This support page may be helpful with pairing and use of the Pencil with your iPad:
Connect Apple Pencil with your iPad - Apple Support
If you continue to experience difficulties, here is one of the better troubleshooting guides:
https://appletoolbox.com/apple-pencil-not-working-heres-our-troubleshooting-guide/
Be aware that if your Pencil has been set-aside for an extended period, unused and uncharged, the Pencil battery may now be irretrievably damaged through deep discharge. In common with all Li-ion batteries, they must always have some level of charge.
The tiny internal Li-ion battery is susceptible to permanent/irreversible damage through being left discharged for long periods. Even some “new” pencils can exhibit signs of failure out-of-the-box if they are “old stock”.
It is essential that if you have an Apple Pencil that you charge it regularly - whether used or not - so as to protect the battery from deep-discharge. Do not allow a pencil to remain in low-charge state for any period of time - as the internal battery will fail, rendering the Pencil useless. Setting aside an unused Pencil, for extended periods, is a recipe for premature death of the Pencil battery.
It is strongly recommended that a second generation Pencil is always docked with its host iPad whenever it is not being actively used - as doing so will optimally charge and maintain the Pencil battery, protecting the battery from failure due to deep-discharge.
If the Pencil Battery has failed, the only remedy is to replace the Pencil. If the battery has failed and your pencil is within its one-year warranty, you should look to having it replaced by your retailer or at an Apple Store.
Some reports suggest that gentle warming of the Pencil (such as a hot water radiator) prior to attempting charging of the Pencil can resurrect a Pencil battery.