Following the tragic loss of James Carter Cathcart earlier this month, the Pokémon company has released a short tribute video to showcase his incredible contributions to the animated world of Pokémon over the years – with an amazing statement that really puts his monumental career into perspective:
We are deeply saddened by the passing of James Carter Cathcart, the voice behind Professor Oak, Gary Oak, James and Meowth of Team Rocket, and other iconic characters for the Pokémon animated series over many years.
— Pokémon (@Pokemon) July 24, 2025
In addition to his voice work, James provided over 700 episodes… pic.twitter.com/vkaNdoTo0U
Not to be confused with Eric Stuart, who voiced James for the first 8 seasons of Pokémon, James Carter Cathcart voiced Professor Oak, Gary Oak, James and Meowth throughout many seasons of the animated series. For me, I knew him for his occasional efforts voicing a goofier version of Vector the Crocodile, especially in the amazing Shadow the Hedgehog game.
His other incredible achievement is providing over 700 scripts for the Pokémon show, which is an incredible number by every metric. Since passing back on July 8, the outpour of support for his amazing career has been immense – eventually leading to this touching message from Pokémon itself.
Rest in peace you incredible man, and thanks for your incredible portrayal of Gary Oak as an unforgettable arsehole.
Were you an OG fan of the Pokémon TV series? Do you remember James Carter Cathcart’s amazing voices? Let us know in the comments or on social media.
Known throughout the interwebs simply as M0D3Rn, Ash is bad at video games. An old guard gamer who suffers from being generally opinionated, it comes as no surprise that he is both brutally loyal and yet, fiercely whimsical about all things electronic. On occasion will make a youtube video that actually gets views. Follow him on YouTube @Bad at Video Games
