Those who read my blog regularly should be able to deduce what I'm about to discuss by the title format. There are actually two parts to this: the first part is the "Respect for" part, which makes it obvious that the post will deal with one of the voice talents related to Pokémon, in this case the anime. The other part... well, that's kind of obvious too, but it will be discussed alongside and later. Certainly, the voice talent aspect is fascinating and important to be discussed, especially with that being relevant now.
So, that voice talent is Rachael Lillis, who is known for her double role in the early years of the English dub of the Pokémon anime as Misty and Jessie - although arguably the former is her claim to fame and will be more recognized for. Aside from voicing human characters, like a few others of her colleagues at 4Kids, who formerly handled the English dub, she also voiced Pokémon species, one of them being Jigglypuff. The double role alone is impressive and makes her fundamental to those early years.
In any case, she has made her mark as a voice talent, with emphasis certainly on "talent", given the above. The Jigglypuff voice has even been reused for Super Smash Bros. up to this day, and that's a vouch for that "talent". At 4Kids, as with the others, she has worked on other projects too, and one example (Ape Escape) seems to affirm her talent at voicing "redheads" by voicing another "redhead". It becomes apparent that she will leave a lasting legacy in at least one way - or in fact, she already has...
...which brings me to the point of all of this. A few days ago, she passed away after her battle with cancer, and Veronica Taylor also broke the news on X (formerly Twitter). As such, the old English dub of the Pokémon anime has lost another one of its key figures, and this one is especially key due to the multiple main roles and significant secondary role, again as above. It definitely hits hard for many fans, who consider her Misty portrayal as on point and "top notch" regardless of its quirks, if any.
Even with the change of hands for the English dub, some things are still remembered as the hallmarks of the old dub, one of them being the voice talent discussed here and the roles played by that voice talent in it. With the passing of that voice talent, waves of nostalgia and remembrance reverberate among those who recognize her for what she has given, for Pokémon or otherwise. And of course, there is also respect to be had for all that, as with any voice talent I discuss here.
Rest in peace, Rachael. Your "redhead" legacy will continue to remain among Pokémon fans.
One year ago: The Matter of Mega Evolution in Unite
Two years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day Goodies, Round 4
Three years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 8/14/2021 and 8/15/2021
Four years ago: Matters of Shadow and Light (Purification)
Five years ago: The Subtle Generational Spoiler
Six years ago: Don't Look Back... in Anger
Seven years ago: Pokémon Desktop Wallpapers
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