Pairing pencil manually

I sometimes need to use a heavy duty case for my iPad pro which blocks access to the magnetic sides that the apple pencil 2 can attach. I'm trying to pair the pencil without removing the case. I see the Apple Pencil in the Bluetooth Settings but when I try to pair it tells me I need to turn the pencil on. Is there a way to turn the pencil on without attaching to side of iPad? Along the same lines, is there any alternatives to charging the pencil other than attaching to side of the iPad?