Goodeys, everyone has a different pain level tolerance. Some people never realize they have gastric problems until they're bleeding. Others, however, feel the first twinge of discomfort just as something is starting up.
Remember, even mild gastritis is something like a 'scrape' on the lining of your stomach. And that scrape is constantly being exposed to food moving over it and changes in acid levels in the stomach despite the usually decent protective layer of mucus in the stomach. If you scraped you arm in a fall, even if you washed and bandadaged it - to protect it from being hit - it would still hurt. So I wouldn't expect 'less' of your stomach.
I have the burning due to GERD, which I have with gastroparesis. Protonix helps with the burning, not just reflux.