Petilil are remarkably small and lightweight grass pokemon, and their tiny, stubby legs can maneuver across water nearly as easily as land – a valuable trait not only for the few unfortunate Petilil who are blown out to sea, but also for the marshes, swamps, and riverbeds many of these species call home. Although a part of their legs do indeed sink below the water, the vast majority of the pokemon remains upright and their movement resembles their land motion far more than paddling, so Petilil have at times been compared to Surskit as the only two pokemon to walk on water.
The fact that Petilil can "walk" on water is not nearly as widely known as it is in the case of the Surskit, whose long, thin legs allow for no misunderstandings, and this ignorance has at times presented tragic consequences. More than once a traveler has followed the Petilil into hidden and deadly swamps, mistaking these pokemon's unchanged movements for proof of continued dry land and sinking into an early grave.
Perhaps these incidents are the origins of the myths surrounding Petilil, where they are portrayed as mischievous forest spirits which eagerly carry souls to the afterlife, whether or not the soul in question has already exited its body. It is not entirely wrong to view this pokemon as spirits of the forest – for in a sense, all grass pokemon are, and Petilil in particular are noted for their association with vibrant areas of plant growth – but they weep for those who follow them and drown, and their futile rescue attempts are aimed at bringing men to safety on shore, not ferrying them to the world of the dead.