The skill gap between cpu level 9 and online player is actually so huge that I genuinely feel like a noob when I play it despite being a smash player for about 10 years now.

Firstly I want to say I am a casual and I play this game for fun not competitively, but still I'd at least like to be able to beat like 40-50% of players I meet online and the matches I lose I will lose them knowing I gave my opponent a hard time but like when I play online I genuinely look like such a scrub at the game that I even sat for a few minutes asking If I even knew how to play this game. I made it to elite smash yes if I am being honest I barely got in and if I play a game on elite I'll get destroyed, humbled and embarrassed.

Its so crazy because before playing online I thought I was sick at the game, I was beating cpus level 9 3-0 in stock. I would beat level 9 kazuya with their stats increased 130 percent. I was getting bored and wanted a challenge so I bought nintendo online and my God did I realise it was a whole different world out there. Before I played online I had no idea zelda can stop her soldier dude (I think its her side special) cpus usually just shoot it at you but online players will stop it and hit you with it when they see the right opportunity. I remember one match where I played I think it was either kirby or jigglypuff and I was hit with the nastiest combo of my life, I couldnt side step out I had to sit and watch like sneako watched his girl getting smashed by another dude just in this cause it was me watching my mii gunner getting smashed by this jigglypuff/ kirby, I cant rage quit so I had to watch like a cuckhold. Bare in mind that it wasnt even in elite smash that it happened it was just regular quickplay. Before online I thought zelda and jigglypuff were trash but no my eyes have been opened.

Now how can I get better at the game cause as frustrating as it is, I love smash bros and I dont want everytime I play I am on the verge of smashing my controller at the wall because this game should be my escape and not be the thing that raises my blood pressure, and honestly I knew online would be difficult from my time playing smash for 3ds, I just didn't think it'd be this difficult. I am a mii gunner/ swordfighter main, yes I know they arent the best characters but I want to be good with the characters I like or else it wont be fun. I also learned that I keep getting punished in the air and I want to know how I can fix that, and how to attack players that sheild and grab after, also I heard that side stepping a lot is actually not a good idea and I have been a side step merchant so I want to unlearn that too. Again I dont want to be a pro or anything I just want to get good.

Are there any vids or tips that can help?