Entertainment TV Rachael Lillis, Voice of Pokémon Characters Misty and Jessie, Dies at 55 Veronica Taylor, who voiced Ash on the anime series, praised Lillis' "beautiful voice, her terrific comic timing, and her remarkable acting skills" in a tribute By Julia Moore Julia Moore Julia Moore is a TV writer-reporter at PEOPLE. A graduate of Northwestern University, she has been working at PEOPLE since 2022. People Editorial Guidelines Published on August 13, 2024 11:13AM EDT Comments Close Rachael Lillis. Photo: Convention Junkies/YouTube; United Archives GmbH / Alamy Stock Photo; Moviestore/Shutterstock A Pokémon legend has died. On August 10, Rachael Lillis, who voiced Misty and Jessie on the anime TV series, died in Los Angeles after a battle with breast cancer. Her sister confirmed the death to The New York Times. She was 55. Lillis had been diagnosed with breast cancer earlier this year, according to her sister. She was best known for her work on Pokémon – beginning with the U.S. adaptation of the popular Japanese video game and later in the movies. Veronica Taylor, who voiced Ash Ketchum, the main character of the Pokémon series, told the outlet that Lillis always brought her "A-game" to work, and she loved meeting fans at conventions. "She really enjoyed the interactions she had with people." Paying Tribute to the Celebrities Who Have Died in 2024 Eric Stuart, another voice actor from the '90s animated series, told the Times that the show "changed Saturday morning cartoons." He became a director and later brought her into the fold on other projects he was working on, he said, as her ability to transform into a character was surprising. "If you met her, you'd not say this was so natural for her. Rachael in real life was pretty low-key, kind of quiet and sweet," he said. "The minute she stepped in that booth it was like this whole other energy came out." Pokémon. Moviestore/Shutterstock These 17 Movies and TV Shows Bring Your Favorite Video Games to Life, From Borderlands to The Last of Us In a tribute on Instagram, Taylor praised Lillis' "beautiful voice, her terrific comic timing, and her remarkable acting skills." "I was lucky enough to know Rachael as a friend. She had unlimited kindness and compassion, even until the very end," Taylor wrote. "She had a great sense of humor, was wonderful to be around, was incredibly intelligent, and had such a memory for moments - real or animated. She worked hard and cared deeply." Misty on Pokémon. United Archives GmbH / Alamy Stock Photo "I am not sure how this very dark void will be filled now that her light no longer shines in it," her tribute continued. "Rachael was a magnificent wonder and truly special. She burned bright and vanished too soon. She will live on in our memories for eternity." Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Aside from Misty and Jessie on Pokémon, Lillis also voiced Jigglypuff and had dozens of other voice-acting titles to her name, with her first role dating back to 1985. Winx Club, Sonic X and Revolutionary Girl Utena are among Lillis' other notable anime roles.