Normally I over level my starter when I play Gold, but this time I decided to train my other Mons such as Magmar, Pidgeot, Gyarados up to level 50 and Feraligatr and Ampharos at level 51. I wasn't sticking much with Sandslash and kept changing between him and a level 26 Lickitung so he's falling like 10 level lowers than the others. I have 13 badges and I feel like I still beat most of the trainers in Kanto aside not getting to Pewter City, Viridian City and Cinnabar Island yet. It just made realized now how lifeless is Kanto for battling random trainers to get EXP. HG did a fairly good job of adding extra levels, but in HG I remember that I wasn't quite ready for those Elite 4 and Lance R2 team.