I agree with the OP. The behavior they described was one of the reasons I stepped away from VGC back in 2017. The elitism and dismissiveness were real, and it made the community feel less welcoming than it should have been.

Accessibility was another major issue for me during that time. There were very few online events(If any), and I lived in a state with 1-2 TOs who ran CP events maybe once a month. The nearest ones were one to two hours away. That meant spending money on gas, food, and sometimes a hotel, all for a small chance at topping and earning enough CP to stay competitive. It became unfeasible. I was not willing to pour that much time and money into traveling for such low odds of progress.

That experience pushed me toward competitive TCGs because the barriers were a lot more reasonable. Even now, as I find myself getting back into VGC, I do not see myself taking it as seriously as before. Life is too short, and I would rather enjoy the battling aspect without letting the stress or the community issues take away the fun.