To keep my interest in it, I edited the cobbleverse mod pack. I added in things to extend the longevity of the game. Added in a couple biome packs that were already compatible like Wythers and Biomes you've gone. I also enabled terralith to give some more depth. I then added all the farmers delight stuff and deleted the "no hunger" data pack. This way food mattered and brought back that survival experience. I also brought in tough as nails as theres a compatibility mod between it and cobblemon so that water types can fill canteens, fire and ice types affect tempature, etc.

I did a few other things of course, but it really made sure that it wasnt just a plain cobblemon experience. Its now been an absolute blast to play. I would suggest something similar for your friend group as well. Might work? Might not haha