Original voice actor for Misty and Jessie shares cancer diagnosis, GoFundMe campaign for comfortable treatment

Rachael Lillis, a prolific voice actor in the Pokémon series, voiced dozens of characters across the early anime, movies, and video games, including main roles as Misty and Jessie until 2006. The other half of her villainous duo, Eric Stuart, who was the original voice of James, has shared a GoFundMe on X (formerly Twitter) in support of Lillis’ medical needs. The GoFundMe, organized by Lillis’ sister, seeks support for moving Lillis from a nursing home facility to home-based care for more comfortable treatment of the breast cancer which has spread to her spine. As of writing, the campaign has raised about half of its $20,000 goal with over 200 donations.



Since the beginning of her voice acting career in 1996, Lillis has voiced plenty of Pokémon characters like Brock’s Vulpix and the Hoenn Pokédex, but has also appeared in other beloved animated shows like Revolutionary Girl Utena and Winx Club. A well-wisher on her GoFundMe writes, “Growing up and watching Pokemon on the weekends was a staple for my childhood. Thanks Rachael for being a part of that…” Other Pokémon voice actors have also shared support for Lillis on X, including Veronica Taylor, the original voice for Ash Ketchum, and Lisa Ortiz, the current voice of Onia.

Those interested in supporting Lillis’ GoFundMe can find the campaign here.