Pokémon’s Prolific Voice for Team Rocket, Gary Oak, and More Retires Due to Cancer

James Carter Cathcart, a prolific voice actor who breathed life into Professor Oak, Gary Oak, and Team Rocket’s James and Meowth in the Pokémon anime and more, has retired due to throat cancer.

News of his retirement came from a blog post on CaringBridge, where his wife Martha wrote on Monday that Cathcart’s cancer wasn’t responding to any treatments, and that his medical team will be giving it a more aggressive approach. According to an earlier post in January, the 69-year-old voice actor developed a tumor on his tongue and it spread to his neck, and had been receiving chemotherapy to shrink it.

“On Easter Monday (April 10th), we learned that Jimmy’s tumors didn’t respond to the induction chemotherapy as much as was anticipated, and that a more aggressive chemo approach was necessary,” Martha wrote. “This is leading back to the previously rejected 1st-line of chemo drugs. Our hope is now that he will be among the 80%-plus who do *not* experience long-lasting tinnitus and hand/finger neuropathy from the medication.”

Cathcart is set to start his new round of treatments on May 1, which will consist of seven weeks of radiation therapy five days a week with simultaneous chemotherapy on weeks 1, 4, and 7. This prompted him to retire as a voice actor for the English dub of the Pokémon anime after the conclusion of Season 25 (Pokémon Ultimate Journeys) in the United States, according to his wife.

“He has been with the series since the 1st episode, so it is a timely decision as the series transitions to new characters and storylines,” she wrote, alluding to Pokémon Horizons, a new series that will introduce new protagonists to take Ash’s place.

In addition to the Pokémon anime, Cathcart has voiced characters in other anime and video games, including Weevil Underwood in Yu-Gi-Oh!; Sir Gallant in Kirby: Right Back at Ya!; Team Chaotix leader Vector the Crocodile in Sonic X and Shadow the Hedgehog; Butchie in One Piece; and Roger Bacon in Shadow Hearts.

Cristina Alexander is a freelance writer for IGN. She has contributed her work to various publications, including Digital Trends, TheGamer, Twinfinite, Mega Visions, and The Escapist. To paraphrase Calvin Harris, she wears her love for Sonic the Hedgehog on her sleeve like a big deal. Follow her on Twitter @SonicPrincess15.