Thank you so much to everyone who helped me bring this video to life. I’ve wanted to tell this story for a long time and am so grateful for the opportunity to share it. I spent the last month working super hard on this, doing my best to get all the details right - I have much to improve on but I’m so happy with how it turned out. Please enjoy.
There will always be someone better than you at doing something but to compete amongst the top skilled in their field at a similar level is an impossible achievement in itself **omg im only in the top .00000001% in the world not the top .00000000000000000000001%** keep accomplishing the impossible & telling GREAT stories cant wait to hear more
By far one of the best videos out there, it really shows the side you never really see and makes you wish there was more. Keep up the good work and please make more videos like this.
Dude, you smoked me in round 3 of my first regional ever. I was 2-0 and our match was the first time I played against someone who was known in the community. I've been Chasing the Carris ever since. Great video, bro.
"Do you believe in yourself?" "No" "Do you believe in me?" "YES!" "Well I believe in you! So dont believe in yourself, *believe in the You that I believe in!" -The GOAT
Came here from Wolfe's and I was not expecting this. When I was watching his video, I thought this guy named Justin seemed so chill and supportive. What a great friend Wolfe has! But only after watching this video could I understand your true feelings, your struggles, and your courage to not give up and keep fighting. The players being the best friends and also strongest rivals is so touching and this feels so "pokemon"! I hope to see you shine brighter in the future!
Exactly. All the struggles and paths leading to this point shows that Justin is a person with extemely strong mental fortitude and definitely has it in him to win tournaments. Keep believing in yourself @Azazel_The_God !
Yeah man i get it that you might want to stand on the same level with your friends and when it always feels like you cant keep up, it sucks in a way. But if no one on the entire planet can keep up with that particular friend, maybe its not just your fault xD Hes the goat of competitive VGC hands down and by a pretty huge margin.
@@CoNteMpTone this is how I felt when I played Smash Bros Ultimate with my friend joe - the gulf probably wasn't as massive but he consistently placed top 16 in our regionals and won every local tournament he entered except when another top 20 regional player was in that particular one. I played every day for 4 years with him and only beat him once after an SD, one stock I deserved and then a lucky spike from mario (which I had never hit before) after about a minute of him making me look incredibly stupid on ledge with his duck hunt joke main
@@youareaspook5897 as someone who has played videogames competitively for 11 years and professionally for 5, i have multiple of those stories myself and from both perspectives. Mostly from the chasing perspective though. I was always "pretty good" and "pretty talented" but never outstanding while some of my friends were (and some still are.)
I legit got so sad when you said your friend suggested winning Orlando for him because I knew what happened already. Also very surprising to see you so down on yourself as, prior to this, I only knew you as "that guy that's really good from Wolfe's videos." Very good video and you've gained a cheerleader.
Sportsmanship at its peak. This is what makes players great. Staying humble and helping everyone grow. You are a great player and i know you can do it!
Really glad to see this focus on the mental aspect of the game, not in regards to playing matches but how self-doubt and anxiety are factors in everything we do. Pokémon is a social game, it’s difficult to play without friends to help you and if you’re struggling to open up to your insecurities about the game to the only people in your life that might be able to understand what you mean, that sounds rough and I’m thankful that you’ve felt comfortable enough to not only open up to them about this, but also to the community in general. I can’t believe I’m actually saying this but Pokémon really is all about the friends we made along the way 😂
I've been playing VGC alot and getting really into it but because I am very alone outside of sparce discord contacts its been tough keeping it together and not letting my emotions overwhelm me, hope my first inperson events I'm going to will help me find friends
As a 35 year old who came back to pokemon with scarlet and violet after more than a decade of not playing....I am incredibly envious of the team and friends you've built along the way.
I’m 21 but in the last year Pokemon has become one of my favorite sources of entertainment after not paying it much attention for almost a decade , so thankful for the franchise that’s given me a dose of imagination that I desperately needed
I love how this ends with you losing in top 4, subverting the expectations that this was your winning trajectory. Awesome video, good luck at the rest of the events this year!
I quite like that too. It went beyond just winning a regional. He wanted to tell the true story of what motivated him and what made the journey difficult.
Yeah, specially painful because if he had made it to the finals, he would have had most likely won the entire thing becuase of how strong his matchup into Wolfy's team was. Goes to show that nothing is assured in a game like pokemon :'(
@@exgardevior Kurt is the creator of pkhex, the main source of code that generates hacked items and pokemon, the irony is that as the creator of said thing, he tends to callout or accuse pretty much ANYONE of using pkhex and calls them evildoers when this wouldn't be possible had he not created the hack in the first place Tldr dude created pkhex and is a hypocrite/douche lol
This was really just me flexing the terrible attack IVs on my Tornadus 😅 All of my friends that play Pokemon GO have rolled terrible IVs so it was the best I could get from someone I trust
I love seeing Wolf slink down to hide in his chair because in his vid he is bemoaning this match-up is so funny to see from the other side with this calmer narration.
AAAA clicking on this video on a whim was a treat. Your struggles with doubt and insecurities was extremely relatable and was extremely touching. I wish you many successful VGC runs.
Its always so damn cool discovering another VGC legend who's been right under your nose for years. I never truly understood the dynamic of the VGC and how these fights and tournaments really went off camera until watching this either. This isnt just a series of random 1v1's against other strong trainers. It's full age old rivalries, insane underdog comebacks, lifelong bonds being forged... this just made this community so much cooler than it already was and I'm so excited for you to have your well deserved moment on the podium man!
@@gthedon__ My advice to you as a rookie, because I got smashed in my first tournament. I obsessed too much on making a good team. So uh, my advice is once you’ve built the team to a level you feel “done” with it is to not doubt yourself in creating it and agonize over last minute move choices. Just play as many practice games as you possibly can. Take an extra day off work/school if you can. Practice practice practice
Its always inspiring seeing someone pick themselves up after loss and just refusing to quit, staying true to their goals. As someone who struggles with follow through, this speaks to me. Thanks for sharing.
Wolfe got me into vgc with some little help from pm7, but watching this video made me even more curious to other people their battle strategies. I watched Wolfe his video on this and the way your practice matches help both of you is even more amazing to see. 2 friends battling and trying to win is amazing. Good luck with the next tournament
Ive never related to a video so hard, while also not even being a comp pokemon player. Insecurities are crushing sometimes, no matter what your passion is. I love this video, and thank you for making it Justin. Mad respect for putting yourself out there like this
Randomly got this in my recommended, and I sure as hell wasn't expecting to be tearing up by the end of this video. Great stuff man, you've gained another subscriber to watch your journey on competing with and against the world's best.
This video was phenomenal and nearly made me cry multiple times. I'm proud of you for testing and extending the faith you put in yourself. It's already been said in the comments, but there are players all the way up the skill tree who look to the guy ahead of them and think "Dang, that guy is the GOAT. I don't know if I'll ever be as good as him". Good work, man.
This video is so precious and important. Genuinely emotional at the end of it. I love watching you guys succeed and support each other, it is incredible to witness your journeys, and I'm so happy that you shared this experience. Your highs, your lows, your doubts. All of these are inevitable, but how you bounced back is remarkable. The line, "If anything, [my friends] shared a collective sense of relief, like they always knew it was only a matter of time before my hard work paid off," is such a beautiful thing to say. That the people supporting you don't put a time limit on when you produce results---they just know, as natural as breathing, as sure as day comes again, that you will pull through. Although pokemon is a solo game as you sit up there in the spotlight and face your opponent, you've proven you're never alone. Proud of you, Justin! Your resilience, to face defeat and choose to stand back up, is a strength far more important than a win. Excited to watch more of your journey!
Dude, this so much reminds me of the story of Dave Mustaine. He created and fronted the multi-platinum band “megadeth”, but he could never enjoy success, because he made the band to spite his former bandmates… James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich, the duo that made Metallica. No matter what success we attain, we always tend to compare ourselves to those one step above, and hardly ever stop to survey the progress we’ve made.
I was so happy to see iron crown make top 4 in orlando. Wish it couldve been you vs wolfe in the finals. But it was still great to see crown doing so good. Unfortunate that its not getting much use now. But i believe in its return 1 day. Thank you for being iron crowns strongest soldier
As someone who competes for living I can't stress enough how amazing this video was to watch. Thank you for making one of my favorite pieces of content of all time.
it's crazy to think that a lot of other competitors have untold stories like this. very good and relatable video. I also really like your music choices!
I think the awesome thing about this, I guess documentary? video biography? story? (I guess all three!) is that while you had voices in the back of your head tell you, you aren't good enough, but you surrounded yourself with people that said you were good enough, that you were better than the self doubt and anxiety that you felt as a competitor. I think your video highlighted why community is so important to events like this. Awesome video, I wish you nothing but the best in both your competitive career and future youtube videos.
Dude, this was cinema. But even better, this was life. Seeing you struggle, but keep going was so thrilling yet so relatable. I've felt similar doubts through out college and my academic life, and hearing a story like this really resonates with me. Many content creators feel they can't tell their story until they've reached the summit, so narrating the insights of yours, with the struggles and shortcomings, along with the triumphs and accomplishments, it just breathes life as do little documentaries do. I know it might feel weird commenting about your journey as a "film" or "documentary", given it's obviously not scripted, but believe me when I say you just got yourself somebody new rooting for you to win as a competitor. Your journey is not over, and we will be here for it
I can feel the passion in not only the video, but the way you talk about the game, the training, strategies, etc. Incredible. I wish this video had been recommended to me sooner.
What a truly fantastic story! this video deserves so many more views than it has right now. The story, the ways its been told and edited and the truth you have given us is superb.
I think that you’re awesome, you’re my personal vgc hero and hearing you struggle through doubt and stuff just like I do gives me confidence . This is an amazing video and you’re super awesome. Don’t forget that. My first regional top cut was Orlando but in seniors, it was really cool to see you do so well.
I felt this whole video personally. I have been a competitive card game player for years and one of my closest friends was well known in the community and won countless tournaments. I always felt so crushed when I could never reach the same goal as him. But he would always want to play together and test and I felt some kind of pride that came along with that. It's so incredibly tough to live up to the expectation we set on ourselves by comparing our accomplishments to those we idolize. We have to remind ourselves that all we can ever do is our best and to keep trying. We will get there eventually. You'll get there, Justin. It's just a matter of time.
I think this video highlights how much pokemon is both the strength of the team and the player more than any other video Ive watched. I can feel that your team called the meta matchup so well and that alone won you so much, but only because you put so much time and effort into building it in the first place. And you sometimes still have to play out of your mind against players like wolfe sometimes when you have a bad matchup. Im greatfull for that btw
that fear of "im not good enough or im not strong enough" is something alot of players struggle with. the mindset of "im no where NEAR good enough to beat this guy." sometimes its a npc like in darksouls or undertale, but more often then not its another player. the one thing i learned is, you need to realize that its OK to lose. like sports losing can hurt, but if all you think about is stuff like "im not good enough", it only bogs you down. its ok to lose, its ok to feel like im not the best, because that means next time after you pick youself up and dust yourself off you CAN be the best. tldr you are gunna lose ALOT in general life is a game of losing and then winning, so its ok to feel like im not good enough because you can always try again later to be the best.
This is such an awesome video, just from the intro that expression of fraternity + a mutual endeavor is touching. I hope to see more content like this in esports
This is art ❤ All the desire to chase the best, the fear that the demands are too high, the inspiration to grow, and most importantly the determination, they're all there. This is what it feels like to be a real competitor, in anything. Great work, both on the video and in the grind ❤
with quality videos like these i can't wait to see how VGC continues to grow over the coming years. i bet some folks will be inspired to check out the game after seeing how a competitor handled the struggle and pressure of this amazing game we play, and came out the other side stronger for it
God I cried so many times watching this, this is a beautiful story and one that I think a lot of people can relate to. Failure is difficult, and the amount of perseverance you've shown is inspiring. This takes an incredible amount of courage to be this open and vulnerable about your feelings and insecurities, to a huge audience on the internet, thank you so much for sharing your story!
Wolfe sent me from his video. You've got a new fan! Coming in third is absolutely phenomenal in a tournament like this. Your Iron Crown team seemed insanely good and I look forward to seeing more of your tournaments. One day I expect to see you in the finals with Wolfe without a doubt :)
Really enjoyed this, a story that transcends the game and applies to all forms of competition, life and friendship, brave to share, commendable and thank you for doing so
youre one of the greats & i'm glad youve stood up to self doubt & found a positive outlook, this is an amazing & honest look into your journey, thanks for sharing it with us
So much quality on the editing and story telling. Normally when i do not get the live event, i just skip to finals or wolfe games, for now on, i'll closely to all the other players and their path
Honestly a knock out video! I really relate to the message of the video and the struggle of feeling like you won’t ever be good enough. I’ve thought about hanging it up and for the most part I have stepped away from competition due to my own responsibilities and insecurities but seeing your journey through this video was awesome. Always felt like you were a player up there at the top with the rest of them.
Finally had the time to watch and would like to thank you for telling your story. The human side of VGC is hard to see as a spectator but it gives so much needed dimension on top of the organized official content we watch.
This was so beautiful. Like literally bring a tear of joy to my eye of how beautifully you told rhus story. Your a lucky man to have such great friends. I feel uplifted and ready to take in anything after watching this.
Know its been a bit since you posted but I wanted to say thanks for sharing your story, I definitely resonate with the feeling of chasing shadows so the message really hits hard personally. I hope you continue to prosper, and I loved the video, much thanks!
i remember watching the matches on stream, and its so cool to see this story behind them! amazing video, u bet i'll be supporting u asw as wolfe in feature events!!
Great documentary and great storytelling! Friends and community in pokemon is the strongest feeling and the most important to have. Your story is so relatable, because after all we are all chasing the thrill of winning and we are all chasing wolfe in some sense. Started following you more closely after your first showing of the Church of Tusk, because I'm also a member of the church!
This video is good to put things into perspective for wolfe viewers like me, because wennever he mentions his friends in competitive it allways seems like were looking UP at you guys for help to aid the "youtube boy" in his journey. Never have I thought that his friends viewd it like this. In the future I hope to see him posting a video response about aiding YOUR journey to victory so that we come full circle
What a story it was to hear this my dude. Love how you opened up and we got to hear more of you as a person as well as how you felt. Good to hear that you have friends who believe in you. Stay well and continue being the awesome person you are Justin❤
I’m so glad you shared this story, I felt like something was punching my heart whenever you shared how you felt earlier in the video, Glad you found yourself and I hope you preform well in the future. Just remember that mental health is always above video games.
I cried at the 32 minute mark, a truly inspirational moment that the whole video was leading up to- and I haven’t ever played competitive Pokémon before!
Thank you so much to everyone who helped me bring this video to life. I’ve wanted to tell this story for a long time and am so grateful for the opportunity to share it.
I spent the last month working super hard on this, doing my best to get all the details right - I have much to improve on but I’m so happy with how it turned out. Please enjoy.
Thank you for sharing your story. I really enjoyed this video.
Loved the video. Inspiring work.
amazing video. i had so much fun watching, btw do you happen to know the background song at 28:05 ? i cant find it in the description.
There will always be someone better than you at doing something
but to compete amongst the top skilled in their field at a similar level is an impossible achievement in itself
**omg im only in the top .00000001% in the world not the top .00000000000000000000001%**
keep accomplishing the impossible & telling GREAT stories
cant wait to hear more
By far one of the best videos out there, it really shows the side you never really see and makes you wish there was more. Keep up the good work and please make more videos like this.
:0 is that the WolfeyVGC
Real UA-camrs have anime-style rivals...
👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿
Real
my goat
Dude, you smoked me in round 3 of my first regional ever. I was 2-0 and our match was the first time I played against someone who was known in the community. I've been Chasing the Carris ever since. Great video, bro.
This comment made my day 🤣
@@AzazeL_The_God For sure! You're a great player and content creator. I'm genuinely inspired by your work.
Lol this is awesome. Perspective
@@newchallengers9420For every champ, there is a dude chasing after him I guess.
@@PokeProfessorJosh so if wolfe posted a video on his channel that celebrated ray rizzo, and jack posted a video celebrating wolfe...
Easily one of the best competitive Pokemon videos ever made, so glad you shared this story!
Thank you so much John ❤️ Your channel has played a big part in motivating me to take a shot with this stuff!
Good luck with the Hoenn shinys.
hey john big fan
Justin: “I don’t know if I can do it”
Wolfe: “Don’t believe in yourself. Believe in me, that believes in you”
😂
Kamina🐐🐐🐐
This was the exact thing I was going to comment after watching this 😂
"Do you believe in yourself?"
"No"
"Do you believe in me?"
"YES!"
"Well I believe in you! So dont believe in yourself, *believe in the You that I believe in!"
-The GOAT
Came here from Wolfe's and I was not expecting this. When I was watching his video, I thought this guy named Justin seemed so chill and supportive. What a great friend Wolfe has! But only after watching this video could I understand your true feelings, your struggles, and your courage to not give up and keep fighting. The players being the best friends and also strongest rivals is so touching and this feels so "pokemon"! I hope to see you shine brighter in the future!
Exactly. All the struggles and paths leading to this point shows that Justin is a person with extemely strong mental fortitude and definitely has it in him to win tournaments. Keep believing in yourself @Azazel_The_God !
Wolfe Glick is in a league of his own. No one else has consistently won tournmanets every single year for 8 years straight.
Yeah man i get it that you might want to stand on the same level with your friends and when it always feels like you cant keep up, it sucks in a way. But if no one on the entire planet can keep up with that particular friend, maybe its not just your fault xD
Hes the goat of competitive VGC hands down and by a pretty huge margin.
@@CoNteMpTone this is how I felt when I played Smash Bros Ultimate with my friend joe - the gulf probably wasn't as massive but he consistently placed top 16 in our regionals and won every local tournament he entered except when another top 20 regional player was in that particular one.
I played every day for 4 years with him and only beat him once after an SD, one stock I deserved and then a lucky spike from mario (which I had never hit before) after about a minute of him making me look incredibly stupid on ledge with his duck hunt joke main
@@youareaspook5897 as someone who has played videogames competitively for 11 years and professionally for 5, i have multiple of those stories myself and from both perspectives. Mostly from the chasing perspective though. I was always "pretty good" and "pretty talented" but never outstanding while some of my friends were (and some still are.)
He cheats
@@jayman445 by looking too good?
Great content Justin, I'm glad we have people like you in the community.
Thank you Hari, right back at you.
I legit got so sad when you said your friend suggested winning Orlando for him because I knew what happened already.
Also very surprising to see you so down on yourself as, prior to this, I only knew you as "that guy that's really good from Wolfe's videos."
Very good video and you've gained a cheerleader.
Sportsmanship at its peak. This is what makes players great. Staying humble and helping everyone grow. You are a great player and i know you can do it!
Really glad to see this focus on the mental aspect of the game, not in regards to playing matches but how self-doubt and anxiety are factors in everything we do. Pokémon is a social game, it’s difficult to play without friends to help you and if you’re struggling to open up to your insecurities about the game to the only people in your life that might be able to understand what you mean, that sounds rough and I’m thankful that you’ve felt comfortable enough to not only open up to them about this, but also to the community in general.
I can’t believe I’m actually saying this but Pokémon really is all about the friends we made along the way 😂
so well said ♡
I've been playing VGC alot and getting really into it but because I am very alone outside of sparce discord contacts its been tough keeping it together and not letting my emotions overwhelm me, hope my first inperson events I'm going to will help me find friends
This is really beautiful made. Great storytelling, great editing, great people. Really grounded and human. Thank you for sharing your story!!
I found the overlay during the match against Wolfey really endearing, also omg hi Faye!!!
I came here because of Wolfe, I stayed because of Justin. Great video, awesome storytelling that just sucked me in and kept me watching
As a 35 year old who came back to pokemon with scarlet and violet after more than a decade of not playing....I am incredibly envious of the team and friends you've built along the way.
I feel this way getting back into the card game.
36 here and same deal!
I’m 21 but in the last year Pokemon has become one of my favorite sources of entertainment after not paying it much attention for almost a decade , so thankful for the franchise that’s given me a dose of imagination that I desperately needed
u turned competitive pokemon into its own sports anime
EXACTLY WHAT I WAS THINKING THIS SHIT IS SO INSANE 😭😭😭
The "youre not strong enough" whisper shook me more than i thought it would 😢
I love how this ends with you losing in top 4, subverting the expectations that this was your winning trajectory.
Awesome video, good luck at the rest of the events this year!
Spoilers be like 😢
@@migueltorres6830Reading comments before finishing the video be like: 😐
@@migueltorres6830literally me, don’t know why i’m in the comments this early into the vid
I quite like that too. It went beyond just winning a regional. He wanted to tell the true story of what motivated him and what made the journey difficult.
Yeah, specially painful because if he had made it to the finals, he would have had most likely won the entire thing becuase of how strong his matchup into Wolfy's team was. Goes to show that nothing is assured in a game like pokemon :'(
Awesome video man! ❤️
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ thank you captain🫡
18:18 "go ahead, check the rental Kurt" LOL the callout alone sells me on this vid even more than it already does
I didn't get it... can you give context please?
@@exgardevior Kurt is the creator of pkhex, the main source of code that generates hacked items and pokemon, the irony is that as the creator of said thing, he tends to callout or accuse pretty much ANYONE of using pkhex and calls them evildoers when this wouldn't be possible had he not created the hack in the first place
Tldr dude created pkhex and is a hypocrite/douche lol
This was really just me flexing the terrible attack IVs on my Tornadus 😅 All of my friends that play Pokemon GO have rolled terrible IVs so it was the best I could get from someone I trust
@@lmChills lmao, that context makes Kurt sound like an ass. Maybe he doesn't wish to admit he caused this? Even if accidentally.
I love seeing Wolf slink down to hide in his chair because in his vid he is bemoaning this match-up is so funny to see from the other side with this calmer narration.
Amazing video Justin! Thanks for sharing this story, blown away with how you put this together
goat
AAAA clicking on this video on a whim was a treat. Your struggles with doubt and insecurities was extremely relatable and was extremely touching. I wish you many successful VGC runs.
Its always so damn cool discovering another VGC legend who's been right under your nose for years.
I never truly understood the dynamic of the VGC and how these fights and tournaments really went off camera until watching this either.
This isnt just a series of random 1v1's against other strong trainers. It's full age old rivalries, insane underdog comebacks, lifelong bonds being forged... this just made this community so much cooler than it already was and I'm so excited for you to have your well deserved moment on the podium man!
GOOD VIDEO
THANK YOU SHIFU WALT
This video has me excited to start my vgc journey at la regionals
Good luck, dude! And most importantly, have fun!
What are you going to use ?
@@ramanahveljeyaseelan5406 sadly zacian 😭😂
@@gthedon__ My advice to you as a rookie, because I got smashed in my first tournament. I obsessed too much on making a good team. So uh, my advice is once you’ve built the team to a level you feel “done” with it is to not doubt yourself in creating it and agonize over last minute move choices. Just play as many practice games as you possibly can. Take an extra day off work/school if you can. Practice practice practice
@@gthedon__ zacian is good
but like it's hard to make it work these days, what's the rest of your team.
i watch this once every few weeks man, you're such a great storyteller
Its always inspiring seeing someone pick themselves up after loss and just refusing to quit, staying true to their goals. As someone who struggles with follow through, this speaks to me. Thanks for sharing.
Wolfe got me into vgc with some little help from pm7, but watching this video made me even more curious to other people their battle strategies. I watched Wolfe his video on this and the way your practice matches help both of you is even more amazing to see. 2 friends battling and trying to win is amazing. Good luck with the next tournament
It was fun being a member of the church during that early period
Ive never related to a video so hard, while also not even being a comp pokemon player. Insecurities are crushing sometimes, no matter what your passion is. I love this video, and thank you for making it Justin. Mad respect for putting yourself out there like this
Randomly got this in my recommended, and I sure as hell wasn't expecting to be tearing up by the end of this video. Great stuff man, you've gained another subscriber to watch your journey on competing with and against the world's best.
This video was phenomenal and nearly made me cry multiple times. I'm proud of you for testing and extending the faith you put in yourself. It's already been said in the comments, but there are players all the way up the skill tree who look to the guy ahead of them and think "Dang, that guy is the GOAT. I don't know if I'll ever be as good as him". Good work, man.
This video is so precious and important. Genuinely emotional at the end of it. I love watching you guys succeed and support each other, it is incredible to witness your journeys, and I'm so happy that you shared this experience. Your highs, your lows, your doubts. All of these are inevitable, but how you bounced back is remarkable. The line, "If anything, [my friends] shared a collective sense of relief, like they always knew it was only a matter of time before my hard work paid off," is such a beautiful thing to say. That the people supporting you don't put a time limit on when you produce results---they just know, as natural as breathing, as sure as day comes again, that you will pull through. Although pokemon is a solo game as you sit up there in the spotlight and face your opponent, you've proven you're never alone. Proud of you, Justin! Your resilience, to face defeat and choose to stand back up, is a strength far more important than a win. Excited to watch more of your journey!
Dude, this so much reminds me of the story of Dave Mustaine. He created and fronted the multi-platinum band “megadeth”, but he could never enjoy success, because he made the band to spite his former bandmates… James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich, the duo that made Metallica.
No matter what success we attain, we always tend to compare ourselves to those one step above, and hardly ever stop to survey the progress we’ve made.
I was so happy to see iron crown make top 4 in orlando. Wish it couldve been you vs wolfe in the finals. But it was still great to see crown doing so good. Unfortunate that its not getting much use now. But i believe in its return 1 day. Thank you for being iron crowns strongest soldier
As someone who competes for living I can't stress enough how amazing this video was to watch. Thank you for making one of my favorite pieces of content of all time.
It is rare to see youtube videos this good nowadays. Huge respect and good luck on your next tournaments!
this is what real pokemon is. moving video, seriously.
it's crazy to think that a lot of other competitors have untold stories like this. very good and relatable video. I also really like your music choices!
Awesome display of storytelling! Emotional and heartwarming, you’re one of the vgc goats too man no doubt!
I think the awesome thing about this, I guess documentary? video biography? story? (I guess all three!) is that while you had voices in the back of your head tell you, you aren't good enough, but you surrounded yourself with people that said you were good enough, that you were better than the self doubt and anxiety that you felt as a competitor. I think your video highlighted why community is so important to events like this.
Awesome video, I wish you nothing but the best in both your competitive career and future youtube videos.
Dude, this was cinema. But even better, this was life.
Seeing you struggle, but keep going was so thrilling yet so relatable. I've felt similar doubts through out college and my academic life, and hearing a story like this really resonates with me.
Many content creators feel they can't tell their story until they've reached the summit, so narrating the insights of yours, with the struggles and shortcomings, along with the triumphs and accomplishments, it just breathes life as do little documentaries do.
I know it might feel weird commenting about your journey as a "film" or "documentary", given it's obviously not scripted, but believe me when I say you just got yourself somebody new rooting for you to win as a competitor. Your journey is not over, and we will be here for it
I can feel the passion in not only the video, but the way you talk about the game, the training, strategies, etc. Incredible. I wish this video had been recommended to me sooner.
I'm here for this. I hope you keep trying for your dream. You've kicked me into gear for trying to go for mine.
Outstanding video, loved watching the whole thing to see you overcome those inner demons. Wishing you success! 🔥
I’ve watched a lot of vgc videos and this is by far my fave. We’ve all been here. I’m tearing up at the end of it.
What a truly fantastic story! this video deserves so many more views than it has right now. The story, the ways its been told and edited and the truth you have given us is superb.
I loved this video. I was deeply moved and inspired, thank you
Crying in the Pokemon Center rn nobody talk to me
I think that you’re awesome, you’re my personal vgc hero and hearing you struggle through doubt and stuff just like I do gives me confidence . This is an amazing video and you’re super awesome. Don’t forget that. My first regional top cut was Orlando but in seniors, it was really cool to see you do so well.
Man this video is a masterpiece. Full of great lessons. I'll be rooting for you from now on!
What a beautiful recounting of your story that coincidentally shares a lot of similarities to an Onion-haired Kitakami rival of recent years 😢
I just started this video, but immediately, amazing intro, amazing title, and excellent theming.
I felt this whole video personally. I have been a competitive card game player for years and one of my closest friends was well known in the community and won countless tournaments. I always felt so crushed when I could never reach the same goal as him. But he would always want to play together and test and I felt some kind of pride that came along with that. It's so incredibly tough to live up to the expectation we set on ourselves by comparing our accomplishments to those we idolize. We have to remind ourselves that all we can ever do is our best and to keep trying. We will get there eventually. You'll get there, Justin. It's just a matter of time.
I think this video highlights how much pokemon is both the strength of the team and the player more than any other video Ive watched. I can feel that your team called the meta matchup so well and that alone won you so much, but only because you put so much time and effort into building it in the first place. And you sometimes still have to play out of your mind against players like wolfe sometimes when you have a bad matchup. Im greatfull for that btw
Wolfe Glick is in a league of his own.
That was beautiful. I can't thank you enough for this video. Congratulations on all of your accomplishments!
Iron Crown used Expanding Force!
It's Super Motivating!
Amazing video. The feeling of chasing your friends is pretty relatable
Didn't expect the ending but it almost made this story better, thanks for sharing it with the world.
that fear of "im not good enough or im not strong enough" is something alot of players struggle with.
the mindset of "im no where NEAR good enough to beat this guy."
sometimes its a npc like in darksouls or undertale, but more often then not its another player.
the one thing i learned is, you need to realize that its OK to lose.
like sports losing can hurt, but if all you think about is stuff like "im not good enough", it only bogs you down.
its ok to lose, its ok to feel like im not the best, because that means next time after you pick youself up and dust yourself off you CAN be the best.
tldr you are gunna lose ALOT in general life is a game of losing and then winning, so its ok to feel like im not good enough because you can always try again later to be the best.
This is such an awesome video, just from the intro that expression of fraternity + a mutual endeavor is touching. I hope to see more content like this in esports
Freaking beautiful storytelling. Love the video.
This is art ❤ All the desire to chase the best, the fear that the demands are too high, the inspiration to grow, and most importantly the determination, they're all there. This is what it feels like to be a real competitor, in anything. Great work, both on the video and in the grind ❤
This is a super awesome storyline, make you want to cry and gets you excited all in one.
with quality videos like these i can't wait to see how VGC continues to grow over the coming years. i bet some folks will be inspired to check out the game after seeing how a competitor handled the struggle and pressure of this amazing game we play, and came out the other side stronger for it
I actually shed real tears to this video. Absolutely inspiring and heartwarming.
Be proud, you are strong
Beautiful story. It's admirable that you aren't focusing on the unhelpful thoughts. A good friend is worth a lot.
the title goes so hard
God I cried so many times watching this, this is a beautiful story and one that I think a lot of people can relate to. Failure is difficult, and the amount of perseverance you've shown is inspiring. This takes an incredible amount of courage to be this open and vulnerable about your feelings and insecurities, to a huge audience on the internet, thank you so much for sharing your story!
Dude, this is so well made. Incredible storytelling.
Wolfe sent me from his video. You've got a new fan! Coming in third is absolutely phenomenal in a tournament like this. Your Iron Crown team seemed insanely good and I look forward to seeing more of your tournaments. One day I expect to see you in the finals with Wolfe without a doubt :)
Really enjoyed this, a story that transcends the game and applies to all forms of competition, life and friendship, brave to share, commendable and thank you for doing so
Dude awesome video! You should always be able to feel happy or proud of accomplishments even the little ones, sometimes we are our own worst critics
Good friendship stories are so heartwarming, much love to you guys.
I’m gonna cry, this is beautiful. Like the best sport stories it makes you wanna go play pokemon with friends
youre one of the greats & i'm glad youve stood up to self doubt & found a positive outlook, this is an amazing & honest look into your journey, thanks for sharing it with us
BRILLIANT video. It isn't just about Pokemon. It's the real struggles of life.
So much quality on the editing and story telling. Normally when i do not get the live event, i just skip to finals or wolfe games, for now on, i'll closely to all the other players and their path
What an incredibly emotional video! Thank you for sharing your story
Honestly a knock out video! I really relate to the message of the video and the struggle of feeling like you won’t ever be good enough. I’ve thought about hanging it up and for the most part I have stepped away from competition due to my own responsibilities and insecurities but seeing your journey through this video was awesome. Always felt like you were a player up there at the top with the rest of them.
Finally had the time to watch and would like to thank you for telling your story. The human side of VGC is hard to see as a spectator but it gives so much needed dimension on top of the organized official content we watch.
Amazing video! It’s amazing how competition creates such motivating stories and such strong community bonds.
This was so beautiful. Like literally bring a tear of joy to my eye of how beautifully you told rhus story. Your a lucky man to have such great friends. I feel uplifted and ready to take in anything after watching this.
Such an incredible video. Congratulations on becoming the main character.
Know its been a bit since you posted but I wanted to say thanks for sharing your story, I definitely resonate with the feeling of chasing shadows so the message really hits hard personally.
I hope you continue to prosper, and I loved the video, much thanks!
45 seconds in and I’m Hyped for this anime arc
i remember watching the matches on stream, and its so cool to see this story behind them! amazing video, u bet i'll be supporting u asw as wolfe in feature events!!
my favs (this is so beautifully written. the storytelling and depth of this is so beautiful)
Great documentary and great storytelling! Friends and community in pokemon is the strongest feeling and the most important to have.
Your story is so relatable, because after all we are all chasing the thrill of winning and we are all chasing wolfe in some sense.
Started following you more closely after your first showing of the Church of Tusk, because I'm also a member of the church!
This video is good to put things into perspective for wolfe viewers like me, because wennever he mentions his friends in competitive it allways seems like were looking UP at you guys for help to aid the "youtube boy" in his journey. Never have I thought that his friends viewd it like this.
In the future I hope to see him posting a video response about aiding YOUR journey to victory so that we come full circle
What a story it was to hear this my dude. Love how you opened up and we got to hear more of you as a person as well as how you felt. Good to hear that you have friends who believe in you. Stay well and continue being the awesome person you are Justin❤
This is one of the best videos I’ve watched on competitive pokemon. The storytelling, editing, it’s all phenomenal.
Loved this video, I’m going through a lot of the same feelings of inadequacy in the TCG, and this pushed me to fight harder!
I’m so glad you shared this story, I felt like something was punching my heart whenever you shared how you felt earlier in the video, Glad you found yourself and I hope you preform well in the future. Just remember that mental health is always above video games.
Damn you got me invested in this!
I cried at the 32 minute mark, a truly inspirational moment that the whole video was leading up to- and I haven’t ever played competitive Pokémon before!
Great story. Fantastic presentation. Sobering, but grounding ending. Loved this.
Inspirational!
One of the most interesting Pokemnon videos i've ever seen. Loved it, and Great Tusk is now my fav Pokemon.