Pokemon Moon vs Pokemon Sun

[Charizad]

Hi!

I am looking to buy Pokemon Sun or Pokemon Moon but I am not sure what is the difference between the two. I can only afford one title and would be very grateful if you could enlighten my poor soul. They both seem great and exciting and I have been itching to put my paws on one of the newer Pokemon games for a long time!

[WhoKnows_WhoCares]

I wouldnt exactly call them New at this point, having had a set of sequels (Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon), a set of remakes/tie ins to a mobile game (Let's Go Pikachu & Let's Go Eevee) and a new generation set of games (Sword and Shield), but sure. If you want either Sun or Moon, please feel free to get one of them.

As for the differences, they are mostly fairly standard as the differences between pokemon games are. The specifics are as follows:
Some pokmeon can only be found in one version or the other (see lists below for full list of which is exclusive to which), Some trials feature different totem pokemon (trials are the games variation on Gyms, and Totem Pokemon are the end challenge instead of a Gym Leader), some clothing options in the shops are different between versions, some fights in the battle tree (post game battle area) are are different between the versions. The name of the Alter/Lake are different in each version (or their locations were swapped, I actually forget which now). But the biggest difference is the time clock. In Sun, the day happens between 6am and 6pm, but in Moon this is actually when Night occurs. This affects which pokemon can spawn in the areas (a player playing Moon at midday would encounter a nocturnal pokemon that a player playing sun will not see until after 6pm). There is one other thing I will say about the time differences, but I'll put it behind a spoiler tag because that's what it is. Read at your own risk

Spoiler: show

At a certain point in the game you go to an alternate version of the world, where the time will be the opposite (so in sun, 6am-6pm will be night instead of day and visa versa. You can freely travel between the 2 worlds after another part of the story, meaning you are not locked into a time difference at all

Pokemon found only in a specific version (Exclusive):
Sun: Alolan Vulpix, Alolan Ninetles, Cranidos, Rampardos, Cottonee, Whimsicott, Tirtouga, Carracosta, Rufflet, Bravary, Passimian, Turtonator, Solgaleo, Buzzwole, Kartana
Moon: Alolan Sandshrew, Alolan Sandslash, Sheildon, Bastiodon, Petilil, Lilligant, Archen, Archops, Vullaby, Mandibuzz, Orabguru, Drampa, Lunala, Pheromosa, Celesteela


Hope that helps you inform which version you want to get. To be honest, there isnt really any difference that puts one over the other unless you like one (or more) specific pokemon on the exclusive list. Beyond that, it shouldn't matter which one you get.