Pokémon Go is my only exposure to Pokémon, I've never played the other games, or watched any of the anime. Combat has never been a large part of what Pokémon was to me.

I've always been kind of a pacifist when it comes to games. Lots of MMORPGs divide players into factions or teams (think Alliance vs Horde). It's a classic design choice that creates instant conflict, identity, and a sense of belonging. This "us vs them" mechanic is a staple in many games, even mobile games. 

To me, this has always seemed like an unnecessary way to create division, and while I do have FOMO, it manifests in the sense that I'll never be able to revert back to being "factionless" again. And sometimes it's genuinely hard to pick a side based on local or social considerations. 

So, if the game allows it, I'll usually continue playing as much as possible without making this divisive selection. Of course, this results in many features and functionality being limited, which becomes the point of this playstyle, and is an interesting challenge to see how far we can progress without ever choosing a team. 

At the core of the game, Pokémon Go is a collection (and resource management) game for me. And I can do that without the in-fighting. I guess the lore goes that each trainer has to be properly trained by a team leader before they're allowed to battle in gyms (although mechanically you have to have a team in order to fight other teams). 

One key challenge is the ability to obtain mons that are only available from raids. These rotate frequently, and generally if you're in the game long enough, you should be able to obtain them eventually. You might also have helpful friends who are able to trade them with you eventually. 

Being unable to use gyms means we also cannot earn coins. This is quite a huge limitation because it means we can't easily expand our item bag or Pokémon storage. It does mean we'll often have to make tough calls on which Pokémon to keep. Or we could pay for these upgrades directly, of course. 

We'll also be unable to complete any research task involving gyms and raids, which locks us out of those rewards as well. A tangential side effect is that we cannot evolve certain Pokémon like Galarian Runerigus, Hisuan Overqwil, and Kingambit. 

We also cannot appraise Pokémon, the Appraise option just does not show up in the menu. The workaround is to use the search string "3*" or "4*", where it will filter to show only those Pokémon. You can also use third party apps like CalcyIV or PokeGenie to help. 

A commonly cited challenge is that leveling up and gaining experience is difficult without raids. This hasn't really been a problem for me, as EXP is effectively renewable, and the amount you earn is very scalable and dependent on the effort and time you choose to put in the game. I play the game like a hunter-gatherer, and simple stuff still rewards EXP and counts towards levelling up. 

Another challenge is the ostracisation that we sometimes receive from the wider community. While it may seem impressive that I'm effectively at level cap while still being Team Harmony / teamless, some other players scorn at this idea and claim that we're not "playing the game right", or otherwise unlocking the full potential of the game. To each their own I guess, on how to best enjoy a game.