many Memories you've given me during my Childhood when you brought Characters like Misty, Jessie, and Jigglypuff to life with your Wonderful Voice Talent, May you Rest in Peace. 🌹

[thepersonaofwill]

RIP ☁🌹❤ Rachael Lillis ❤🌹☁

(July 1969 - August 2024)

I heard the news on Monday from a friend

and I was shocked and couldn't believe it.

She passed away this week and It's sad to hear it especially since she was young from the photos I saw she was a beautiful individual and a great

sweet person overall.

It drained my energy when I heard the news, and today, I have been watching an episode from Pokemon, something I attended to do months ago back in October, but hearing about Rachael's passing made me want to watch and see her great voice for Misty.

I'm just happy knowing Rachel will never be forgotten because everyone will remember her whenever they hear Misty.

Pokemon was my entire childhood and technically the first series I got into when I saw the show, collected the cards, and played the video games.

It's just hard to comprehend that someone from my childhood can be gone it's hits hard.

Misty was my favorite because of her strong personality, and her voice was so unique it made me enjoy Pokemon with the different amazing people in it.

It will forever be part of my life and make me enjoy Misty even more knowing the person behind the voice was such a great person.

The fans of Pokemon and hers will always be grateful and make sure to remember Rachel and her contributions!

I usually don't focus on Voice Actors, but I appreciate them when they go beyond their voice to match the person they are voicing. Rachael did such an amazing on Misty and others from different series.

Life isn't guaranteed that's why it's worth persuading

your dreams no matter how scary it may seem or impossible.

Rachael Lillis is in a better place ❤

[epiphanypressgroup-blog]

We must never forget how mortal the voices we love are and how immortal our love for them shall be.

RIP RACHAEL LILLIS

[the-imaginative-hobbyist]

Thank you for bringing so many of these iconic characters to life, brands like Pokémon wouldn't have become as successful in the United States as they are today with your talent.

[catrinita-jadez]

RACHAEL LILLIS DIED TODAY.

[blueshinefox]

So Long, Rachael Lillis

It's hard to believe that I am making a second tribute this month… Along with the great people who passed away this month like Dragoneer and Susan Wojcicki, we recently lost one more legend. Rachael Lillis.

If you want the full context of about Rachael's passing, then please read the thread that Veronica Taylor made on Twitter.

As far as I can tell you about this Twitter thread about Rachael's passing, Rachael fought her hardest to live while fighting back her breast cancer, but she finally succumbed. Rachael Lillis was Veronica Taylor's best friend and she meant the absolute world to her.

I will not be doing art, nor posting art, nor watching YouTube videos, nor watching Twitch streams at all this week. I'm going to take time to give myself time to mourn while I mentally recover from this loss. This hurts so bad. I'm sorry.